When did the Lion of the tribe of Judah take the book from the One sitting on the throne?

Question

And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne (KJV, Rev. 5:7)

When did this moment happen? When did the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Jesus) take the book from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne (God the Father)?

(Has this moment already happened in history? If yes, when? Or is it still to take place in the future? Or is it something that is the reality outside of the realm of time and, therefore, has its impact in various degrees and ways on all ages of human history?)

Anyway, how is this question traditionally answered in Christianity? (By "Christianity" I mean those people who address Jesus directly by His name in their prayers.)

If there are differences in traditions (and, therefore, in the ways this question is answered) between different branches of Christianity, then I am more interested in how this question is usually answered in main-stream Protestantism.

Answer 1

After Darby, most Protestants believe that Christ has NOT taken the scroll/book. They see it as a future event. Prior to Darby, Protestants taught that this was historical; it had already happened. Here's why.

Revelation was written after Christ had been resurrected and ascended. When John sees the book/scroll in the hand of the one on the throne, he weeps because no one was worthy. The vision at that point was of the time prior to ascension. In other words, John already knew, but was as if he had no knowledge of this.

One of the elders tells John not to worry. There is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He prevailed. Now we are at the time post ascension. Christ has purchased and redeemed us out of every nation on earth. John knows this in "real time".

The word "throne" means also "seat".

Throne:

"a throne, a seat of authority," is used of the "throne" (a) of God, e.g., Hbr 4:16, "the throne of grace," i.e., from which grace proceeds; Hbr 8:1; 12:2; Rev 1:4; 3:21 (2nd part); 4:2 (twice); 5:1; frequently in Rev.; in Rev 20:12, in the best texts, "the throne" (some have Theos, "God," AV); cp. Rev 21:3; Mat 5:34; 23:22; Act 7:49;" Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

This would be in the holy of holies. So Christ's sacrifice was accepted. He was resurrected. He ascended. He entered the throne room. He took the scroll. He opened it.

To back up a bit to get another time marker, John's vision of the throne "room" begins when John is called up into heaven. He sees various things, including the seven-fold Spirit of God.

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Rev. 4:5

The sequence after this is no one is found worthy. John weeps. Christ the Lamb slain appears. When was this?

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. Rev. 5:6

The point is that John first sees the Spirit of God at the throne, but then after ascension, the Spirit was sent forth (perfect tense) on Pentecost CE 30.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4

That was Pentecost on a Sunday 10 days after Christ ascended.

So, John is viewing Christ as taking the scroll on Pentecost after the Spirit was poured out earlier that same day.

Answer 2

Revelation 5 is Christ's enthronement after He ascended to heaven.

In recent centuries, the Dispensational interpretation has become dominant among conservative Christians. In that interpretation, Revelation 4:1 is the rapture and everything after 4:1 happens during the seven years preceding Christ’s return. I will reflect on the traditional understanding before Dispensationalism became dominant.

As discussed in the article on Revelation 4, that chapter does not describe a point in time but provides a timeless description of heavenly worship.

Revelation 5, on the other hand, describes one specific event when all the billions of angels gather in God’s throne room (Rev 5:11) to witness the Son of God receive the book that is sealed with seven seals (Rev 5:7).

He does not open the book immediately. In Revelation 6, He breaks the seals one by one, resulting in catastrophes on earth. Therefore, to know WHEN these things happen, it is critical to know WHEN the Lamb receives the book.

This article shows that Revelation 5:7-14 describes what happens when Jesus arrives in heaven after He ascended. This will be argued in three ways:

Firstly, the events described in verses 7-14 fits exactly with what the New Testament elsewhere says happened when Jesus arrived in heaven after He ascended.

Secondly, Revelation 3:21 provides an outline of the vision of the seven seals (4:1-8:1) and, in that outline, 5:7-14 aligns with the statement, "I (Jesus) also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

Thirdly, a comparison with the Synoptic Apocalypse (e.g., Matthew 24) identifies the first four seals (Rev 6:1-8) as the entire church age. Since Revelation 5 precedes the first four seals, it must describe an event right at the beginning of the Christian era.

In conclusion, since Revelation 5 describes what happened in heaven after He ascended, Jesus received the sealed book and began breaking its seals 2000 years ago.

(A) FITS THE NEW TESTAMENT DESCRIPTION

This section shows that what we see in Revelation 5 fits exactly with what the New Testament elsewhere says happened after His ascension.

A common theme in the New Testament is that, after Jesus died, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven, He was exalted at His Father’s right hand (e.g., Eph 1:20-22; Rom 8:34; Acts 2:31-36).

Furthermore, Jesus was exalted at his Father’s right hand BEFORE the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) (e.g., John 7:39; Acts 2:32-33).

This is also what we see in Revelation 5:

Firstly, it emphasizes His death:

Jesus appears as a SLAIN LAMB and is said to be “worthy” because He “purchased for God with Your BLOOD men” (Rev 5:6, 9-10, 12).

Secondly, Revelation 5 describes Him as exalted with God:

The book was ON the right hand (or side) of God (5:1) and Jesus took it FROM the RIGHT SIDE OR HAND of God (5:7). Since the Bible often states that Jesus was exalted AT the right hand of God (e.g. Eph 1:20-22), it is proposed that when He took the book (Rev 5:7), He also sat down at His Father’s right hand.

This is supported a few verses later when Jesus, TOGETHER WITH THE FATHER, is praised by “every created thing” (Rev 5:13). This implies that They are now BOTH on the throne.

This is further confirmed when Jesus is described as “in the CENTER of the throne” (Rev 7:17).

Thirdly, Revelation 5 describes the Holy Spirit as sent out:

Before Jesus appeared, “the seven Spirits of God” were “before the throne” (Rev 4:5) but after He appeared as a slain lamb, God's Spirit is said to be “sent out into all the earth” (Rev 5:6). This corresponds with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

Revelation 5, therefore, says that (1) after Jesus died, (2) He arrived in heaven, (3) and was immediately exalted at the right hand of God while (4) the Holy Spirit was “sent out.” This fits the Bible’s description of His exaltation after His ascension quite precisely.

(B) REVELATION 3:21

Revelation 3:21 is the climax of the promises given to the overcomers in the seven churches. But, similar to other such verses, it is also an outline of the vision of the sealed book (4:1 to 8:1). It reads:

• (a) To him who overcomes,
• (b) I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,
• (c) just as I overcame
• (d) and sat down with my Father on his throne (NIV).

(a) To him who overcomes

This is in the present tense, meaning that God’s people are NOW overcoming. This is what breaking the seals is all about. As concluded, Revelation 6 describes the gospel going forth into the world, its acceptance and rejection, and the experience of the people of God on earth, throughout the church age, struggling to overcome much opposition and many trials.

(b) I will give the right to sit with me on my throne

This is in the future tense and is fulfilled in Revelation 7 where the overcomers are described as an innumerable multitude who are able to stand before God when Jesus returns (Rev 7:9; cf. 6:17; 7:15, 17).

(c) Just as I overcame

One of the elders similarly said that Jesus "has overcome so as to open the book" (Rev 5:5). Since 5:5 announces an end to John's weeping because Jesus “has overcome” (Rev 5:4-5), the time of sorrow in heaven, as described in Revelation 5:1-4, describes the time BEFORE He overcame through His life and death. In other words, He overcame somewhere between verses 4 and 5.

(d) and sat down with my Father on his throne

Since 3:21(a) and (b) are an outline of Revelation 6 and 7, and since 3:21(c) fits in 5:4-5, the phrase "sat down with my Father on his throne" (3:21(d)), by implication, summarizes the remainder of Revelation 5. In other words, 5:7-14 describes Jesus sitting down on His Father’s throne after His ascension.

CONCLUSION ON 3:21

Based on 3:21, the entire vision of the sealed book (4:1-8:1) may be summarized as follows:

Revelation 6 and 7 describes the struggle of God's people to overcome and the promise that they will "sit down with Me (Jesus) on My throne."

But, before that, Revelation 5 describes the statement that the Lamb "overcame and sat down with ... (His) Father on His throne."

(C) SYNOPTIC APOCALYPSE

In His sermon in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 (See - The Little Apocalypse), Jesus divided history into three great eras:

• General realities of the entire Christian age;
• A great persecution toward the end of that era; and
• His return.

This fits the seven seals:

• The first four seals (Rev 6:1-8) are similar to the general realities of the church age,
• The fifth seal (Rev 6:9-11), read together with the sealing (Rev 7:1-3), describes a great end-time persecution.
• The sixth seal is His return (Rev 6:12-14).

In conclusion:

The book is still fully sealed in Revelation 5 and the seals are broken one by one in Revelation 6. Revelation 5, therefore, precedes the first four seals.

Since the parallels with the Synoptic Apocalypse identify the first four seals as the church age, Revelation 5 must describe an event right at the beginning of the Christian era. This supports the view that Revelation 5 is Christ’s ascension and enthronement.

CONCLUSIONS

In Revelation 5, Jesus overcame (Rev 5:5), appears as a slain lamb (Rev 5:6), accepts the sealed book at His Father’s right hand (Rev 5:7), and, while the Holy Spirit is sent out into all the world (Rev 5:6), He is glorified by the entire universe (Rev 5:13). This fits exactly with His exaltation at His Father's right hand after His ascension, as described elsewhere in the New Testament - somewhere between AD 30 to 33, based on astronomical calculations. Therefore, since He also received the book when He was exalted at His Father's right hand, He received the book also somewhere between AD 30 to 33.

At that time, the book was still sealed. In Revelation 6, the Lamb breaks the seals one by one. Each time that He breaks a seal in heaven, something happens on earth. The sixth seal begins with the signs of Christ's return (Rev 6:12-14; Matt 24:29) and ends with Judgment Day (Rev 6:15-17). A further conclusion, therefore, is that the first five seals symbolize the present-tense overcoming of God’s people over the church age.

Thus far, we discussed what Revelation 5 symbolizes. The remainder of this article discusses certain alternative interpretations.

THE RAPTURE

In Dispensationalism, Revelation 4:1 is regarded as the rapture. However, since Revelation 5 describes what happens in heaven when Jesus arrives after His ascension, and since 4:1 precedes Revelation 5, 4:1 cannot be the rapture. John is not called to come up in 4:1 to rescue the church from tribulation but to receive knowledge of future events (Rev 4:1). See below for further considerations.

THE DANIEL 7-JUDGMENT.

The strongest parallel to Revelation 5 is probably in Daniel 7:9-14. In both:

• God is on the throne (Dan 7:9; Rev 5:1),
• Books are mentioned (Dan 7:10; Rev 5:1),
• The Son of man appears (Dan 7:13; Rev 5:6),
• But only AFTER God is already introduced, and
• Authority is bestowed on the Son (Dan 7:14; Rev 5:12).

Daniel 7 seems to be a judgment scene shortly before the return of Christ and many understand Revelation 5 as also describing that end-time judgment. However, Revelation 5 is different. In it, no books are opened and we find no typical judgment language, such as judge or avenge.

Since the times of the two meetings are very different, these are two DIFFERENT meetings in God’s throne room. However, the strong parallels between them imply that THEY ARE RELATED. Since the Revelation 5 meeting is about the sealed book, which, at that time is still fully sealed, it implies that the Daniel 7 meeting IS ABOUT THE SAME BOOK - perhaps when it is fully open or perhaps when it is time to break the final seal.

Revelation 5 is also not the anti-type of the great Old Testament Day of Atonement. This is confirmed by the absence of (1) the ark of the covenant, (2) judgment language, (3) the Most Holy Place, and (4) a male goat. See Day of Atonement for a further discussion.

For a more detailed discussion, see here.

Answer 3

Many Biblical versions refer to this as a scroll rather than a book, and He will later open the Book of Life.

Revelation is a vision John sees of the future, so seeing Jesus taking the book would be something done in the future. Revelation 4:1 says

Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.

So taking the book will only happen after those things spoken in Revelation 1-3. This is all going to happen and He's telling the churches what will happen at the end.

Revelation 2

25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ 26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations

And there is Scripture throughout the New Testament, as well as in the Old Testament, such as in Isaiah, which tell what all must happen before Christ returns.

Different Protestants can believe in pre-, mid-, or post tribulation. But events after the book or scroll is opened mirror many events currently happening, so many believe we are in the tribulation now. For some, that would mean He has already opened it.