There should be no break between chapters 4 & 5. We are still at the scene of the throne of God. Read verse 1. So God is seen sitting on His throne and holding a sealed book in His right hand. The book is sealed. It has never been opened. We must emphasize again and again that the book is sealed for a reason. This book is the key to understanding the rest of Revelation.
This book or scroll is the official document of the last days of human history. The world’s future is about to be unfolded before our eyes.
John sees God holding this book in His right hand. God is extending this book outward, poised to hand it to someone who is worthy enough to open it. The fact that God Himself is holding the book shows us some things. It shows us that God is the supreme Authority over the end of the world. And it shows us that God is ready to carry out and execute the events. He is ready for the end times to begin. It is a simple matter of finding someone worthy to carry out and oversee the events for God.
Notice that the book is written on both the front and back of the pages. The book was actually a scroll. There were no printing presses back then so their books were not like our books. The words were written on papyrus paper that was about 8 X 10. If the writing was lengthy, they taped or joined these pagers together into a long sheet and then it was rolled up.
When the writing was complete, and it was rolled up, they tied some ribbon or thread around the roll. That is what is meant by the book being sealed. They seldom wrote on the back side because once rolled up one could read part of it.
But this scroll was written on both sides. This shows us that the events of the end time are many and that it will take some time, a great deal of time, for all of them to take place. It also shows us that God is going to reveal a great deal about the end time to man. When? Just as soon as He can find someone worthy enough to open the book.
This book is sealed with seven seals. This shows us that the book is the last will and testament of God. In the Roman world a man’s will had to b witnessed by seven persons, and each attached his own personal seal to one of the threads of the document. The will could be opened only when the recipient came to claim the will. This book is of God may mean that it is His last will for the earth. IT contains what He wills for those who have rejected Him and what He wills for those who have accepted and worshipped Him.
The seven seals also show us that the book is large. It has a lot of material in it. It could mean that seven seals are required to hold it together.
The seven seals also show us the secrecy of the book. God sealed it with seven seals in order to keep the events of the end time from being known. They are not to be known by man until God Himself is ready to reveal them.
Read verses 2-4. Now comes the search for the one who can open the book. John sees a strong angel that shouts throughout the universe, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”
The search fails. There is no being any place that is worthy to approach God and to execute His will throughout the universe. There is no person in heaven found worthy. This includes the angels, the four living creatures, the 24 elders, and all the redeemed. None are worthy.
No person on earth was found worthy. No person under the earth. No person from among the dead. As great as some have been in past history, no person from the past was found worthy to open the book.
So the search fails and John breaks down and cries. Why? Because there was no one found worthy to approach God and open the book and carry out the events of human history. John broke down in humility and with a sense of his own unworthiness.
But John wept for another reason as well. He was not going to be able to see the future of the world, the events of the end time. This promise had been made to him that he would see these things but now he couldn’t because there was no one to open the book.
The reason no one is found is because this book is the destiny of the world. This book tells about the end times. It tells what will happen to the corrupt. It tells of a new earth and a new heaven which are to be created. It contains history before it happens. So the person worthy enough to open the book must be a person who can grasp exactly what the book is saying, and then this person has to be able to carry out God’s will and execute the events.
There is only one who is able to execute this and that is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He alone is worthy to open the book.
This same book is also mentioned by Daniel and Ezekiel. Ezek. 2: 9-10 READ.
Daniel 12: 8-9 READ. We should pay close attention to this sealed book because it is actually the rest of the Book of Revelation. READ verse 5.
One of the elders tells John not to weep and then announces the One who is worthy to open the Book of Destiny. Who is He? The Lion of Judah. This is the title of the Messiah. Symbolic that He is the strongest and most powerful member of the tribe of Israel. This lion is Jesus Christ.
He’s the root of David. He comes from the lineage of David. He is the One who had prevailed and conquered and won the victory. He’s the One who conquered sin, He conquered death, he conquered the evil world, He conquered Saran and all other evil forces, He conquered hell.
And now comes the supreme moment, John gets the first sight of Jesus Christ in heaven. READ 6 & 7. John had seen Christ in his first vision but He was standing in the midst of the seven churches. Now he gets his first glimpse of the glorified Son of God in heaven.
He is described as the sacrificial lamb who has been slain. He is the Lamb of God symbolized in the Passover. He was sacrificed so that the judgment of God could pass over the people.
Isaiah had said that the Messiah was to bear our sins by being led like a lamb to the slaughter. John the Baptist declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Peter had said that persons are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
Greek scholars will tell you that the Greek word for lamb used throughout the New Testament is not the same word that John uses 29 times to describe the crucified Christ. This difference in the words is this: the word chosen by John stresses the slaughter, suffering, pain, agony, and humiliation of Christ.
The pint is this: Jesus Christ is the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He lived a sinless life when He was on earth. He was the Ideal and Perfect Man. When Christ died for our sins, He died as the ideal and perfect sacrifice. His sacrifice for our sins was perfectly acceptable to God. So that means that His sacrifice stands of us. It covers us. The word we use is “atonement” meaning to cover our sins. That is what makes us acceptable to God. God cannot look upon us as unrighteous as we are. But God sees us THROUGH Jesus Christ.
So what happens is this. When we believe in Jesus Christ, God takes our faith and counts it as the sacrifice of Christ. God counts the sacrifice of Christ for us. That is what makes us free from sin. We are cleansed from sin by the sacrifice of Christ. We are MADE perfectly righteous by Christ’s sacrifice.
This is why Jesus stands in the center stage of heaven. What do you think the seven horns symbolize? Remember that the number seven in the Bible means completeness, fullness, and perfection. Jesus is seen with seven horns which symbolizes complete and perfect strength and power. He stands in heaven as the supreme power and force of the universe.
What do you think the seven eyes symbolize? The seven eyes symbolize complete and perfect knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. We say that He is omniscient. He knows all and sees all. Absolutely nothing escapes His sight and knowledge.
Note that this is a symbol of the seven spirits of God which is the Holy Spirit in His fullness. So Jesus Christ is everywhere, seeing and knowing all.
The next scene shows us that Jesus Christ is sovereign. He alone walks over and takes the Book of Destiny out of the hand of God. He alone is worthy to execute and carry out the events of the end time. This is simply a graphic way of saying what is said in the very first verse of Revelation. READ.
READ 8-10. The moment Christ takes the scroll, He is worshipped. The four creatures and the 24 elders, and all heaven and earth break loose in a song of praise. There are three waves of praise.
1. There is the praise of the 4 creatures and the elders who surround the throne.
2. There is the wave of praise from the numberless host of angels.
3. There is the praise of all creatures in both heaven and earth and under the earth in the graves and in the seas. All creation breaks forth in a chorus of praise to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The four creatures and the elders fall down to worship. They play harps. The harp was the usual instrument used to sing praise to our Lord. They offer up golden bowls of incense to the Lord which is the symbol of the prayers of believers.
They sing a new song focused on the worthiness of Christ. They praise Christ for three things.
1. They praise Him because He was slain for man and has redeemed us—because He died for our sins.
2. They praise Him because of His universal salvation. No person is beyond His reach. He will save people from every tribe and language and race and nation. There is no prejudice or discrimination with Christ, no favorites and no partiality.
3. They praise Him because He has given believers the great gift of royalty. He makes them a kingdom and priests.
READ 11-12. This is the majestic worship of the angels. They are the center circle of the praise chorus. Their number is astounding. Their song includes seven points.
1. They praise Christ for His power. He is the sovereign Ruler of the universe.
2. They praise Him for His riches. He possesses the wealth to meet any need.
3. They praise Him for His wisdom. He can help us through all the trials and temptations of life.
4. They praise Him for His strength. No one or thing can stand against Him. All He has to do is speak the Word and His will is done.
5. They praise Him for His honor. He is the Son of God. He is the One appointed to open the Book of Destiny and to execute the events.
6. They praise Him for His glory. He and He alone is due all the glory of the universe.
7. They praise Him for His blessing. He deserves all the blessing or praise that heaven and earth can give. All the blessings have come from Him so He deserves all the blessings that heaven and earth can give.
READ 13-14. More worship. Here is the majestic worship by the whole universe. After each group of created beings has sung their chorus of praise, then all of creation will break forth in one chorus of praise to both God and Christ.
Then the 4 creatures shout “AMEN.” The elders fall down and worship the Lord Jesus Christ.
Never has there been a chorus of worship as will be seen in the glorious day of redemption when all creation shall praise Him. Why?
Because He is worthy to step forward and take the Book of Destiny out of the hand of God. And because He is worthy to rule and reign over all history, both now and in the last days and throughout eternity.
But what does this book reveal? Nest time we begin looking at the seven seal judgments, the events preceding the Great Tribulation.
