Revelation 5

1 I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals.

2 I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?”

3 No one in heaven above, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book or to look in it.

4 Then I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look in it.

5 One of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome: he who opens the book and its seven seals.”

6 I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

7 Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

8 Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

9 They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals, for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,

10 and made us kings and priests to our God; and we will reign on the earth.”

11 I looked, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. The number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands,

12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!”

13 I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!”

14 The four living creatures said, “Amen!” Then the elders fell down and worshiped.

Around Revelation 5

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

Revelation 5 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

In the right hand of the One on the throne lies a scroll, written inside and outside and sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel calls out: who is worthy to open it? No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth is able. And John weeps much.

One of the elders says to him, Don't weep. The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome, and he can open the scroll. John looks for a lion. What he sees is a Lamb, standing as though it had been slain, in the middle of the throne.

The Lamb takes the scroll, and heaven erupts. The living creatures and the elders fall down with harps and golden bowls of incense and sing a new song about being bought for God out of every tribe, language, people and nation. Then the voice of many angels, ten thousands of ten thousands, cries out, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed”.

And last, every created thing joins in, to the One on the throne and to the Lamb.

Background

The chapter turns on a surprise: the Lion that is announced turns out to be a Lamb that has been slain. Christians generally see this as the way Jesus is both king and sacrifice, and connect the Lamb with John 1:29 and Isaiah 53. What the scroll holds is read in several ways, such as God's plan for history or the coming judgments, and the opening of its seals begins in chapter 6.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 19 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes