Revelation 5:3

And no one in the heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look thereon.

The apostle John, at this juncture in his experience "in the Spirit," was permitted to share in the perplexity, dreadful uncertainty, and helplessness that encompassed the heavenly host in their contemplation of the seemingly impossible solution of human redemption. Of course, this uncertainty did not pertain either to the Father or to the Son; but the helplessness, even of the supernatural creation, in matters pertaining to human salvation is clearly evident here. This was the same mystery pondered by the angels gazing intently into the mercy seat of which Peter spoke (1 Peter 1:12).

Heaven ... earth ... under the earth ... Even some of the great scholars are unbelievably naive in their reference to what they call the concept of a three-story universe. No such concept ever existed, except in the minds of some of the critics. The New Testament clearly speaks of three different heavens, the second and lower heaven being that of the stars and constellations, and the third being the presence of God himself, as in this vision. Paul used this same expression (Philippians 2:9,10), evidently meaning "beings" in heaven (angelic), earth (human), or under the earth (demonic). Adam Clarke commented, "Neither angels, men, nor devils can fathom the decrees of God."[12] Hinds pointed out another important meaning in this:

Men and women yet claim to reveal secrets in the book of the future by some mysterious power or by communicating with the dead, but this vision is proof that the future belongs to God. All the revelations he wants us to have are now recorded in the Bible.[13]

[12] A. Clarke, Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. VI (London: Carlton and Porter, 1829), p. 991.

[13] John T. Hinds, A Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), p. 77.