The Scroll Written In and Behind

Revelation 5

The scroll lay upon the open right hand of God Himself, the one on the throne. Whoever could take the scroll out of His hand and open it could only be one who has complete authority to do so. Jesus the Lamb of God has that authority, for by shedding His blood on the cross, He has redeemed men and women from every nation, tribe, and tongue on earth. 

When John felt no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was fit to open the scroll or even take a single look at its content, he felt something deep inside that caused him to weep bitterly and audibly about the need for someone to be worthy to open the seals and inspect the scroll. 

The word of one of the elders spoke comfort to John:

⁵ Then one of the elders [^[b]of the heavenly Sanhedrin] said to me, Stop weeping! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root (Source) of David, has won (has overcome and conquered)! He can open the scroll and break its seven seals!^(B)

Don’t we experience distress at what we see happening in the world? And doesn’t the question arise, where is Christ to deliver us? The answer is the same: we need to see Jesus as the lion of Judah and the root of David—the only true victor having all authority in heaven and earth. He is the Lamb of God and the only one who is worthy to open the scroll. 

^{As to the meaning of the scroll written on the front and back there are many differing opinions. John lived in a Roman world, so the understanding that a will was sealed with seven seals requiring authentication to access and communicate its contents makes sense as does attaching a Hebrew understanding to the text. Hal Lindsey in the The Late Great Planet Earth explains how a Jew may perceive the scroll written on both sides:}

"When a Jewish family was required to forfeit its land and possessions through some distress, the property could not be permanently taken from them. Their losses were listed in a scroll and sealed seven times, then the conditions necessary to purchase back the land and possessions were written on the outside of the scroll. When a qualified redeemer could be found to meet the requirements of reclamation, the one to whom the property had been forfeited was obligated to return the possessions to the original owner."

If John perceived that the scroll communicated both loss and the way of redemption, this sheds light on why he would be so distressed at no one being able to open the scroll. How then would the world be redeemed? This understanding also frames the messages to the churches and the remainder of Revelation not as doom but as means of bringing us into being God’s servants through the overcoming power of the Lamb of God.

Christ Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth and He is bringing all things together under His reign.