Listen to Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The Scroll with Seven Seals
Re 4:2, Re 4:3, Re 4:9, Re 4:10, Re 5:1, Re 5:7, Re 5:13, Re 6:16, Re 7:10, Re 7:15, Re 19:4, Re 20:11, Re 21:5 — Throughout Revelation, “the one seated on the throne” is consistently distinguished from the Lamb and therefore identified as the Father (4:2–3, 9–10; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16; 7:10, 15; 19:4; 21:5). This distinction is especially explicit in 5:7, where the Lamb approaches the one seated on the throne, and in 6:16, where “the face of the one seated on the throne” is distinguished from “the wrath of the Lamb.” Revelation 20:11 is less explicit: it introduces “a great white throne” rather than the heavenly throne previously surrounded by the four creatures and the twenty-four elders. Nevertheless, this difference does not require a different occupant. The reaction to the enthroned figure provides an important verbal connection: earth and heaven flee “from whose face” (οὗ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου; 20:11). The same noun, πρόσωπον (“face” or “presence”), occurs in 6:16, after the sky has receded like a scroll (6:14), when the inhabitants of the earth call upon the mountains and rocks to hide them “from the face of the one seated on the throne” (ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου). This shared throne designation, together with the repeated description of creation recoiling from the enthroned one’s πρόσωπον, supports identifying the occupant of the great white throne in 20:11 with the Father, while recognizing that the verse itself does not explicitly name him.
The KJV/TR reads "to open and to read the book"; the critical text reads ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον — without the reading clause.
The KJV/TR carries a second verb, "and to loose (λῦσαι) the seven seals"; the critical text reads ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον καὶ τὰς ἑπτὰ σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ — one "to open" governing both the book and its seven seals.
Re 5:5, Re 7:13
Re 5:5, Re 10:3
Slain Lamb: Seven Horns and Eyes are The Seven Spirits of God
Important Note: Keep an eye on "midst of the throne" or "around." We will see the key figures that appear there: the four creatures, the 24 elders, the Lamb, the harpers (5:8; 14:2; 15:2), and the great multitude with palms (7:9).
The KJV/TR reads "And I beheld, and, lo"; the critical text reads Καὶ εἶδον — "And I saw" — without the interjection.
Re 5:6, Re 7:17
Re 5:6, Re 13:3 — ὡς ἐσφαγμένην, "as if slain"
The KJV/TR supplies the object, "the book"; the critical text reads εἴληφεν ἐκ τῆς δεξιᾶς — "he took [it] out of the right hand."
Re 4:2, Re 4:3, Re 4:9, Re 4:10, Re 5:1, Re 5:7, Re 5:13, Re 6:16, Re 7:10, Re 7:15, Re 19:4, Re 20:11, Re 21:5 — Throughout Revelation, “the one seated on the throne” is consistently distinguished from the Lamb and therefore identified as the Father (4:2–3, 9–10; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16; 7:10, 15; 19:4; 21:5). This distinction is especially explicit in 5:7, where the Lamb approaches the one seated on the throne, and in 6:16, where “the face of the one seated on the throne” is distinguished from “the wrath of the Lamb.” Revelation 20:11 is less explicit: it introduces “a great white throne” rather than the heavenly throne previously surrounded by the four creatures and the twenty-four elders. Nevertheless, this difference does not require a different occupant. The reaction to the enthroned figure provides an important verbal connection: earth and heaven flee “from whose face” (οὗ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου; 20:11). The same noun, πρόσωπον (“face” or “presence”), occurs in 6:16, after the sky has receded like a scroll (6:14), when the inhabitants of the earth call upon the mountains and rocks to hide them “from the face of the one seated on the throne” (ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου). This shared throne designation, together with the repeated description of creation recoiling from the enthroned one’s πρόσωπον, supports identifying the occupant of the great white throne in 20:11 with the Father, while recognizing that the verse itself does not explicitly name him.
Harpers' New Song: 24 Elders and 4 Creatures
Harps are not an identity marker beyond being used exclusively by those who sing. Thus, harps let us know who is singing a given song, and not much more.
The URV renders ηγορασας as "bought" — the marketplace verb; the KJV has "redeemed" and the ESV "ransomed," all the same Greek word in the TR and CT.
In verse 9, a new song is sung about a "bought" group of people ("redeemed," KJV), and because the 144,000 are called "bought" multiple times in Revelation 14, we can understand how the TR/KJV might link us back to this moment in time, where we also see "a new song." The ESV, however, breaks this link slightly in English by saying "ransomed" instead of "redeemed." This is important because it suggests a shared redemptive theme between this new song and the one in Revelation 14. The two songs are not identical, as the song in Revelation 14 remains hidden and its learning is restricted, but they belong to the same redemptive category: both are Lamb-centered, both involve harps, and both are connected to the bought. The thematic resonance suggests that these two distant texts share a common thread.
ωδην καινην - "new song"
The bracketed rendering [–/us] reflects a textual variation in Revelation 5:9: the dash marks the reading followed — omission of the pronoun — while the word after the slash keeps the other reading in view. Sinaiticus and the Received Text include the first-person pronoun ἡμᾶς (“us”), yielding the sense “you purchased us for God,” while Codex Alexandrinus omits the pronoun, and the NA28 follows. When the pronoun is omitted, the “people” seen in translations like the ESV is not a separate Greek word replacing “us”; it is supplied in English from the phrase that follows, “out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.” The variations with "us" may reflect that ἡμᾶς was original and preserved, even though the pronoun creates a difficult reading in the mouths of the singers. It is also possible that ἡμᾶς was originally a marginal note, or that it was added because the absence of an explicit object seemed incomplete.
In terms of the oddity it creates for the singers, songs, and heavenly choruses in Revelation should be handled carefully, since their wording may not identify every singer in the same direct way as ordinary narrative dialogue. In other words, a song may be sung by individuals who are not themselves the subject of the song. In this case, the four creatures do not appear to be the likely referent of the possible “us,” though the twenty-four elders may be.
Re 5:9, Re 14:3 — "A new song" is sung about a bought group of people in both Chapter 5:9 and Revelation 14:3-5. In both cases, the song is set in the throne room of heaven with the 24 elders and 4 creatures. Both songs are Lamb-centered and connected to the bought. Both are "new". The thematic resonance suggests that these two distant texts share a common thread. This is important because it may suggest a parallel timing of events. The two songs are not identical, though; the words of the new song in Revelation 14:3 remain hidden, and we know the words to the new song in Revelation 5:9. The new song in Revelation 14:3 appears to be about the bought 144,000, and in Revelation 5:9 the new song is about "every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation". That division of the songs by their subject groups deeply mirrors Revelation 7, where the 144,000 are initially sealed and the "multitude of many, which none could number, of all nations, and tribes, and people, and tongues" is seen coming out of that great tribulation.
Re 5:9, Re 7:9, Re 19:1, Re 19:6 — In both Revelation 5:9 and 7:9, the bought from every nation are mentioned before the sevenfold praise is heard around the throne. The multitude in Revelation 7:9 is explicitly innumerable, which distinguishes it from the numbered 144,000. In Revelation 19:1–6, it is not immediately clear whether the “multitude of many” is itself the wife of the Lamb, since the group speaks of her in the third person. However, the group may still be connected to the wife because Revelation 19 echoes the multitude scene of Revelation 7. The wording of a song or heavenly chorus should also be handled carefully; Revelation 5:9 provides a useful example, since some manuscripts, including Sinaiticus, include “us” in the new song, while other important witnesses omit it. This shows that the pronouns within a song do not always settle the identity of every singer as directly as ordinary narrative dialogue might.
However, that same group in 19:1 also says in 19:2 "... and has avenged the blood of his bond-servants at her hand," which would make the group refer to itself in the third person, making the dialogue coming from the servants unusual. But John does the same in 1:1 when he says of himself, "to His bond-servant John". Meaning, a person (or persons) can refer to themself by an identity such as being a servant. In that sense, the phrase "... and has avenged the blood of his bond-servants at her hand," confirms who the multitude is in 19:1; they are the servants.
In verse 10, the KJV says, "made us unto our God kings and priests," whereas the ESV says, "you have made them a kingdom and priests," which further links us to Exodus 19:6 in particular and also Daniel 7:18, Daniel 7:27, and Romans 8:17 — other textual criticism points aside. Because Revelation is deeply linked to the Old Testament, the ESV and CT seem to have the right words here. The ESV, in the case of this study, is more accurate in terms of the manuscripts here, and we should see this as not being the saints who sing it based on the manuscripts we have. It appears the 4 creatures and 24 elders are the ones who sing, as they have the harps, and they are not saints of "tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation".
Codex Sinaiticus and NA28 read βασιλεύσουσιν — “they shall reign.” Codex Alexandrinus reads βασιλεύουσιν, which places the saints on the earth at present; for the astute, the two Greek words differ by only one letter. The KJV/TR carries a third form, βασιλεύσομεν — “we shall reign” — which is why the King James reads “we” here where this translation reads “they.” Based on the story of Revelation, it seems the reigning on earth would be a future prospect and not a current one before the seals of the scroll are opened.
The bracket [–/unto our God] follows Codex Alexandrinus, which omits τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν — "unto our God" — where Sinaiticus, the NA28, the Majority Text, and the Received Text all carry it.
Messengers Exalt the Lamb
Re 5:11, Re 5:12, Re 7:10, Re 7:11, Re 7:12 — There are 7 praises to the Father and Jesus in their respective chapters. Angels/messengers around the throne. The proclamation of both cases is sevenfold, and here one is to the Father, and the first is to the Lamb in 5:12. The article placement differs between the two lists: the Lamb’s seven praises stand under one shared article — τὴν δύναμιν καὶ πλοῦτον καὶ σοφίαν καὶ ἰσχὺν καὶ τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν καὶ εὐλογίαν — a single “the” gathering the whole list, while every praise to the Father carries its own — ἡ εὐλογία καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ ἡ σοφία καὶ ἡ εὐχαριστία καὶ ἡ τιμὴ καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ ἰσχὺς — each quality made definite on its own. The Greek here seems to point to the Father having the absoluteness of the qualities — each one individually THE — while the Lamb has them as well, though not as emphasized; probably marking the Father as higher than the Son, and yet the praise is the same sevenfold praise, marking them as one and the same by what they receive.
Re 5:12, Re 7:12 — ἰσχύς (strength) is only used twice in Revelation.
Re 5:12, Re 7:10, Re 7:12 — In 7:10, praise is directed to both God and the Lamb, and it might serve as a bridge between the 7 praises in 5:12 (7 praises for the Lamb) and 7:12 (7 praises for the Father). This is important because the 7 praises (x), by their similarity, do not confirm sameness of timing, especially since the praises in 5:12 and 7:12 have different subjects. But 7:10 provides a possible bridge for the subjects: the Father and the Lamb. Thus, with the bridge at 7:10, the similar setting and action in the 7 praises make it highly likely that there is a sameness in timing for 5:12 and 7:12.
Re 5:12, Re 5:11, Re 7:10, Re 7:11, Re 7:12 — There are 7 praises to the Father and Jesus in their respective chapters. Angels/messengers around the throne. The proclamation of both cases is sevenfold, and here one is to the Father, and the first is to the Lamb in 5:12. The article placement differs between the two lists: the Lamb’s seven praises stand under one shared article — τὴν δύναμιν καὶ πλοῦτον καὶ σοφίαν καὶ ἰσχὺν καὶ τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν καὶ εὐλογίαν — a single “the” gathering the whole list, while every praise to the Father carries its own — ἡ εὐλογία καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ ἡ σοφία καὶ ἡ εὐχαριστία καὶ ἡ τιμὴ καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ ἰσχὺς — each quality made definite on its own. The Greek here seems to point to the Father having the absoluteness of the qualities — each one individually THE — while the Lamb has them as well, though not as emphasized; probably marking the Father as higher than the Son, and yet the praise is the same sevenfold praise, marking them as one and the same by what they receive.
κτίσμα — a created thing.
Two brackets here follow witness splits. Codex Sinaiticus omits "and under the earth" (καὶ ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς), which Alexandrinus, the NA28, and the Received Text carry — hence [and under the earth,]. And Sinaiticus reads "in the sea" (ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ) where Alexandrinus and the NA28 read "upon" (ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης) — hence [in/upon].
Re 4:11, Re 5:13
Re 5:13, Psalms 146
Re 5:13, Re 14:7
Re 4:2, Re 4:3, Re 4:9, Re 4:10, Re 5:1, Re 5:7, Re 5:13, Re 6:16, Re 7:10, Re 7:15, Re 19:4, Re 20:11, Re 21:5 — Throughout Revelation, “the one seated on the throne” is consistently distinguished from the Lamb and therefore identified as the Father (4:2–3, 9–10; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16; 7:10, 15; 19:4; 21:5). This distinction is especially explicit in 5:7, where the Lamb approaches the one seated on the throne, and in 6:16, where “the face of the one seated on the throne” is distinguished from “the wrath of the Lamb.” Revelation 20:11 is less explicit: it introduces “a great white throne” rather than the heavenly throne previously surrounded by the four creatures and the twenty-four elders. Nevertheless, this difference does not require a different occupant. The reaction to the enthroned figure provides an important verbal connection: earth and heaven flee “from whose face” (οὗ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου; 20:11). The same noun, πρόσωπον (“face” or “presence”), occurs in 6:16, after the sky has receded like a scroll (6:14), when the inhabitants of the earth call upon the mountains and rocks to hide them “from the face of the one seated on the throne” (ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου). This shared throne designation, together with the repeated description of creation recoiling from the enthroned one’s πρόσωπον, supports identifying the occupant of the great white throne in 20:11 with the Father, while recognizing that the verse itself does not explicitly name him.
Re 1:6, Re 5:13
The KJV/TR ends "worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever"; the critical text ends at προσεκύνησαν — "fell and worshipped." The TR also numbers the elders here — εἴκοσι τέσσαρες, "twenty four" — where the critical text reads οἱ πρεσβύτεροι — "the elders" — alone.
Important Note: The sealed scroll here is given to the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and he then opens it. Then, in Revelation 10, we see Jesus again with the voice of a Lion with an open scroll. That scroll in Revelation 10 is not the same scroll as this sealed one.