Revelation 5

5 And I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals; 2and I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" 3And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4and I wept much that no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5Then one of the elders said to me, "Weep not; lo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."

John sees that God is holding a scroll. This alludes to Ezekiel 2:9, and the scroll is a scroll of Judgement. In Ezekiel, the Scroll is given to the Prophet so that he might announce God's judgements to a stubborn and rebellious Israel. According to him, on it was written "Lamentations, dirges and cries of grief"(Ezk 2:9, NJB). The Scroll in Revelation is sealed with seven seals. Seven again is a symbolic number, for perfection--hence, perfectly sealed. This is why not just anyone could open it. The seals were placed throughout the document, so that the outermost seal was opened first, and the scroll was unrolled until the second seal, consecutively until the seventh. Chapters 6-8 record the breaking of these seals.

As I stated in Chapter 1, Revelation is a retrospective look at the Fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, and a Prophetic discourse on how Jerusalem's destruction is typological of the world's ultimate judgement. Hence, we shall see in the breaking of the seven seals and the resulting judgements, imagery that very directly refers to and describes Jerusalem's downfall, but on a more grandiose scheme. Thus, Revelation is a description of the Courtroom of God.

It is also important to remember that Revelation is a Liturgical document--not in the sense that it is a play-by-play of the Mass, but rather, it is a mystical description of what takes place in Mass. As such, just as Revelation is a Court of Justice for the World, so is the Mass a Court of Justice for us. Through our sin, we are guilty. We plead guilty before God at the beginning of Mass in the Penitential Rite, hear the just judgements pronounced in the Reading and the Homily, and finally throw ourselves on the Divine Mercy of the Court, finding forgiveness in the Sacrifice of Christ as we renew our Covenant with Him in the Eucharist.

John weeps because no one is worthy enough to break the seven seals and open the Scroll, although all heaven and earth was searched. But at his point of despair, one of the Elders reassures him, by pointing him to the Lion of Judah!

(Interesting trivia, if the 24 Elders are in fact the 12 heads of the 12 Tribes of Israel, and the 12 Apostles, it is likely that the Elder that spoke thus to John was in fact one of his close friends, and, in a mystical way, could have even been himself! It's amazing to ponder what occurs when the Infinite comes into contact with our own small finite reality--and it comes into contact with us at every Mass and in every Eucharist!)

6And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth; 7and he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; 9and they sang a new song, saying,

Worthy art thou to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for thou wast slain and by thy blood
didst ransom men for God
from every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on earth.

Enter the Lamb of God! When John turns in order to see the impressive "Lion of the tribe of Judah", what he sees is shockingly incongruous: a lamb, and not only that, one that looked dead! Granted, it has seven eyes and seven horns (perfect knowledge and perfect strength, as well as being the seven spirits of God). But nevertheless, a lamb is not a lion--and if there was any more opposite creatures in the animal kingdom, it is these. But it is this Lamb who is worthy to open the seals.

When He takes the Scroll, the Four Living Creatures and the 24 Elders tell us why He alone is worthy for this task: Because He had been slain, and had become the Saviour of the World! This is Jesus!

11Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice,

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom
and might and honor and glory and blessing!

13And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying,

To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!

14And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.

The Lamb of God! Of all things to present Himself as for Eternity in Heaven, Jesus chooses a Lamb! Why? Because that was the key sacrificial animal, of the key sacrificial event in history: The Passover, where God ransomed Israel from the Egyptians, and set them free. This is where God made His Covenant with them, to be their God, and they His people.

And when Jesus came, became a Man, in order to become the Sacrifice for our sins, to ransom us from slavery to Sin, so that we could be God's people, and He could be our God, Jesus made that sacrifice during the Passover. He really was our Passover Lamb! And what seemed to be His tragic defeat, His death on the Cross, was actually the very act of Victory, by which we are saved!

And in Heaven, Jesus continually presents His sacrifice to God, on our behalf as our High Priest--the Once-for-All Sacrifice, eternally present in Heaven. He is the Lamb who was Slain, and we participate in that sacrifice, appropriating it to ourselves, when Heaven and Earth meet, in the Eucharist!

The Lamb is present. He has taken the Scroll. Let the judgement begin: Court is in Session.

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