Revelation 5:1 Commentary and Bible Study

John saw not a book, actually, but a scroll, as the description that follows shows. The Father holds in his right hand a scroll which is rolled up and sealed so that it cannot be opened. A scroll, ‘written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.’ Though the scroll is closed John is made aware that it is written on both sides, symbolising how full of content it is. It is written by the Father for he holds it in his hand as something that he has written and sealed. You can imagine it: a long scroll with much writing on either side of the papyrus, and it is rolled up, and every now and then a seal is put on it, so that the next inner section cannot be opened. Then there are another few wraps and another seal, a few more wraps and a further seal. There are seven stages of this revelation and each one has a seal – one scroll, seven seals. This is going to be hard to open. You might just get the first seal open and look at the first part; then you’ve got to get the next seal open to look at the next part. Seven again is the number of completion. In other words, this is utterly sealed, perfectly sealed, infinitely difficult to open. John appreciates his powerlessness to remove the seals. At the same time he longs for the scroll to be opened, for unless this takes place, God’s wonderful plan will never be brought about.What is the scroll? It is God’s eternal plan for all of his creation. Contained within it is all that God has determined to do throughout the whole of time. It is the explanation of why things will be as they are throughout the ages, particularly in this last age, the gospel age. But the scroll is more. It’s not just the revelation of the plan. It is the plan. We don’t think like that. Here is a scroll, and the opening of the scroll with its seven seals represents the implementation of that plan. Unless it is opened none of the things written in it will happen, including the work of redemption, the salvation of God’s elect, and the revelation of God’s glory. The scroll symbolises the execution of the whole plan. In other words, if someone can open this scroll, we do not just learn about the plan, but that person has enabled the plan to be implemented.