Continuing my study of Revelation, chapter 5 builds on the throne room scene from chapter 4. There, I saw John draw from Roman imperial imagery to show who truly reigns over the universe—an effective rhetorical move, subverting the emperor’s court to proclaim God’s sovereignty (Friesen, 2001, Imperial Cults and the Apocalypse of John, p. 180). Those gathered around the throne, like courtiers in Rome, cast their crowns in worship, signaling submission to the true sovereign, with echoes of Ezekiel’s visions (Ezek 1:26–28; Beale, 1999, The Book of Revelation, p. 347). Revelation 5 shifts the focus to the Lamb, introducing a profound theological reversal that anchors the book’s message.
The Text: Revelation 5:1–14
Revelation 5:1–14
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. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying:
“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying 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!”
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
The Scroll and Authority
The vision opens with a scroll in the right hand of the One seated on the throne, sealed with seven seals (Rev 5:1). The “right hand” signifies divine authority and power in biblical and ancient Near Eastern contexts (Ps 110:1; Koester, 2014, Revelation, p. 352). Scrolls in antiquity, especially royal decrees, were sealed with wax and a signet to ensure authenticity and secrecy, opened only by an authorized figure like a kērux (herald; Aune, 1997, Revelation 1–5, p. 349). The scroll, written on both sides, recalls Ezekiel 2:9–10, symbolizing God’s complete decree for history—His plan of judgment and redemption (Beale, 1999, p. 348).
The seven seals denote total secrecy and divine completeness, a recurring motif in Revelation (Bauckham, 1993, The Theology of the Book of Revelation, p. 76). While many interpret the scroll as strictly eschatological, I find it meaningful to see it as God’s unfolding work across history, revealed progressively as the seals are broken in chapter 6 (Koester, 2014, p. 354). These seals unleash preparatory events—like the four horsemen—rather than the scroll’s full content, which awaits the seventh seal (Rev 8:1). This resonates with Ephesians 1:13, where believers are “sealed” with the Holy Spirit, authenticating their belonging to God, much like a royal seal marks the scroll.
John’s weeping (Rev 5:4) underscores the crisis: no one is worthy to open the scroll, threatening to leave God’s plan unrevealed. This sets the stage for the Lamb’s dramatic entrance.
The Lion and the Lamb
An elder declares that “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered” (Rev 5:5), evoking Messianic expectations of a royal conqueror (Gen 49:9; Isa 11:1, 10). Yet, when I turn with John to look, the Lion is a Lamb (arnion), “as though it had been slain” (Rev 5:6). This is the heart of Revelation’s theology: the expected warrior-Messiah is revealed as a sacrificial victim, redefining victory through self-giving love (Bauckham, 1993, p. 64).
The Greek arnion, a diminutive, suggests tenderness and vulnerability, appearing twenty-nine times in Revelation but only once elsewhere in the New Testament, in John 21:15, where Jesus tells Peter, “Feed my lambs.” The connection moves me deeply: both passages portray Christ’s pastoral care, rooted in sacrifice, calling His followers to nurture others with the same love (Keener, 2019, Revelation, p. 183). The Lamb’s seven horns symbolize perfect strength (Deut 33:17), and its seven eyes, identified as the “seven spirits of God,” represent divine wisdom and presence across the earth (Zech 4:10; Beale, 1999, p. 357). This paradox—power through suffering, sovereignty through sacrifice—challenges Roman imperial ideals of domination, especially under Domitian, who demanded worship as dominus et deus (lord and god; Friesen, 2001, p. 185).
Worship and the New Song
When the Lamb takes the scroll, heaven erupts in worship (Rev 5:8–14). The four living creatures and twenty-four elders, holding harps and golden bowls of incense—“the prayers of the saints”—fall before the Lamb. Incense, a priestly symbol in the Old Testament (Ps 141:2; Mal 1:11), assures persecuted believers that their prayers rise to God’s presence (Koester, 2014, p. 360). The “new song” (Rev 5:9) echoes Psalm 40:3 and the exodus motif, celebrating a new act of redemption that forms a new people “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev 5:9; cf. Exod 19:6). This universal kingdom of priests fulfills God’s promise to Abraham (Gen 12:3) and Paul’s vision of unity in Christ (Gal 3:28; Bauckham, 1993, p. 67).
The worship escalates as myriads of angels and all creation join in, proclaiming the Lamb’s worthiness and ascribing blessing to both the One on the throne and the Lamb (Rev 5:11–13). This cosmic worship subverts Roman imperial ceremonies, where loyalty was sworn to the emperor, declaring that only God and the Lamb deserve ultimate allegiance (Friesen, 2001, p. 187).
The Center of Revelation
This throne room scene is the theological heart of Revelation—what scholars call its “hermeneutical center” (Bauckham, 1993, p. 63). Every vision before and after orbits this image of the Lamb enthroned, uniting heaven and earth in worship. The number seven—seals, horns, eyes—symbolizes divine completeness, but the Lamb’s slain appearance is scandalous, redefining power through sacrifice (Beale, 1999, p. 359). I’m struck by how this vision calls us to redirect worship from worldly powers—emperors, presidents, or idols of success—to the One who reigns through self-giving love.
This isn’t just a prophetic tableau; it’s a worship event. Revelation invites readers to join heaven’s song, aligning our lives with the Lamb’s sacrificial victory. In a world that glorifies dominance, I’m challenged to embrace the Lamb’s way of love, even when it leads to the cross.
Closing
Revelation 5 anchors the book’s message: the Lamb’s sacrifice unlocks God’s redemptive plan, and all creation worships Him. This vision sustained first-century Christians facing persecution and speaks to us today, urging fidelity to the slain Lamb over earthly powers. Next week, I’ll explore Revelation 6 and the opening of the seals, where the scroll’s preparatory judgments begin to unfold.
Sources
- Aune, David E. Revelation 1–5. Word Biblical Commentary, 1997.
- Bauckham, Richard. The Theology of the Book of Revelation. Cambridge University Press, 1993.
- Beale, G.K. The Book of Revelation. New International Greek Testament Commentary, 1999.
- Friesen, Steven J. Imperial Cults and the Apocalypse of John. Oxford University Press, 2001.
- Keener, Craig S. Revelation. NIV Application Commentary, 2019.
- Koester, Craig R. Revelation. Anchor Yale Bible, 2014.
Rooted & Reckoned 