Revelation 5:1-5 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 5:1-5

Hitherto the apostle had seen only the great God, the governor of all things, now, I. He is favoured with a sight of the model and methods of his government, as they are all written down in a book which he holds in his hand; and this we are now to consider as shut up and sealed in the hand of God. Observe, 1. The designs and methods of divine Providence towards the church and the world are stated and fixed; they are resolved upon and agreed to, as that which is written in a book. The great... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 5:1

5:1 And in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne I saw a roll written on the front and on the back, and seated with seven seals. We must try to visualize the picture which John is drawing. It is taken from the vision of Ezekiel: "And, when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me; and lo, a written scroll was in it; 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" ( ... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 5:2-4

5:2-4 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming in a great voice: "Who is good enough to open the roll, and to loosen its seals?" And there was no one in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth, who was able to open the roll or to look at it; and I was weeping sorely because there was no one who was found to be good enough to open the roll or to see it. As John looked at God with the roll in his hand, there came a challenge from a strong angel. A strong angel appears again in Revelation 10:1 ... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 5:5

5:5 And one of the elders said to me: "Stop weeping. Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has won such a victory that he is able to open the book and its seven seals." We are now approaching one of the most dramatic moments in the Revelation, the emergence of the Lamb in the centre of the scene. Certain things lead up to it. John has been weeping because there is none to whom God may reveal his secrets. There comes to him one of the elders, acting as the messenger of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 5:1

And I saw on the right hand of him that sat on the throne ,.... Of this throne, and who it was that sat upon it; see Gill on Revelation 4:2 ; and who had "in" his right hand, or "at", or "upon" his right hand, as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, lying by, or near his right hand; though according to Revelation 5:7 , the book appears to have been in his right hand, as our version, and others render it: a book written within, and on the backside, sealed with seven seals : this... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 5:2

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,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 5:3

And no man in heaven ,.... Or "no one in heaven", whether angels, or the souls of departed saints; neither the one nor the other know anything of what is to come, until it is revealed unto them: nor in earth : among all the men on earth, even those of the greatest sagacity and penetration, the wise, the prudent, the scribe, the disputer of this world, such who are most conversant with books, and have the greatest reach into the things of nature, or of grace: neither under the earth ;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 5:4

And I wept much ,.... Not so much on his own account, because he feared his curiosity would not be gratified, and that strong desire answered, which were raised in him upon sight of the book, and increased by the angel's proclamation; but for the sake of the church of God, whose representative he was, and to whom the knowledge of this book, and the things contained in it, he judged must be very useful and profitable. The Ethiopic version reads, "and many wept"; many of those that were about... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 5:5

And one of the elders said unto me ,.... The Ethiopic version reads, "one of these elders"; that is, one of the four and twenty elders that were round about the throne; not the first of the four and twenty books of the Old Testament; nor the patriarch Jacob, because of the prophecy concerning Shiloh, Judah's son, which stands in Genesis 49:10 , nor Moses, who spoke of the Messiah as the great prophet of the church; nor John the Baptist, who pointed out the Lamb of God; these are all... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 5:1

A book written within and on the back side - That is, the book was full of solemn contents within, but it was sealed; and on the back side was a superscription indicating its contents. It was a labelled book, or one written on each side of the skin, which was not usual. Sealed with seven seals - As seven is a number of perfection, it may mean that the book was so sealed that the seals could neither be counterfeited nor broken; i.e., the matter of the book was so obscure and enigmatical... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 5:1-5

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 5:1

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 5:2-4

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 5:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 5:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 5:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 5:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 5:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 5:5

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 5:1

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