Revelation 5-Jesus Christ is Worthy to Open the Seven Seal Scroll (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday May 22, 2024

The Day of the Lord Series: Revelation 5-Jesus Christ is Worthy to Open the Seven Seal Scroll

Lesson # 24

In Revelation chapter five, the apostle John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit records for us the events in heaven that immediately precede the great judgments executed against the inhabitants of planet earth during Daniel’s Seventieth Week.

In this chapter, John has a vision of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ taking from the Father a seven-sealed book that contains the prophecy of events to be unfolded during Daniel’s Seventieth Week.

Revelation 5:1 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. (NIV)

The one who is sitting on the throne is God the Father and not the Lord Jesus Christ since the latter takes the seven sealed scroll from the hand of the Father according to Revelation 5:7.

“Seven” is the number of perfection or completeness and so therefore, the number in relation to the seals expresses the perfection with which the hidden counsels of God are securely hidden until they are disclosed by God Himself as here.

This seven sealed document is actually the title deed to planet earth and is related to the restoration of the human race as rulers over planet earth and the removal of Satan and his fellow evil spirits from this rulership.

Genesis 1:26-30, Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2:7-8 teach that mankind was designed to rule over the works of God’s creation.

Adam was created and designed in the image and likeness of God in order that he might exercise sovereign authority over all creation.

Genesis 1:26 Next, God decreed let Us model man in Our image, according to Our likeness. Consequently, they will rule over the fish in the various bodies of water and over the birds in the earth’s atmosphere and over the animal kingdom and over the entire earth and over each and every creeper-crawler, those which crawl upon the earth. (Pastor’s translation)

So Adam was created and designed in the image and likeness of God in order that he might exercise sovereign authority over all creation (Psalm 8).

However, the rulership of the creation was lost by Adam and the Woman in the Garden of Eden when they disobeyed the Lord’s prohibition to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3).

Satan usurped the rulership of the first Adam over the earth when he deceived the woman into disobeying the Lord’s prohibition to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and getting Adam to do so as well.

However, the Last Adam, the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ has regained that rulership over the earth with His obedience to the Father’s will in going to the cross in order to suffer the wrath of God as a substitute for all of sinful humanity (Rom. 5:12-21; Hebrews 2:6-9).

That Satan is the temporary authority over the earth is indicated in that 2 Corinthians 4:4 says that he is the “god of this world.”

The Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the cross gained the rulership of the earth back for mankind according to Philippians 2:5-11 and Hebrews 2:9.

In Hebrews 2:6-8a, we have the record of God’s purpose for mankind decreed whereas in Hebrews 2:8, we have this purpose delayed due to the Fall and in Hebrews 2:9, 14 and 17 we have this purpose accomplished through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, the church is the bride of Christ according to Ephesians 5:32.

So therefore, a comparison of Ephesians 5:32 with Ephesians 2:6 and 2:11-22, and Colossians 3:1-4 implies that the Lord Jesus Christ and His bride, the church will restore humanity to its rightful place as rulers of the earth.

In other words, the mystery of the Father’s will in Ephesians 1:9 is tied to the millennial reign of Christ because it reveals that the church will be the bride of His Son and together the two will restore humanity to rulership over the earth.

The church’s union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the Father’s right hand is the means by which the Father is providing a bride for His Son and restoring the human race to rulership over the earth.

J. Hampton Keathley III makes the following insightful comment regarding these seals, he writes, “The Roman Custom: The Roman custom of making a will included a ceremony involving a testator and seven witnesses. For each of the seven witnesses there was a seal. In addition, a very reliable friend was selected who would, for a coin, purchase the property for the family. In this way the property would become the property of the reliable friend, however, upon the death of the testator, the very reliable friend would return the property to the rightful heirs. For such a document, a long scroll of parchment was used. The writer of the document would begin writing and after a period, he would stop, roll up the parchment enough to cover his words, and then seal the scroll with wax. He would then resume writing, stop, seal another portion, and so on until the entire scroll was sealed with seven seals. In this way, the scroll would read a section at a time after each seal was broken. In the analogy, the Lord Jesus is the reliable Friend who has purchased our redemption and is here seen opening the seals which provide us with our inheritance. In this case, He is reclaiming that which was lost by Adam. Further, this procedure was used to keep unauthorized persons from opening the seven-sealed scroll. Only a “worthy” person, the one with the right credentials, could open the seals, read the inheritance, and give it to the inheritors. The Jewish Custom: Criswell points out that if a Jewish family were to lose its property or possessions by some kind of misfortune or distress, their property could not be permanently taken from them (the Old Testament law of jubilee and the kinsman redeemer protected them against this). However, their losses were listed in a scroll and sealed seven times. Then the conditions necessary to purchase back the land and their possessions were written on the outside of the scroll. When a qualified redeemer could be found, who could meet the requirements of reclamation (a kinsman like Boaz as in the story of Ruth), the one who had taken the property was required to return it to the original owner.”

Revelation 5:2 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.” (NIV)

The “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ and is a reference to Israel’s prophecy regarding Judah’s descendants recorded in Genesis 49:8-10.

Genesis 49:10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler's staff from between his feet up to the moment when He (the Messiah) comes, which to him belongs the scepter and ruler’s staff and to him the obedience of all the inhabitants of the earth.” (Pastor’s translation)

“The Root of David” is another title for the Lord Jesus Christ and is a reference to the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1, 10.

Revelation 5:6 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 of God sent out into all the earth. (NIV)

The “seven horns” represent the perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ’s omnipotence and authority since the number seven represents spiritual perfection and the horn in the ancient world was used to symbolize power and governmental authority.

The “seven eyes” denotes the spiritual perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ’s knowledge and wisdom and speaks of His omniscience since again the number seven speaks of spiritual perfection and the eyes in the ancient world spoke of knowledge of events.

The Lord Jesus Christ is omnipotent and omniscient and is expressed through the Holy Spirit whom He sent into the world according to the statement “which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.”

Revelation 5:7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. (NIV)

The act of the Lord Jesus Christ taking the book out of the Father’s right hand indicates that all power, authority and judgment have been given to Him.

Daniel 7:13 speaks of this event, which appears in Revelation 5:1-7.

Daniel 7:13 “I was continuing to stare in a trance like state because of these visions as behold One like a Son of Man was coming upon the clouds of heaven. Specifically, He went up to the One Ancient in Days in the sense that He approached His presence. 14 Then, governmental dominion was given to Him as well as honor and in addition sovereignty in order that each and every person belonging to the nations, ethnicities as well as language groups would serve Him. His governmental dominion is an eternal governmental dominion which can never be taken away so that His kingdom is one which can never be destroyed.” (Pastor’s translation)

Revelation 5:8-14 record all the elect angels and redeemed men in heaven worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 5:8 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 the saints. 9 And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God

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 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 sang: “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, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” 14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (NIV84)

Revelation 6:1-8:6 records the seven seal judgments that will take place during the final prophetic week of Israel’s history called “Daniel’s Seventieth Week.”