The Scroll and the Lamb
5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits [That is, the sevenfold Spirit ] of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign [Some manuscripts they reign ] on the earth.”
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
forever and ever!”
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
NOTES:
5:1–14 The seer now describes a papyrus roll in God’s right
hand (Rev 5:1) with seven seals indicating the importance of the message. A
mighty angel asks who is worthy to open the scroll, i.e., who can accomplish
God’s salvific plan (Rev 5:2). There is despair at first when no one in
creation can do it (Rev 5:3–4). But the seer is comforted by an elder who tells
him that Christ, called the lion of the tribe of Judah, has won the right to
open it (Rev 5:5). Christ then appears as a Lamb, coming to receive the scroll
from God (Rev 5:6–7), for which he is acclaimed as at a coronation (Rev
5:8–10). This is followed by a doxology of the angels (Rev 5:11–12) and then
finally by the heavenly church united with all of creation (Rev 5:13–14).
5:1 A scroll: a papyrus roll possibly containing a list of
afflictions for sinners (cf. Ez 2:9–10) or God’s plan for the world. Sealed
with seven seals: it is totally hidden from all but God. Only the Lamb (Rev
5:7–9) has the right to carry out the divine plan.
5:5 The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David: these
are the messianic titles applied to Christ to symbolize his victory; cf. Rev
22:16; Gn 49:9; Is 11:1, 10; Mt 1:1.
5:6 Christ is the Paschal Lamb without blemish, whose blood
saved the new Israel from sin and death; cf. Ex 12; Is 53:7; Jn 1:29, 36; Acts
8:32; 1 Pt 1:18–19. This is the main title for Christ in Revelation, used
twenty-eight times. Seven horns and seven eyes: Christ has the fullness (see
note on Rev 1:4) of power (horns) and knowledge (eyes); cf. Zec 4:7. [Seven]
spirits: as in Rev 1:4; 3:1; 4:5.
5:11 Countless: literally, “100,000,000 plus 1,000,000,”
used by the author to express infinity.
BACK TO:
Copyright © 2020 by Ekklesia Katholes (Acts 9:31)
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher.
No comments:
Post a Comment