Revelation Chapter 5: The Scroll & the Lamb

 Vv. 1-4—In his vision, John sees a scroll in God’s hands:

“¹Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. ² And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?’ ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴ I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.”

Scrolls were sheets of papyrus or parchment that were sewn together into one long piece and then rolled, often rolled onto a spindle. Typically, there was writing on both sides. Ancient papyrus scrolls contained contracts, deeds, marriage contracts, wills, agreement to perform services (such as plowing, planting, harvesting, or building a house), as well as biblical texts.

The scroll that John saw was a kind of deed granting authority over the earth,  intended for Jesus, the One who would take possession and rule.

God the Father is holding the scroll in His right hand as He sits on the throne. It is sealed with seven seals. Seals on scrolls were normally blots of hardened wax on which a ruler’s signet ring or seal has created a mark. Only the authorized recipient was supposed to break the seal and open the scroll.

According to many Bible scholars, the scroll John saw may be the scroll that Isaiah refers to in Isaiah 29:11: “For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, ‘Read this, please,’ they will answer, ‘I can’t; it is sealed.’”; or the scroll Daniel describes in Daniel 12:1-4: “¹At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ² Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ Those who are wise[a] will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. ⁴ But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

The opening of each seal on the scroll John sees in God’s hand results in the delivery of a judgment, similar to the scroll given Ezekiel in Ezekiel 2:10: “When He (God) unrolled it before me, it was written on the front and back; [words of] lamentation, mourning, and woe were written on it.”

The practice in the middle east was to put a wax seal on each of the seams where the pieces of papyrus or parchment were sewn together to assure the entire scroll was authentic and had not been altered. Each seal would need to be broken in order to receive the contents of the next panel in the scroll.

The scroll was unrolled one panel at a time, after each panel’s seal was broken. The outer seal (first seal) would have an impression of the seal or signet of the sender. The six inner seals may have been just globs of wax adhering to each seam and preventing the scroll from being completely open without breaking each seal.

John describes a sealed scroll with promises of judgement. We will see as each seal is broken, each judgment upon the earth takes place. Remember, John’s visions were of what would take place in the future, during the tribulation and the afterward at the judgment.

A mighty angel cries out (v. 2):“Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” John is upset at the gravity of the angel’s countenance. No one can be found who is worthy to open the scroll. Only the other party to the contract would be qualified or worthy, and no mere humans, angels, cherubim, seraphim, or any other created being were qualified to open the seals to this scroll.

Notice in v. 2 that the question is asked not who is merely qualified but who is “…worthy…” The literal meaning of this Greek term is “having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much.” Here is my interpretation: “the one who is worthy” is the one who measures up to the standards of the contractor, the one who is equal to God the Father. That standard is perfection. Only one who is perfect and without sin is worthy to judge the sins of the world.

That judgment begins with the seven seals, bringing judgment on the earth during the tribulation, and ends many years later at the judgment seat of Christ, and then after a 1,000 years, with the throwing of Satan into the lake of fire.

In vv. 5-10: John observes there is only one who is worthy; it is “…the lion of the tribe of Judah…” and “…the root of David…,” both of which are Messianic titles:

“⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’ ⁶ Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. ⁸ And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. ¹⁰ You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’”

Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, is the one worthy to open the seals. Jesus meets the standard of worthiness, which is perfection as one of the Trinity, sinless, fully man and fully God.

The “…Lamb…” is a reference to His sacrifice for our sin. Jesus still bears the scars from His torture and crucifixion. The lamb’s “…seven horns and seven eyes…” are of special significance. Horns were an ancient Jewish symbol for power and strength. The eyes symbolize the fact that He can see and discern everything. The horns and the eyes represent the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth, signifying both strength and supernatural knowledge. It means the Holy Spirit possesses all power in every age and with complete understanding to see what is in the heart of men and women in every age.

In v. 7, John tells us that each of the elders and the four living creatures had “…a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” Harps were small stringed instruments used to accompany singing and celebrations.

Smoke from burning incense rose from the “…golden bowls full of incense…” (v. 8), symbolizing believers’ prayers rising to God. The bowls are more like saucers, a common part of temple worship. We can assume the reasons for the believers’ petitioning God to be calling for his judgment on those who killed them (see Revelation 6:10). The prayers of the saints are immediately connected with the trumpets of God’s judgment (see Revelation 8:3-4). The prayers are asking God to vindicate the martyred saints. V.10 refers to the coming kingdom, so the prayers are petitions for God to judge the world and to extend his kingdom throughout the earth.

Vv. 11-14 feature many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand:

“¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹² In a loud voice they were saying: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’ ¹³ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’ ¹⁴ The four living creatures said, ‘Amen,’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.”

John is telling us that the number of angels is beyond calculation. The angels were saying, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” They emphasize that Jesus is equal with God, the One worthy to carry out His judgments.

The Lamb’s act of taking the scroll “…from the right hand of him who sat on the throne…” (v. 7) calls forth three hymns of praise (vv. 9, 12, 13) from the living creatures and elders. John sees them fall down in worship before the Lamb as they had earlier done before the one on the throne (see Revelation 4:10), thus acknowledging that Jesus, the Lamb, is God.

Coming up:

Revelation chapter 6, where we learn that the seals are opened, and the judgments begin on the earth.