Revelation 5:1-10

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.  And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”  And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.  And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”  And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.  And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.  And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.  And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Revelation is full of Trinitarian truth.  In this passage we see the Father sitting on the throne with a scroll, the Son who was slain and therefor worthy to open the scroll, and the Spirit who was sent out into all the earth.  Three Persons and one God is a truth that is very difficult for us to comprehend or adequately explain.  This is why the only proper response to being in His presence is worship.  The scroll, held by the Father, opened by the Son, and executed by the Spirit, is the focus of this and the next several chapters.  The imagery in this chapter gives us more insight into the glory of heaven.

A SACRED SCROLL: John sees in the right hand of the Father a scroll with writing on it that has been sealed with seven seals.  This is clearly a significant scroll, and John is concerned because the scroll is sealed so the contents remain hidden.  Scrolls like this were used to record vital information including titles, wills, and deeds.  When the angel cries out questioning who is worthy to open the scroll, there is nobody considered worthy.  John’s response is to weep because he longs to know what the scroll will reveal.  The knowledge of God is of vital importance and John longs to know what this scroll reveals about God, His will, and plan.  Legal documents require authorization to open and the fact that nobody was found was distressing to John.

A SACRED SAVIOR: John is assured by the angel that there is One who is worthy to open this sacred scroll and it is clearly Jesus.  His is described as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.”  This is clearly referring to Jesus.  The angel declares that He has conquered and is therefore worthy to open the scroll.  Now John sees Jesus and describes His as the Lamb who has been slain.  The reason Jesus is worthy to open this scroll is because He has purchased the right to do so with His own blood.  The Lamb John sees is described as having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God.  The horns are likely symbolic of the power of Jesus while the eyes are likely symbols of His knowledge.  Jesus is omnipotent and omniscient and is certainly worthy to go and take the scroll, which He does.

A SACRED SONG: Upon seeing the Lord Jesus, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fall before Him to worship.  They have harps as well as golden bowls full of incense that is described as the prayers of the saints.  The only proper response when approaching the presence of the Lord Jesus is worship.  Our prayers are significant and contribute to the worship of our Lord.  The heavenly the heavenly throng breaks out into a song of praise and adoration to the Lord.  The lyrics declare the worth as well as the work of Jesus.  Many times our worship songs are written about man instead of proclaiming the glory of God.  Jesus is worthy to open the scroll because He gave His life to ransom and redeem fallen humanity from sin.  The sacrificial work of Christ has paid the price of sin and results in every tribe, language, people, and nation being forgiven of sin through faith in Christ.  The mission that John had been given by Jesus to make disciples in every nation will be fulfilled.  We are His inheritance and are described as a kingdom of priests because we are set apart by Him and for Him and we will reign with Him eternally.

APPLICATION: The knowledge of God is a sacred and precious thing.  We must be reverent of the Word of God.  Worship Jesus for His worth and work.  Join Him on mission to promote the worship of our King in all the nations of the world.