The Secret of the Scroll in the Book of Revelation
The Secret of the Scroll in the Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation describes a scroll held by God, sealed with seven seals, which is written on both sides (Revelation 5:1) [2, 5]. This scroll is a central element in the vision of John, representing God's plan for the world. The scroll's contents are not explicitly stated, but its significance is underscored by the search for one worthy to open it and the subsequent events that unfold.
The imagery of the scroll is reminiscent of other biblical and apocryphal texts. For example, the Copper Scroll from Qumran, part of the Dead Sea Scrolls, lists hidden treasures and is written on copper sheets, a unique material among the Dead Sea Scrolls [1, 6]. The Temple Scroll, another significant text from Qumran, provides detailed descriptions of the Temple and its regulations, highlighting the importance of written texts in Jewish tradition [3, 4, 7].
The scroll in Revelation is interpreted in various ways by different traditions. According to one Protestant academic interpretation, the scroll represents God's plan for the world, with the writing on the inside and outside signifying its completeness [8]. John Gill, representing a Baptist/Reformed perspective, views the scroll as similar to Ezekiel's roll, emphasizing its divine origin and the significance of its contents [10].
The act of sealing the scroll with seven seals underscores its secrecy and the divine authority behind it. The seven seals also create a sense of anticipation and expectation, as the opening of the seals is a pivotal moment in the narrative of Revelation. The search for one worthy to open the scroll highlights the importance of the contents and the authority required to unveil them.
The concept of a secret or hidden text is not unique to Revelation. In Jewish tradition, the idea of hidden scrolls or texts is present in various forms. For example, Rashi's commentary on 2 Kings 22:8 mentions a hidden Torah Scroll [9]. This theme underscores the significance of revelation and the uncovering of divine plans.
The scroll in Revelation remains a subject of interpretation, with its meaning and significance debated among scholars and theologians. Its connection to other biblical and apocryphal texts highlights the richness and complexity of the imagery used in Revelation. The scroll's representation of God's plan and the anticipation surrounding its opening continue to be central to understanding the Book of Revelation [8, 11, 12].
Sources
- Dead Sea Scrolls “Copper Scroll (c. 50-100 CE), section 1: THE COPPER SCROLL (3Q15) INTRODUCTION The Copper Scroll (3Q15) is one of the most enigmatic and unusual documents among the Dead Sea Scrolls. It stands apart from every other Qumran text in virtually every respect: its material, its content, its language, its literary genre, and its purpose. Discovered in Cave 3 at Qumran on March 20, 1952, during the archaeological excavations led by Roland de Vaux and the Jordan Department of Antiquities, the scroll was found in a severely oxidized state, consisting of two rolled-up copper sheets that had originally b”
- Revelation of John “Revelation of John 5:1 (YLT) — And I saw upon the right hand of Him who is sitting upon the throne a scroll, written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals;”
- Dead Sea Scrolls “Temple Scroll (2nd century BCE (composition)), section 1: THE TEMPLE SCROLL (11QTemple / 11Q19) INTRODUCTION The Temple Scroll (11Q19) is the longest of all the Dead Sea Scrolls, measuring over 8 meters (approximately 28 feet) in length. It was discovered in Cave 11 at Qumran and was acquired in 1967 by the Israeli archaeologist Yigael Yadin during the Six-Day War, when it was recovered from a Bethlehem antiquities dealer who had kept it hidden beneath the floorboards of his shop since the 1950s. Yadin published the editio princeps in Hebrew in 1977 and in English in 1983. A second, more fragm”
- Dead Sea Scrolls “Temple Scroll (2nd century BCE (composition)), section 4: not be visible at any distance from the city, three thousand cubits." The purity regulations in the Temple Scroll are consistently stricter than those found in later rabbinic halakhah, reflecting the community's understanding that the entire holy land -- and especially Jerusalem -- must be maintained at the highest possible level of ritual purity. IV. The Law of the King (Columns 56-59) The final major section contains the "Law of the King" (Mishpat ha-Melekh), expanding on Deuteronomy 17:14-20. This is one of the most politically signi”
- Revelation “I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals. -- Revelation 5:1”
- Dead Sea Scrolls “Copper Scroll (c. 50-100 CE), section 5: use of copper as a writing surface is virtually unique in ancient Jewish scribal culture. The technology required to inscribe text on copper sheets (using a stylus or punch rather than ink and quill) reveals sophistication in metalworking and suggests that the document was intended for permanence -- an intention that would be more consistent with a record of real treasure than with a literary fiction. Archaeological Context: The scroll's discovery in Cave 3, which contained relatively few other manuscripts and none of the major sectarian texts, has led ”
- Dead Sea Scrolls “Temple Scroll (2nd century BCE (composition)), section 2: but rather an idealized blueprint for a temple that God commands to be built. The specifications are derived from and expand upon the biblical descriptions in Exodus 25-40, 1 Kings 6-8, and especially Ezekiel 40-48, but they differ significantly from all biblical models. The temple described in the scroll has three concentric square courtyards: The Inner Court: Surrounding the sanctuary building itself, reserved for priests and the most sacred rituals. The scroll specifies precise dimensions and describes the altar of burnt offering, th”
- Revelation (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Revelation 5:1: 5:1-14 John introduces the Lamb, Jesus Christ, the central figure of Revelation and God’s chosen agent for accomplishing his purposes. 5:1 The scroll, like a dramatic script, details God’s plan for the world (Ps 139:16). • The right hand represents God’s gracious authority and power (see Rev 1:17, 20). • The writing on the inside and the outside means that God’s plans for history are full and complete. • sealed with seven seals: God has put his purposes for history in an impermeable safe (Isa 29:11-12; Dan 8:26). His purposes will be completed only when the sea”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) on 2 Kings 22:8: I have found the Torah Scroll. It was hidden under a layer of stones where they had concealed it when Achaz burned the Torah. 1 According to II Divrei Hayomim 34:14, this was the original Torah Scroll written by Moshe. God had commanded Moshe to write this Scroll at the end of his life. See Devarim 31:24-26.”
- Revelation (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Revelation 5:1: And I saw on the right hand of him that sat on the throne,.... Of this throne, and who it was that sat upon it; see Gill on Rev 4:2; and who had "in" his right hand, or "at", or "upon" his right hand, as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, lying by, or near his right hand; though according to Rev 5:7, the book appears to have been in his right hand, as our version, and others render it: a book written within, and on the backside, sealed with seven seals: this book was very much like Ezekiel's roll, Eze 2:9; which was written , "within" and "without", before”
- Revelation (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Revelation 5 (introduction): INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 5 This chapter contains the vision of the sealed book, and the opening of it by Christ, which occasions universal joy among all ranks and sorts of creatures. The book is described by the place where it was, in the right hand of God; by the uncommon manner in which it was written within and without; and by the seven seals it was sealed with, Rev 5:1, next follows a proclamation made by a mighty angel, with a loud voice, to find out a person worthy and able to open this book, and loose its seals, Rev 5:2, upon which a declara”
- Revelation (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Revelation 5 (introduction): THE BOOK WITH SEVEN SEALS: NONE WORTHY TO OPEN IT BUT THE LAMB: HE TAKES IT AMIDST THE PRAISES OF THE REDEEMED, AND OF THE WHOLE HEAVENLY HOST. (Rev 5:1-14) in, &c.--Greek, "(lying) upon the right hand." His right hand was open and on it lay the book. On God's part there was no withholding of His future purposes as contained in the book: the only obstacle to unsealing it is stated in Rev 5:3 [ALFORD]. book--rather, as accords with the ancient form of books, and with the writing on the backside, "a roll." The writing on the back impli”