Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

 John looks and he sees in the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne, God the Father, a scroll. This scroll or book is in God’s right hand which is symbolic of God’s ownership, authority and control over this scroll.

 The hand in the bible is representative of ability, ownership and control. If something is in someone’s hand, they possess it and often own it.

 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me,is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (John 10:27-29)

 In addition to showing possession, referring to God’s right hand is also a popular way to praise the work of God, the power of God, the protection of God, and the exalted position of Christ at God’s own right hand.  It is the hand of primary use. It is the hand of action for the majority of the population and because of this it becomes a symbol of power and dependence.  We refer to people as our right-hand man. You may recall the disciples and Peter wanted Jesus to grant them to sit at his right hand.

 Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy. (Exo. 15:6)

 Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. (Psa. 20:6)

 The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” (Psa. 110:1)

 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55-56)

 The term “right hand” is used 104 times in the bible. We have already seen the phrase a couple of times already here in the book of Revelation:

 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. (Rev. 1:16)

 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. (Rev. 1:17)

 Here in these verses above and also in our verse tonight, we see the position of the item, the scroll, lying upon God’s right hand as being symbolic of being in God’s possession, held, protected and preserved by God’s power but at the same time it is intended for someone to take it from God’s right hand, to open it and to read it, but who is worthy?

 Before we get to the who, we have to answer the what?  What is this scroll or book? Back then books were not hard bound or paper back like they are today. They were written on scrolls, some thirty feet long and rolled up on both edges into a scroll and sealed.

 But this is no ordinary scroll and no ordinary book because first of all it belongs to God which automatically makes it extraordinary and remains in his power and possession. Second it’s not sealed once but seven times. We have already seen that the number seven represents perfection and completeness so this book being sealed seven times shows that it is perfectly sealed, securely fastened and nothing within it can be added or changed. This adds emphasis Revelation 4:1 when John heard a voice like a trumpet speaking to him that said, ““Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”  The things in this scroll must take place.  God’s word has already been written and sealed up and there is no changing it.

 Historically, a seven sealed scroll was also a common way for the Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks and Romans to seal their contracts and legal documents. The will of Caesar Augustus was sealed seven times. A scribe would begin writing on a long parchment  and after he wrote so much he would roll the document and seal it, then he would write some more and then roll the document and seal it again and write some more, on and on until the document was complete and then it would receive its final seventh seal.  Some commentators say the seals were often placed at the edge of the document as it was rolled up, others say the seal was placed inside the document. Either way they this would allow them to be broken successively and the document to be read in sections and protected it from being tampered with. On the outside of the document there would be writing explaining what was to be found in the sealed document.

 In a similar fashion, the Jews would also seal their deeds to their land. Jeremiah chapter 32 tells us the story of Jeremiah the prophet buying a field from his cousin Hanamel before the Jews were to be taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Hanamel wanted to sell the land before they were sent off into captivity. In Jeremiah 32:8 we see Hanamel approach Jeremiah informing him that he had the right of redemption and possession as his kinsman redeemer. He doesn’t use the words kinsman redeemer but this is what is being referred to when it says that Jeremiah has the right of redemption to purchase this land. Much like Boaz had the right to purchase Naomi’s land back. This was according to Jewish law. The land given to the Israelites could never be sold, because it belonged to God and he had assigned the land to the twelve tribes. But if the Israelites came in times of hardship or if they simply wanted to rent the land out they could until the time of Jubilee which took place every fifty years and then the land would revert back to its original owners.  This would have been a good deal for Hanamel since the land and people were about to be taken into captivity by the Babylonians for the next 70 years and he would not be around to enjoy the benefits and produce of the land and would not be alive at the end of the captivity to reclaim the land. This would have been a bad deal for Jeremiah because he would not be alive after the 70 years of captivity to come back to the land either but he buys the land from his cousin Hanamel anyway because he knew it was the will of the Lord. In verses six the “Word of the Lord” had came to Jeremiah and told him to expect Hanamel to make such an offer.  This was to symbolize as a promise that one day the Israelites would come back to their land and that their captivity would not be forever.

 In verses 9-15 we see Jeremiah purchases the land. He signs the deed, has it witnessed and seals it. There are two copies of the deed. One is the open copy and one is the sealed copy. The open copy was used to claim the sealed copy and show what was in the sealed copy since the other deed was sealed. Jeremiah gives both copies to Baruch has him put both copies in an earthen jar and bury them so that they could last and long time and the land could later be claimed by his family after the time of captivity is over.

 This gives us some understanding behind the meaning of this mysterious scroll. In a similar way this scroll that we read about in Revelation 5 is often referred to as a contract or as the title and deed to the redemption of the world. The only caution with this view is that God has always in his Sovereignty owned the entire world. He has never lost possession of it due the fall of man – man may have lost his ability to reign over the world and has been seeking it ever since in all the wrong ways but God did not lose ability to rule us or the world because of our rebellion. He still rules us and often lets us go our own way and reap the consequences of our rebellion. Consequences that God would have protected us from if we would have listened to him from the beginning. Sometimes God intervenes in our lives and goads us into following his will directly, but many times he lets man follow his own way within these boundaries that still exist to illustrate in the end that God’s way is better and man’s way and reasoning always leads to death. We reap the consequences and the sorrows of following our own reasoning. Often times we see the rebellion of man used to accomplish the purposes of God all throughout the bible. The number one example is The Cross.

 God never lost his reign over the world, we did. His position has always been and always will be sitting on his throne. As God’s image bearers, and representatives after we rebelled and God still accomplished his will through us. It was us who were sent into captivity. Even when the Israelites were sent into captivity in the land of Egypt and in the land of the Babylonians, they may have lost their possession of the land through their sin while they were in Babylon but God still owned all their land and the land of their enemies and he still ruled over their enemies granting their enemies victory or defeat however he pleased and purposed. He ruled over both and he used their enemies in his sovereignty to accomplish his will and to discipline his people so they would obey him and follow his will instead of their own.

 In some sense, man’s deep desire to rule the world was hard wired into us by God himself, because he did create us to govern and rule over it, just not apart from him. All our attempts to rule the world apart from God and apart from God’s will but according to our own will and destroy us instead of bringing us life and joy as God intended to us have,  The secret to having any authority is to be under authority.

   As A.W. Tozer puts it in his book The Knowledge of the Holy, “There cannot be two unlimited substances in the universe. It is to take away God’s sovereignty. There cannot be two absolutely free beings in the universe for sooner or later two completely free wills must collide. These attributes to mention no more require that there be but one to whom they belong.”

 There cannot be two God’s in the universe. It does not make sense. One would not be sovereign and all powerful which is the very nature of being a “god”. This is what makes God, God and he is a very jealous God and will tolerate no other gods before him, including our own challenges or lack of acknowledgement.

 When God created the world and man, God gave man dominion over the world, all the land and all its creatures and creation to govern it, to rule over it and maintain it under God’s authority. However, when man fell through sin, by disobeying God and obeying another authority as our god, Satan, we gained a new master, we became slaves in our own land serving and worshipping ourselves, creation instead of the creator. We died spiritually to God, becoming separated from him and have been slaves in Satan’s captivity and will ever since but God in his grace and in his great love and mercy, according to his purposes still maintains us, even in our rebellion. Despite our rejection of him, he still rules over us and oversees us, but God has allowed Satan to rule and govern us after we gave him our power and authority to rule over us and all of the created world, but only within his predefined limits still. Satan may have power over us or have had power over us if we are saved, but God always kept his position of ultimate power over all creation, including Satan who is but a created being himself.  The bible tells us that Satan rules the world now and the whole world is under the wrath of God.

 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. (John 12:31)

 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, (John 14:30)

 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”  (Matt. 4:8-9)

 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (Romans 1:18)

 Not only man fell to the power and dominion of Satan but all of creation was subjected to futility and is in bondage of corruption and eagerly groans for redemption.

 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:20-23)

 In all of this there is something very important for us to see and understand, that apart from man’s law here on earth, there are celestial and spiritual laws and decrees set in place by God that God himself as Righteous Judge governs the universe, the angels and all of creation according to. When Satan gained power over us, even though means such low means as manipulation and deceit, God honored Satan’s right to reign on the earth and govern it and us to the extent God allowed. God did not take it out of his hands and immediately give our power and rights back to us.

 Taking our power and authority was much like stealing candy from a baby. We had no power, no ability to take it back. God allowed Satan to keep it, for a time while we have since cried our heads off, unfair!  And it was unfair. Man at this time was innocent knowing nothing about the existence and dangers of evil. It was at this time, that unfairness and injustice made its grand entrance into the world because man in all his wisdom did not trust God as Judge but wanted to judge good and evil for himself. Distrusting the wisdom of God’s word not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil because it would be harmful to them and bring about their death – enticed by the serpent, they ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and we have been suffering for it ever since.  Apart from God, we cannot judge between good and evil. We call good evil and evil good and yet we still distrust God’s judgment. This has been our position ever since the fall. This is what we wrestle with as Christians, the renewing of our minds to believe God’s word and not our own reasoning.

 God  was not surprised by our fall, in his omniscience he already knew this would be and he already had a plan in place to overthrow him in his own time, in his own way and according to his own purposes for his own pleasure and our benefit. God is all powerful, omnipotent he could destroy Satan at any time, but he doesn’t. Instead he decides to make a spectacle of him, for all of creation to see, not Satan’s glory but God’s wisdom and glory. God allowed man and the entire created world to go into a time of captivity that lasts about 6000 years and throughout this 6000 years God uses Satan, suffering and evil to accomplish his purposes concerning us, refining us, trying us, teaching us, preparing us for the time we will be redeemed and live forever with him.  God has already set in motion the events to redeem us from the captivity, to restore us, to give us back our land, to heal us, and to overthrow our enemy once and for all. All of this is according to God’s purposes which are beyond us. We would like to ask why and this still leaves us with a thousand and one questions but all those will be answered in God’s own timing when he will wipe every tear from our eye and give back what was stolen from us and exalt us with himself by giving us an inheritance, a new position as his children, and allowing us to share his glory and rule with him.

 Isaiah 65:17-25 speaks of a New Heaven and a New Earth

 In this sense I think the understanding of the scroll being some kind of deed, a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to affect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it is a good understanding of the meaning of the scroll in chapter five.

 Although Jeremiah had a signed scroll that was in effect for his ownership of the land, his actual possession of the land and claim of it would come several years later, not by him but by his descendants. In the same way our transfer is already a done deal and we are just waiting for Christ to possess what he already owns.

 As the Israelites had their own land and looked forward to the return of their nation to their own land after their time of captivity in Babylon because of their sin so we too look forward to our own freedom from the reign of Satan and from his rule over our lives, our families and our world. We look forward with much anxiousness and joy to all these being set back in order under God’s reign and all creation being set free from death and decay and the futility which has been subjected too.  As Christians this is our hope and our promise from God because of Christ, who we will talk about more as the worthy lamb later in this chapter. He is the only one worthy to take the scroll and to begin breaking its seals open. One day we will enjoy the promises of Revelation 21:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling placeof God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelations 21:3-4

This is what the redemption of our land, our own people will look like.  Because of Christ, we have a new master, but we still live in a world that is ruled by Satan. But God holds the deed, and Christ as our kinsman redeemer has already purchased us by his blood. He was able as our brother, becoming like man, being sinless and being willing to act on our behalf and to exercise the right of redemption. We have been redeemed, but we only wait for the end of our captivity according to the Father’s predetermined time for Christ to exercise his authority and to claim his land and his people.

 This claiming of ownership is in itself bitter-sweet because even as we are being rescued there are still many who will face the wrath of God, endure the tribulation and even perish and face the second death. God takes no pleasure in the death and the punishment of the wicked.

 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?….. For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” (Ezekiel 18:23, 32)

Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33:11)

 Taking another look at this scroll, we can also compare it to the scroll in Ezekiel’s vision in Ezekiel 2:

 “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. (Ezekiel 2:8-10)

The scroll Ezekiel saw also had writing on the front and back. Ezekiel was able to read a bit of the writing on the scroll. He said that written on it were words of “lamentation and mourning and woe.” Once again we see how bitter-sweet the coming redemption and judgment of God is for us. The words on the outside of this scroll, so aptly describe what will soon be pouring out from this scroll here in the book of Revelation chapter five as God’s judgment of sin begins to unfold on the world as the seals are broken one by one.

 This scroll is also mentioned again in Daniel chapter twelve:

 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble; such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above;and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.  (Daniel 12:1-4)

 This is in contract of Revelations 22:10 which says, “And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.”

 While Daniel is a book sealed for the time of the end to read, Revelation is a book unsealed for the time of the end is near. Here in the book of Revelation we see the seven seals being broken and taken off the scroll progressively one by one as it is opened to be understood in our time