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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.
John in this scripture is looking at God the Father who is holding a scroll in his right hand. In the inside of this scroll are events that will occur in the future during the last seven years. The information in this scroll is given as each of the seals is opened.

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?
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? A strong angel is seen and is asking the question; who is worthy to open the scroll and to open the seals? This is an allegory because the question has never been asked to everyone in the sense that we would know it. But it is asked in order to prove a point that God wants to make.

3: And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
Of course God himself knows that there is no one who lives in heaven, earth or hell itself that is able to open the scroll. God wants us to realize that to understand the mysteries of the scroll with seven seals is to go to the one who is worthy. The Holy Spirit must reveal it as we go to Jesus for the answers.

4: And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
John begins to weep because he senses that God wants us to know what is written inside of this scroll and he realizes that no one in heaven, earth or hell itself is worthy to open it. He grieves for mankind because it appears to him that it will remain sealed up.

5: And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Just at the moment that John is feeling all of this despair, one of the 24 elders spoke to John and told him not to cry. There was one that he knew that had overcome the world and was worthy to read the scroll by opening the seals.

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.
Then in John’s vision he saw something unusual looking standing in front of the throne with the four beasts, the 24 elders looking on. He saw a Lamb that appeared that it had been slain as they would slay a lamb for the Sacrifice. This lamb was very unusual in its appearance. It had seven horns and seven eyes. It was revealed to John that this was the seven Spirits of God that was sent forth from God into all of the earth. The seven Spirits of God are one and the same with the seven lamps burning with fire that is found in the fourth chapter.

The Lamb that appeared to have been slain is an allegory of Jesus himself who was slain and became the supreme sacrifice for the sins of all of mankind. The seven horns and seven eyes are an allegory of the ministry of the Holy Spirit throughout the whole earth. All seven continents are the benefactors of this ministry. The seven horns are seats of authority, which reveals that the Jesus has a seat of authority over each continent of this earth. The seven eyes are the all-seeing eye of Jesus that is watching over all seven continents. His eye is on the righteous and nothing is hidden from his loving eye. This is to mean that He is Lord and that he his watching over the earth to perform his word.

The seven continents simply represented the whole entire earth. All of this is ministered to us through the Holy Spirit. At one time God only worked hand in hand with one nation on this earth and that was Israel. Today he has opened the doors to all nations to come and serve him.

7: And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
The Lamb, which was an allegory of Jesus came and took the scroll from the hand of God the Father who was sitting on 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.
After Jesus had taken the scroll from the Father the four beasts and the 24 elders fell before the Lamb to worship him. Remember whom these four beasts and 24 elders are. Every one of them is from the 12 tribes of Israel. This is not the Gentiles; it is not a spiritual Israel.

They have harps because they are about to sing a song to Jesus. They also have golden vials full of odors that are described as the prayers of the Saints. You will only put something that is precious to you in something valuable such as a golden vial. They are precious to these beasts and elders because they are the prayers of the Saints who have prayed for the salvation of Israel. They are described as odors or a fragrance that smells good. These golden vials speak volumes as to what has taken place.

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;
Notice who is singing the new song. It is the four beasts, the 12 patriarchs and the 12 disciples; all of these people are Jews. What we are seeing is a confirmation of the verses in Revelations 4:6-7 explaining why the beasts have eyes within, before and behind. They have been born again and they are singing about being redeemed from every kindred, and tongue and people and nation. Israel has been scattered into all of the nations of world. The largest amount of Jews in the world lives in the United States of America. Think about this for a moment. Now we see them worshipping and being thankful to Jesus for saving their souls.

In Revelation 4:6 there is a calf, the Ox is Ephraim the Jews in the West. The reason we see that Ox as a baby calf is because Ephraim the Jews in the Western Hemisphere have been born again.

10: And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
In Revelation 1:6 John said that God had made us kings and priest unto Jesus and the Father. All of God’s people are going to reign as kings on this earth after Jesus returns. Peter said in 1^st Peter 2:9 that God had made us a royal priesthood and a holy nation and that because of this we should praise the Lord for his goodness toward us. This is what these born again Jewish people are doing.

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;
We are looking at millions of angels rejoicing. Jesus said that all of the angels rejoice at the moment that a sinner repents and is born again. This is what we are looking at in heaven. So many of the Jewish people have saved and all of heaven is rejoicing.

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.
The angels in heaven are praising God and declaring how worthy Jesus is to receive everything that God has given to him. Jesus paid it all when he was crucified and was made worthy through the things he suffered.

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.
The word creature in this verse is not talking about all men rejoicing because God saves millions of souls. We know that not all men love God. This verse is literally speaking of creatures, not men that God has created; he is speaking of creatures such as birds, animals, fish and creatures that live under the earth such as moles, etc. This verse is a confirmation of something that the apostle Paul once said.
Rom: 8:19: For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
21: Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22: For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

"The apostle, fired with the thought of the future glory of the saints, pours forth this splendid passage, in which he represents the whole creation groaning under its present degradation, and looking and longing for the revelation of this glory as the end and consummation of its existence" [HODGE].
Now we see such a manifestation of the sons of God coming into these last days as millions of people are being converted. Not only the Jews in the West will be saved but the millions of Gentiles that they will reach for Jesus. All of Creation has been in a state of longing for this to come about that the creatures in heaven, earth, under the earth and in the sea rejoice with God for his glorious works. Why, Because when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden the world was changed. Animals, who once ate grass for example, lions began to kill other animals for food, etc. Now they feel something is happening that will eventually bring nature back to its original state as in the Garden of Eden. Their groaning will soon end.

14: And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
After all of this glorious acknowledgment of God and his glory the four beasts who represent millions of born again Jews say amen. The 24 elders who are the 12 patriarchs and the 12 disciples couldn’t be more pleased with what God has done and they worship God for this. Remember Paul’s statement in Romans 9:
1: I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2: That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3: For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

The 24 Elders feel the same way that Paul feels, Israel is their family.

Remember all of these people are saved before the Tribulation begins. These events happen before Jesus opens the seven seals and the Tribulation begins.

God Bless You
Tommie Spurgeon

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