CHAPTER 5

5:114. THE SEALED BOOK AND THE LAMB .

1. .] Looking again at the Majesty upon the central
Throne the Seer sees a book-roll upon (, acc., cf. 20:1) the open palm of His right
hand. , a roll of papyrus (Maunde Thompson, Palaeography, p. 54 f.); cf. Ps. 39.
(40.) 8 , Lc. 4:17, 4:20, and 2 Tim. 4:13 where are
contrasted with . The present roll was sealed down and made fast
(, cf. Isa. 29:11 , , Sap. 2:5
, ) with seven seals, as if to ensure perfect
security; cf. Ev. Petr. 8, where answers to Mt. 27:66
. But secret as the contents were, the
roll was so full that they had overflowed to the verso of the papyrus, so that it was an
(see Maunde Thompson, p. 59, Hastings, 4. p. 946, and cf. Lucian, vit.
auct. 9 ... ... , Juv. Sat. 1:6 summi plena iam
margine libri | scriptus et in tergo necdum finitus Orestes). The description is based on
Ezek. 2:9 f. ,
, (

(
). But the Apocalyptic roll is sealed against inspection and not offered to the
Seer to read. It contains no doubt the unknown future (1:19 ); it is the
Book of Destiny, to be unrolled and read only as the seats are opened by the course of
events. The prevalent view of the ancient expositors, beginning with Hippolytus (ed.
Lag. p. 159 ,
), that the opening of the
seals means the interpretation of the O.T. by the coming and teaching of Christ, or the
allegorical interpretation of Scripture (Origen philoc, 2:1, 5:5

, ) is inconsistent with
the account of the process which is given in Apoc. 6:1 ff. Apringius is nearer to the
truth: liber hic praesentis est mundi totius creatura; and better still is the comment of
Andreas: ..
. (Zahn, Einl. 2. p. 596) followed by Nestle (Text. Crit. p. 333) regards the
as a papyrus in book-form, connecting with .
But his reasons are not convincing.
2. .] A strong angel (10:1, 18:21) is
needed to be the herald of a challenge addressed to the whole creation. ; cf.
; (2 Cor. 2:16). The supports his claims on moral grounds; the , on
grounds which prove him capable whether morally or otherwise. In the present case
moral fitness is the only . ; the same order occurs in v. 5. The
hysteron proteton, as in 4:11 , is apparent rather than real; to be

Ev. The Gospel of Peter (cited from the writers edition).

Zahn Th. Zahn, Einleitung in das N.T. (Leipzig, 18979).

able to open the book is the first necessity and therefore takes the first place in the order
of thought.
3. .] The challenge is not taken up by any
being in heaven, on earth, or in Hades. For this threefold division of created life see
Phil. 2:10 : an earlier grouping in Exod.
20:4 has under the third head , or (v. 11) .
... ... implies a quasi-ascensive scale, which has given trouble to the
scribes, and the MSS. waver between and ; the point appears to be that as one
after another of the three regions declined the challenge, the hope that it will be met
approaches a vanishing point; cf. Primasius: nec quisquam neque neque sed
neque In ... (here and in v. 4) there is an implied before
, cf. WM. p. 66. For in reference to a roll see Lc. 4:17.
4 f. , .] With the unrestrained emotion of one in a dream or
ecstasy the Seer wept at the result, whether because of his own disappointment, or
because of the failure of creation to open the roll. Its inability implied moral incapacity;
, because . His weeping continued () until it
was stopped by one of the Elders ( .). Here and in 7:13 the Elder is merely
an interlocutor, as an Angel is on other occasions (17:1, 21:9), and his intervention has
no symbolical meaning. occurs on the lips of Christ in Lc. 7:13, 8:52 etc., and
in Jo. 20:13 ff. Higher natures see that human grief is often needless,
springing from insufficient knowledge.
.] may be either prevailed (A.V.)= as
in Ps. 50. (51.) 6 ... , and see Ps. Sol. 4:13
; or overcame (R. V.), as in 3:21. But both the usage of the Johannine books,
and the position of , which is separated by a whole line from , are in
favour of the latter rendering, which places in the forefront the great historical fact of
the victory of the Christ; behold, a victory was won by Him Who is the Lion, etc.
which gives Him the right to open the book. refers to
Gen. 49:9 , ... . In the Blessing of
Jacob Judah is the lion of the tribes (cf. Prov. 24:65 (30:15)
), as Dan is in the Blessing of Moses (Deut. 33:22); and the noblest
son of the tribe of Judah is fitly styled the Lion of that tribe; cf. Hippolytus, ed. Lag., p.
4, . With . .
comp. Heb. 7:14 . His Judaean
origin was bound up in the primitive belief with His descent from David.
looks back to Isa. 11:1 ((
(
) ,

(

, ib. 10 ; (
(
)
, ; the latter verse is quoted as Messianic in
Rom. 15:12. As the Prophet foresaw, the stump of the old tree of the House of David
had sent forth a new David to rule the nations. The Apocalyptist evidently finds
satisfaction in this title of Christ, for he repeats it in 22:16 ()
(where see note): cf. also c. 3:7, note.
WM. Winer-Moulton, Grammar of N. T. Greek, 8th Engl. ed. (Edinburgh, 1877).

The Lion of Judah, the Son of David, conquered the world (Jo. 16:33, Apoc. 1:18,
3:21), and one fruit of His victory is that it belongs to Him to open the seals of Gods
Book of Destiny, i.e. to carry history onward through successive stages to the final
revelation.
6. .] The Seer, roused from his dejection by the
Elders , looks again, and sees, not a Lion but a Lamb (). The conception is
from Isa. 53:7 ,
. has passed from the LXX. into the other passages in the N.T. where
Christ is described as the Lamb (Jo. 1:29, 1:36, Acts 8:32, 1 Pet. 1:19), but does not
occur in the Apocalypse, which uses as a title of our Lord 29 times in 12
chapters. It is possible that the Apocalyptist has taken the latter word from a nonSeptuagintal version of Isaiah, l.c.; or he may have had in view Jer. 11:19
. The diminutive must not be pressed, since has no
nom., but the contrast of the Lamb with the Lion is sufficiently striking in any case,
directing attention to the unique combination of majesty and meekness which
characterized the life of Jesus Christ. Cf. Victorinus: ad devincendam mortem leo, ad
patiendum vero pro hominibus tanquam agnus ad occisionem ductus est.
: the sacrifice foreseen by Isaiah and Jeremiah has taken place and is
yielding lasting fruits (perf.), and there are indications of the fact that it has been offered
( .); yet the Lamb stands erect and alive in the sight of Heaven (cf. 1:18
). The position which He occupies in the picture is not quite
clear, for ... may mean either between the Throne and the Four
Living creatures on the one hand and the Elders on the other (cf. Gen. 1:7 ...

=

) , or in the midst of all, the Centrepiece of the whole
tableau. But the relative positions of the Throne, the , and the Elders (4:4, 4:6),
seem to exclude the former interpretation, and the latter is wholly consistent with the
general place assigned to the Lamb throughout the Apocalypse. With cf. Acts
7:56 ... , Apoc. 14:1
. The position is that of the Priest offering sacrifice (Heb.
10:11), and the Lamb is both Sacrifice and Priest. But perhaps . denotes here no
more than the restored life and activity of the Victim; cf. 7:17, 14:1.
.] The horn as the symbol of strength is
an old Hebrew metaphor which occurs first in Deut. 33:17, where Ephraim is said to
have the horns of the
( , LXX. (a species of wild ox); cf. 1 Regn. 2:1,
2:10, 3 Regn. 22:11, Ps. 17. (18.) 3, 111. (112.) 9. In the later books of the O.T. the horn
is a symbol of a dynastic force (Zech. 1:18 (2:1) ff., Dan. 7:7 ff., 8:3 ff.); and in this
sense it is used in Apoc. 12:3, 13:1, 13:11, 17:3 ff. (where see notes). The seven horns
of the Lamb symbolize the fulness of His power as the Victorious Christ; cf. Mt. 28:18
, Jo. 17:1
. In Enoch 90:37f. the Messiah appears as a white
( with great black horns
(see Charles, ad l.). With the fulness of strength the Lamb possesses also the fulness of
vision, symbolized by seven eyes; cf. 4:6, 4:8, where the have eyes before and
behind, around and within, yet do not possess the plenary illumination ascribed to the

Lamb. The Apocalyptist has in view Zech. 3:9

, 4:10 [] (



). He
identifies the seven eyes of the Lord, which are also the eyes of the Lamb, with the
seven Spirits of God. The eyes of Christ are (1:14), and the seven
Spirits (1:4, note) blaze like torches before the Throne of God (4:5). But in their
position before the Throne they are stationary, whilst, as the eyes of the Lamb, they
have a mission to all the earth. The reading is uncertain; we have to choose between
( ), (Q) and (A). The last agrees with
Zech. l.c. (. ), and has the merit of being the harder reading. The
sense in any case is materially the same; the eyes, that is the Spirits, are sent.
, it can hardly be doubted, has been chosen with reference to the Mission
of the Spirit (cf. Lc. 24:49
, Gal. 4:6 ,
though the Johannine Gospel uses in this connexion (14:26, 15:26, 16:7). The
mission of the Spirit to the whole world carries us beyond the earlier conception of His
work, yet see Jo. 16:8 f. As the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16:7) and the Eyes of the Lamb,
His mission is oecumenical.
7. .] And I saw Him go (aor.), and now He
has taken [the book] out of the hand of Him who sits on the Throne. Cf. 3:3
, 8:5 ... , 11:17 ; is
similarly joined with an aorist in 7:13 f., 19:3. WM. (p. 340) holds the perf. in 5:7, 8:5,
to be simply aoristic; cf. Blass, Gr. p. 200, who gives other exx. from the Pauline Epp.,
and from subapostolic literature. On the other hand see Benson, Apocalypse, p. 150 f.,
who makes a good case for retaining in the Apocalyptic instances a more or less distinct
flavour of the sense of the perfect. Here may point (Weiss, Bousset) to the
abiding results of the action, or it may be simply realistic, as explained above. Realism
also explains the absence of ; the movement is so rapid that the subject is left
to be understood.
8. .] The aorist of ordinary narration is resumed.
When the Lamb took the roll, the representatives of the animate creation and of the
universal Church fell before Him. , though not mentioned as in 4:10, is
perhaps implied; cf. v. 14, where after their praise of God and of the Lamb the Elders
. is probably to be referred to the Elders
only, for though the masculines might include the (cf. , 4:7 f.), the particulars
which follow are not appropriate to the latter. Each Elder is now seen to carry a ,
i.e. a lyre or zithern (the (
of the O.T., in Daniel ( (ri (

)) (, the

traditional instrument of psalmody (cf. Ps. 32. (33.) 2, 97. (98.) 5, 146. (147.) 7, 150:3);
the word is used again by the Apocalyptist in another description of the celestial music
(14:2 , 15:2
). Beside their lyres the Elders had golden bowls or saucers (, paterae, see
17:1), full of incense, such as according to Josephus were placed on the shewbread
(antt. 4. 6. 6; in 3. 10. 7 he calls them , plates). , pl., as usually in the
LXX. (Gen. 37:25, 1 Chr. 6:49, Jer. 17:26) and elsewhere in this book (Apoc. 8:3 f.,

18:13). probably refers to . and not to , deriving its gender by attraction

(WM. p. 206 f.) from : ( Q) is the correction of a scribe who has felt the
difficulty without realising the true solution. The prayers of the Church are symbolized
by the incense (Ps. 140:2 , Lc.
1:10 ), as its
psalmody, already an important element in Church worship (1 Cor. 14:15, 14:26, Eph.
5:19, Col. 3:16), is represented by the lyres. The Elders are fitly charged with both,
since they represent the Church, and in the act which follows symbolize the Churchs
adoration of Christ. For , the normal, familiar, acts of prayer, individual or
collective, see Acts 2:42, Rom. 1:10, 1 Tim. 2:1, 5:5, 1 Pet. 3:7, and esp. Apoc. 8:3 f.
9. ] A new song (

(
, , ,
) is mentioned in Ps. 32. (33.) 3, 39. (40.) 4, 95. (96.) 1, 97. (98.) 1, 143.
(144.) 9, 149:1, Isa. 42:10. Originally denoting only a fresh song of praise, the phrase
lent itself especially to songs composed for great occasions; e.g. in Isa. l.c. the new song
springs out of a prophecy of the new order which is to be inaugurated by the Servant of
Jehovah; and similarly Judiths paean over the death of Holofernes is a
(Judith 16:13). In the Apocalypse it is appropriately used for the Churchs praise of
Redemption (cf. 14:3); the answers to the (2:17, 3:12), the
(3:12, 21:2), the (21:1), the
(21:5) of the great Christian prophecy.
.] The Elders recognise in Christ the absolute moral
worthiness which has qualified Him to take the Book of Destiny from the hand of God
and open its seals ( .=. ., v. 2). This
is based neither on His unique relation to God, nor on the perfection of His
human life, but on the fact of His sacrifice ( , cf. v. 6 ).
is used to describe the Death of Christ only in this book (vv. 6, 9, 12, 13:8),
where its use is due to Isa. 53:7 ; it is interesting to find it
occurring also in references to the martyrdoms which were trying the faith of the
Churches of Asia (6:9, 18:24). Other Apostolic writings speak of Christ as crucified or
sacrificed, or simply as having died. , a Pauline word (1 Cor. 6:20, 7:23,
and in the compound ., Gal. 3:13, 4:5), is used in this sense elsewhere only in
Apoc. (here and 14:3 f.) and in 2 Peter (2:1); it rings with echoes of the Greek ,
familiar both to St Paul and St John. The purchase was made with the Blood of the
slain Lamb ( , where denotes the price, as in 1:5
. ); see Acts 20:28, 1 Cor. 6:20, 1 Pet 1:18 ff. It was made for God, the thing
purchased being destined for His service (Rom. 6:22, 1 Cor. l.c.). In what it consisted,
i.e., what was purchased, appears in the words that follow: .,
representatives of every nationality, without distinction of race or geographical or
political distribution; cf. 7:9, 14:6 and the similar enumerations in 10:11, 11:9, 13:7,
17:15. The origin of the phrase is perhaps to be sought in Dan. 3:4, 3:7, 5:19, 6:25: cf.
also 4 Esdr. 3:7 (16). The scope which it assigns to the redemptive virtue of the Cross is
less wide than that which is contemplated in 1 Tim. 2:3 f., 1 Jo. 2:2; but the new song
refers only to those in whom Redemption has become effective by their incorporation in

the Body of Christ. The oecumenical mission, however, of the Church is fully
recognised; the Seer sees in it a worldwide Empire extending far beyond the shores of
the Mediterranean and the sway of the Caesars.
10. .] A further result of the Lambs
Sacrifice. Those whom He purchased He made a Kingdom and priests unto God. Cf. 1:6
, , 20:6
, , and see notes on both verses. The fact
that this chord is struck thrice in the Apoc. seems to imply special familiarity on the part
of both writer and readers with the words as well as the thought: possibly they entered
into a primitive hymn which may have run: |
| [] . In the present passage the harder
(AQ) is perhaps to be preferred; the reign of the Saints had begun in the
life of the Spirit, though in the fuller sense it was yet future: cf. Mt. 5:3, 5:5
... , 1 Cor. 4:8 ;
, . For the future, see
Apoc. 20:6, 22:5.
The new song vindicates for Jesus Christ the unique place which He has taken in
the history of the world. By a supreme act of self-sacrifice He has purchased men of all
races and nationalities for the service of God, founded a vast spiritual Empire, and
converted human life into a priestly service and a royal dignity. He who has done this is
worthy to have committed into His hands the keeping of the Book of Destiny, and to
break its Seals and unroll its closely packed lengths; to preside over the whole course of
events which connects His Ascension with His Return.
11. , .] A new feature in the
vision introduced by a fresh (v. 1, 2, 6, 6:1, 6:2, 6:5, 6:8, 6:9, 6:12 etc.; cf. 4:1,
note). Except the Hierophant (4:1), and the Strong Angel of v. 2, this vision has been
hitherto without angelic appearances; now at length the Angels are seen in their
myriads, forming a vast ring around and therefore outside the Elders, who are
themselves around the central Throne (cf. 4:4). The Seer gives their numbers from Dan.
7:10: , : cf.
Enoch 14:22 ; ib. 40:1, 60:1, 71:8,
and Heb. 12:22 f. : the source of all these
computations is probably Deut. 33:2
(


(
) , : cf. Ps 67. (68.) 18. With the
phrases , cf. Gen. 24:60
, Num. 10:36 , Apoc. 9:16 . The
voice of this vast concoursea indeedis a shout rather than a song.
There is no mention of or here; the Angels simply acclaim the Lamb as
worthy.
12. .] Not as in v. 9. The terms, moreover, are
more general for , and for the usual .
. (4:11). The Angels stand outside the mystery of Redemption, though
they are far from being uninterested spectators (Eph. 3:10, 1 Pet. 1:12), and recognise

both the grandeur of the Lords sacrificial act, and its infinite merit. The doxology
which they offer to the Lamb is even fuller than that which in 4:11 is offered by the
Elders to the Creator, for to glory, honour, and power it adds riches, wisdom,
strength, and blessing. , , , , are specially appropriate in a
doxology offered to Christ; cf. 2 Cor. 8:9 , 1 Cor. 1:24
, Lc. 11:22 [ ]
, Rom. 15:29 . For and in
a doxology see 1 Chron. 29:11 f. The seven attributes form a heptad of praise which
leaves nothing wanting in the Angels acclamation of the Lamb. Arethas compares Mt.
28:18 ., and adds:
.
13. .] A still wider circle offers its doxology.
The whole Creation is summoned from its four great fields of life (cf. v. 3); the Sea is
now added explicitly. The gathering is no longer representative only, but exhaustive, not
one created thing being omitted ( , ). occurs first in
Sirach and Wisdom, where it seems to be distinguished from () ; in the N.T. (Jac.
1:18, 1 Tim. 4:4, Apoc. 5:13, 8:9) it is invariably concrete, a creature, a created
thing. The Seer does not himself see Creation rising in its innumerable forms of life to
offer its doxology; this is no part of the vision which comes to him through the open
door. But he hears the roar of the great acclamation as it rises to heaven, and it is heard
also within the circle round the Throne, for the respond (v. 14). Johns nearness to
the Throne, or (what is the same thing) the elevation of his spirit, enables him to voice
the purpose of universal Nature; he becomes conscious that it exists only to glorify God
and the Lamb.
] Cf. 7:10. In 22:1, 22:3 the Throne
belongs to God and to the Lamb conjointly (see 3:21 note); but the offering of the
doxology to Both in the same terms is scarcely less significant. While the Angels
doxology was sevenfold, the Creations is fourfold, consisting of the last three points in
the former, with the addition of which takes the place of , active power
being here in view rather than a reserve of secret strength (cf. Eph. 1:19, 6:10). This
fourfold attribution of praise agrees with the character of those who offer it, for four is
the number of the creature; see Mc. 13:27, Apoc. 4:6, 7:1; Iren. 3:11. 8
, . It is perhaps not
without meaning that each of the perfections named is separately emphasized by the
article ( . . . ): contrast v. 12
. gives infinity to the whole; the exaltation of
the Lamb is not temporary but enduring.
14. ] The heavenly representatives of animate
creation confirm the doxology which rises from the earth. For cf. 1 Chron.
16:36 , 1 Cor. 14:16 ;
Justin, apol. 1:65, 1:67. The words are probably suggested by the familiar Amen with
which at Ephesus and elsewhere in Asia the Seers own Eucharistic thanksgiving had
always been ended. The whole passage is highly suggestive of the devotional attitude of

the Asiatic Church in the time of Domitian towards the Person of Christ. It confirms
Plinys report that Christians carmen Christo quasi deo dicere secum invicem, and
the statement in Euseb. H.E. 5:28
.
] The whole service of praise ends
with a fresh act of homage on the part of the Churchs representatives. Here as in 4:10 it
is the Elders who prostrate themselves. The deepest homage is due from the Church,
which has been redeemed and made a royal priesthood unto God.