What Old Testament prophecies connect to the "scroll" in Revelation 5:2? Setting the Scene in Revelation 5:2 • Revelation 5:2 asks, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”. • The question assumes an already-known prophetic backstory: a sealed document reserved for the climactic moment of God’s plan. Hebrew Roots of a Sealed Scroll Several Old Testament passages anticipate a scroll that stays shut until the divinely appointed time: • Daniel 12:4, 9 – a book “sealed until the time of the end.” • Isaiah 29:11–12 – a vision likened to “the words of a sealed scroll.” • Ezekiel 2:9-10 – a double-sided scroll of “lamentations, mourning, and woe.” • Jeremiah 32:10-15 – a sealed title-deed guaranteeing future redemption. • Zechariah 5:1-4 – a flying scroll that carries curse and cleansing across the land. • Psalm 40:7 – “in the scroll of the book it is written about Me,” a messianic hint that Someone will fulfill all that is written. Daniel’s Closed Book and the End-Time Unsealing • Daniel 12:4 – “shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end.” • Daniel 7:13-14 – dominion transferred to the Son of Man when the court sits. • Revelation shows that moment arriving; the Lion-Lamb alone can break Daniel’s seal. Ezekiel’s Lament Scroll of Judgment • Ezekiel 2:9-10 – a hand presents a scroll written “on the front and back.” • Parallel to Revelation 5: a scroll filled with woe that must be enacted before restoration. Isaiah’s Sealed Book and Blindness • Isaiah 29:11 – “The entire vision to you is like the words of a sealed scroll.” • Human inability to read it underscores the need for a worthy opener—fulfilled in Christ in Revelation 5. Jeremiah’s Title-Deed of Redemption • Jeremiah 32:10-15 – Jeremiah buys land, places the sealed and unsealed deeds in a jar, and prophesies national restoration. • The Revelation scroll functions as earth’s title-deed; only the rightful Kinsman-Redeemer can claim it. Zechariah’s Flying Scroll of Curse and Cleansing • Zechariah 5:1-4 – a 20-cubit-long scroll flies over the land, purging theft and perjury. • Revelation’s seals launch judgments that likewise purge unrighteousness to prepare for the kingdom. Psalm 40: The Messianic Scroll • Psalm 40:7 – “Here I am… it is written about Me.” • Hebrews 10:5-7 applies this verse to Jesus, directly linking the Messiah to the contents of God’s prophetic scroll. Why These Prophecies Converge in Revelation 5 • Each passage contributes a facet: – Daniel: timing and sealing. – Ezekiel & Zechariah: judgment written inside. – Isaiah: human inability to open it. – Jeremiah: legal right of redemption. – Psalm 40: a Messiah who fulfills its contents. • Together they form the backdrop for the heavenly drama where only the slain yet risen Lamb is qualified to open the sealed scroll and complete God’s redemptive program. Key Takeaways for Today • Old Testament prophecies consistently describe a sealed, judgment-laden, redemption-guaranteeing scroll. • Revelation 5 reveals its opener: Jesus Christ, both Lion and Lamb. • The continuity underscores Scripture’s unified testimony and the certainty that every decree written in God’s scroll will come to pass exactly as promised. |
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