Revelation 5:1

Revelation 5:1

Revelation 5:1 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.

Right hand:-  John again focuses on events taking place on the Throne.  God, seated on the His throne has a scroll in His right hand.  The right hand is the position of honor. 

Genesis 48:13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near him.

Genesis 48:14 And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn).

Genesis 48:17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

Genesis 48:18 And Joseph said to his father, "Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head."

Genesis 48:19 But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude^[1] of nations."

Genesis 48:20 So he blessed them that day, saying, "By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, 'God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.'"Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

 

Scroll:- The Greek word for scroll is bibliv on Biblion and is translated book. Books as we know them day did not exist during this period.  The scroll was made of Papyrus, Parchment or Vellum, individual sheets were stitched or glued together to make a scroll. The scroll was then rolled.  

What was the scroll in the hand of God?  The context of the scroll reveals its identity as the title deed to the earth.

The same vision prophet Ezekiel (2:9,10) and Zechariah(5:1-5) both were seen before

1.      Ezekiel’s Vision

Ezekiel 2:9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it.

Ezekiel 2:10 And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.

2.      Zechariah’s Vision

Zechariah 5:1 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll!

Zechariah 5:2 And he said to me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits."[1]

Zechariah 5:3 Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely[1] shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side.

Zechariah 5:4 I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones."

Zechariah 5:5 Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, "Lift your eyes and see what this is that is going out."

Purpose of Sealing

1.      Seals cannot be revoked

Esther 8:8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked."

2.      Seal used for Trust

Sealed scrolls were used for property records in ancient Israel, one copy would remain open and the other copy sealed and stored to verify the true owner of the property.  (Jeremiah 32:9-14)  The scroll in e right hand of God is the sealed property deed.  In Jeremiah 32, Babylon is about to conquer Judah and Jeremiah has a cousin Hanamel who has property he wants to sell, which he feels will be worthless fter the Babylonian invasion. God instructs Jeremiah to buy the property, as cousin, Jeremiah has the right of redemption.  Jeremiah buys the property and the deed is sealed before the court.

This sealed scroll is property deed which requires the right person to claim ownership of the said property. 

Jeremiah 32:9 "And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver.

Jeremiah 32:10 I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales.

Jeremiah 32:11 Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions and the open copy.

Some references when God asked His servants to put seal on His book.

1.      Reference 1 - Isaiah

Isaiah 29:11 And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, "Read this," he says, "I cannot, for it is sealed."

2.      Reference 2 - Daniel

Daniel 12:4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."

Daniel 12:9 He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.