Chapter 5 is a continuation of Chapter 4. John is in the throne room of heaven, and there is a debate about who is worthy to open the seven seals.
Revelation Chapter 5 - Verse 1 to 3
1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
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?
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
At the time of John, books were not the same as they are now. In reality, the book consisted of sealed rolls of parchment.
The definition of "worthy" means "qualified." The person who breaks the seals and opens the scroll must meet certain requirements.
The worthy person could not open the book and read its contents until he broke all seven seals.
Despite the fact that the book held knowledge regarding both life and death, nobody was able to crack the seals and open it. No one on earth, underworld, or heaven is worthy.
The angels, Moses, Elijah, and Enoch, were not worthy or qualified to crack the seals and open the scroll.
Revelation Chapter 5 - Verse 4 to 6
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
According to Genesis 49:9–10, the Judah tribe produced kings in ancient Israel. According to Revelation 5:5 and 22:16, Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, as well as the Offspring and Root of David.
Only Jesus Christ has the qualification to open the seven seals.
Jesus will become a lion and cease to be the sacrificial Lamb when He finally opens the scroll. In this sense, Revelation 6:16–17 are significant since they oddly refer to the Lamb as a wrathful Lamb. In other words, the Lamb absorbed the characteristics of the Lion. The Lamb who was crucified, descends from heaven on clouds in the form of the Son of Man to bring about justice.
When John saw the Lamb, His wounds were still fresh on His flesh. His wounds were evidence that he had just returned from a battle.
Habakkuk 3:3-4 - “3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.”
According to verse 6, because Jesus is hiding His authority, "horns" will come out of His hand when He gets there. The horns symbolize the dazzling rays from Jesus's crucifixion-related bodily wounds.
The seven eyes represent the seven spirits that were present before the throne before Jesus' arrival. Following Christ's inauguration, the Father sent the Holy Spirit to earth on Pentecost.
Revelation Chapter 5 - Verse 7 to 14
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
The Bible says Jesus "came" to the Father, so He could not have been there before. Everyone at the war Hero's welcome awaited the news with bated breath, wondering who would be worthy or competent enough to crack the seals and open the scroll.
Why is Jesus worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?
Since the Lamb overcame all odds and spilled His blood to purchase back Adam's lost inheritance, he is able to accomplish this. In Revelation 5:9, the word "redeem" means "to purchase something back by paying the price" (1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Peter 2:1, and Matthew 13:46).
This scripture reveals why only Jesus was able to break the seals and open the scroll—because He shed his blood. But the book of Hebrews uses the words "and having been made perfect" (Hebrews 2:10; 5:8) to explain why Jesus is qualified rather than the word "worthy".
The angelic hosts had been absent in Revelation 5 until this point. But all of a sudden, John witnesses millions upon millions of them praising the Lamb in song. What were they before, and where did they come from? They witnessed Jesus' ascension, according to the explanation. Every hymn sung by the celestial beings, in contrast to chapter 4, is about redemption.