1 Then 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. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
We see a similar scroll with writing on the front and back In Ezekiel 2:9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. This was the scroll of judgement against the Israelites, who would later have the northern 10 tribes scattered, and the southern tribe of Judah, sent to exile in Babylon.
In Daniel 12:4 there is a prophecy that is sealed for the time of the end, a sealed scroll of judgement. To be sure this is the same scroll we see that the prophecy is sealed to the "time of the end" and we need to know if it means the end of the age of the Jews in 70 AD, or the end of the ages in Revelation 20. Daniel Chapter 11 deals with the Seleucid Empire, and its complete fulfillment is explained in Barnes' commentary. It will take hours to go through, so I'll mention the anchoring point here, found in the last paragraph of Barnes' commentary on chapter 11. There is a scholar named Porphyry who found that the predictions found in Daniel chapter 11 fit the life of Antiochus Epiphanes, a Seleucid ruler. He found that they fit so precisely that it was unbelievable that the prophecy could have been written before-hand. From Barnes' commentary: In view of this exposition, we may see the force of the opinion maintained by Porphyry, that this portion of the book of Daniel must have been written after the events occurred. He could not but see, as anyone can now, the surprising accuracy of the statements of the chapter, and their applicability to the events of history as they had actually occurred; and seeing this, there was but one of two courses to be taken - either to admit the inspiration of the book, or to maintain that it was written after the events. He chose the latter alternative; and, so far as can be judged from the few fragments which we have of his work in the commentary of Jerome on this book, he did it solely on the ground of the accuracy of the description. The final verses of chapter 11 have been fulfilled prior to the fall of the Seleucid Empire in 64 BC.
Moving on to Daniel 12:1, it says the archangel Michael rise up to deliver the people written in the book. We know the book is mentioned in Revelation 20, and those people are not delivered, but judged according to their deeds in Revelation 20:12. There is proof of angels delivering the followers of Jesus in prophecy from Jesus where he tells us that the angels will gather the "elect" to and send them to the four winds in Matthew 24:31 and Mark 13:27. Michael and his angels delivered the followers of Jesus to safety before the siege in 70 AD.
We see another phrase in Daniel 12:2 that makes us think of the end of the ages instead of the end of the age of the Jews, sleep in the dust of the earth. In Revelation 20 it says that all that are in the sea, Death and Hades, great and small are resurrected to receive judgement. This is all of humanity, including those that sleep in the dust of the earth. But looking carefully at Daniel 12:2 it only says "some". This very word points us to the miracle after the crucifixion in Matthew 27:52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. The prophecy in Daniel 12 continues that the wise will lead many to righteousness. This also contradicts the end of the ages, because there is no hope for leading anyone to righteousness after the final resurrection and the judgement.
Here is still more proof that this prophecy will be unsealed after the siege in 70 AD from the numbers 1290 and 1335 in verses 11 and 12. There was 1,290 days between when Cestius and his army surrounded Jerusalem to take it captive and when the Romans flooded into Jerusalem. The siege ended 45 days later when the last stronghold of Jews suddenly surrendered, fulfilling the 1,335 days. Daniel 11 and 12 takes the reader from the fall of the Seleucid empire... by the Romans, to the fall of Jerusalem... by the romans, providing evidence that the scroll sealed in Daniel 12 is the same scroll here that is unsealed by Jesus, and will be judgement against Rome. The fall of Rome is completed by Revelation 9, then the angels issue a new prophecy to John in Revelation 10.
The purpose of the scroll. God used prophets to speak out against the wicked men in power in Israel and Judah. People wouldn't listen to their proclamation, so he used a scroll of judgement to try to get them to turn away from iniquity as seen in Jeremiah 36:1 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. 3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that everyone may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.” The people didn’t turn, so God used Assyrian and Babylonian armies to exact his justice. If these nations become arrogant and overstep their God-ordained right for justice, God also records those injustices, and will pour his holy anger out on them. In Zechariah chapter 1 we see that God uses four horses to patrol the earth to report to God any of these abuses of power.
Assyria and Babylon were used by God to attack the holy land, and were mentioned afterwards by God Zech 1:12 Then the angel of the Lord said, ‘O Lord of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?’ 13 And the Lord answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. 14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.15 And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. and in Isaiah 10:5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath. ...12 So when the Lord has completed all His work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the fruit of his arrogant heart and the proud look in his eyes....16Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts will send a wasting disease among Assyria’s stout warriors, and under his pomp will be kindled a fire like a burning flame.
Rome was used to overcome the wicked Seleucid empire that was shown in Daniel 11, and also used to destroy the Temple in 70 AD. The destruction of the temple was prophesied in Daniel 9:27 when Jesus pronounced the 7 woes to the pharisees and 42 years later the temple was destroyed. If Rome could have been mindful of the way seals and horses were used in the Old Testament prophecy, they might have known not to be harsh to the followers of Jesus. Instead, they persecuted them in the most inhumane ways possible, burned books and churches, even coating believers with tar and burning them, that's where we get the term Roman Candle. All of this persecution was being recorded and sealed for judgement, even seven seals. This kind of arrogance and abuse of power is happening right before our eyes, so when we read chapters 6-9 we need to be mindful that any one of those judgements could happen to a nation that abuses power similar to the abuses of Rome. Let the holy fear of a just God enter your heart, and the knowledge of the lion of Judah that devours its prey. Jesus is one who reaps where he does not sow and gathers where he does not scatter, and those who are not faithful will be cast with the unbelievers.
3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 And 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.
In verse 3 we see the 3 realms, heaven, earth and under the earth. Here is where the book of Enoch is helpful in knowing all three realms. Heaven, where God and his hosts are, and all the celestial beings...stars, moon, sun, the storehouses of hail, the winds and many others. As mighty as all those are, there wasn't one worthy to open the seal. Enoch also describes the realm under the earth, as well as Revelation 20:14, where it shows Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. Death and Hades, Sheol in the Old Testament, are separate places for those that die, not only the righteous and the wicked humans, but also for the fallen angels. The great patriarchs are asleep in the earth, awaiting resurrection in Paradise, and there was no one worthy there. The lamb who was slain was presented before the throne, that lamb alone was worthy.
The seven eyes of the lamb are similar to the seven eyes of the stone in Zechariah 3: 8Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. 9For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. 10In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” One man, a single stone, has the seven eyes, which are also interpreted as facets, like a jewel has facets to reflect the light and to add to the brilliance of the stone. It fits well with the idea of sevenfold spirit, the one spirit having 7 facets of power.
Horns are kingdoms, and the lamb rules over 7 kingdoms, which is explained best as the 7 church ages. In verse 10 it says the lamb made a kingdom and priests of his kingdom, and they reign on the earth. Jesus rules in power throughout all seven church ages. Keep this in mind when the millennial reign of Christ is brought up. The prophecy doesn't say there will be a thousand years of peace as implied by a millennial reign, instead this was a phrase inserted later as heading put there by interpreters of the Bible.
The lamb is presented before the throne, but the elder calls it the Lion. A lion devours and conquers, as shown in the most well-known lion, Nebuchadnezzar who ruled Babylon. Jeremiah 50 explains how the lions of Assyria and Babylon consumed its prey of Israel and Judah, starting in verse:17 “Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones. The descriptions of the lion driving away and devouring versus gnawing his bones of the lion correspond to the different types of warfare used by Assyria and Babylon. Assyria did in fact scatter the tribes and then devoured it by occupying Israel. By implying that Nebuchadnezzar gnawed the bones we could imagine there was a carcass of Israel left in the area, a remnant, a small group of people that didn't die by pestilence or sword, and was not exiled to Babylon. We can see that's the case here in this snip from biblehub. Whenever you have time to make a deep study of a topic, search by author, or scroll down to the alphabetical index to see all the topics that are described. There is a massive amount of information available on biblehub, all at your fingertips at any time! What an amazing time in history to study the Word!!
7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And 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 golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” 11 Then 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, 12 saying 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!” 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
We looked at Enoch's vision of the throne room in chapter 4 where he see the myriads of angels in the courts of heaven. Even the angels cry out their praise to Jesus, and verify it was a good thing that Jesus receives power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory and blessing. They give their praise both to the one on the throne and to the lamb, as Paul verifies in Philippians 2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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