Jesus Shows the Future Among Angels and Heavenly Scenesby Joel
5:3Revelation 5:3
And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
No one in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth was able to open the book or even to look upon it, meaning no human being and no angelic intelligence could read its words, and no one in his own strength can open God's sealed book. The book lies as a roll in the open right hand of Him who sits on the throne, written within and without with no blanks and with space for no more writing. It contains the roll of the history of God's providences and the prophetic history of nations and the church, together with His divine utterances, His authority, His commandments, His laws, and the whole symbolic counsel of the Eternal. It holds in symbolic language the history of all ruling powers in the nations and the history and influence of every nation, tongue, and people from the beginning of earth's history to its close, including the destiny of every nation.
The book also registers the choice of the Jewish leaders to reject Christ. It is like the flying roll of Zechariah and the roll of Ezekiel, in which the name of the wrongdoer is written unless he repents, and the chapter must be studied in connection with Ezekiel 9 and Ezekiel 2:1-10, where that record and its judgment are shown, for the Lord's eye is upon every transaction and His judgment will come upon those who do wrong. John wept in distress over this utter inability to open or look into the sealed book, and then it was announced that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, had prevailed to open the book and to loose its seven seals, so the truth stands revealed. When the book is unsealed by the Lion of Judah in the day of judgment, that decision to reject Christ in all its vindictiveness will be exposed and will appear before those who made it.
The solution of its mysteries and revelations regarding the future of the world lies beyond what the brightest of earth's intellects can search out, for human depth can be measured and the richest mines of human production are not inexhaustible, but there is an infinity in God that the highest flight of imagination cannot find out, and the Holy Spirit must reveal Him. As a long-sealed book of mystery that no one can yet open or look into, its contents mean the Lord's dispensations and ways often baffle and seem dark and unexplainable and deeper than can be fathomed, but by and by the sealed book shall be unfolded. Until then the lesson is simple, confiding, unreserved submission to His will without presumptuously seeking to know how and why, trusting Him who is too wise to err and too good to do harm.
The chapter needs to be closely studied because it is of great importance to those who take part in the work of God for these last days. It exposes deception about what constitutes sin and warns that those who are deceived and do not realize what is coming on the earth, whose minds are beclouded on sin and who transgress the law and break the everlasting covenant, must make a decided change or they will be found wanting when God pronounces judgment upon men and will receive according to their works. When the seal is broken, men eagerly seek a copy of the book recording a heavenly mission, read and reread its pages, and grasp its precious instruction for the benefit of future generations, prizing truth of heavenly origin above the works of men.
No one in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth was able to open the book or even to look upon it, meaning no human being and no angelic intelligence could read its words, and no one in his own strength can open God's sealed book. The book lies as a roll in the open right hand of Him who sits on the throne, written within and without with no blanks and with space for no more writing. It contains the roll of the history of God's providences and the prophetic history of nations and the church, together with His divine utterances, His authority, His commandments, His laws, and the whole symbolic counsel of the Eternal. It holds in symbolic language the history of all ruling powers in the nations and the history and influence of every nation, tongue, and people from the beginning of earth's history to its close, including the destiny of every nation.
The book also registers the choice of the Jewish leaders to reject Christ. It is like the flying roll of Zechariah and the roll of Ezekiel, in which the name of the wrongdoer is written unless he repents, and the chapter must be studied in connection with Ezekiel 9 and Ezekiel 2:1-10, where that record and its judgment are shown, for the Lord's eye is upon every transaction and His judgment will come upon those who do wrong. John wept in distress over this utter inability to open or look into the sealed book, and then it was announced that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, had prevailed to open the book and to loose its seven seals, so the truth stands revealed. When the book is unsealed by the Lion of Judah in the day of judgment, that decision to reject Christ in all its vindictiveness will be exposed and will appear before those who made it.
The solution of its mysteries and revelations regarding the future of the world lies beyond what the brightest of earth's intellects can search out, for human depth can be measured and the richest mines of human production are not inexhaustible, but there is an infinity in God that the highest flight of imagination cannot find out, and the Holy Spirit must reveal Him. As a long-sealed book of mystery that no one can yet open or look into, its contents mean the Lord's dispensations and ways often baffle and seem dark and unexplainable and deeper than can be fathomed, but by and by the sealed book shall be unfolded. Until then the lesson is simple, confiding, unreserved submission to His will without presumptuously seeking to know how and why, trusting Him who is too wise to err and too good to do harm.
The chapter needs to be closely studied because it is of great importance to those who take part in the work of God for these last days. It exposes deception about what constitutes sin and warns that those who are deceived and do not realize what is coming on the earth, whose minds are beclouded on sin and who transgress the law and break the everlasting covenant, must make a decided change or they will be found wanting when God pronounces judgment upon men and will receive according to their works. When the seal is broken, men eagerly seek a copy of the book recording a heavenly mission, read and reread its pages, and grasp its precious instruction for the benefit of future generations, prizing truth of heavenly origin above the works of men.