THE SCROLL (Rev 5:1)

As chapter 5 opens we see God setting on his throne in heaven and holding a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. The scroll is the guide for the final defeat and judgment of Satan and his followers, for the final judgment and redemption of the earth, for the judgment and redemption of Israel, and most importantly for the ushering in of the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ. This world has been the dominion of Satan and his followers, and Jesus is coming back to lay final claim to this world and those who belong to him. For that reason some scholars call the scroll the title deed to the universe. Satan says he has squatters rights to the earth and its people but Jesus is coming back to lay claim to that which really belongs to him. Satan and his followers will have one final chance to lay claim to any who will chose to follow them. All of this involves an outpouring of the great wrath of God upon those who deserve it. There will be a judgment at the time of Jesus return and only those who have chosen to follow him will be allowed to remain on earth. There will be a real parting of the ways of good and evil. This scroll contains the details about how all of this is to come about. The scroll is written in very symbolic language and it takes inspiration, lots of prayer and hundreds if not thousands of hours of study to even begin to understand it. The symbology used in Revelation is explained in other places in the Bible, mostly in the Old Testament. Daniel 12:9 says that the words of his prophecy are closed and sealed up until the time of the end. It also says that the wicked will not understand it, but only those who are wise will understand. Many of the symbols and words in Revelation can be understood today in ways that would not have been possible previously. For example the fact that Israel returned to the land and became a nation again in 1948, Jerusalem again became a part of the nation in 1967, the Hebrew language was revived and is being spoken again for the first time in centuries, nuclear weapons have been developed and used, missiles are now available to nations all over the earth, satellites and television allow instantaneous transmission of pictures and information all over the world, etc; these things and others allow us to interpret the symbology in ways not possible until the 20th century. Does that mean that we are in the end times? Can the words of the scroll now be interpreted and understood? Not completely, but every year they become a little easier to understand.

THE SEALS ON THE SCROLL AND WHY THE SCROLL CAN’T BE READ (Rev 5:1)

In ancient times when a scroll was written on both sides and sealed that indicated that there might be a secret message on the inside, while anyone could read the outside. With this sealed scroll there is only one who can read and understand the inner hidden part, while anyone can read and understand the outer part. If that is the case with this scroll I would expect that the first three chapters would be written on the outside and the last 19 chapters would be on the inside. I have heard other prophecy teachers interpret that the first 10 chapters would be written on one side and the other 12 on the other side, since at the end of chapter 10 John is told to “prophecy again, John.”

One possible reason why Revelation might be sealed is given to us in Isa 29:11-12. We will next read that and discuss it.

Isa 29:11-12 (11)For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say to him, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I can't; it is sealed. (12)Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I don't know how to read."

Does that not sound like the way that we approach the book of Revelation? God has deadened our senses regarding understanding the book and we must be extremely diligent and in prayer to have any chance of understanding it. The next couple of verses in Isa go further in explaining this:

Isa 29:13-14 (13)The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. (14)Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

It seems that even the very intelligent can’t understand Revelation. Why is that? I believe it is because they do not really study and analyze the whole counsel of God, his Word. The book of Revelation cannot be understand in the least until you have a certain level of understanding of the prophecy contained the all of the Old Testament books of prophecy, as well as in Psalms, Job, etc.

However, in the time of Jesus’ return, everyone will understand the sealed scroll as indicated in Isa 29:18.

Isa 29:18 In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.

WHO IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE SCROLL? (Rev 5:2-14)

A mighty angel, who I suspect to be Gabriel (See angel; a mighty angel of God, in the dictionary of symbology), asks in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” After an exhaustive search only one is found worthy to open the scroll and read it. That is the very one who is rooted in the Jewish people, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David. It is the very one who came to earth and lived a perfect, sinless life, and who redeemed those who would accept his ways and follow him by sacrificing himself as a perfect sinless Lamb for redemption of their sins. It is the very one who is the first and the last, the creator of all things ever created, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Savior of the world, the Jewish Messiah, the one we call Jesus of Nazareth. He is the Lamb who is worthy to open the scroll.

Rev 5:6 also says that he has seven horns and seven eyes which are symbolic of the seven spirits of God sent out into the entire world. What does all of this mean? In Rev 4:5 we see seven lamps blazing before the throne of God and we are told they are the seven spirits of God. In Rev 1:4-5 we see that the letter to the seven churches is from God the Father, Jesus the Son and from the seven spirits before the throne, which we have concluded is the Holy Spirit. Basically, we see all of this symbology pointing to the Spirit living in believers and being the eyes and light of Jesus in the world. Refer to the “seven spirits of God” and “horns” in the symbology dictionary to review what we have concluded about the seven spirits of God.

Alampstand has seven candles within it to provide light. The lampstand is representative of the church. Thus the church has seven candles within it. When these candles are lit and burning they represent the work of Jesus within the world through his Spirit being within believers. But what powers these candles that they may do the work of Jesus within the world? The power for lighting and keeping the candles burning comes from oil; oil made from the crushed olive, the fruit of the olive tree representing the Jewish nation. Jesus is the crushed olive, crushed for our sins in order to redeem us. The finished work of Jesus allows believers to do his work in the world. Jesus’ Spirit is the oil that powers the lamps. Again, there are seven lamps in the lampstand, the church. As these lamps burn in individual believers they provide the light of Jesus for a dark world. They are also the eyes and voice, or horns, of Jesus throughout the world. This light, this voice and these eyes of Jesus in the world are provided through the seven spirits of God, the seven ways that the Spirit works through believers. As Rev 5:6 says the seven eyes and seven voices, or horns, of Jesus are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. See the “symbology of the lampstands and olive trees in Zech 3:8-4:4” at the end of the dictionary of Symbology for a more complete discussion of this topic.

The one sitting on the throne in Rev 4:2, 9 and 5:1 was God the Father. We see Jesus, the Lamb, taking the scroll from the Father’s hand in Rev 5:6-9. Jesus is at God’s side in John 1:18, and is called God the One and Only. 1 Tim 6:16 tells us that God the Father lives in unapproachable light. We do find that we will finally see God face to face in heaven in Rev 21:3 and 22:4.

When we see Jesus take the scroll, the twenty four elders bow down before him and offer up the prayers of the saints. This is explained in Rev 8:3-5, which I understand to be prayers for the quick fulfillment of the words of the scroll and the establishment of Jesus throne on the earth. The elders then begin singing a new song to Jesus, which also reflected the words contained in the prayers of the saints (Rev 5:9-10). Next we see countless angels circling the throne and singing the same basic song proclaiming the worthiness of the Lamb. Finally, we see all of creation joining in the chorus of praise to God and the Lamb.