Revelation 5:4-5 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
John’s response to the problem that no one could be found to open the scroll is an emphatic weeping. The way forward seemed hopeless. Obviously the scroll is important for the rest of John’s vision and the plot of Revelation. The story could end as soon as it begun. This is like life for many people. Their lives seem hopeless. There is no one to point the way forward. The rest of this chapter has deeper meaning that simply recounting the vision of the throne. This chapter shows the way forward for all who are looking for escape.
Only the Lion of Judah can open the scroll. This is an astounding statement as one ponders the deeper meaning. This is a statement of exclusivity. There is only one way and one person. As Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This statement could have come to John’s mind when he had this vision of God’s throne.
Jesus is described as the Lion of Judah. Judah was symbolized as a lion in the Old Testament (Genesis 49:9). Jesus is the Lion whom the Old Testament prefigured and looked towards. The Root of David points to Jesus’ lineage from David, which qualified him to be king in the eyes of the Jewish people (Isaiah 11:1-2). Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies and covenants that came through Abraham and through David. He has triumphed. Those who look to him will also triumph through the struggles of this world and be victorious in the end.
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