The Lamb Worthy to Open the Scroll: Part 2 of 7 (series: Lessons on Revelation)

by John Lowe
(Woodruff, S.C.)

Another very sound explanation—from what follows in chapters 5-8—is that the scroll contains the rest of the book of Revelation. As each seal is broken, another part of the book is revealed. The final seal, the seventh one, opens the way to the seven trumpets, and so on through the rest of Revelation.

And their being “SEALED”—having the seal of God's truth, and the imprint of His wisdom, power, and goodness on them—may signify the authenticity of those writings; and also the hidden significance and meaning of them.

They are a sealed book to natural men, especially the prophetic and spiritual part of them.

Christ is the truest and best interpreter; yet this book was opened, and looked into, and read, and, in some measure, understood, even by the Old Testament saints; and before this time, it had been talked about by Christ, especially as it concerns himself. He had opened the understanding of His disciples to those Scriptures, and had deemed them, and others, worthy to open and explain this book to others, and had sent them into all the world for this purpose.

The Gospel is definitely the single most important thing revealed in the Holy Bible. Though written to Jews and Gentiles, the one “WITHIN,” and the other “WITHOUT,” it cannot be understood by the unsaved.

The mention of the book being “SEALED WITH SEVEN SEALS” shows the certainty of its fulfillment, and the authenticity, certainty, and hiddenness of it, until all its decrees are accomplished.

John reports that the book was in the “RIGHT HAND” of God, and from there it was taken by the Lamb, for it IS the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him—“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place . . .” (Revelation 1:1), and it may be said that it was written, both "WITHIN AND ON THE BACKSIDE", to show that it contains a large number of things, a long chain of events to be accomplished.

2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

In our present scripture the Church has already been raptured, the saints are with Jesus in the air (prophetically) and will soon be ready to reign with Jesus here on earth.

“AND I SAW A STRONG ANGEL,” that is, an “ANGEL” endowed by God with great strength, as if such strength was necessary in order to enable him to ask a question in a loud voice. The identity of this angel is unknown. Some suggest Gabriel because Gabriel’s name means “strength of God” (Daniel 8:16; Revelation 10:1). Someone has said, “Homer represents God’s heralds as powerful, robust men, in order to consistently attribute to them deep (low-pitched) and powerful voices.” The inquiry to be made was one of huge importance—it was to be asked of everyone in heaven, of every person on the earth, and of each and every one under the earth—and that's why a “STRONG ANGEL” is introduced, for he would be so mighty that his voice could be heard in all those distant regions.

“PROCLAIMING WITH A LOUD VOICE”, that is, a voice like a herald or crier would use. The object undoubtedly is to impress the mind with a sense of the importance of the revelations about to be revealed, and at the same time stress the impossibility of any created power seeing into the future. The importance of the proclamation becomes obvious when we are told that it was made by one of the highest angels. The revelation came from God, but was made by the highest angel, and that should be sufficient to show that revelations of the future are beyond mere created power.

“WHO IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK, AND TO LOOSE THE SEALS THEREOF?” That is, “WHO IS ‘WORTHY’” in the sense of having a rank so exalted, and attributes so comprehensive, that they would authorize and enable him to do it. In other words, who has the essential endowments of all kinds that would enable him to do it? It would require moral qualities of an exalted character to justify him in approaching the seat of the holy God, and to take the book from his hands; it would require an ability beyond that of any created being to penetrate the future, and disclose the meaning of the images which were employed. The fact that “THE BOOK” was held in the “HAND OF HIM THAT WAS ON THE THRONE” and sealed seven times, was in itself a sufficient proof that it was not His purpose to make the disclosure directly. It is not surprising, then, that the inquiry arose naturally as to whether there was anyone in the wide universe who, by rank, or character, or office, would be empowered to open the mysterious scroll.

3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

“AND NO MAN IN HEAVEN”—No one at all—who “WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE BOOK.” The idea is that there was no one in heaven—evidently referring to the created beings who serve God there—“WHO COULD OPEN THE BOOK”. It is not stated in the Bible that angels have foreknowledge of the future, and do reveal what is to come? The reality is that their faculties are limited in this respect like those of man?

“NOR IN EARTH” continues the thought of the first clause, the idea being that there is no one living upon the earth among all classes of people— scholars, philosophers mystics, gurus, and prophets—who have ever been able to accurately predict the future, and disclose what is to come?

“NEITHER UNDER THE EARTH”, makes the statement all inclusive. These divisions make up the universe: what is in heaven above; what is on the earth; and whatever there is under the earth, the abodes of the dead. This clause is not an allusion to the supposed science of necromancy—the practice of talking to the spirits of dead people, and the use of magic powers especially for evil purposes—nor is there the notion that the dead can penetrate the future, and disclose what is to come? In times of great distress, it always seems like the Israelites have been tempted to consult those among them who pretended to use magic and divination to predict the future. In all these great realms no one came forward who was qualified to break the seals and disclosure what the mysterious scroll contained.

No one “WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE BOOK”, because no one had the ability to do it. It was a task beyond their power. Even if anyone had been found who had a rank and a moral character which might have seemed to justify the effort, there was no one who had the power of reading what was recorded there with respect to coming events.

It follows from this that since no one was able to open the book, “NEITHER” was anyone able “TO LOOK THEREON”, that is to say, to break the seals and have a view of what was written there; however, we can rightly say that it was not beyond their power merely to see the book, for that is apparent from the fact that John himself saw it in the hand of Him that sat on the throne; and it is evident also from Revelation 5:5 that the elders saw it. But no one came forward who was able to inspect the contents to see what was written there. It could be seen (Revelation 5:1) that it was written on both sides of the parchment, but what the writing was, remained a mystery. This goes to show that man cannot rescue himself from his own predicament and pit of sin, thus he stands mute at the challenge to take the scroll.

Actually, I stand opposed to those who say that John did not know what was written on the scroll, because he wept (5:4) when “no man was found worthy to open and to read it.” At the least, he must have known that it was something very important that God wanted His people to know. John knew that if that book were never opened, and the seals could not be removed:
- All Old Testament prophecies would be null and void concerning the reign of Jesus upon this earth (Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:1-16).
- All creatures would remain under the curse (Romans 8:22).
- The Bible would be untrue (Matthew 5:18).

All this would mean that God had made a promise which He could not fulfill. No wonder John wept sorely when no one could be found worthy to open the seals.