Verse 1. “I saw in the
right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the
back, sealed up with seven seals.”
The vision shown to John in
Chapter 4 is continuing. The four living creatures are present, as are
the 7-lamps of fire, the 24-elders and the emerald rainbow. John turns
his attention away from those peripheral wonders to “Him who sat on the throne,” noticing a
scroll in His right hand. John observed that the scroll had writing on
both sides. A scroll was similar to a modern book, except that it was one
continuous page, wrapped up in a roll. Usually, the writing was on one
side of the scroll only. A scroll with writing on both sides is also seen
in Ezekiel 2:9-10, where the prophet saw a document with “writing
on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and
mourning and woe.” The one in this verse
is the same scroll. Dr. Lightfoot suggested that the scroll is the title
deed of planet earth.
A “seal” was a wax
impression, stamped (while the wax was still warm) by the ring of the
person in authority who sealed the document. Usually, only one seal was
considered sufficient, whereas “seven”
of them was unusual. A Roman citizen from a wealthy family would have a
will that had seven seals, but this is much more. “Seven” is a number of
completeness in Scripture, looking back to the day of rest when God’s
creation was complete. Human history will be complete at the time of this
book. The Lamb will open the seals one-by-one, and visions will accompany
each opened seal. We will not see the writing on the scroll itself;
except we have a “clue” from Ezekiel: Words of “lamentations
and mourning and woe” are contained in
it.
Verse 2. “And I saw a
strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy
to open the book and to break its seals?”
This is a good question: “Who
is worthy
to open the book and to break its seals?”
It is important, because Mohammed has been called “The Seal of the
Prophets,” thereby announcing that he was somehow “worthy.” Many have
said of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) that he is worthy, and others have
attempted to wear that mantle throughout history. Many in the “New Age”
movement have decided that humans can somehow be worthy – their leaders
encourage attendees at seminars to say: “I am god.” Are they? Are they
worthy indeed?
Look at your life – have
you ever sinned? Read the daily newspaper – Is there sin in the world?
Indeed there is – “ALL have sinned and
come short of the glory of God” (Romans
3:23). Jesus was totally unlike Siddhartha Gautama or Mohammed or you and
me, for “He was in all points tempted as
we are, yet WITHOUT SIN” (Hebrews 4:15).
Who is worthy? To honestly look at the evidence is to decide that only
Jesus Christ is worthy to open the book (the scroll) in this verse. He is
indeed worthy and you can trust your life to Him.
Verse 3. “And no one in
heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to
look into it.
No one. No angel or cherub
or archangel or man or woman – No one! Not you, not me – Whatever was
written on the scroll of that book in the hand of Him who held it – NO ONE
in heaven or on the earth or under the earth is worthy in the sight of God
to break the seals, open that book and release the words that are inside.
You may wonder: “Why are we not shown the words in that book?”
Actually, we’re not shown a
lot of things, and in all fairness, there is much that we of this world do
not know. In these Chapters, heaven and God Himself are clearly presented
to us, and though we can see, we understand little. That’s a good thing,
for knowledge will not save us – It is salvation in Jesus Christ that we
need. God, in His wisdom, has chosen faith in Him as the means of our
rescue. Knowing less, we need Him more, and when we finally look in faith
to our LORD, we ultimately will be given – everything!
Verse 4. “Then I began to
weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look
into it;”
The stakes are infinitely
high at this moment. John understood that it was very important that the
scroll (a rolled-up book) be opened. He saw that we are not worthy to do
the job. It was sealed up tight by the authority of God Himself and could
not be opened. Angels could not do it, nor could cherubs, or any human –
No one. It is very important to God’s purposes at the end of history in
this world that the scroll be opened, and yet, NO ONE is even remotely
worthy in the sight of God to act for Him.
Actually, no one is worthy
– period! You may think you are very religious and are therefore –
worthy! But you fall short, just like the rest of us. You may be in
public office or otherwise hold an important position on this earth.
Others may applaud you, but are you worthy? I’m sorry to say, you’re not
- in the sight of God. Perhaps in the opinion of men, but none of us are
“worthy” in His sight. Our standing with Him is His grace, offered freely
in Jesus Christ.
Verse 5. “and one of the
elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that
is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of
David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”
As humans, we tend to
regard some people as “good” and others, we decide, are “bad.”
There have been many who like to think that there’s “some
good in everybody!” It is a nice
thought, but it’s just not true. John suddenly RECOGNIZED anew that “ALL
have sinned and come short of the glory of God”
(Romans 3:23), and he wept at the sin of his people – his own sin! Yours
and mine! At this moment, ALL of us should be concerned, for we are
seeing GOD’s opinion of the human race – none of us are worthy in His
sight!
But one of the 24-elders
looked over at John and told him to “stop
weeping!” Though ALL have sinned, there
is One who is “without sin”
(Hebrews 4:15).
And if you are justly
concerned about the condition of this world and the people in it, take
heart! For there is One who 1) lived as we have, yet utterly “without
sin”, and 2) He shows us the way out of
this problem (He IS the way). He is worthy to open those seals – proving
that He has the authority and the love, to SAVE you and me.
Verse 6. “And I saw between
the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb
standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the
seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
It’s important to note that
in the entire Book of Revelation, accurate people and beings are being
presented. Whether the visions we are seeing are completely literal or
partly symbolic, is irrelevant, because these verses present real
occurrences that will soon take place. The four creatures do exist and
someday, those who trust in the Lamb, the Son of God, will see them as
they really are.
In the center of these
astonishing events and beings, we find the Lamb who had been offered as a
sacrifice (killed on an altar), but was not dead. John, just like any Jew
of his time, would have seen many slain animals in the context of the
Temple at Jerusalem. But this One was different.
This Lamb, though it had
been dead, is ALIVE and full of POWER, as represented by the 7-horns (He
has all-power) and 7-eyes (He sees everything). Moses blessed the tribe
of Joseph with the words, “His horns are
like the horns of unicorns; with them he shall push the people together to
the ends of the earth” (Deuteronomy 33:17). Jesus said, “All
power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth”
(Matthew 28:18). The number “seven,” by the way, denotes completeness in
Scripture. The “7-horns”
represent complete power and the “7-eyes”
complete knowledge (omniscience). This “Lamb” (who died for you and me)
is indeed the “Lion of the Tribe of Judah”
as seen in verse 5. The “7-Spirits”
are aspects of the Holy Spirit of God, as discussed in Revelation 4:5.
Verse 7. “And He came and
took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.”
“He”
who “took the book”
is the Lamb presented in verse 6, and you may wonder, how could a lamb,
with hooves instead of hands, take anything? The answer is that the “Lamb”
is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and He can do anything. The Book of
Revelation is partly literal, partly symbolic, but all of it presents the
truth that will soon happen. This vision of Him as a “Lamb” shows us
something of His character and reveals what He has done for us. He has
hands that reach to the ends of this universe and beyond.
In Revelation 1:16, Jesus
Christ is shown with a “sharp two-edged
sword” that comes “out
of His mouth.” But we also know, from
places like Ephesians 6:17, that this is “the
sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.”
The sword truly comes from Him, but it is also symbolic of more - the Word
of God. As a man and as the Son of God, Jesus Christ has utterly
responded to the leading of the Holy Spirit and all His words and actions
were reflective of the Spirit, during His time on earth. Jesus IS the
Word of God. He IS the Lamb of God, and He IS worthy to take the scroll
from the right hand of Him who sits on the throne.
Verse 8. “When He had taken
the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down
before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense,
which are the prayers of the saints.”
The 4-living creatures of
this verse may well represent all creation. The 24-elders are certainly
representatives of those In Israel and the Church who have been faithful
to God. It is not a problem at all that those present were managing to
somehow hold bowls of incense and harps at the same time, by the way. The
bowls are reminiscent of the shallow bowls of incense which were upon the
golden altar (Exodus 30:1-10) and clearly, in this verse, they represent
your prayers and mine. The “harps”
speak of praise.
When pressures increase in
life, it’s all too easy to wonder: Does God hear my prayers? The answer
is in this verse: Yes, He does! He treasures your requests and keeps them
before Him at all times. You can be sure from the careful treatment they
are receiving in this verse, that they are VERY important to Him. The
harps shown this verse tell us He WILL answer our prayers, here and/or in
eternity, because we WILL praise Him for not only who He is, but also for
what He has done.
Verse 9. “And they sang a
new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals;
for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every
tribe and tongue and people and nation.”
The “harps”
of verse 8 speak of praise to our God, for we see all the creatures and
elders burst into songs of praise before the Lamb of God. Music is a form
of poetry, in that it expresses the heart, providing understanding through
something more than mere intellect. Those who sing at the moment of this
verse, simply LOVE the Lord, and for a very good reason: Millions who
would have been lost eternally through sin, have been (purchased) saved by
Jesus Christ, who became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) and gave His
blood (was slain) that we might live.
Notice that He has rescued
people from “EVERY tribe and tongue and
people and nation.” Languages (tongues)
change. “English” from the year 1100 is so different from modern English,
that they are actually not the same tongue. You and a person from that
year would not understand each other. Chinese in 3000 BC vastly differed
from modern Chinese. Nations existed in the past that are now gone. “Every
tribe and tongue…” reveals that the cross
of Jesus Christ reaches back in time to the far distant past, to the very
beginning, saving even those who came before Him, like Abraham, who
trusted in God.
Verse 10. “You have made
them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the
earth.”
All you ever wanted or
thought about and more, is offered to you in Jesus Christ. If you ever
wanted to be a key person in a “kingdom,”
just trust in Him, and you “will reign
upon the earth.” Do you wish that you
had gone into some kind of ministry, instead of choosing a “secular”
vocation? You will be a priest in eternity, and if you trust in Christ,
you are a priest right now (1 Peter 2:9). Somehow, we will be allowed and
enabled to be both a “kingdom”
and priests, in the place where it counts – in eternity, where His gifts
will not end.
Note we shall “reign
on the earth.” This place is our home
and yet, somehow, we are with Him, already in “heavenly
places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).
He has in mind giving us – everything! We tend to look at our limitations
here on this earth. He looks at our potential – in eternity. Sin will be
done away. Our sorrows will be no more. Any doubt will be replaced by
love, for we will “be a kingdom and
priests to our God,” and we will “reign
upon the earth.”
Verse 11. “Then I looked,
and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living
creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads,
and thousands of thousands,
The phrase “thousands
of thousands” represents a very large
undefined number; the largest single number used in the Greek language.
It is very likely there were millions or perhaps what we would consider an
“infinite” number of beings present at that moment (Rogers – “Linguistic
& Exegetical Key to the New Testament”).
In the center of them all, is the Lamb who has redeemed us to God by His
blood (Revelation 5:9). Those present are addressing and worshiping the
Lamb, Jesus Christ. He is the center of all that is.
What is the center of your
life? Is it your work? Something to do with athletics? Your health?
Another person? Money? A hobby? Fear? Or is it the Lord?
It’s important to place
life in perspective. Many do not openly follow the Lord due to fear of
embarrassment – they don’t want to seem “different” to those around them.
They want to be in the majority. Note that you are only on earth for a
time and then you will be in eternity – forever, where the majority
(actually ALL) will worship the Lamb. You decide your place in eternity,
however, by what you do on earth. It’s time to OPENLY worship the Lamb of
God, Jesus Christ. A lot depends on what is central to you right now.
Verse 12. “saying with a
loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches
and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.’”
In this verse we find the
goals and hopes and dreams of people; who themselves want “power
and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
Yet such things are not for us; not directly, anyway. Here on earth,
portions of these attributes are held TEMPORARILY by certain people, such
as kings, presidents, movie stars and top athletes, as God allows. Many
have relatively a LITTLE wisdom, SOME riches, limited power, temporary
glory, etc. We are enabled to essentially BORROW such things for a time.
We must understand the
ETERNAL possession of these characteristics. They are His. Those who
rightly belong to Jesus Christ, receive the reflected glory of HIS
attributes now and in eternity. “Power
and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing”
are His, and they always were. It all belongs to the Lord, who gave up
everything for us. Indeed, He is worthy, because He was slain for you and
me - He who has everything gave all, including His life, for you and me.
He is worthy.
Verse 13. “And every
created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and
on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on
the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion
forever and ever.’”
Everything, every blade of
grass, each being He has created, will praise the Lord in eternity. Death
is merely for a moment and soon it will be revealed as the temporary thing
it really was. For man and “beast” alike; death has functioned as an act
of mercy, taking us out of this place of sin. Indeed, in eternity, and
likely in the “Millennium,” “the wolf
shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the goat… the
cow and the bear shall graze… and the lion shall eat straw like the ox”
(Isaiah 11:6-7). If the animal kingdom is in eternity, they all will
worship the Lord.
In Chapter 6 of Revelation,
we will encounter horses in the heavenlies, and here in this verse we find
“EVERY created thing”
praising the Lord, suggesting that every touch of life that has ever
existed will be with the Lord to praise Him in His kingdom. Except, of
course, those among humanity who do not want to be with Him. They will
get their way and be flung away from the Son of God. In this verse, we
see those who WANT the Lord, including all created things.
Verse 14. “And the four
living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and
worshiped.”
“Amen”
is a Hebrew word that has been taken into many languages, including the
Greek, which simply means “It is so,”
or “it will be done.”
The preceding verses have been a statement of faith that God WILL do what
people cannot do (restore that which is lost). Worship is a form of
prayer in which we express our delight in God TO Him. We tell Him of our
love. Supplication is another form of prayer, in which we ASK Him to help
us or help someone we care about. In eternity we will need nothing – we
will praise the Lord.
The four-living creatures
and the 24-elders show something in this verse that humanity does not have
– a complete trust in the Lord: That He is Wonderful, that He CAN do all
things; that He WILL do what is needed, along with an understanding that
He always acts in love for you and me. They trust because they have seen
that He is worthy of our trust. It’s time to have such faith and worship
Him, for He indeed is worthy of our praise. Let’s start right now and
simply WORSHIP the Lord – the highest form of prayer.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
P.O. Box 92131
Long Beach, CA
90809-2131 USA
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
