Revelation 5
About RevelationWritten by AI
Revelation is the Bible's last book and its most vivid. It is a prophecy, a letter to seven churches, and an apocalypse, a word meaning unveiling: a kind of writing full of symbols, numbers, beasts, and heavenly scenes. The author is John, exiled on the island of Patmos. Tradition identifies him as the apostle John, though some think he was another early leader with that name. Most date it around AD 95, under the emperor Domitian, while some place it earlier, in the 60s.
The churches of Asia faced pressure to compromise with Rome's power, trade, and worship. Revelation pulls back the curtain to show who truly rules: God on the throne, and the Lamb who was slain and is alive.
Christians read its visions in several ways: as mainly about John's own time, as a picture of the whole church age, as chiefly about events still to come, or as a symbolic portrait of the spiritual battle in every age. Many combine these. Whatever the view, the ending is the same hope: “Behold, I make all things new.”
Before you read Revelation 5Written by AI
The One on the throne holds a scroll sealed with seven seals, and no one is worthy to open it. John weeps. Then he is told the Lion of Judah has triumphed, and he looks and sees a Lamb, standing as if slain. The Lamb takes the scroll, and all of heaven, then every creature, breaks into a new song of praise.
The Lamb Takes the Scroll
Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One seated on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”
But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look inside it. And I began to weep bitterly, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it.
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the scroll from the right hand of the One seated on the throne.
When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:
“Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals,
because You were slain,
and by Your blood You purchased for God
those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom
and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign upon the earth.”
The Lamb Exalted
Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels encircling the throne, and the living creatures and the elders. And their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing!”
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 praise and honor and glory and power
forever and ever!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.