Commentary on Revelation
Chapter 5
Prelude to the seven seals: the scroll opened and the Lamb adored
Rev. 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals;
The contents of this scroll will be revealed in the ensuing chapters. It contains the will of God for the immediate future, the terrors which lie ahead for both Saints and the ungodly, and the triumph of the Church over Satan and Rome. It is written within and the back: It contains the full will of God (Compare Ez. 2:10). The seven seals indicate that it was perfectly and completely sealed. That the scroll was sealed indicates that the judgments within it had not yet been executed.
2 and I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I wept much that no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to into into it. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Weep not; lo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."
The question is who is worthy (not able) to open the scroll. Whoever opens the scroll is responsible for controlling what follows. Even the strongest angel was not worthy. Under the earth: the place of the dead (Eph. 4:9; Rom. 10:7). Why did John weep? If the scrolls were not opened then there would be no protection for the Saints, no judgments against the persecutors, no ultimate triumph for believers, and no new heaven and new earth. He was told to quit crying and look at Jesus - good advice in any circumstance. Jesus is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David: Isaiah 11:1,10; Heb. 7:14; Rom. 1:3. Jesus has conquered - he overcame the world: John 16:33 - "I have overcome the world." This picture is intended to emphasize how great a thing it is to which Christ is here called. He will sustain the kingdom he died to create. Note that God did not need to search for Christ. The searching, waiting, and weeping are presented for dramatic effect.
6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth; 7 and he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints;
The Lamb had the marks of slaughter upon it. The Lamb is Jesus who overcame the world through his perfect sacrifice. The seven horns represent his complete and perfect power. Jesus alone was able to accept and carry out the commission contained within the scrolls.
9 and they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth."
This new song is a song of redemption. Compare the song of Moses in Rev. 15:3 and Ex. 15 which was also a song of deliverance and the goodness of God. A greater deliverance required a new and greater song. The song depicts a new expression of God's love. We were ransomed or purchased: 1 Cor. 6:20 and 7:23 - "You were bought with a price." The price was the blood of Christ: 1 Peter 1:18,19 - "You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, 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." We were made a kingdom and priests to our God: Exodus 19:6 - "You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." 1 Peter 2:9 - "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation." The kingdom and the priesthood was taken from Israel and given to the Church. Compare Mt. 21:43. They reign (ASV) or They shall reign (KJV, RSV). Neither translation contradicts the fact that we also reign now. Romans 5:17 - We reign in life through Jesus Christ. In Rev. 20:6 we read that we "shall be priests" yet in Rev. 1:6 we find that we already are priests. The promise is that the Christians would continue to reign with Christ and would continue to be priests.
Message to Rome: There is but one eternal kingdom.
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!" 14 And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Jesus was worshipped by angels and by every living creature: This emphasizes Christ's worthiness and power. Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus upholds the universe by his word of power. Did literally every creature worship the Lamb? No. The language here stresses the worthiness of Christ to receive worship from every creature. The later judgments in the book would not allow Jesus to be worshipped by literally every creature at this point. The fulfillment of Biblical prophecy often seems to contradict the magnitude of the prophecy to our Western minds. Recall Ps. 2:1-2: "Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed." Acts 4:25 says that this was fulfilled in Herod and Pilate. Also, recall Jer. 31:34: "They shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest."