Revelation 5:1
Καὶ εἶδον ἐπὶ τὴν δεξιὰν τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου βιβλίον, γεγραμμένον ἔσωθεν καὶ ὄπισθεν, κατεσφραγισμένον σφραγῖσιν ἑπτά.
and I saw, at the right of the one sitting on the throne, a scroll being written outside and inside, being sealed with seven seals.
Paraphrase: Now as I looked, I noticed something in the right hand of the Great King who was seated on the throne. It was a very peculiar looking scroll, peculiar because it had writing on both the inside and the outside. Furthermore, it was sealed with seven seals.
Comments:
Revelation 5:2
καὶ εἶδον ἄγγελον ἰσχυρὸν, κηρύσσοντα ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, Τίς ἄξιος ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον, καὶ λῦσαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ;
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?
Paraphrase: Then, a great, strong angel stepped forward and announced with a loud and clear voice, “Is there anyone here who has the ability and the authority to come forward, to loosen these seals, to open this scroll, and to tell us what it contains? It’s the only way we can know what is going to take place in our time. (Revelation 1:1; 4:1)
Comments:
Revelation 5:3
Καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδύνατο ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οὐδὲ ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς, ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον, οὔτε βλέπειν αὐτό.
And no one was able in heaven, neither on earth, nor under the earth to open the scroll, neither to see it.
Paraphrase: But there wasn’t anyone who dared to approach the scroll and to attempt to open it and read it. Everyone shrunk back at the angel’s challenge and didn’t even want to look at the scroll.
Comments:
Revelation 5:4
καὶ ἐγὼ ἔκλαιον πολὺ, ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἄξιος εὑρέθη ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον, οὔτε βλέπειν αὐτό.
And I began weeping much because no one was found worthy to open the scroll, neither to see it.
Paraphrase: Then I was overwhelmed with sorrow and even despair. Apparently, there wasn’t anyone who could open the scroll and give us the teaching we so desperately needed. If this continued, then the end would never come. The suffering of God’s people would go on without any end. (Revelation 6:10)
Comments:
ἔκλαιον = see §1099.
Each breaking of these seals brings on the end. Mounce says that John weeps here because, unless the seals are broken, the end will be indefinitely postponed. What Are We Waiting For? p24.
Revelation 5:5
Καὶ εἷς ἐκ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων λέγει μοι, Μὴ κλαῖε. ἰδοὺ, ἐνίκησεν ὁ Λέων ὁ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Ἰούδα, ἡ Ῥίζα Δαυίδ, ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον καὶ τὰς ἑπτὰ σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ.
And one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and its seven seals.
Paraphrase: As I wept, one of the elders nudged me and said, “Look, someone is going up to the throne! Don’t give up so soon; dry your tears. Look, the Lion who comes from the tribe of Judah, from the family of David, has won the victory. (Philippians 2:6-10; Revelation 3:21) He has dealt a mortal wound to the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15) and accomplished the mission given Him by the Great King who sits on the throne. (John 17:4) Now this Lamb has won the right to loosen the seals, open the scroll, and bring on the great victory of our God.”
Comments:
Hengstenberg (p232):
The overcoming is taken here by some in the weaker sense of getting or attaining. But that the idea of overcoming, of a victory, must be retained, may be inferred even from the designation of Christ as “the lion of the tribe of Judah.” For, this is in itself a warlike image; and in the fundamental passages Judah appears as a warrior and a conqueror under the image of a lion. David also was a hero and a conqueror. The comparison also of v9 confirms the view; for there the being slain, etc., corresponds to the conquering here. And finally, John 16:33, and generally the standing use of νικάω, conquering, in the writings of John, where it occurs more frequently than in any others, gives farther confirmation.
Seiss (p82):
He overcame, in the trials of life, in the temptations in the wilderness, in the agonies of the garden, in the terrors of death, and in the bonds of the grave. He hath gone up, leading captivity captive. He is Victor now over law, and sin, and death, and hell. He hath paid the redemption price of the forfeited inheritance. He is the true Goel, who, having so far triumphed and been accepted, will also prove ready and worthy to complete His work, by lifting those long-standing deeds of forfeiture, and breaking their debarring seals. Such is our faith, and hope, and comfort, here re-confirmed to us from heaven. And what we find in the further particulars of this vision, is simply the picture of its accomplishment.
Revelation 5:6
Καὶ εἶδον ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ τῶν τεσσάρων ζῴων, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, Ἀρνίον ἑστηκὸς ὡς ἐσφαγμένον, ἔχων κέρατα ἑπτὰ καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἑπτά, οἵ εἰσιν τὰ ἑπτὰ Πνεύματα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀπεσταλμένα εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν.
And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four creatures and in the midst of the elders, a lamb standing as being violently killed, having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God being sent into all the earth.
Paraphrase: I looked up to see this Lion; but when I looked, I saw only a Lamb. (Isaiah 53:7 Jeremiah 11:19) Furthermore, this Lamb was not young and healthy. On the contrary, it looked as though it had been savagely treated. Great wounds covered its body along with such a good deal of blood that I marveled it could even stand. But, it was standing. This Lamb was standing straight and tall before the throne, and it had seven horns and seven eyes. I quickly recognized these horns as symbols of the great strength and authority of this Lamb (Matthew 28:18), and the seven eyes as a symbol of the Holy Spirit who goes forth from the Great King and who knows all things. The Great King sends His Spirit into every corner of the earth; nothing is hidden from His sight. (1 Corinthians 2:10) Now surely anyone with this power and with this knowledge is able to loose the seals and to open the scroll!
Comments:
Revelation 5:7
καὶ ἦλθεν καὶ εἴληφεν ἐκ τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου.
And he came and took up at the right of the One seated on the throne.
Paraphrase: Sure enough; as the Lamb approached the throne, the One sitting there saw Him and held out the scroll to Him, and the Lamb took it from Him.
Comments:
Revelation 5:8
Καὶ ὅτε ἔλαβεν τὸ βιβλίον, τὰ τέσσαρα ζῷα καὶ οἱ εἴκοσι τέσσαρες πρεσβύτεροι ἔπεσαν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Ἀρνίου, ἔχοντες ἕκαστος κιθάραν καὶ φιάλας χρυσᾶς γεμούσας θυμιαμάτων, αἵ εἰσιν αἱ προσευχαὶ τῶν ἁγίων.
And when he had taken the scroll, the four creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb having each harps and golden bowls filled of incense which are the prayers of the saints.
Paraphrase: Now when the Lamb had received the scroll from the One sitting on the throne, a wave of inexpressible joy swept through the room. The four creatures fell to the ground before the Lamb and worshipped Him. The twenty-four elders took up harps and made wonderful music and singing. They also had incense pans which they filled with sweet incense and lit up. Everyone rejoiced to see the smoke ascending up to God. This smoke was a symbol of the prayers of God’s holy ones rising up to the throne room of Almighty God.
Comments:
Revelation 5:9
καὶ ᾄδουσιν ᾠδὴν καινὴν, λέγοντες, Ἄξιος εἶ λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον, καὶ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐσφάγης, καὶ ἠγόρασας τῷ Θεῷ ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου, ἐκ πάσης φυλῆς καὶ γλώσσης καὶ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθνους,
And they were singing a new song saying, “Worthy to receive the scroll and to open its seals because You were killed and bought for God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”
Paraphrase: I heard their song so clearly; here is what they were singing, “Oh Lamb of God, You are the One who has the power and authority to receive this scroll from the Great King. You are able to loosen the seals and to open the scroll. Yes, you have this power and authority because you earned it when you satisfied the justice of God for the sins which Your people had committed. By Your death, You made atonement for them and paid the price for their redemption. Now there are people from every corner of the globe who call you Lord and Savior.
Comments:
Revelation 5:10
καὶ ἐποίησας αὐτοὺς τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, βασιλείαν καὶ ἱερεῖς· καὶ βασιλεύουσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.
And making them to our God, a kingdom, and priests, and they reign on the earth.
Paraphrase: Not only did you save all God’s people, but You organized them into a kingdom. Yes, you have appointed your people to be kings and given them authority to reign over all the earth. You have also made them to be priests who serve God by day and by night. (Revelation 7:15)
Comments:
Revelation 5:11
Καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἤκουσα φωνὴν ἀγγέλων πολλῶν κύκλῳ τοῦ θρόνου, καὶ τῶν ζῴων, καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων· καὶ ἦν ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτῶν μυριάδες μυριάδων καὶ χιλιάδες χιλιάδων,
And I saw and heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the creatures and the elders and their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands.
Paraphrase: The celebration was now increasing in intensity. Thousands upon tens of thousands of angels gathered around the throne and joined the creatures and the elders in singing praises to the Lamb. The entire world, it seemed, was rejoicing and celebrating.
Comments:
Revelation 5:12
λέγοντες φωνῇ μεγάλῃ· Ἄξιόν ἐστιν τὸ Ἀρνίον τὸ ἐσφαγμένον, λαβεῖν τὴν δύναμιν καὶ πλοῦτον καὶ σοφίαν καὶ ἰσχὺν καὶ τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν καὶ εὐλογίαν!
saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!
Paraphrase: Everyone was shouting and clapping and singing, “The Lamb! The Lamb! He is the One who has earned the right to power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing! The Great King has given Him the scroll. Now the hour of our deliverance has come!” (Revelation 7:14)
Comments:
Edwards (p1214): It appears by this verse that Christ’s dying or being slain not only satisfied for sins but also merited as a righteousness, for He was worthy upon the account of His being “slain to receive power and riches,” etc. And if it merited for Himself, it merited for the elect, for He merited as a public person.
Revelation 5:13
Καὶ πᾶν κτίσμα ὃ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐστίν, καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς πάντα, ἤκουσα λέγοντας· Τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπὶ τῷ θρόνῳ, καὶ τῷ Ἀρνίῳ, ἡ εὐλογία καὶ ἡ τιμὴ καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
and every creature which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all in them, I heard saying to the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb, “Blessing and honor and glory and power into the ages of ages.”
Paraphrase: Yes, every creature under heaven had joined in the song. They were all shouting and singing and worshipping the One on the throne and the Lamb, “May Your blessings, oh God, and honor, glory, and power continue unto all eternity, forever and ever, world without end!”
Comments:
Revelation 5:14
Καὶ τὰ τέσσαρα ζῷα ἔλεγον, Ἀμήν. καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἔπεσαν καὶ προσεκύνησαν.
and four creatures were saying, “Amen!” and the elders fell and worshipped.
Paraphrase: Then the four creatures and the elders, who were near the throne, fell on their faces again (Revelation 5:8) and worshipped the Great King and the Lamb who had taken the scroll.
Comments: