"Who Is Worthy to Open the Scroll?"

 SUBLIME! AWE INSPIRING! Such is the stirring vision of Jehovah's throne in it setting amid the lamps of fire, the cherubs, the 24 elders, and the glassy sea  But John, What do you want to see next? John focuses on the very center of the heavenly scene telling us:  "And I saw in the right hand of the One seated upon the throne a  scroll written and on the reverse side, sealed tight with seven seals.  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice: 'Who is worthy to open the scroll ad loose its seals.  But neither in heaven nor upon the earth nor underneath the earth was there a single one able to open the scroll or to look into it.  Ad I gave way  to a great deal of weeping because no one was worth to open the scroll or to look into it." - REVELATION 5:1-4. 

Jehovah himself, Sovereign Lord of all creation, is holding out that scroll. It must be full of vital information, for it has written on the front and on the back. Our curiosity is aroused.  What does the scroll contain?  We recall Jehovah's invitation  to John: "Come on up here, and I shall show  you the things that must shortly take place." (Revelation 4:1) With tingling expectation, we look forward to  to learning about those things.  But alas, the scroll is tightly closed, sealed shut with seven seals! 

Will the strong angel find someone worthy to open the scroll?  According to  the Kingdome Interlinear, the scroll is located  "upon the right hand" of Jehovah.  This suggests that he holds it out on his open palm.  But it appears that no one in heaven or one earth is worthy to accept and open that scroll.   Not even  underneath the earth, among faithful servants of who have died, is anyone qualified for this huge honor.  No wonder John is visibly upset!  Perhaps he is not going to learn "the "things that must shortly take place" after all.  In our day God's anointed people have anxiously waited for Jehovah to send forth his light and truth on Revelation.  This he would do progressively  at the appointed time for the prophecy's fulfillment, in order to lead his people in the way of a "grand salvation." - PSALM 43:3, 5. 

Next time: "Who Is Worthy to Open the Scroll?" - The Worthy One

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