“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11)
“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.” (Rev. 5:1–4).
Let us first simply state what these verses say. We may then step back for a better view of what they mean. The one who sits on the throne is God Himself, because in v. 7 the Lamb comes and takes the book from Him. So then we have a book that is given by the Father to the Son. The book was held in the Father’s right hand, and the Son is enthroned on the Father’s right hand. The writing in the book was on both sides of the parchment, it was covered with writing both front and back. The scroll was rolled up and was sealed with seven seals. Absolutely no one in Heaven, on earth, or under the earth was able to unseal the book or able even to look at it. And so John wept because there was no one worthy to open the book, read the book, or look at the book.
So what is the meaning of the book? The book is The Book of the Reign of Jesus Christ. We know this from what is said when the Lamb is given the book, and we know it from what happens when the seals of the book are opened in the next chapter. When the Lamb takes the book, the four cherubim and the twenty-four elders all fell down and worshiped Him. They say that He is worthy to unseal the book because He had been slain, and had redeemed a people for Himself out of every tribe and nation. He had done this so that they would be made kings and priests, in order to reign on the earth.
This reign of Jesus is both welcomed and opposed. Those who welcome it worship Him. Those who oppose it are destroyed by Him. So the reign of Jesus Christ has ramifications. Those ramifications are, respectively, worship and destruction. The book is given to the Lamb in Chapter 5, where He is worshiped by those who see what is coming. The book is unsealed in Chapter 6, and all who oppose Him are taken out, one by one.
