Study In Revelation 13 Who Can Open Open The Book Series

STUDY IN REVELATION 13

Who Can Open The Book?

Revelation 5: 1-14

Chapter four runs right into chapter five, with no break. John sees God holding a book in His right hand. The book is sealed and has never been opened. The book is the key to understanding the rest of Revelation, it is the official document of the last days of man.

1. The Book: v.1

John said that God Himself is holding the book. Why is this important?

a. It shows that God is the only authority when it comes to the end of the world.

b. God alone holds the future of the world in His hands.

c. He is ready to begin the process of bringing this world to an end.

John notices that the book is written on the front and back. The “Book” was actually a scroll. We need to remember that they didn’t have books like the ones we have today. They wrote on small sheets of paper about 10 inches by 8 inches. If a large amount of writing was to be done they would join the sheets together. When finished they would roll them up and tie them with a ribbon or some type of thread, which be considered sealing the document. They usually did not write on the back since what ever was on the last sheet would be exposed when the scroll was rolled up. But John saw that the scroll in God’s right hand was written on both sides.

Is this important? It shows us a couple of things.

a. There is a lot of stuff that will happen before the end.

b. It will take a lot of time for all this to happen.

What about those seven seals?

Every symbol in God’s book means something important and these seals show several things about the book.

1. The seven seals show us that this is God’s last will and testament for mankind and the earth.

In the Roman world a person’s will was to be witnessed by seven people. Each person attached his own personal seal to one of the threads that was tied around the document. The document could only be opened by the recipient.

2. There is so much written that it has to be tied together.

3. The seals show us the secrecy of the book. What is in the book is only to be revealed when God finds some one worthy to break the seals.

2. The Search: vs.2-4

There is an APB (all points bulletin) put out in all of heaven and the entire earth. What are they looking for?

Someone who can break the seals and open the book that God is holding in His right hand.

Four things we can learn from these three verses.

1. John saw a strong angel in heaven. This angel was so strong that when he shouted, his voice could be heard where? ›In the entire throne room ›In heaven and as far as Jupiter ›ALL of Heaven and ALL of earth.

What did he shout? ˜Come and get it or I‘ll throw it to the hawgs! ˜There is a sell on isle four! ˜see verse 2

2.The search fails. Not one person, not one being was found that was worthy (good enough) to open the book.

Think about this. The angels couldn’t, not even Gabriel. The seraphim and the cherubim couldn’t.

The four living creatures couldn’t. The 24 elders, all the redeemed in heaven, including those so privileged as to sit around the very throne of God. Not one could be found worthy to break the seals and open the book.

Not one person in all the earth could be found able, not even the best of us is worthy.

3. John began to cry. Why? There a couple of possible reasons.

a. John saw the greatness of God, the majesty that only belongs to God and he realized that not one of us is worthy to approach God.

Scripture: Mt. 3: 11 * Mt. 8: 8 * Mt. 10: 38

The only way you or I can approach God is Through Jesus. Never ever forget this.

b. John was not going to see all that God had promised to show him.

4. The reason no person is worthy to open the book is because of what’s in the book. The book is filled with the destiny of the world. We will see this in chapters 6-21.

3. The Announcement: v5

God has intervened and sent someone who is worthy to open the book. Who is He?

1.He is the “Lion of Judah.” Remember that the lion is a sign of strength. This one is the strongest member of the tribe of Judah.

Judah was the strongest tribe of all the tribes of Israel. God prophesied through Jacob that his son, Judah would be a lion’s “whelp” which means a young cub. If Judah, himself was only a young cub then the Messiah must be the king of beast, the Lion. See Gen. 49: 9-10