The One Sitting Upon The Throne and The Scroll

Revelation 5:1

And I saw that in the right hand of the One sitting upon the throne there was a scroll. The scroll was sealed with seven seals

sealed...   at its top, at seven places. Do not picture the scroll as being sealed on its side, as is commonly imagined. Picture it as being sealed on the top end in seven places.

seven seals...  so that it could only be unscrolled from one seal to the next, as the seals were broken. As each seal is broken that portion of the scroll is unrolled and what is written in that section of the scroll is revealed, as is recorded in the Revelation.  It is not that all seals are broken and then the scroll begins to be unrolled. If that were the case the symbolism would be that the seven specific revelations came from the seals. But this is incorrect. The seven specific revelations of the seven seals being opened come from the scroll that is opened, one section at a time for seven sections.  The final section, as we will see, is the whole back side of the scroll.  Without picturing and understanding this correctly it will not be possible to understand the meaning and revelation of there being a scroll inside a scroll.  Indeed, of there being three scrolls of revelation in one.  For there is the scroll of the whole of the Revelation as given in the beginning to Yochanan. Then there is this scroll sealed with seven seals within that scroll.  Then there is the little scroll of chapter 10 within the scroll that had been sealed with seven seals but is opened by the Lamb.

Revelation 5:2

A very mighty angel then appeared asking with a great voice, "Who is worthy to remove these seals and unroll the scroll?

asking...  It is evident that his question is addressed to all creation.  For there is no being who is exempt from this responsibility of bringing judgment to the earth.

Revelation 5:3

No one in heaven nor on earth, nor in the underworld, was found who could open the scroll or reveal it contents. 

No one... Even though there is no being exempt from this responsibility there is not one being who is found who is themselves righteous and worthy of doing this.

Revelation 5:4

And my tears came and my loud weeping, because no one was found who could open the scroll or reveal what was written within it. 

tears...  Yochanan knows himself to be unworthy of bringing judgment to the nations and to the world.  And yet he has been given the Holy Spirit and he knows that without this judgment there can be no redemption of the Jewish people, no salvation in the earth.  And his tears begin to flow...

Revelation 5:5

Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not continue weeping! For look now and see! The Lion of Judah, the one who is the Root of David, has overcome so that he can unroll the scroll, removing the seven seals.

elders...  one of the twenty-four elders, who is, it may be, the vision of himself in heaven in this Revelation, here communing with and comforting his own soul which is still living in its days upon the earth, even while it is caught up in this vision.  For the vision of the twenty-four elders includes, as indicated in the final chapters, as to half of those elders, the twelve apostles, of which Yochanan is one.

Lion of Judah, Root of David...   as prophesied by Jacob, and by all the prophets... has overcome... for according to his word, "Salvation is of the Jews", John 4:22.

Revelation 5:6

then in front of the throne among the four living creatures and the elders I saw a Lamb standing, looking like it had been slain,  with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 

then... Immediately. In front of throne,  in the place where Yochanan had seen the seven burning torches, he sees a Lamb standing.  This corresponds directly to the first vision of Mashiach which he saw, where he was standing among the seven golden menorahs.

slain... the vision is of a sacrificial lamb that has been raised from the dead.

seven horns...seven eyes...  unlike any lamb that was every offered as an offering in Israel, this lamb has seven horns and seven eyes. It is a lamb of vision, of revelation, of prophecy. The message of its form and appearance is that the strict justice of the horns of the sevenfold Spirit of God and the righteous mercy of the sevenfold eyes of the Spirit of God are to be found in the Lamb which was slain, the Mashiach of Pesach.

Revelation 5:7

And he went and received the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 

received the scroll... Just as Mashiach Yehoshua received the scroll wherein was the authority to bring judgment upon the nations and redemption to Israel from among the nations from the hand of God, so he received the scroll of the whole of the Revelation from the hand of God, which he sent and signified by his angel to the hand of Yochanan.  In this scroll sealed with seven seals justice is emphasized.  And in the greater scroll of the whole of the Revelation mercy is emphasized.

Revelation 5:8

When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of them held a harp, and a golden censer full of incense, which are the prayers of the holy believers. 

harp... prayers... Neither Yochanan, nor the four living angelic creatures, nor the twenty-four elders, nor any other being, but the Lamb who was slain alone, is able to open the seven seals of the scroll of authority for bringing judgment upon the earth.  But though they are not able to partake in the action of opening the seals they are able to partake through attending and receiving — through their psalms and prayers — the Revelation which will come.  For what reason are their psalms and prayers directed to this time and place?  It is because they know that without the  judgment of God upon Adam being carried out upon the earth the mercy of the justification of life in the atonement that Mashiach made for Israel cannot be realized in the resurrection of the dead.

Revelation 5:9

And they composed a new song, and sang, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed us for God out of every tribe and language and people and nation, 

they composed...  the elders of Israel composed a new song to the Lamb, as the children of Israel had composed a new song to Hashem at the crossing of the Red Sea. 

by your blood...  No one took his life from him.  He laid it down himself in solidarity with Jerusalem and all her twelve  Passover tribes of Israel within her.  For the firstborn heir of Adam was cut off in Egypt by the judgment of God upon the first Adam. But the firstborn of Israel, whom God chose as the heir of the world, was laid in his grave by the hand of God in an act of saving grace, in order that justice upon Adam might be accomplished in Israel in an act of corporate repentance and Israel might be raised in one new head unto eternal life.  For this is the way God loved the world. And therefore whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Revelation 5:10

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."

you have made them...  Those whom you have called through the calling of Abraham, whom you have redeemed...

kingdom of priests... All who are called through the promise made to Abraham are together as one people become the fulfillment of that promise.  For the corporate body of Adam is redeemed in death and resurrection under a new head, the Son of Adam, the Beloved One of Jerusalem's hope.

shall reign on the earth... They shall reign as priests of the good news of the forgiveness of Jerusalem's sins and of her eternal salvation, as the Eternal Mother of All Living upon the earth.

Revelation 5:11

Then I became aware that around the throne and the living creatures and the elders there were many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 

thousands of thousands...  All the countless thousands of heaven come to witness this Revelation!

Revelation 5:12

and I heard them saying  with a loud voice,  "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to exercise power and bestow abundant blessing and wisdom and ability honor and glory and reverential adoration!

them saying...  Every soul and every spirit in heaven is present to see the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8) exercise his authority to bring about the judgment in the earth that will result in Jerusalem's salvation and the rebirth of all Creation.

Revelation 5:13

I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea, everything that is in them all, resounding with the refrain, "May praise, honor, glory, and power be acknowledged to belong to the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever!"

May praise...  this is the prayer of the spirit of every living thing that is touched by the Spirit of God.  There is no other prayer in us as we stand before the Throne of God and before the Lamb who has take in his hand the scroll of judgment for salvation.

Revelation 5:14

Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!", and the elders bowed down in worship. 

Amen!