1Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. 2And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?” 3But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. 4Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it.. 5But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Revelation 5:1-5
Reading the beginning chapters of Revelation you gain the impression that this scroll is of utmost importance:
- for the future of the Church
- for the connectedness of Judaism and Christianity
- to Old and New Testaments
- to the Church Universal
- for the Christian Church in the First Century through to the Twenty-First Century and beyond
- until the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God returns.
You have to admit the scope of the scroll, Revelation itself; actually the whole Bible is all encompassing.
The names and references to Jesus Christ are highlighted in the first chapter of Revelation. Then the terms and requirements are spelled out for the church of the First Century to listen to the Spirit and to remain victorious, repeated for all seven churches. In reality, the seven churches represent all churches everywhere at all times. I have made clear by using Stephen as the prime example that experiencing a vision of the heavenly Christ is the privilege of martyrs and those suffering persecution. We all need a glimpse of the resurrected Christ. We all need to see Jesus standing in heaven; normally God the Father and Jesus sit in heaven.
By the time we arrive at chapter 4, John was granted an open door into the very throne room of the universe. Now in chapter 5 we encounter the symbolism of strange beings and highlighted visions, all of which are important for us to understand. Yet we are faced with a scroll which is sealed and we are prevented from knowing what is written therein. So that leads us to the point of asking, What is the purpose of the Book of Revelation and what are the key points of the contents? Everyone who studies the book of Revelation comes to that point. Understanding the purpose helps us to understand the contents.
Dr Eliyahu Lizorkin-Eyzenberg (Israel Bible Center) says most commentators want to find the key to understanding the Book of Revelation. Dr Eli quotes Alex Davis who wrote “John’s Apocalypse defies interpretation. . . it seems divinely inspired to resist hermeneutical stabilization. For nearly 2000 years, earnest and brilliant scholars have tried to demonstrate otherwise . . . ironically, their best efforts as yet have best succeeded in furnishing evidence for the case they hoped to disprove.”
What amuses me are some of the various perspectives of the experts over the years. Through the centuries, commentators have suggested many different ideas for what this scroll is about and what was written upon it. However, we must always remember, despite our best efforts to come up with answers, no one except Jesus was (and is) worthy to open it (Rev 5:3-4). In my research into commentators opinions on the Four Living Beings, 24 Elders, double-sided scrolls and how seals were attached I picked up by osmosis their opinions on the contents and purpose of the scroll in question. With some thanks to David Guzik who has summed up various ideas put forward on the contents and purpose of the scroll and how we are to interpret it.
The scroll is:
- The text of the Book of Revelation, or the next few chapters. (Various and sundry)
- The Old Testament, or the Old and New Testaments together, or fulfilled prophecy. (Gill and others)
- God’s claim of divorce against Israel. (Who claimed this? – Unspecified)
- The scroll was God’s sentence against the enemies of the church. (Also unspecified)
- The scroll was the title deed to planet earth. (Chuck Smith)
- God’s will, his final settlement of the affairs of the universe. (Barclay)
- The purposes and designs of God relative to his government of the world and the Church. (Clarke)
- The comprehensive program of God culminating in the second coming of Christ. (Walvoord)
- The book of the counsels, decrees, and purposes of God relating to his church, as to what more remarkable things should happen to it to the end of the world; which book was in the hand of the Father. (Poole)
- The history of the world in advance. Only God can know and hold this scroll.(Schleiermacher)
Much of the above seems to me to be so general as to be of no use or to be fanciful guesswork at best. Occasionally there are some extreme statements, without any proof, which border on the nonsensical. The emphasis of Revelation Chapter 5 is not about the content of the scroll, but on the One who is worthy to open it and the fact that the scroll is sealed, perfectly. Isn’t that what the seven seals are telling us? There is no opening this scroll by the wrong person, nor before the appointed time. Instead of searching for ways the scroll could practically be sealed by seven seals, we ought to just accept that the scroll is PERFECTLY sealed until the appointed time. Allow me to remind you again of the comment made by Michael Martins, “The text doesn’t say that the scroll was ever unrolled AT ALL.” [See the previous Gem] That certainly applies to the possibility of any double-sided scroll of ‘Revelation’. There is no indication in the text of Revelation that the scroll is / was / or will be seen by any human eyes, nor any other eyes apart from those of the Father and the Lamb (Christ). So let’s surrender our quest to probe the nature of the sealing and accept the perfection of its sealing.
There are four Hebrew levels of Interpretation
- Peshat – the plain meaning of the text
- Remez – the hinted at meaning
- Midrash – the alluded to meaning
- Sod – the hidden meaning
I am forming an idea of what holds these chapters together after all of my digging. But I will let the dust settle first before I venture forth with any bold claims or tentative suggestions. Especially in the light of Alex Davis’ comment above. There are still some elements which deserve to be highlighted in the text before us. In the meantime here are the questions which remain from our list compiled in Gem 2231. I have covered my questions. Now it is time to address the remaining readers’ questions.
- Who or what was the Mighty Angel?
- What is the significance of someone ‘worthy’ or those ‘unworthy’?
- Why did John weep when he knew Jesus so well? Jesus is the obvious one to open the seals.
- Is it significant that it was an elder who told John not to weep?
- Why is so much attention given to the location of ‘people’ around the throne?
- What is the significance of 7 horns, 7 eyes and the sevenfold spirit?
- What do the seven spirits mean?
- Why is the verb ‘has taken’ in verse 5:7 in the perfect tense?
- What’s with the harps and bowls? I just don’t get it.
- Why is it called a new song when we have been singing those songs for a while now?
- Why is it always put as every tribe, language, people and nation?
- Does the order matter?
- Why does the Lamb receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and praise?
- Is there any significance to the order of these seven attributes?
- How can Jesus have more of any of these seven attributes when he already has all of them?
We could add one more question:
What do you think is the purpose of the letter of Revelation?
I won’t begin to address any of these questions now, given the fact that this Gem is already long enough. I will give you more time to ponder what you think the answer is to these questions. How would you answer these readers’ questions?
- At peshat level?
- At remez level?
- At midrashic level?
- At sod level?
This scroll (Gem) is now sealed.
Jesus taught profound truth in simple ways. We do the opposite. Many “deep” teachers are actually just muddy!
Rick Warren
God takes us into deep waters, not to drown us but to cleanse us.
Jussar Badudu
Run after the thing that scares you the most; God is in the deep end.
Judah Smith
The more you realise how deep the Word of God really is, the more you want to press in to find out all about it. It simply feeds your passion to know Him and His Word more.
Ian