The Lamb and the sealed scroll
5
📚And I saw in the right hand of the one sitting on the throne 📖 a scroll 📖 written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals 📖. 2 📚And I saw a strong angel 📖 proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy 📖 to open the scroll, and to break its seals?” 3 📚And no one 📖 in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth, was able to open the scroll, or even to look at it. 4 📚And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or even to look at it.5:4 Evidently John realized something of the importance of this scroll and longed to see what was in it.⚜
5 📚And one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah 📖, the Root of David 📖, has prevailed 📖 to open the book, and to break its seven seals 📖”.
6 📚And I looked, and there in the center of the throne 📖 and of the four living beings, and in the middle of the elders, stood a Lamb 📖 appearing as though it had been slain 📖, having seven horns 📖 and seven eyes 📖, which are the seven Spirits 📖 of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 📚And he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
5:7 This is one of the greatest moments in the Bible. John is weeping. Silence reigns in heaven for no worthy person is found to open the scroll. The whole world waits to see what will happen. Then the Lamb, meek and lowly, comes with full confidence to that brilliantly shining omnipotent One on the throne, reaches out and takes the scroll from His right hand. And immediately heaven is filled with praise.⚜
All in heaven praise the Lamb
8 📚And when he had taken the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb 📖, each of them having a harp 📖 and golden bowls full of incense 📖, which are the prayers 📖 of the saints.
9 📚And they sang a new song 📖, saying,
“You are worthy to take the scroll,
and to open its seals, for you were slain 📖,
and have redeemed 📖 us 📖 to God
by your blood out of every tribe,
and language, and people, and nation 📖,
10 📚and have made us kings and priests
to our God; and we will reign 📖 on the earth 📖”.
11 📚And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living beings and the elders. Their number was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. 12 📚They were saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain 📖
to receive power, and riches,
and wisdom, and strength, and honour,
and glory, and praise 📖”.
13 📚And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those who are in the sea, and everything that is in them, I heard saying,
“Praise, and honour, and glory,
and power, be to him who sits
on the throne,
and to the Lamb forever and ever”.
14 📚And the four living beings said, “Amen”. And the twenty-four elders prostrated themselves and worshipped him who lives for ever and ever.
5:13-14 It is clear again that God the Father and the Lord Jesus are equally worthy of the praise and worship of every created being in the universe. The primary contrast in this passage is between Adam’s original sin and God’s grace. As is made plain in the rest of scripture “many” in connection to the result of Adam’s sin refers to every person. Equally clear in the rest of scripture is that “many” referring to those who are saved by grace are all those who come to Christ in faith believing the gospel. All die because of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. Many—a great multitude—are saved by the grace of God through the atoning work of Jesus Christ when they come to faith in Him believing Him and trusting Him fully for salvation.⚜