1. The Seven-Sealed Scroll of the Lamb
Revelation 5:1-14
The Seven-Sealed Scroll of the Lamb

2. Outline of Revelation
Preparation of the Prophet: His Past Vision (1:1 – 20)
Preparation of the People: Their Present Condition (2:1 – 3:22)
Publication of the Prophecy: Its Future Expectation (4:1 – 22:5)
Opening of the Seven-Sealed Scroll (4:1 – 8:1)
The Source of the Scroll (4:1-5:14)
The One sitting on the throne (4:1-11)
The seven-sealed scroll of the lamb (5:1-14)
Chapter 5 takes place in the same place as chap 4, the throne room of God in heaven.

3. The Seven-Sealed Scroll (5:1)
God the Father, sitting upon the throne, is the one who holds the scroll, which contains writing on the inside and the outside and is sealed up with seven-seals. What does this scroll represent?
A scroll just like this was used frequently in the time of the Romans. The full contract would be written on the inside and sealed up with seven seals. Then the content of the contract would be summarized on the outside. All types of transactions were made in this way, including marriage-contracts, rental and lease agreements, and release of slaves. In this case, it is Christ’s title deed to all creation.
The contents of the scroll, then, are the judgments which will fall upon the earth from God Himself, concluding with the coming of the promised Messiah and His kingdom. It gives the successive steps, in rapid order, that will bring in the reign of Christ.
He is about to exercise his right of ownership and take back what belongs to Him.

4. The Search for One Worthy to Open the Scroll (5:2-5)
John hears the voice of a strong angel, asking, “Who is worthy to open the scroll, even to break its seals?”
After an extensive, universal search, no one is found worthy, causing John great grief. Why?
One of the 24 elders tells John to stop weeping, because one has been found worthy to open the scroll. His character is described in several ways:
He is the Lion from the tribe of Judah, symbolizing kingly strength and boldness (Gen 49:9, 10).
He is the root of David. It is well established in the OT that David’s line would never lack a man to sit upon the throne (2 Sam 7:8-16; Jer 33:17). Christ is the ultimate Davidic ruler.
He has overcome! This means He is able to open the scroll.
Christ’s worthiness is here tied to His messianic office. In 5:9 His worthiness is explicitly connected with His redemptive death. These two aspects of His Person cannot be separated.
Because John fears the purposes of God, the fulfillment of His plan, may be thwarted. Under the earth is the place of departed spirits. The language here is one of loud wailing. Christ has overcome by His victory over sin and death at the cross, thus making Him worthy to open the scroll and break its seals.

5. Vision of the Slain Lamb (5:6-10)
A slain lamb draws upon the imagery of the OT sacrifice for sin.
Notice the irony of how Christ is pictured. The elder earlier described Him as a lion (v. 5), and now the picture is one which is the opposite of a lion, a lamb. It was Christ’s supreme self-sacrifice (as a lamb) that led to His supreme power as king, and gave Him the right to take the scroll.
What do horns symbolize in the OT?
The seven horns here represent the fullness of Christ’s power; the seven eyes symbolize His complete knowledge. Thus the vision portrays both Christ’s omnipotence and omniscience.
The text also says that the seven eyes are the seven spirits of God, i.e. the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Son just as He does from the Father (John 15:26).
In a manner of speaking, The Holy Spirit is the agent through which Christ keeps up with all the events of the world.

6. Vision of the Slain Lamb (5:6-10)
As Christ comes and takes the scroll from the right hand of the Father, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fall down in worship. Each one of the elders has a harp and a bowl full of incense.
The harp is an instrument of gladness and joy, and is used here in connection with the worship of the Lamb.
In the OT, incense was burned with the sacrificial offerings so that God would accept the sacrifice. Here the incense in the bowls represents the sweet odor of prayer rising up towards God. From whom do these prayers come and what is their content?
In light of the context of the whole book, it is best to see them as prayers offered concerning the sending forth of judgment and the inauguration of Christ’s kingdom upon the earth (see Rev 6:9-11; 8:3-5).

7. Vision of the Slain Lamb (5:6-10)
Those around the throne sing a new song about Christ’s worthiness to take the scroll and break its seals. The newness of the song implies that regardless of how great God’s glory has been in the past, the future is even greater. It is new in quality, different and superior to what has come before.
The song is a celebration of the complete redemption of the saints.
It is a song of praise to Christ for what He accomplished at the cross, where He paid the price of redemption for sins and purchased some from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
It also looks forward to the consummation of that redemption.
Notice that the redeemed are not only those over whom God reigns, but they themselves will reign with Christ. When?
The saints are a kingdom (collectively) and priests (individually) to God.

8. Praise from the Multitude around the Throne (5:11-14)
In addition to the twenty-four elders and the four living beings, John now sees thousands and thousands of angels around the throne. They join the others in declaring the worthiness of the Lamb who was slain.
Power – i.e., omnipotence.
Riches - not just spiritual riches, but all kinds of riches. All the fullness of the earth belongs to Christ.
Wisdom - He created the world in wisdom, setting times and seasons and limits from the very beginning. He made goals and determined the final outcome of history from the very beginning.
Strength - His ability to do whatever He wants to do.
Honor - belongs to the Lamb not only because of what He has done, but simply because of who He is.
Glory - the light or radiance that comes from God.
Blessing - man’s proper response to all that Christ is.

9. Praise from the Multitude around the Throne (5:11-14)
Verses 13 and 14 provide the climax to chapters 4 and 5. This song anticipates a future day when all intelligent beings will give God His due praise.
In addition to the angelic hosts, every created being in the universe which has the ability to recognize God (even fallen angels under the earth) gives praise to both the Father and the Lamb.
The four living beings conclude the song with an “Amen” of confirmation, and the twenty-four elders around the throne bow down in worship.
The 4 living beings had pronounced the opening doxology in 4:8

10. Next Week: The First Six Seals: “The Beginning of Birth Pangs” (Rev 6:1-17)
Read Rev 4 - 6