5:1-7 What is the significance of what John saw here?
5:1-7 What is the significance of what John saw here?
As the lamb of God who gave Himself to die on the cross to redeem fallen man to God, Jesus is the only one qualified to loose the seals and open the book (cp Re 5:8-10 with Ac 20:28; Ro 3:21-25; Eph 1:3-7; 2:12-13; Col 1:12-14, 20-22; He 13:12; 1Pe 1:2, 18-19).
The book with seven seals is a book of judgments and only Jesus can execute the judgments (cp Jn 5:22-27). Jesus will loose the judgments upon all who rejected His sacrificial death (cp Rev 6:12-17).
This forms part of the great tribulation and is clear evidence that the tribulation is God's wrath poured out upon sinners, not saints. As we learned in our study on Rev 3:7-13, saints will not go through the tribulation - Jesus has promised to save them (cp Rev 3:10).
The seven spirits of God referred to in 5:6 reminds us that Jesus was endued with the fullness of the spirit during His earthly ministry (cp Re 5:6 with Isa 11:1-2; 42:1-4; 48:16; 61:1-3; Mt 3:16; Jn 3:34; Ac 10:38; Col 2:9; Rev 1:4).
5:8-10 See comments on
Rev 1:19