Revelation 5

We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto. We're back in divine headquarters in the throne room. The right hand of God holds a scroll, closed with seven seals. Time out:

Scrolls were made of papyrus or parchment. Papyrus was a reed that could be stripped and woven into a paper-like substance to write on. Parchment was scraped leather, also for writing, but more durable and probably more expensive.

Seals you have seen, especially in holiday seasons, glued onto the flaps of envelopes to give them a festive appearance. In the ancient world they were made by dripping hot wax onto the overlap to close the scroll. Often the writer would impress his ring against the warm wax as a way of signing the letter or giving it his authority. Seven seals may signify the importance of the scroll or have a numerical significance relating to numerology, such as completeness or perfection.
I've often wondered why “seals”? Why not walruses – at least sometimes?

The call went out with authority, asking who had the right to break open the seals and reveal the message of the scroll. For an awful moment it appeared no one could. The void reduced John to tears. But one of the 24 elders called to John and said he could quit crying, for the Lion of the tribe of Judah had conquered and could rip open the scroll.!

Note the reference to Judah, and with it to David's kingdom. The Jews expected the Messiah to come from Judah, and so He had!

But the Lion was a Lamb. The Lion had already conquered, and the war was over because of the slaughtered Lamb. Remember I said in the introduction to this book, that the Gospel is exactly the same in Revelation as in the rest of the New Testament? Here is a clear example, in symbolic and apocalyptic language, but the Gospel is the same. The Lord triumphs through the Cross and Resurrection. It's past tense. He has already conquered. Revelation does NOT look forward to the day when Christ will overcome. He has already conquered sin and death and hell forever and ever Amen!

In the vision the Lamb has 7 horns and 7 eyes. We don't have to figure them out, because John tells us they represent the 7 Spirits of God (likely the Holy Spirit) sent into the world.
Jesus then goes to the throne and takes the scroll from His Father's right hand. Of course he could, and He did! AS He took the scroll, celebration and worship erupted in the throneroom.

Pay attention to the new song: He is worthy because of the cross that ransomed with His blood people from all the earth. Jesus won the decisive victory on Calvary. That's the only victory that counts! And in Christ, that victory is ours!