Revelation 5:1

The central idea of this sealed roll or doomsday book lying open on the divine hand (cf. Blau, Studien zur alt-heb. Buchwesen, 36 f., E. J. Goodspeed, Journ. Bibl. Lit. 1903, 70 74) is reproduced from Ezekiel (Revelation 2:9 f.) but independently developed in order to depict the truth that even these magnificent angelic figures of the divine court are unequal to the task of revelation. Jesus is needed. For God, a motionless, silent, majestic figure, does not come directly into touch with men either in revelation or in providence. He operates through his messiah, whose vicarious sacrifice throws all angels into the shade (cf. the thought of Philippians 2:5-11). For the ancient association of a many-horned Lamb with divination, cf. the fragmentary Egyptian text edited by Krall (Vom Kömg Bokhoris, Innsbrück, 1898) and the reference to Suidas (cited in my Hist. New Testament, 2 p. 687). βιβλίον, which here (as in Revelation 1:11; Revelation 12:7-17) might mean “letter” or “epistle” (cf. Birt's Ant. Buchwesen, 20, 21), apparently represents the book of doom or destiny as a papyrus-roll (i.e. an ὀπισθόγραφον, cf. Jude 1:6) which is so full of matter that the writing has flowed from the inside over to the exterior, as is evident when the sheet is rolled up. Here as elsewhere the pictorial details are not to be pressed; but we may visualise the conception by supposing that all the seals along the outer edge must be broken before the content of the roll can be unfolded, and that each heralds some penultimate disaster (Song of Song of Solomon 4; Ezra 6:20). There is no proof that each seal meant a progressive disclosure of the contents, in which case we should have to imagine not a roll but a codex in book form, each seal securing one or two of the leaves (Spitta). Zahn (followed by Nestle, J. Weiss, and Bruston) improves upon this theory by taking ὄπ. with κατεσφρ. and thus eliminating any idea of the βιβλίον being ὀπισθόγραφον : it simply rests on (ἐπὶ) the right hand, as a book does, instead of being held ἐν the right hand, as a roll would be. But ἐπὶ τ. δ. is a characteristic irregularity of grammar; to describe a sealed book as “written within” is tautological; ἀνοῖξαι could be used of a roll as well as of a codex; and ἔσωθεν would probably have preceded γεγρ. had it been intended by itself to quality the participle. A Roman will, when written, had to be sealed seven times in order to anthenticate it, and some have argued (e.g. Hicks, Greek Philosophy and Roman Law in the N. T. 157, 158, Zahn, Selwyn, Kohler, J. Weiss) that this explains the symbolism here: the βιβλίον is the testament assuring the inheritance reserved by God for the saints. The coincidence is interesting. But the sacred number in this connexion does not require any extra-Semitic explanation and the horrors of the seal-visions are more appropriate to a book of Doom. Besides, the Apoc. offers no support otherwise to this interpretation, for the sole allusion to κληρονομεῖν is quite incidental (cf. on Revelation 21:7). The sealing is really a Danielic touch, added to denote the mystery and obscurity of the future (not of the past, En. lxxxix xc). On the writer's further use of the symbol of the book of Doom, cf. below on ch. 10, Revelation 11:16-19. The silence following the opening of the last seal certainly does not represent the contents of the book (= the promised Sabbath-rest, Zahn). This would be a jejune anti-climax. Possibly the cosmic tragedies that follow that seal are intended to be taken as the writing in question. The βιβλίον is therefore the divine course and counsel of providence in the latter days (ἡ πάνσοφος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἀνεπίληπτος μνήμη, Areth.). Only, while an angel read all the divine policy to Daniel (Daniel 10:21), the Christian prophet feels that Jesus alone is the true interpreter and authority, and that the divine purpose can only be revealed or realised through his perfect spiritual equipment (Revelation 3:1; Revelation 5:6, cf. Revelation 1:5; Revelation 2:27; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 3:17; Revelation 3:14, etc.)