The Sealed Scroll
A sealed scroll no one is worthy to open, and John weeps hard over it. Then a Lamb who looks slaughtered takes it from his Father's hand. The new song is about purchase: people bought for our Father from every language, made priests and kings.
5 1I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one seated on the throne, written on both sides, sealed with seven seals. 2I saw a powerful angel calling out loudly, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" 3And no one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth could open the scroll or look inside it. 4I wept hard, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it. 5Then one of the elders told me, "Stop weeping. See—the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David—Jesus—has conquered, so he can open the scroll and its seven seals." a a v5 Lion of Judah comes from Jacob's blessing (Genesis 49:9-10); Root of David comes from Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 11:1, 10). Both titles point to Jesus, who has conquered and is worthy to open the scroll.
6And between the throne and the four living creatures, and among the elders, I saw Jesus, the Lamb, standing as though he had been slain, with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the sevenfold Spirit of our Father sent out into all the earth. b b v6 The Lamb is Jesus — slain yet standing. He is distinct from our Father seated on the throne: in the next verse the Lamb takes the scroll from the Father's right hand. 7He came and took the scroll from the right hand of the one seated on the throne. c c v7 The Lamb takes the scroll from the right hand of him on the throne — Father and Son are distinct Persons of the one God. The Lamb comes to receive from the throne-figure's hand; the Lamb cannot be the throne-figure himself. 8When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each with a harp and gold bowls full of incense—the prayers of our Father's holy people. 9And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll and break open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased people for our Father from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our Father, and they will reign on the earth."
11I looked, and heard around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders, the voice of many angels—myriad upon myriad, thousands upon thousands, 12saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"
13And every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, I heard saying: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!"
14And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.
