seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 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.”
The easy english commentary says this.
John saw a strong angel. This angel called out in a loud voice. He asked, ‘Who can open the scroll? Who can break the seals?’
The sound of his voice went to the ends of space, heaven and the earth.
In all that God had created, nobody could open the scroll. There was no angel who was good enough. No man or woman had earned the right to open it. So, nobody could read what was in the scroll
The sound of his voice went to the ends of space, heaven and the earth.
In all that God had created, nobody could open the scroll. There was no angel who was good enough. No man or woman had earned the right to open it. So, nobody could read what was in the scroll
Here's what David Guzik adds to the discussion.
Ancient scrolls were read horizontally, not vertically. The rolls of the scroll were on the left and the right, and the writing lay in narrow columns about three inches (8 centimeters) wide, written on a substance somewhat like brown paper. The scroll was held in the left hand, and unrolled with the right; as the reading went on, the previously read portion was re-rolled. On such a typical scroll, the Book of Revelation would fill a scroll 15 feet (4.5 meters) long.
When a roll was finished, it was fastened with strings and the strings were sealed with wax at the knots. This scroll was sealed with seven seals; there were seven strings around the scroll, each string sealed with wax.
These were not seven writings each separated by a seal; but seven seals all set upon one scroll. All the seals must be opened before the scroll could be read.
The best solution is to see the scroll as "God's will, his final settlement of the affairs of the universe." This is based on the idea that customarily, under Roman law, wills were sealed with seven seals, each from a witness to the validity of the will.
John wept either because a previous promise to see the future may now be denied (Revelation 4:1), or more likely, because the consummation of history would now indefinitely postponed
One of the elders (not an angel) rescued John from his grief, showing him the one who has prevailed to open the scroll. This One was the great figure of Old Testament prophecy: the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, Messiah of Israel and of the Gentiles.
John wept either because a previous promise to see the future may now be denied (Revelation 4:1), or more likely, because the consummation of history would now indefinitely postponed
One of the elders (not an angel) rescued John from his grief, showing him the one who has prevailed to open the scroll. This One was the great figure of Old Testament prophecy: the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, Messiah of Israel and of the Gentiles.
When John heard that no one was capable of breaking the seals, he must have thought.... I'll never get off this Island.
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