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.
Parallel translations
- WEB I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals.
- BSB Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One seated on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals.
- NKJV And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
- NASB I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.
- NLT Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
In God's right hand is a scroll sealed with seven seals, written front and back. It represents God's complete plan and purpose for history, secured under His authority.
Overview
The fully written, sealed scroll pictures God's sovereign decree for the unfolding of history and final redemption, held in His own hand. Seven seals indicate it is perfectly secured and not yet enacted. The drama of the chapter turns on who is worthy to open it and thus to bring God's saving and judging purposes to pass.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ezek 2:9–10And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
- Isa 29:11And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
- Rev 5:7And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
- Dan 12:4–9But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
- Rev 6:1And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
- Rev 10:2And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
- Rev 5:13And 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.
- Rev 4:3And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
- Rev 10:8–11And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
- Isa 8:16Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
- Dan 8:26And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
- Isa 34:16Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.
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Christ at the center
Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.
How Revelation 5:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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