Revelation 5:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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,

NIV: And they sang a new song, saying: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.

NASB: And they *sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation.

CSB: And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation.

NLT: And they sang a new song with these words: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

KJV: And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

NKJV: And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

When it seemed that there was no one worthy to open the scroll of God's judgment (Revelation 5:1–3), John wept (Revelation 5:4). Then, Jesus stepped forward to take the scroll from the hand of God (Revelation 5:5–7). Now, instead of weeping, this results in the elders (Revelation 4:4) singing a new song of praise to the Lamb. It is significant that this song extolled the Lamb, and not the elders or angels themselves. They sang that the Lamb is deserving of the right to take the scroll and open its seals because He was slain and His blood provided a ransom for people everywhere on earth.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus anticipated dying for sinners. He said He had come to earth to provide a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Further, the apostle Peter referred to Jesus' blood as the price of our ransom. He wrote: "You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Peter 1:18–19). When we get to heaven, we will see redeemed people from "every tribe and language and people and nation" (Revelation 5:9).

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 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.''