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NOTES for Rev 5:1-14

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1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
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?
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
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In visions of the Throne of Glory there is often a certain kind of movement connected with the fulfillment of a plan of God for an individual person or an entire people, as happened, for example, with Isaiah of Jerusalem, for whom such a vision became a call to prophetic ministry (Isa. 6:6-8). To John, at the Throne of Glory, God's plan of salvation concerning all humanity is revealed. He sees a scroll ("book") written on both sides and sealed with seven seals, which no one can either open or read - a fact that greatly distresses the apostle (vv. 1-4).

In the context of the prophetic tradition, a scroll usually symbolizes a revelation given by God, which the prophet must take in by swallowing the scroll (Ezek. 2:8-3:3). The number seven, associated with the sacred seven-branched lampstand, symbolizes in the Book of Revelation the fullness of the sanctification of the world and of humanity. The seven seals with which the scroll is sealed, then, should symbolize the fullness of revelation corresponding to that fullness of sanctification, that is, the fullness of the Kingdom. It is no surprise that no one is able to receive this fullness except the Savior Himself, who is revealed to John in the form of a sacrificial lamb with seven eyes and seven horns, symbolizing the omniscience and omnipotence He has received from God (vv. 6-8).

The image of the Messiah approaching the Throne of Glory can be considered traditional for apocalyptic books (Dan. 7:13-14). But in John's Book of Revelation, in the context of the traditional cultic symbolism connected with the Tabernacle and the Temple, this image takes the form of a lamb being offered in sacrifice. In this way, God draws His servant's attention to that side of Christ's ministry connected with the cleansing of the world and with its sanctification, which is unthinkable without such cleansing, without the world's liberation from the power of sin and its consequences. This side of the Savior's ministry could be called priestly; it is in this sense that He was called High Priest and Redeemer, the One who frees from the power of sin, from which no one else can free us. And the song of renewal ("a new song") sung by those standing at the Throne confirms the meaning of what is happening (vv. 9-14).

Thus, at the Throne of Glory, the chief design of God is revealed to John: the cleansing and sanctification of the world through its participation in the Kingdom that the Messiah sent by Him will bring into the world.

Other notes

 
For Rev 5:1-14
1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
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?
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
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The book that contains the history of the universe, in which one can see what takes place outside time and...  Read more

The book that contains the history of the universe, in which one can see what takes place outside time and space, is inaccessible to humanity. No one can read it. No one can penetrate the future, although every person longs for this knowledge. The apostle writes that he wept because no one among humankind could be found to open the book. The appearance of the Lamb answers his tears. John the Baptist was the first to call Christ by this name, and now we see Christ's superhuman dignity. Having assumed human nature, He voluntarily deprived Himself of almost all the prerogatives of divinity: He needed rest, sleep, and food; He suffered and died. Having conquered death, He alone among all can open this book.

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For Rev 5:6-7
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
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The action unfolding at the Throne of glory has a quite definite meaning, expressed in the symbols of the vision opened to John. The Throne of glory itself symbolizes the spiritual center of the Kingdom, and therefore the spiritual center...  Read more

The action unfolding at the Throne of glory has a quite definite meaning, expressed in the symbols of the vision opened to John. The Throne of glory itself symbolizes the spiritual center of the Kingdom, and therefore the spiritual center of the world, since the world was originally conceived by God as His Kingdom. The Lamb "as though slain" obviously symbolizes in this picture Christ Himself, who approaches the Throne of glory just as He approaches it in the visions of another apocalyptic writer, the author of the Book of Daniel. As in the Book of Daniel, horns here symbolize power, and eyes symbolize sight and knowledge. Both of these images, in precisely this sense, have roots deep in Yahwist tradition, and not only prophetic tradition. And the number seven in the Bible has always been a symbol of fullness, the fullness of creation that belongs to the world unspoiled by the fall.

It is no accident that the Lamb has seven eyes and seven horns: His power and His knowledge embrace creation in all its fullness, the fullness in which it was conceived by God. As for the scroll, the "book" of the Synodal translation, this image is multivalent. In the exilic and post-exilic period it was primarily associated with the synagogue scroll of the Torah, which in every synagogue was considered the chief sacred object. On the other hand, since the time of Ezekiel and his visions, the scroll also becomes a symbol of prophetic revelation, which the prophet receives and perceives by swallowing the scroll.

The two images mentioned are connected with each other: the Torah was both text and living revelation at the same time, at least for those who did not limit themselves to formal following of the Torah, but took the path of the inner Torah. In addition, it was believed that all the destinies of creation are contained in the Torah, and that its text symbolically reflects and expresses these destinies. A sealed scroll in such a context means that the true meaning of the Torah, both as revelation and as a spiritual path, is hidden from man. And only the Lamb-Christ can reveal it, can break the seals.

At the Throne sounds a "new song" or "song of renewal": historically such hymns were connected with the celebration of the day of Yahweh or the day of the Lord, a special feast probably connected with the sanctification of Solomon's Temple. It was a feast of theophany and of the spiritual renewal of the people. In this case the issue is a spiritual renewal unlike any that had ever existed before, a renewal from which a new era in human history begins, an era when everything conceived by God will be realized, and the world will again become His Kingdom, in fullness and to the end.

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