Charles Ellicott Commentary Revelation 5:1

"And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals." — Revelation 5:1 (ASV)

And I saw in the right hand . . .—Better, And I saw on (not “in; ” the roll lay on the open palm of the hand) the right hand of Him who sits upon the throne a book written within and on the back, securely sealed with seven seals.

The book is, of course, in the form of a roll; it lies on the open hand of the Throned One. It was not His will that the book should be kept from anyone. It is written, not on the inside only, as was the usual way, but, like the roll of the book that Ezekiel saw (Ezekiel 2:9–10), it was written within and without. Some have thought that there are two divisions of predictions—those written within the roll, and those written on the outer side.

This is merely fanciful; the passage in Ezekiel, which provides guidance to the meaning, might have shown the error of this thought. Clearly, the “lamentation and mourning and woe” inscribed all over Ezekiel’s roll indicate it was filled with sorrows. Here, the same overflowing writing indicates the completeness of the contents; there was no room for addition to what was written in it.

But what is meant by the book? Countless interpretations have been offered: it is the Old Testament; it is the whole Bible; it is the title-deed of humanity’s inheritance; it is the book containing the sentence of judgment on the enemies of the faith; it is the Apocalypse; it is part of the Apocalypse; it is the book of God’s purposes and providence.

There is a truth underlying most of these interpretations, but most of them limit the force of the vision. If we say it is the book that unfolds the principles of God’s government—in a wide sense, the book of salvation , the interpretation of life, which Christ alone can bestow ()—we will likely include the practical truths that underlie each of these interpretations.

For everything—Old Testament and New, humanity’s heritage and destiny, God’s purposes and providence—remains obscure until He who is the Light unfolds those truths that illuminate everything. Such a book becomes one “which contains and interprets human history” and claims the kingdoms of the earth for God.

The aim of all literature, as a distinguished critic has said, is little more than the criticism of life; the book that Christ unfolds is the key to the true meaning of life. The roll is not the Apocalypse so much as the book of those truths that are exemplified in the Apocalypse, as in a vast chamber of imagery. The roll was securely sealed, so that even those who were wise and learned enough to read it, had it been unrolled, could not do so . There are things that are hidden from the wise and prudent but revealed to babes.