Revelation 5:1-7

The Scroll and the Lamb

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. 2And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" 3But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5Then 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."
6Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.




5:1-4 - A document in the first century that had seven seals on it indicated that it was a testament. It was common to seal a testament with seven seals. Upon the death of the individual, the testament would be opened by the seven witnesses who sealed it. The document with seven seals symbolizes the promise of a future kingdom. It should also be noted that it had writing on both sides. This brings images of the Ten Commandments which had the writing on both sides (Ex. 32:15), and was also a covenant or testament. In the Old Testament times, a covenant between the victorious king and the conquered king was drawn up. A copy would be kept in the house of the god of each king. For Israel, both copies of the Ten Commandments were kept in the Tabernacle because they kept their copy as well as God’s copy in His house. The point here is clear that this is a New Covenant. With the coming of a New Covenant, however, the Old Covenant must pass away. As the New Covenant comes, the curses of the Old Covenant will come upon apostate Israel. This becomes clear as we will look at the movement of the prophecy of John. The seven seals are broken and reveal the contents of the book. The breaking of the seventh seal initiates the sounding of the seven trumpets (8:1-2). The end of the trumpet section concludes with humans being put into the winepress and blood flowing freely (Rev. 14:19-20). This leads into the final section of Revelation in which the blood from the winepress is poured out from the seven bowls (Rev. 16:1-21). It would seem, that the seven bowls are the content of the seventh trumpet. All of the seals, trumpets, and bowls to come are the contents of the scroll with the seven seals, which is the New Covenant.

John sees a angel that declares a major problem. No one is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. In fact, John informs us, no on in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll. No one was able to fulfill the conditions necessary to be the mediator of the New Covenant. All previous attempts had failed including Adam, Moses, and David. No one could take away sin and death because all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). Even the sacrificial system of the Law could not take away sins (Heb. 10:4), and the priest who offered the sacrifice was unworthy as a sinner himself (Heb. 5:1-3; 7:27). John says he wept and wept. God had offered a new and better Covenant but no one was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. This is particularly distressing for John because he knows that the Old Covenant has ended. What would happen if no one could open the New Covenant?

5:5-7 - Just when all seems lost, one of the elders consoles John, telling him that the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy. He has triumphed and is the only one able to open the scroll and its seven seals. It is the church (the elders) who preaches the message that the Christ has conquered. This is a fulfillment of the prophecy given to Judah by Jacob just before his death (Gen. 49:9-10), when Judah was promised that "the scepter will not depart from Judah." Christ is also referred to as the Root of David. How could Christ be the Root of David when David preceded Him by a millennium? To understand this we need to understand that we tend to have an incorrect view of history as a linear phenomenon where the past always leads to the future. The fact is that often times, the future causes the past. For instance, I want you to learn more about the book of Revelation so I am writing this book. Your increased knowledge (which is in the future for me right now) is causing me to write this which will quickly be in the past. The future event, your increased knowledge, actually caused the writing of this book. In the same way, God wanted to glorify and reveal Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, so He created David and all the other ancestors of Jesus to accomplish this end. The Root of David’s existence was also the one who was to come, Jesus Christ. When David looks for the Lion, however, he sees a Lamb. The point is clear, though, the Lion is the Lamb; the Jewish Messiah (the Lion) is the same as the Christian Messiah (the Lamb). The implication is not that Christ is a Lamb in personality, but rather in His work; He is the Lamb that is slain. The imagery is continued as we are told that He has seven horns. The horn in Scripture is a symbol of strength and power (Ps. 75:10), but also brings recollection of seven rams’ horns used to declare the judgment of God on His enemies and the victory of God’s people (Josh. 6:2-5). The Lamb who was slain now provides strength, power, and victory for His people in their struggle for dominion. Just as God saw that creation was "good" seven times in Genesis 1 (1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31), so He performs the complete act of seeing all that happens throughout history on the face of the earth.