Revelation: The Scroll

Revelation: Justification by Faith

The Scroll

Revelation 5:1
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?”

Here we find a scroll written on both the inside and the outside, which was sealed.
Later, we learn that Jesus Himself is worthy to receive and open this scroll.
This "worthiness" is explained further:

Revelation 5:12
And they said 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!”

So, it has to do with receiving honor.
But what is this scroll?

We must again place ourselves in the context of the temple. The temple in heaven was foreshadowed by the temple on earth. The ark of God was meant to represent the throne of God in heaven.
The outer court with the sea of glass represented the earth, where repentance was to take place.
Do we also find a scroll in the temple?

There is only one scroll near the throne that we find in the Old Testament:
The Book of the Law — Deuteronomy.
It says:

Deuteronomy 31:24
And it came to pass, when Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book, until they were completed,
25 that Moses commanded the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying,
26 “Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness against you.
27 For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness. Behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more after my death?”

So here we find a scroll placed beside the ark, which served as a testimony against God’s people.
In Deuteronomy 28, we also find blessings and curses for keeping or breaking the law.
It is a detailed explanation of the old covenant, but at the same time it represents a curse for the sinner. It was the testimony against us.
In Ezekiel, we also find a scroll written on the front and back like in Revelation, filled with lamentations, though in a slightly different context:

Ezekiel 2:9
Then I looked, and behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, in it was a scroll of a book.
10 And He spread it before me, and it was written on the front and back. And written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.

So, although this scroll was mainly a testimony against Israel, something similar exists in heaven.
But there is another important aspect to this scroll or testimony against us, which is especially relevant to Revelation 5.
It was intended that kings, when they sat on the throne, would receive this scroll. It was also given at their anointing:

Deuteronomy 17:14
“When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’
18 And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests.
19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them,
20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.”

2 Kings 11:12
Then he brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony. They made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”

Receiving this scroll is therefore connected to kingship. As Revelation 5 suggests, it is tied to receiving honor.
The entire throne scene of Revelation 4 reminds us of a kingdom.
But no one was found worthy to receive and open this scroll.
This was not merely a king over the small land of Israel, but a heavenly King who would dethrone Satan.
No one was worthy — not a single creature — to be this King.
Nor could anyone remove the curses.
But there was an exception.

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