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Vision of the Lamb: a mysterious book sealed with seven seals (1–4). The appearance of a seemingly slain Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes (5–7), a new song of praise to the One sitting on the throne and the Lamb from the side of 24 elders and a host of celestial beings, including the four animals (8–14). Rev.5:1. And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne, a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals. The truth that the Lord is the ruler of the world and the Judge, only outlined in the hymns of the Angels and in the vision itself, is revealed in more detail before the eyes of the saint. John in the gradual appearance of various manifestations of the Divine world government and judgment. The vision of the 5th chapter is precisely one of the revelations of the Divine world government as the foundations of the Deities. court. As the conjunction “and” shows, the fifth chapter is a continuation of the fourth and refers to the same vision and is only its further disclosure. St. John saw a book on the open hand of the right hand of Him sitting on the throne. The right hand of the Seated One serves as a symbol of both Divine omnipotence and Divine providential activity. The book, seen by John, appears in the form of a parchment parcel, as the prophetic writings were usually written, and was written inside and outside and sealed with seven seals. The book's writing on both sides suggests a wealth of content that could not fit on one side of the package 23. There was one bundle, but it consisted of seven turns - parts, which were separated from one another by seals; as the seals were removed, the package itself unfolded further and further and revealed its contents. The seals themselves could be placed on the edge of the bundle 24. To the question about the contents of the book, the answer should be that its content is everything that is revealed after the seals are broken. Rev.5:2. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice: Who is worthy to open this book and to open its seals? Rev.5:3. And no one could, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth, open this book, nor look into it. Without losing sight of the heavenly throne, John sees an Angel flying across the sky, who is called strong, as the messenger of the great God should be. The angel asks not about who wants to open the book, but about who is worthy, who is so morally perfect 25 and holy before the Lord that he can receive the revelation of Divine destinies. God reveals His will to people, but only to the worthy and through the worthy. But no one responded to the strong Angel’s question. Among all the intelligent creatures there was not a single one who was worthy of opening the book and seeing its contents. We are no longer talking about the removal of seals, but about contemplation of what is contained in the book, since the removal of seals is tantamount to contemplation itself. – Here is a foreshadowing of the peculiarities of the form and content of the apocalyptic revelation. Rev.5:4. And I cried a lot because no one was found worthy to open and read this book, or even look into it. John mourned what he seemed to have lost, what he could not learn from the sealed book, but which he considered very necessary for knowing people and for guidance in their lives. Rev.5:5. And one of the elders said to me: do not cry; Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome, and is able to open the book and open the seven seals thereof. The name of the lion, used by the elder, is taken from Genesis 49:9, and when applied to Jesus Christ, Whom the Lamb depicts here, means a strong conqueror, a king according to His God-manhood. In the deepest sense of this last word, Jesus Christ is also called the root of David: in Him is the same blood as in the veins of David, just as part of the juice that is primarily found in the roots is preserved in the branch. Victory over death and ascension into heaven gave Jesus Christ the right to continue to be the only intercessor for people before God and their only teacher, that is, through John, to communicate to people the divine revelation regarding the mysterious future. Rev.5:6. And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. The image of the slain Lamb indicates the victory of Jesus Christ, which gave Him the right to communicate Divine revelation to people. This right was that He was the Lamb slain for the sins of the world. The expression “as if slain” means that Jesus Christ appeared before John with such signs that are characteristic of a slain lamb, that is, with the wound of the slaughter. The seven horns of the Lamb, as a sacred number and a number of completeness (Ps. 11:7, Ezek. 29:21; Dan. 7:8), mean the fullness of the power of Jesus Christ as the God-man and Redeemer. Regarding what should be understood by the seven spirits of God, it is better to agree with the opinion that here, as in Rev. 1:16 and Rev. 4:1, by the seven spirits we must understand the Holy Spirit with His gracious gifts, with which He rests on Jesus Christ and dwells among believers, pouring out upon them the abundant grace of redemption. Rev.5:7. And He came and took the book from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. “I took the book...” What did I take it with? - asks Korniliy Lyapid, and answers: with his feet, - but this must be understood symbolically. But it is better not to ask such questions at all when explaining apocalyptic visions, in which many of the details remained unclear even to the seer himself. Rev.5:8. And when He took the book, then the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. The joint fall of both animals and elders should be understood as an indication of the special solemnity of the moment. – The gusli is a real instrument that the seer saw in the hands of the elders; therefore, the sounds of the harp were real, just as that song, the content of which is transmitted further, was really heard. Only about the bowls, which resemble the censers of the Old Testament priests, it is said that they were a symbol of the prayers of the saints. The elders are also representatives of the saints, offering their prayers to the Lord God. Rev.5:9. And they sing a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the book and to open the seals from it, for You were slain, and with Your Blood you redeemed us to God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, Rev.5:10. and made us kings and priests to our God; and we will reign on the earth. Rev.5:11. And I saw and heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and their number was ten thousand ten thousand, and thousands upon thousands, Rev.5:12. who said with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” Worship and incense (offering) are accompanied by the elders singing a doxology, which is called a new song due to some news of its content 26: Jesus Christ the Lamb is presented as the universal redeemer of mankind, without any distinction between people by tribe, language, clan and tribe 27. In this chant, the elders, identifying themselves as intercessors and prayer books, thank and glorify the Lord God for all other Christians living on earth. They give thanks that, by the grace of God, Christians now constitute the Kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth, where each member of the Church can and must offer his own soul to God and, together with his priest, as if the priest himself, actively participates in the offering of a bloodless sacrifice. At the same time, Christians, as members of the Kingdom of Christ, still reign on earth, because they demonstrate in themselves that moral strength that distinguishes every true Christian and which has repeatedly and clearly manifested itself in the lives of great Christian ascetics. – Like the four living creatures and the elders, countless Angels glorified Him who sat on the throne, as if on behalf of all the disembodied forces. The angels glorify those common virtues of Jesus Christ, thanks to which better order, unity and improvement have been established in the redeemed world. Rev.5:13. And every creature that is in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and everything that is in them, I heard saying: To him that sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever. By heavenly creatures we must understand all the other Angels who were not meant by St. John in Rev. 5:11. By creatures on earth we must understand both people and other inhabitants of the earth's surface (Rom VIII:19–22). By underground creatures one cannot mean demons and condemned people, because St. Scripture generally does not allow the glorification of the All-Holy God by demons and sinners (Acts 16:17–18). More natural, underground creatures are those that have their habitat below the earth's surface. All creatures give blessing and glory and honor and power to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb (Rev. 1:6, 4:9, 5:12). Rev.5:14. And the four living creatures said: Amen. And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever. You might be interested in: