Revelation 5:2

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? STRONG - (.) His voice penetrated heaven, earth, and hades (Revelation 10:1)....

1-7 The apostle saw in the hand of Him that sat upon the throne, a roll of parchments in the form usual in those times, and sealed with seven seals. This represented the secret purposes of God about to be revealed. The designs and methods of Divine Providence, toward the church and the world, are stated, fixed, and made a matter of record. The counsels of God are altogether hidden from the eye and understanding of the creature. The several parts are not unsealed and opened at once, but after each other, till the whole mystery of God's counsel and conduct is finished in the world. The creatures cannot open it, nor read it; the Lord only can do so. Those who see most of God, are most desirous to see more; and those who have seen his glory, desire to know his will. But even good men may be too eager and hasty to look into the mysteries of the Divine conduct. Such desires, if not soon answe...

Verse Revelation 5:2. _A STRONG ANGEL_] One of the _chief_ of the angelic host. _PROCLAIMING_] As the _herald_ of God. _TO OPEN THE BOOK, AND TO LOOSE THE SEALS_] To loose the seals that he may open the book. Who can tell what this book contains? Who can open its mysteries? The book may mean the purposes and designs of God relative to his government of the world and the Church; but we, whose habitation is in the dust, know nothing of such things. We are, however, determined to _guess_....

AND I SAW A STRONG ANGEL - An angel endowed with great strength, as if such strength was necessary to enable him to give utterance to the loud voice of the inquiry. “Homer represents his heralds as powerful, robust men, in order consistently to attribute to them deep-toned and powerful voices” (Prof. Stuart). The inquiry to be made was one of vast importance; it was to be made of all in heaven, all on the earth, and all under the earth, and hence an angel is introduced so mighty that his voice could be heard in all those distant worlds. PROCLAIMING WITH A LOUD VOICE - That is, as a herald or crier. He is rather introduced here as appointed to this office than as self-moved. The design undoubtedly is to impress the mind with a sense of the importance of the disclosures about to be made, and at the same time with a sense of the impossibility of penetrating the future by any created power....

EXPOSITION REVELATION 5:1 AND I SAW. As in Revelation 4:1, this phrase introduces a new incident in the vision. That which had been witnessed remained, but a further development now takes place. Revelation 4:1. relates the revelation of the glory of the Triune God (see on Revelation 4:2) surrounded by his Church and creation. The glory of Jesus Christ, the Lamb, is now set forth, since he is the only One worthy to receive and declare to his Church the mystery contained in the sealed book. IN THE RIGHT HAND; _upon the right hand _(ἐπί)_. _T

AND I SAW A STRONG ANGEL PROCLAIMING WITH A LOUD VOICE,.... This was not the uncreated angel, Jesus Christ; for he is after spoken of as the lion of the tribe of Judah, and as the Lamb in the midst of the throne, but a created one; though who he was, whether Gabriel, as some say, because his name signifies the strong or mighty One of God, is not material to be known; angels are said to be mighty, and to excel in strength: this is called so here, chiefly with respect to his voice, which he, by reason of his great strength, exerted so loudly, as to be heard by all the creatures in heaven, and in earth, and under the earth however, this was not John the Baptist, but if a minister of the Gospel, rather some one since, making the following proclamation: WHO IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK, AND TO LOOSE THE SEALS THEREOF? suggesting, that if there was any such person, that he was desired to come,...

ANGEL (_ See Scofield) - (Hebrews 1:4). _...

Revelation 5:1 . Much has been written about the meaning of the book written within and on the back side, and sealed with seven seals. What the book contains is no secret whatever. Beginning with the sixth chapter the seals are opened and after they are all broken the contents of the book are made known. The book contains the judgments for this earth preceding His coming in power and glory and the beginning of His reign. It is, therefore, the book of the righteous judgments of God, preceding the glorious manifestation of the King of Kings. Revelation 5:4 . John receives the answer to the question the strong angel had proclaimed. One of the elders told him, “Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and the seven seals thereof.” No further co

REVELATION 5. THE VISION OF HEAVEN (_continued)._ Ch. 4 gives us the vision of the majesty and glory of God, ch. 5 the vision of the Lamb standing as though it had been slain. The theme of Revelation 4 is the creative power of God: the theme of Revelation 5 the redemptive power of Christ. REVELATION 5:1. A BOOK: _ i.e._ the book of destiny, containing the secrets of the future, probably in the form of a papyrus roll, sealed with seven seals for the sake of security. The imagery is taken from Ezekiel 2:9. [The view that the book is the book of destiny is probably correct. Huschke, followed by Zahn, J. Weiss, and Clemen, takes it to be a will. Seven witnesses would attest a will, each affixing his seal. Before the will could be executed the seals had to be broken; hence failure to break

In chap. IV. John has described his vision of the throne of God as seen through the open door of heaven. The object of that scene was not primarily to reveal the glory of him who sat upon the throne, or to describe the living creatures and four and twenty elders, but to record the vision of the sealed book in the hands of the Almighty, and its delivery to the Lamb, in order that it might be opened and its concealed history of the future revealed to man. Chap. V. opens with these words: And. saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne. book written within and on the back side, sealed with seven seals. And. saw. strong angel proclaiming with aloud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the hook, neither to look thereon. Let us look with John upon this symbolical picture. T...