In Rev. Ch.5:1-5 John is weeping much and only Jesus is worthy to open the book. If John wrote Revelation why could he not look at it?

Question

Rev. Ch5:1-6 has always intrigued me as to why John is weeping. If the book in the Father's hand is Revelation (which the seven seals indicate) why could John not open or look on the book he was instructed to write?

Answer 1

"If John wrote Revelations why could he not look at it?"

Because the sealed scroll is not the Book of Revelation. In the Book, John writes of several powerful visions and messages from Jesus. One of them is the vision in which he is told he is unworthy to open the scroll with seven seals. So the OP's question rests on a faulty assumption. The fact that there are seven seals on the scroll is not an indication that scroll is the same as the Book of Revelation.

Answer 2

The question asked is three-fold, (1) "Why is John weeping?" (2) Is it because he wrote the book of the Revelation but could not open, or look at it (read it)?" (3) Is it because only Jesus could open the seven-sealed book?"

1. John is weeping because he had already started receiving visions and instructions from the risen Jesus Christ, who had appeared to him in a spectacular, knee-knocking vision. After hearing what Christ was pronouncing about the seven stars in his hand, representing seven congregations of believers in Asia Minor, he dutifully wrote those messages down, so that others could read the messages. That written part of what was to become the first three chapters of the book of Revelation shows a clear line of division between them and chapter four onward, which John could not possibly write down until the sealed book in God's hand had been opened. He could not even know what the seven seals were hiding until they had been opened. That was why he was weeping. There was more to be revealed. He could not reveal it. God knew who, alone, would open the seven-sealed scroll. Until the Lamb in the center of God's throne took the scroll from God (Revelation 5:6), John wept, distressed that the meaning of what the seals kept hidden might not be revealed.

2. It should be clear now that John had heard and seen what could be called "the first opening" of the entire vision, up until the end of chapter three. From chapter four comes "the second opening" (to the end of chapter six) which expands on what has so far been revealed. John had been told to write, on Earth, what had been revealed to him in the first opening, but that only amounted to what has been categorised as the first three chapters of 22 chapters. Whatever God had in his hand could not be what John had written, not least because that was not sealed - it was to be sent to other Christians. Now came a new scroll with seven seals, and God in heaven held it. John had not written this scroll, let alone touched it! And, given what the Lamb then went on to reveal when he opened each seal in order, the contents were staggering news to John. Only after he had been privileged with witnessing each broken seal could he then write about them, for the upbuilding of the saints until Jesus' return.

3. John was told to stop weeping, once one of the elders told him that the Lamb in the centre of the throne had prevailed to open the seals; he alone in all creation was worthy to open them (Revelation 5:5). And John did. We can rightly imagine that John's last tear fell as that elder told him to stop weeping - the mystery of the seven seals was about to be revealed, and he was to be privy to that revealing!

Here is a summary quote from a 600+ page book expounding the whole book of Revelation:

Chapter 4 envisages Almighty God, the Creator, upon the throne in heaven. The vision makes clear that no divine right to the Creation, or to world dominion, has at any time been relinquished despite the disastrous consequences of the Fall throughout the history of man. On the contrary, it is seen that God's claim to the earth, and those claims in their entirety, are not only asserted but are certain of vindication.

Judgment would be brought forth unto victory. But how? How, in a world more deeply revolted than ever, and man more abandoned in lawlessness than at any time hitherto? This was a sealed mystery.

In Chapter 5 John discloses that he saw in the right hand of him that sat upon the throne in heaven a book written within and on the backside, having seven seals. To John's immense sorrow, no man was found worthy to take and open the book, no, not in heaven, neither on earth, nor under the earth.

But John is consoled. In the midst of the throne, and of the four living creatures, 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.

The Lamb came, and he took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. All that is of God in heaven and earth thunder forth their praise, echoing and re-echoing from the vault of heaven down the steeps of time to the caverns of the deep.

One by one the Lamb breaks the seals asunder, till, at last, all seven opened, everything stands revealed. But there is a difference. Chapter 6 reveals the opening of the first four, then the fifth, and finally the sixth seal. This ushers in the Last Judgment. The seventh seal is an entirely different matter, leading on to yet another sevenfold disclosure, unique in itself.
_{Source: The Revelation of Jesus Christ, John Metcalfe, pp. 143-4, reprint 2022}

Answer 3

The reason John wept is explicitly stated in Rev 5:4 -

And I began to weep bitterly, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it.

That is, John wept because no one was worthy, until the Jesus came forward who is given three distinct titles in V5 & 6 -

• the Lion of the tribe of Judah,
• the Root of David
• Lamb who appeared to have been slain

It was as a direct result of Jesus coming forward to open the seven seals that John was told NOT to weep (V5).

John could not look open the seven seals because, like everyone else (V3) except Jesus, John was unworthy to open the seven seals.

Rather simple actually.

Answer 4

"Seven" is a number indicating "belonging to God".

The seven seals identify God as the author of the scroll, not John. So nobody in the created world (heaven or earth or under the earth) can open it. The event of the Cross, which makes the Lamb worthy, comes out of the relation between the Lamb and the one sitting on the throne. We know from John ch1 v3 ("All things were made through him") that the Son is not part of the creation but sits on the "Creator" side of the boundary between Creator and created things. He is now in heaven having returned to his Father in the Ascension.

The scroll is not the written book Revelation (how could John see a book he had not yet written?) Rather it contains the events of the rest of Revelation, which John can see once the scroll has been opened up, and the written book should be understood as the copy which John makes as he remembers those events.

Answer 5

The best answer for a scriptural question comes from the Bible itself. The Bereans searched the scriptures daily in Acts 17:11

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Paul taught in 2 Timothy 3:10

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

So we see a model for how to approach the interpretation of scripture given by scripture itself. The book of Jeremiah has a great example of a man of God warning of God's coming judgment but no one listened. In fact, they did just the opposite and died as a result. The fact that John was weeping is much similarity to Jeremiah also known as the "weeping prophet". I see significance in this parallel. Let those that have ears hear.