Revelation 5 - Printer Friendly

In this chapter, John describes a scene of drama and praise in heaven. Chapter 4 set a scene around the throne of God, where there were twenty-four elders and four animal-like beings (Revelation 4:1–7).

Chapter 5 begins by describing a scroll in the right hand of God. This scroll is sealed seven times over, and written on both sides. This scroll seems to symbolize the judgment of God on sin and wickedness (Revelation 5:1–2).

An angel "proclaims" a question, making it more of a challenge: "who is worthy" to take this scroll and open the seals? At first, it seems that there is no one. Nobody on heaven or earth has both the moral authority and the legal right to take up the judgment of God. In response to what seems a hopeless situation, John begins to weep (Revelation 5:2–4).

Then one of the twenty-four elders reassures John that there is One who can take this scroll: Jesus. Here, He is described as "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" and the "Root of David." John then describes Jesus symbolically, as a Lamb that has been slaughtered, who takes the scroll from the hand of God. In response to this, the beings described in chapter 4 begin to sing a new song to God (Revelation 5:5–10).

This passage ends with a series of praises and responses. The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures sing a song praising Jesus for His worthiness to enact God's judgment. In response, a mind-boggling number of angels respond by praising Jesus. This praise is then echoed by every creature in creation: "in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them" (Revelation 5:9–14).

After seeing Jesus take the scroll, John will begin to describe the judgments which follow. These "seal judgments" will be described specifically in Revelation chapters 6 through 8. The seventh seal includes the judgments contained in the seven "trumpet judgments," which begin in chapter 8.

Revelation 5:1–5 continues John's description of what he saw, while in the Spirit, in heaven. John saw a scroll in God's right hand. It was sealed shut with seven seals. A mighty angel shouted ''Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?'' We learn from chapters 6—8 that when the scroll's seals are opened, judgment falls on the earth. John wept loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll, but one of the elders comforted him because Jesus was worthy to open it.

Revelation 5:6–10 shows what happened after John saw a scroll which no one, other than Jesus—''the Lion of the tribute of Judah''—was worthy to open. John' attention was drawn to a vision of a Lamb that had been slain, once again representative of Jesus. This Lamb stood among the elders, between the throne and the four living creatures. The Lamb took the scroll from God's right hand, and when He did so, the four living creatures and twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb and sang a new song. This response praised the Lamb as worthy to take the scroll and to make the ransomed people all over the earth a kingdom of priests that would reign on the earth.

Revelation 5:11–14 concludes the heavenly scenes the apostle John viewed after being invited to enter heaven (Revelation 4:1). Tribulation judgments come next in chapters 6—16. This passage contains a crescendo of angels ascribing praise to the Lamb. Their praise draws universal agreement and an appropriate response from the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders, earlier described as attending God around His throne.

Revelation 5 tells us John saw a scroll in God's right hand. The scroll had writing in it and on its back. Also, the scroll was sealed with seven seals. A search uncovered no one who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. However, one of the elders told John that Jesus could open the scroll, as the only one with the legal and moral right to do so. When Jesus accepted the scroll, universal praise in heaven and on earth rose to Jesus. He alone was found worthy to open the scroll because, as God's Lamb, He had shed His blood for all mankind.

Jesus commanded John to write ''the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.'' The first three chapters of Revelation contained those things which ''were'' and ''are,'' at the time John wrote. Chapters 2 and 3 provided the contents of Jesus' letters to seven churches. Chapter 4 begins the largest and last section of Revelation, regarding events yet to take place when John wrote (Revelation 1:19). John introduced God seated upon His throne, with twenty-four elders and four angelic creatures nearby. Chapter 5 focuses on a scroll containing God's judgments on sin, and a search for someone to open it. Only Jesus is worthy to open it. When Jesus receives the scroll from God, He receives praise from every creature in heaven and on earth.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''