Revelation 05
Seven Sealed Scroll Taken by Christ
The Opening of the Scroll
5:1 Then I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and back and sealed with seven seals.
In chapter four, John had been transported from the island of Patmos to God's throne room. God the Father was sitting on the throne in all of His brilliance. There were 24 elders sitting around the throne of God. When the angelic beings glorified God, all of the elders knelt to God and offered their crowns to Him.
The Greek word for "saw" is ὁράω (horao), meaning to see with the mind, or to see with one's spiritual eyes and understand the spiritual concepts of the vision. Sitting at the right hand of God the Father is the prince of God who will one day reign as King. The throne is the seat of imperial authority.
God the Father is holding a βιβλίον (billion), meaning a small scroll. This scroll is sealed, but is written on both sides. There are seven seals on this scroll, meaning that each seal is a different section that must be opened independently. The contents of this scroll are written in chapters 6-22. The contents of this scroll are the divine judgments of God which will be executed upon an unbelieving world.
There is an event on earth that will trigger the execution of judgment of this scroll. It is not the Rapture of the Church that triggers this event. Instead, it is Israel signing a peace treaty with the Anti-christ. Jesus predicted that the nation of Israel would reject Him as their messianic king, but they would instead accept "another who comes in his own name." That person is now on earth and Israel has made a peace treaty with the devil himself. Therefore, these Jews who made the peace treaty with the Antichrist will be judged. The Gentile unbelievers will be judged as well. This event is the catalyst that causes Israel's cup of iniquity to overflow. This is the event where Satan has gone too far. He has entered into a covenant with God's chosen people. God the Father is the husband of Israel, so this makes Him very jealous for His wife and very angry at Satan for seducing her into this covenant.
According to Daniel 9:24-27, Israel has been subjugated by Gentile nations for 483 years. However, there is one more period of seven years which is to follow. What will be the catalyst that jumpstarts these last seven years to start ticking away? The answer is in Daniel 9:27, "He will make a covenant with Israel for one week." Once the Antichrist makes a covenant with Israel, then the last seven years of this time period will begin. This time period is called the Great Tribulation.
Notice that there were seven seals. The Roman law required that a will be sealed seven times, as illustrated in the wills left by Augustus and Vespasian.
5:2 And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming in a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?”
Who has the right and authority to rule this planet? Is it the biggest and strongest nation? Is it the Democrats or the Republicans? Is it the United Nations? Is it the New World Order?
This angel could possibly be Gabriel. This scroll reveals the divine plan of the Dominion of Christ. The contents of this scroll were given to Daniel, but he was commanded not to make it known. John is commanded to let it be known.
5:3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it.
The Greek word for "no one" is οὐδείς (oudeis), meaning to shut the door and allow absolutely no one inside. There are to be no exceptions. In other words, the door is closed and there is absolutely not even one person or being in heaven or on earth who can open this scroll. The word "heaven" contains the Greek definite article, meaning "the heaven," or the third heaven. The first heaven is the atmosphere of the earth. The second heaven is outer space. The third heaven is the throne room of God. In the Old Testament, it is called "the Heaven of the heavens."
Notice that no one "under the earth" could open the scroll. Hades is berneath the earth. Hades consisted of three compartments. Paradise was the place of the believers. Hades was the place of the unbelievers. Tartarus was a place where fallen angels were imprisoned.
Christ emptied Paradise after His crucifixion. The Old Testament believer's souls and spirits were transferred to Heaven. Their physical bodies will be reunited with their souls and spirits sometime after the Great Tribulation.
Hades was not emptied. All unbelievers from all of history are currently located in Hades, awaiting the Great White Throne Judgment. At the Great White Throne Judgment, all of Hades will be emptied and judged guilty for rejecting God. They will be thrown into the Lake of Fire forever.
Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Napoleon, Alexander the Great, Saddam Hussein, and many other dictators have attempted to rule the entire world, but they were unable to do so. The satanic world system calls these men "great," but none of them will be able to open the scroll.
The Greek word for "able" is δύναμαι (dunamai), an imperfect verb meaning that no one currently possesses the divine power to open the scroll.
5:4 So I began weeping bitterly because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
The Greek word for "weeping" is κλαίω (klaiow), meaning to wail loudly, such as that of a mid-eastern funeral where paid mourners wail out loudly for the dead. The reason is that there is no one in heaven or earth who can open the scroll and reveal God's prophetic plan of the future. There is no one righteous enough or competent enough to rule the world.
It is arrogant for politicians to think that they can change the world. It is even more arrogant for the church to think that they can bring in the kingdom. What will actually happen is that church and state will join together and usher in the Antichrist.
5:5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered; thus he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
The Greek word for "elders" is πρεσβύτερος (presbyters), meaning one of the 24 elders who had been raptured out of the world. This elder comforts John and asked him to stop crying. Evidently, the elder has some prior knowledge that John did not have at this time.
The Greek word for "weeping" is κλαίω (klaiow), meaning to cry out loud. Notice that the Holy Spirit did not choose the Greek word for crying silently.
John was told to stop crying, get your eyes off yourself, and get your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is very good advice for Christians today. Christians need to stop whining and crying, get their eyes on Christ, and remember that He is sovereign over all things.
The Greek word for "look" is ὁράω (idou), an aorist active imperative verb, meaning a command to immediately look with spiritual eyes and understand the important Biblical doctrine that is about to be revealed.
The Lion of Judah is one of the names of the Messiah. In Genesis 49:8, it was prophesied that the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. Judah means "praise." He was the fourth son of Jacob. King David and all of the kings of Judah came from the tribe of Judah. Joseph and Mary both were from the tribe of Judah. If the Davidic line had continued into the Roman Empire, Joseph would have been the king of Israel. Mary came from the line of Judah also, but she came from David’s son, Nathan, while Joseph came from line of David through his son, Solomon.
The root of David is the Messiah who was predicted through the Davidic Covenant. The Greek word for "root" is ῥίζα (riza), meaning the main sprout that comes from the root of a tree. All of the branches of the tree sprout from of this main root. God promised that He would raise up King David to reign on earth forever. If this verse is taken literally and not spiritualized, then in order for God to keep His promise to David, He will have to raise him from the dead and place him on the throne of Israel as an eternal king.
The Greek word for "conquer" is νικάω (nikaow), an aorist active indicative verb, meaning that the Lion of Judah and the Seed of David, which are both titles of the Lord Jesus Christ, have already conquered His enemies.
One of the elders told John to quit crying, because there was one person who could open the scroll. The person was the Lion of Judah, the Seed of David, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.
5:6 Then I saw standing in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
When John turned around to look at the Lion of Judah, he did not see a lion, but a lamb. The lamb had been slain. The lamb represents Jesus at His first coming. He came as a sacrificial lamb that was to be slaughtered for the sins of the world.
The number seven symbolizes completion and perfection. The lamb had seven horns, meaning that He has complete power. These horns represent His omnipotence. The lamb had seven eyes, meaning that He is omniscient, because He sees all. The lamb had seven spirits, meaning the Holy Spirit of God.
When the Lord Jesus Christ comes a second time, He will come as a lion. A lion comes to tear its prey into pieces.
5:7 Then he came and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne,
The Lord Jesus Christ was sitting at the right hand of God and making intercession for the saints. Now, He takes the scroll from the one who was seated on the throne. God the Father has given the kingdoms of the world to the Son of Man. Satan had offered these kingdoms to Jesus at His first coming, but Jesus refused to kneel down and worship Satan. He did not take the shortcut. Instead, He waited until Satan's cup of iniquity was full, and He received the kingdom from God the Father.
5:8 and when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders threw themselves to the ground before the Lamb. Each of them had a harp and golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints).
Jesus took the scroll. The four living creatures were the cherubim in front of the throne. The 24 elders are the church saints. They all fell down and worshipped the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is receiving worship just as God the Father received worship in the last chapter. This means that Jesus is deity.
Each of them had a harp and a golden bowl of incense. The harps are musical instruments of praise. The golden bowls represent the prayers of all of the saints throughout history who have prayed for the Second Coming of Christ. The prayers of the saints are contained in golden bowls, meaning that these prayers are very valuable. The bowls are "full" of prayers. Once the bowl is full, Christ reacts. The prayers are incense, meaning that these prayers are a perfume that smells good to the nostrils of God.
The 24 saints are the church, meaning that they are the priesthood of God. As priests, they will fill the heavenly temple with the aroma of the perfume of the incense.
When Jesus takes the scroll, His days as intercessor will be over. He is now changing occupations. He is begging to usurp the throne.
5:9 They were singing a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were killed, and at the cost of your own blood you have purchased for God persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation.
Miriam was given a new song when Israel was delivered from Pharaoh. There will also be a new song when Israel is delivered from the Antichrist. The new song is the Song of Redemption.
5:10 You have appointed them as a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
Notice the pronoun changes from ""us" to "them." The new song was praising Jesus as the Judge of all creation. Jesus was about to deliver "them" from the Great Tribulation. The "them" are the tribulation saints on earth. Some tribulation saints would lose their physical lives but keep their eternal lives. They would enter the Millennial Kingdom with their glorified bodies. Other tribulation saints would survive with their physical and eternal life. They would enter the Millennial Kingdom with their earthly bodies.
5:11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their number was ten thousand times ten thousand – thousands times thousands –
The Greek word for "then" is καὶ (kai), meaning a continuation of the last thought.
The Greek word for "looked" is ὁράω (horaow), an aorist active indicative verb, meaning to see not with a telescope, but to see with a panoramic view and with spiritual eyes. Seeing with spiritual eyes means that one sees with spiritual understanding. This Greek word is the origin of the English word "horizon," meaning to gaze in order to get the big picture.
"The voice" is singular with a Greek article, meaning that the angels were speaking in unison. God has an innumerable amount of angels who will all be speaking in the unison of one voice. What were they saying in unison? The answer is in the next verse. What language were they speaking? When angels speak, they speak in their own language, but every one hears the message in their own language. The gift of tongues is not speaking in gibberish, but it is speaking in one's own language and everyone hearing in his own language of birth. The tongues in the modern charismatic churches are the satanic gift of tongues.
The throne in heaven today is shared by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is presently active on earth, energizing the elect for salvation and then filling them for service to God.
The elders are the 24 elders who represent the body of Christ, which is the church in heaven. The outer circle is a host of angelic beings. The Greek number is myriad, which is the largest number in the Greek alphabet. Sometimes it is often translated as "infinity." The angels are innumerable.
5:12 all of whom were singing in a loud voice: “Worthy is the lamb that was killed to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and praise!”
The Greek word for "singing" is λέγω (legos), a present active participle, meaning to continually speak. Many English versions mistranslate this word as "singing," but it actually means to speak. Therefore, the angels were not singing, but they were shouting in a loud voice. There is no Biblical verse that teaches that angels sing in heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ is being praised by all of His creation in unison and in heaven.
The Greek word for "killed" is σφάζω (spazow), a perfect passive participle, meaning to kill by violence , slaughter, or sacrifice. In the Greek, Jesus was killed as a sacrifice. The perfect tense means that He was killed in the past and the sacrifice continues into eternity. The passive voice demonstrates that Jesus did not commit suicide. He was slain by an outside source. Since the sacrifice continues into eternity, there is no need for an additional sacrifice. The Catholics are wrong when they offer Christ again and again in their weekly Eucharist.
Jesus was worthy to receive praise for seven reasons.
The first reason that Jesus was to receive praise was because of His power. The Greek word for "power” is δύναμις (dynamos), meaning divine power. Jesus possesses divine power to perform His will. He possesses the power of omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. He possesses the power to create the universe and override nature. He possesses power over Satan. He possesses the power to destroy the wicked. He possesses the power to come down from heaven. He will one day use His power to transform the human body of the believer into a glorified body that will not sin or see perfection.
The second reason that Jesus was to receive praise was because of His wealth. The Greek word for "wealth" is πλοῦτος (ploutos), meaning wealth and abundance. Jesus owns all of the material wealth on earth. He has loaned this material wealth to believers and unbelievers. He expects everyone to invest this wealth and produce more wealth. Those on earth who possess wealth are often found to be arrogant, believing that they earned their wealth rather than the Lord giving it to them. Jesus possesses the rare and divine combination of wealth and humility. Jesus gave up His wealth as deity, became a man, and gave His wealth to the church. The church will inherit the wealth (but not the deity) of Christ when they co-reign with Christ. The one who is gifted with wealth will be accountable for using his wealth for the Lord's service. The one who is gifted with wealth must be sure that he is present when Bible doctrine is taught, so that he does not grow arrogant. This is the major weakness of American believers today. Americans have been blessed by being born in a materially and spiritually rich nation, so to much is given, then much is required. The Laodicean church was blinded by their wealth, making them too arrogant to see their true spiritual condition of poverty. The main thing that a believer needs to know is that God controls one's wealth. All wealth belongs to God, so believers need to be good stewards, using their wealth for the kingdom of God. It is the "love" of money that leads to destruction. If one really loves God, then he will love to spend his money to serve God. The securing of money from a believer's occupation is one's side business. Christian service is the main vocation of the believer. The real wealth is what one stores in heaven. There are many people who make themselves rich on earth but poor in heaven. According to Proverbs 10:2, those who gain riches by unethical methods will bring curses upon themselves. It is God first, family second, and career third.
The third reason that Jesus was to receive praise was because of His wisdom. The Greek word for wisdom is σοφία (sophia), meaning a cleverness to use the intelligence and knowledge that one possesses. Wisdom is skill for living. Wisdom is insight into the true nature of things. The true nature of things is reality. Wisdom is a divine viewpoint set of values that helps one to make the right choices in life. Wisdom guides one in their choice of language. Those who have strong Bible doctrine know what to say and what not to say and when to say it. Wisdom gives one the right mental attitude to survive in the satanic world system. The right mental attitude guides one to seek godly ambition. Man has a limited amount of time, energy, mental capacity, and emotional capacity. Once time is gone, then opportunities to serve Christ have been lost for eternity. Wisdom permeates into politics. Those who possess Biblical wisdom know who to vote for and who not to vote for. Wisdom permeates into economics. Biblical economics is much different from the economics of the satanic world system. Wisdom permeates into entertainment as those with strong Bible doctrine will choose Biblical entertainment. Wise people are aware of this divine clock, so they count their days and make them count. Those with wisdom know they will be accountable for the time that they spent on this earth. The will of God is for all men to seek wisdom, which is found in the entire counsel of the Word of God. The human viewpoint of the satanic world system teaches to "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die." The divine viewpoint of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God is to seek the mind of Christ through the entire counsel of the Word of God. Many unbelievers are arrogant, because they think they are wiser than the Word of God. Wisdom is a gift of God to believers. It is available through the Word of God. One does not have to pay for it or beg for it. Wisdom is available to all who will come to the fountain and drink.
The fourth reason that Jesus was to receive praise was because of His strength. The Greek word for "strength" is ἰσχύς (ischus), meaning physical strength. Jesus spoke at Gethsamane and all of the soldiers fell to the ground. At Nazareth, his own townspeople wanted to throw Him off of the cliff, but Jesus walked right through them. At the Sea of Galilee, He calmed the storm. Jesus survived forty days in the wilderness without food or water. Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers and would not allow anyone to carry their merchandise through the temple area.
The fifth reason that Jesus was to receive praise was because of honor. The Greek word for "honor" is τιμή (timay), meaning honor, esteem, value, and respect. Jesus is to be esteemed because of the value that He offers to the human race. The value of Christ is that all who believe will co-rein with Him. Those who do not value Christ will burn in the Lake of Fire forever. Those who do not honor the Son do not honor the Father. Jews, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Islam, and the other cults and isms do not honor God because they do not honor the Son. Honor is also important on earth. Man must honor his Father and Mother, or he will not live very long. Marriage is to be honored. Wives are to be honored as the weaker vessel so that the prayers of the husband will not be hindered. Womem who are really widows are to be honored. Older men and women are to be honored. Elders are to be honored. Pastor-teachers are to be double honored. Government is to be honored. The Word of God is to be honored. Employers are to be honored by work ethic. The physical body of the believer is to be honored (by diet and exercise) so that it can be used as service for the Lord.
The sixth reason that Jesus was to receive praise was because of His glory. The Greek word for "glory" is δόξα (dosa), meaning unique. God should be praised, because He is unique. He is in a category all by Himself. Jesus was the only person born of a virgin. He is both God and man. He was the first to die, be resurrected, and receive a glorified body. Jesus is sovereign over all things. No one tells Jesus what to do. He is not 99% God, but he is 100% God. Jesus is absolute righteousness. He never does anything wrong. He is absolutely right 100% of the time. He has perfect justice. He will not compromise with evil. Jesus does not pretend that something is right when it is not. God will punish all unrighteousness. No one gets away with sin. Jesus is eternal. He has no beginning and no end. All angels, demons, and men have a beginning, but no end. God is love. God is just. He cannot permit sin to go unpunished. Jesus is omnipotent. He has all power. Jesus is omniscient. He knows everything. He cannot be surprised. Jesus possesses omnipresence. He is everywhere at the same time. Jesus is immutable. God does not change. He is exactly the same yesterday, today, and forever. God is veracity. He is absolute truth. According to Romans 1:23, man has changed the glory of the incorruptible God into images from nature.
The seventh reason that Jesus was to receive praise was because of His praise. The Greek word for "praise" is εὐλογία (eulogia), meaning good speech or good logos or good language. In many English translations, it is translated as "blessing." Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, gave God good speech. Simeon gave God good speech for holding the baby Jesus in His hands. The Hebrew word for "bless" is ברך (barak), meaning to bless or say good words about God. When Jesus blessed the little children, He was saying good words about them for coming to Him in trust and belief. The last thing that Jesus did at His ascension was to bless the church.
5:13 Then I heard every creature – in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them – singing: “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power forever and ever!”
The Greek word for "creature" is κτίσμα (ktisma), meaning the products of creation. The products of creation are the humans, plants, and animals which God created. Every angel, man, plant, and animal in creation will praise God. Philippians 2:10 confirms that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth and of this under the earth." This includes those who believe in Christ and those who reject Christ. Even Satan, demons, and all unbelievers will bow down to Jesus and call Him Lord.
All creatures in heaven are the elect angels and the born again saints. They will all glorify God.
Every creature on the earth includes all of the humans, plants, and animals on the earth when Christ returns. Jesus said that even the rocks would praise Jesus.
Every creature under the earth includes the plants and animals which live under the earth. It also refers to the demons and unsaved who are living under the earth.
Hell is under the earth. The unbelievers are currently residing in Hades. The demons who intermarried with human women are currently residing in Tartarus. There are some demons who are temporarily living in the Abyss. They will be released during the Great Tribulation. All of these demons will bow to Jesus and proclaim Him to be Lord.
Every creature in the sea includes the plants and animals which live in the sea.
The Greek word for "singing" is λέγω (legos). It does not mean singing. It actually means to make a statement of closure.
Blessing can also be spiritual or material blessing. The believer pronounces God as blessed and then God blesses the believer. In Matthew, the sheep Gentiles will receive spiritual and material prosperity for their treatment of the Jews during the Great Tribulation. In James 3, believers can bless or curse other believers with their choice of language. Believers are to bless their food so that God will in return bless the natural causes that produce food. Financial gifts by believers are a blessing to God. Believers reap what they sow. There is more reward in heaven for those who give to the Lord's works. When a believer blesses his food, then he is dedicating the food to God so that God can energize the body to do the work of God. The believer is to eat healthy and dedicate his food to God so that he can serve God longer and more efficiently. The body is a temple. Believers are to maintain their bodies, because it is God's temple.
The Greek word for "power" is not δύναμις (dynamos), meaning divine power (which was used in verse 12). The Greek word is κράτος (kratos), meaning dominion, strength, power, or mighty deed. Jesus is full of divine power, but He also possesses dominion authority to take rulership over the world. A good definition of κράτος (kratos) is "ruling power." This verse teaches that all creatures, including Satan, will bow before Jesus and declare Him as Lord. When earthly kings conquered another king, they would step on his neck and force them to declare him as Lord.
The Greek word for "seated" is καθημένῳ (kathemeno), an imperfect passive participle, meaning that God the Father is continually sitting on the throne forever.
The Greek word for "lamb" is τῷ Ἀρνίῳ (to arnion), meaning a young and perfect lamb with no blemishes. The Greek word was also a metaphor for a person who possessed pure, innocent, virgin-like, and gentle intentions. Notice that a Greek article is used, meaning that this was one specific lamb, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Greek word for "forever and ever" is αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων (aionas ton anion), meaning a very long time or an era or a dispensation or sometimes as eternity. It can mean eternity in many New Testament contexts, as it does in this passage.
5:14 And the four living creatures were saying “Amen,” and the elders threw themselves to the ground and worshiped.
The four living creatures are the cherubim which surround the throne of God. There are four living creatures that possess four heads each. These four heads are the lion, which may represent the Gospel of Matthew. The ox may represent the Gospel of Mark. The man may represent the Book of Luke. The eagle may represent the Book of John.
The Greek word for "saying" is ἔλεγον (elevon), an imperfect active indicative verb, meaning that the four living creatures were continually saying "Amen" for all eternity. The Greek word for "Amen" is Ἀμήν (akan), which is a transliteration of the Hebrew word אָמַן (amin), which means "let these things of truth happen."
The Greek word for "elders" is πρεσβύτεροι (presbuteroi), meaning elders. The 24 elders are representatives of the church, which has been raptured into heaven.