Verses 1-5
Then 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. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside it. Then 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.”
The Scroll
In chapter four, John’s focus was on the throne. Now his focus has shifted to the scroll held by Jesus. It was unusual because it had writing on both sides. It wasn’t common practice to write on both sides. This meant it held a lot of information.
Ancient scrolls were read horizontally, not vertically. The scroll rolls were on the left and the right, and the writing lay in narrow columns about three inches wide, written on a substance somewhat like brown paper. The scroll was held in the left hand and unrolled with the right; as the reading went on, the previously read portion was re-rolled. On a typical scroll, the book of Revelation would fill a scroll 15 feet long.
The Seals
When a scroll was finished, it was fastened with strings, and the strings were sealed with wax at the knots. These were not seven scrolls, each separated by a seal, but seven seals all set upon one scroll. All the seals must be opened before the scroll could be read.
The Scroll’s Content
Commentators can only speculate what was written on the scroll. If we are meant to know Jesus would have surely told us. Some things aren’t our business. What is important here is that Jesus is the ONLY one worthy to open it.
Barclay suggests the best solution is to see the scroll as God’s will, His final settlement of the affairs of the universe. He suggests this based on the idea that customarily, under Roman law, wills were sealed with seven seals, each from a witness to the validity of the will.
Remember what is important is not the content of the scroll, but its seals and the One who is worthy to open it.
Could this be the scroll from Daniel 12: 4 “But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end.”?
A Strong Angel
We don’t know who this angel is. Some suggest it’s Gabriel, but this is another thing we can’t say. We are told this angel issued a challenge to all creation; Who is worthy? But no creature can answer because there is none worthy to open or even look at this particular scroll.
There was no answer to the strong angel’s challenge because the creation is utterly incapable of deciding or affecting its own destiny. Someone above the order of created beings must determine the course of history – only God can unfold His plan.
John Wept
Why did John weep at the news no one was worthy to open the scroll? Perhaps he thought the previous promise to see the future may now be denied him, but that would mean John believed Jesus capable of breaking promises. More likely, because he realized the finalization of history would now be incalculable.
The Lion
It was not the strong angel that rescued John from his grief but one of the elders by showing him The One who has triumphed. The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David. Messiah of Israel and the Gentiles.
This messianic title, Lion of Judah, comes from Gen. 49:9-10, Is. 31:4, & Hosea 11:10. Root of David comes from Is. 11:10 and is repeated in Rev. 22:16.
Verses 6-10
Then 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. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. And when He had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of saints. And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.
The Lamb Vs.6
When John stopped weeping and looked up, he thought he would see a lion because of the elder’s announcement, but instead, he saw a lamb. The lamb was living, but He had the marks of a previous sacrifice on Him (as though it had been slain).
As humans, we want Jesus to be The Lion, power, and strength to the unbelieving world. We want Him to show His power and might. Perhaps this is why Judas couldn’t believe it (John 6:64). Maybe, he was expecting the King to come with guns blazing, executing judgment and punishment; if Jesus was the King, they had been anticipating, He indeed would possess such power and use it; when Jesus didn’t, Judas didn’t believe He was the Messiah. Jesus, the King of all creation, is a lamb, representing humility, gentleness, and sacrificial love.
As it had been slain: The idea is that the sacrifice of Jesus is still fresh and current before God the Father. There is nothing stale or outworn in the work of Jesus on the cross. The judgment will come upon a world that hates the Lamb and all He stands for and rejects His offer of escape.
As if, now in the act of being offered. This is very remarkable; so important is the sacrificial offering of Christ in the sight of God that He is still represented as being in the very act of pouring out His blood for the offenses of man. This gives great advantage to faith; when any soul comes to the throne of grace, he finds a sacrifice there provided for him to offer to God. Thus all succeeding generations find they have the continual sacrifice ready, and the newly-shed blood to offer.
Clarke
7 Eyes, 7 Horns
Even though the marks of Jesus’ sacrifice were visible to John, the Lamb was not presented as an object of pity. He also bore the marks of power and knowledge. Seven horns shows omnipotence and seven eyes demonstrate omniscience.
Throughout the Bible, eyes suggest knowledge and wisdom, and horns portray power fulfilled perfectly. Zechariah 4:10 says “these are the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth.”
Seven Spirits of God
The Holy Spirit is not only the Spirit of God (in the sense of being the “Spirit of the Father”), but also the Spirit of Christ (Acts 16:7 & Rom. 8:9).
The One Worthy Vs.7,8
Then He came and took the scroll: No created being was worthy to take the scroll. But Jesus (the Lamb) can take it and open it; His work on the cross has infinitely demonstrated his authority to do so.
Worship to the Worthy One
The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb: When the Lamb took the scroll, the response was immediate. High-ranking angels and redeemed man joined in worshiping the Lamb. I imagine this response will be mine as well when I someday see the Lamb.
As part of their worship, each one played the harp. Harp: Properly, a zithern or kind of guitar played either with the hand or a pick. There is music in heaven.
Golden Bowls
And golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints: The elders symbolically presented the prayers of the saints. They did not intercede for the saints, functioning as mediators for God’s people.
We are reminded that there is one God and one Mediator between God and humans, the Man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5) These elders held bowls of incense, which creates smoke, which rises up, and also symbolizes prayers. It’s symbolic for prayers going up. The elders did not literally pray for the saints.
It is also possible that these prayers represent the long-standing prayer of God’s people, “Your kingdom come.”
Hocking
How precious are our (the saints) prayers to God! He regards them as sweet-smelling incense as if set in precious golden bowls. The connection between prayer and incense is shown in Psalm 141:2. Incense has a pleasing aroma, it ascends to heaven, and it needs fire before it is of any use.
A New Song Vs. 9 & 10
And they sang a new song:
By ‘a new song’ is either to be understood as an excellent song (for new songs were usually most valued) or (which pleaseth me best) new as to the matter of it: for the servants of God under the Old Testament could not bless God for the actual redemption of man by the blood of Christ, but only rejoice in hope, embracing the promises seen afar off by the eye of faith.”
Poole
The twenty-four elders represent all saints (believers). They declare before our God as representers of all who worship Him. As they in unison say, “You are worthy,” the true Ruler of the World is honored.
Rev. 4:11, the emphasis was on God’s work of creation; here, it’s on His work of redemption. Only elders sing this song.
The song honors:
The price of redemption; for You were slain.
The worker of redemption; have redeemed us.
The destination of redemption; to God.
The payment of redemption; by Your blood.
The scope of redemption; every tribe and tongue and people and nation. No one is excluded or does not qualify to receive redemption. It is an invitation for any who believe.
The length of redemption; have made us kings and priests to our God. Believers are kings because of their royal birth and our destiny is to reign on earth with Jesus. We are priests because we need no mediator other than Jesus Himself.
The result of redemption; we shall reign on earth. In the end, we will receive earth and reign over it. There will be a day when we live our lives on earth without evil existing.
Verses 11-14
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
The Voice of Angels Vs. 11
The angels and the elders fell before the Lamb together in Rev. 5:8. It seems, by the use of the word “us,” only the elders sang the song of the redeemed in Rev. 5:9-10 because in no place does the Bible speak of the redemption of angels.
Then I heard the voice of many angels: The angels prompted the elders into worship in Rev. 4:9-10. Here, (vs. 11), the elders seem to prompt the angels. The elders and angels are encouraging each other to more praise.
The population of angels is innumerable.
Their Song Vs. 12
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain: In their song, the angels did not praise God for their redemption. To the best of our knowledge, angels are not subjects of this redemption. However, they are careful observers of God’s work and praise Him for it (1Pet. 1:12; Eph. 3:10). Bestowing upon him power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing.
Every Creature Vs. 13
John was complete in his description. There wasn’t a place he left out where a creature could be found. The world and all that is in it will praise God.
To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb: This collective worship of the Father and the Lamb is a solid testimony to the deity of Jesus.
Depend upon it, my hearer, you never will go to heaven unless you are prepared to worship Jesus Christ as God. They are all doing it there: you will have to come to it, and if you entertain the notion that He is mere man, or that He is anything less than God, I am afraid you will have to begin at the beginning and learn what true religion means. You have a poor foundation to rest upon. I could not trust my soul with a mere man, or believe in an atonement made by a mere man: I must see God Himself putting His hand to so gigantic a work.
Spurgeon
Worship Him Vs. 14
The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshipped Him. The ancient Greek word for “worshipped” is literally “to prostrate” or “to lay before another in total submission.” Worship Him, for our Lord God lives forever and ever and is worthy of our praise.