Overview
While Revelation 4 is a timeless description of God’s throne room, Revelation 5 describes a specific event when all angels gather to see the Son receive the sealed book. He does not open the book immediately but breaks the seals one by one in Revelation 6, each causing dramatic events on Earth. Therefore, to date these seal events, we must date Revelation 5.
This article shows that Revelation 5 describes what happened in heaven when Jesus arrived after His ascension almost 2000 years ago. This is argued in three ways:
Firstly, Revelation 5 fits with what the New Testament elsewhere says happened in heaven when Jesus arrived after His ascension. In both, after Jesus died and ascended to heaven, He was exalted at His Father’s right hand, and the Holy Spirit was poured out on earth.
Secondly, Revelation 3:21 says that those who overcome will sit on Jesus’ throne, just as Jesus overcame and sat down on His Father’s throne. This provides an outline of chapters 4 to 7:
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- Revelation 6 shows how they struggle to overcome,
- In chapter 7, they sit down on Jesus’ throne, and
- Consequently, in Revelation 5, Jesus sat down on His Father’s throne.
Thirdly, Jesus’ sermon, the Synoptic Apocalypse (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21), describes the general realities of the Church Age. Since those general realities resemble the first four seals, and since those seals follow after Revelation 5, Revelation 5 must fit right at the beginning of the Church Age.
This article also explains why specific alternative interpretations are not accepted:
– In Dispensationalism, Revelation 4:1 is the end-time rapture, and Revelation 5 is an event after the rapture. However, as shown, Revelation 5 describes what happens in heaven when Jesus arrives after His ascension.
– Daniel 7 seems to be a judgment scene shortly before Christ’s return, and some understand Revelation 5 as also describing that same end-time judgment. However, Revelation 5 is different from Daniel 7. No books are opened, and no typical judgment language is used in Revelation 5.
In conclusion, Revelation 5 describes Christ’s enthronement at the Father’s right hand after His ascension, almost exactly 2000 years ago.
(A) Fits the New Testament
In the New Testament
A common theme in the New Testament is that, after Jesus died, He was resurrected, caught up to God, and exalted at His Father’s right hand (e.g., Eph 1:20-22). Show More
| For example:
“He RAISED Him from the DEAD
and seated Him at His RIGHT HAND in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority” (Eph 1:20-22).
“Christ Jesus is He who DIED,
Yes, rather who was RAISED,
Who is at the RIGHT HAND of God” (Rom 8:34; see also Heb 8:1-2; cf. Acts 2:31-36; 5:30-32; 7:55-56; Heb 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; Acts 5:30-31; Phil 2:8-11; Col 3:1; Heb 1:3; 10:12; 12:2, 21; 1 Peter 3:21-22; Matt 22:44; 26:64; Mark 12:36; 14:62; Luke 10:42; 22:69).
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Furthermore, after Jesus was exalted at His Father’s right hand, the Holy Spirit was poured out (John 7:39; Acts 2:32-33). Show More
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“The Spirit was not yet given,
because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39).
“This Jesus God RAISED UP again …
having been exalted to the RIGHT HAND of God,
and having received from the Father
the promise of the HOLY SPIRIT,
He has poured forth this
which you both see and hear” (Acts 2:32-33).
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The Holy Spirit was poured out on Pentecost, fifty days after Jesus was crucified and ten days after His ascension. So, within 50 days after Jesus died, He was resurrected, caught up to God, and exalted at His Father’s right hand, followed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
In Revelation 5
We see this same sequence in Revelation 5:
Death
Jesus enters the throne room as a slain Lamb who is “worthy” because He has purchased men for God with His blood (Rev 5:6, 9-10, 12). This emphasis on His death implies that Jesus entered the throne room immediately after He ascended to heaven. Show More
| John heard that Jesus “has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals” (Rev 5:5). Note the direct link between overcoming and receiving the book. When John looked, He saw a slain lamb (Rev 5:6, 12). In other words, Jesus overcame through his death, meaning 5:5 says He died to receive the book. The heavenly beings confirmed this immediate relationship between His death and receiving the sealed book when they said to Jesus:
“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals;
for You were slain, and purchased for God
with Your blood men from every tribe” (Rev 5:9-10).
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Enthroned
The Bible often states that Jesus was exalted AT the right hand of God (e.g., Eph 1:20-22). We read the same in Revelation:
According to the NASB, the book was in the right hand of God (5:1), and Jesus took it out of His hand (5:7). But, according to the interlinear translations, the book was on God’s right hand (or side) (5:1), and Jesus took it from God’s right side (5:7). This means that to take the book, Jesus had to go to the right side of God. It is proposed that when He took the book, He also sat down at His Father’s right hand.
This is confirmed a few verses later when “every created thing” praises both Jesus and His Father (Rev 5:13), implying that they are both on the throne.
This is further confirmed when Jesus is described as “in the CENTER of the throne” (Rev 7:17).
Holy Spirit Poured 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), apparently a reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. So, the Holy Spirit was poured out somewhere between 4:5 and 5:6. Since Jesus also appeared in God’s throne room between these two verses, this confirms the link between His enthronement and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
Elsewhere in the New Testament, Jesus was slain, raised to life, ascended to heaven, and glorified at the Father’s right hand while the Holy Spirit was poured out.
Similarly, in Revelation 5, Jesus appears as a slain Lamb, receives the book from God’s right hand, and is glorified with the Father, while the seven Spirits of God are sent out into all the earth.
The similarity implies that Revelation 5 describes what happens when Jesus arrives in heaven after His ascension.
(B) 3:21 explains Revelation 5.
Revelation 3:21 is the climax of the seven letters but also provides an outline of the entire 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 God’s people are NOW overcoming. This is what Revelation 6 – the breaking of the seals – is all about.
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Breaking the first seal sends forth the conquering white horse (Rev 6:1-2), interpreted as the gospel going out.
Breaking the following three seals brings suffering and death (Rev 6:3-8), culminating in the fifth seal when we are shown God’s martyrs crying out for revenge (Rev 6:9-10).
The sixth seal is Christ’s return (Rev 6:12-14), but then Revelation 7 jumps back to the time before Christ’s return to describe the sealing of God’s people in preparation for the release of the four end-time winds (Rev 7:1-3). These winds are interpreted as the seven last plagues.
In summary, the breaking of the seals describes the gospel going forth into the world, its acceptance and rejection, and the experience of the people of God on earth, struggling to overcome much opposition and many trials. “Him who overcomes” indicates that this is what God wants His people to achieve.
Since Jesus took the sealed book at His ascension and immediately began breaking its seals, and since the sixth seal is Christ’s return, the breaking of the seals describes the conditions under which God’s people must overcome throughout the church age. |
(b) I will give to sit with me on my throne
This is in the future tense. God’s people will rule with Jesus (sit on His throne) when He returns (Rev 20:4). In the seals, this is described in Revelation 7, where the overcomers are presented as an innumerable multitude who are able to stand before God when Jesus returns (Rev 7:9; cf. 6:17; 7:15, 17). Revelation 7 provides a preview of the new heavens and new earth (Rev 21:1).
(c) Just as I overcame
This is in the past tense because it describes Jesus’ life and death on earth. Jesus “has overcome so as to open the book” (Rev 5:5). Since 5:5 announces an end to John’s weeping, the time of weeping (5:1-4) is the time before He overcame. In other words, He overcame between verses 4 and 5. This is followed by John seeing “a Lamb … as if slain” (Rev 5:6), meaning that Jesus overcame through His death. Show More
| Jesus “overcame” by remaining faithful to God until death (cf. Rev 2:10). He lived a sinless life, even when tempted to the point of death. |
(d) And sat down with my Father on his throne.
This is also stated in the past tense because Jesus had already sat down on His Father’s throne by the time John received this prophecy. Jesus overcame between verses 4 and 5, implying that the rest of Revelation 5 describes His sitting down on His Father’s throne after His ascension. Show More
| Based on 3:21, the entire vision of the sealed book (4:1-8:1) may be summarized as follows:
In Revelation 5, the Lamb sits down with His Father on His throne after He has overcome.
In 6, God’s people struggle to overcome.
In 7, they sit down with Jesus on His throne.
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(C) The Synoptic Apocalypse
In this sermon (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21), Jesus divided history into three great eras which fit the seven seals:
Jesus first described the general realities of the entire Christian age. These fit the first four seals (Rev 6:1-8). Show More
| Jesus described the general realities as preaching the gospel, wars, rumors of wars, insurrections and rebellions, famines, pestilence, and earthquakes. These are typical of the entire Christian age. Jesus explicitly said they are NOT signs of the end (Matt 24:6-8).
The first four seals (Rev 6:1-8) resemble these general realities of the Christian age, for they include preaching the gospel, war, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts. |
Second, Jesus described a great persecution toward the end of that era. The fifth seal (Rev 6:9-11), read together with the sealing (Rev 7:1-3), describes a great end-time persecution. Show More
| Jesus said that Jerusalem is to be “trodden underfoot” (Luke 21:24). (This great end-time persecution is not so clear in Matthew and Mark.)
The fifth seal (Rev 6:9-11) is a point in time that divides the persecution of God’s people into two phases: before and after that point in time. That second phase has been interpreted as the great end-time persecution. |
Third, Jesus spoke about His return, which is also described by the sixth seal (Rev 6:12-14). Show More
| Jesus said heavenly signs will precede His return (Luke 21:25-28). Again, in Matthew and Mark, the three eras tend to be blended, but the distinctions are evident in Luke.
The sixth seal begins with the signs of Christ’s return (Rev 6:12-14) and concludes with the Day of Judgment (Rev 6:15-17). |
In conclusion, since these general realities resemble the first four seals, and since those seals follow after Revelation 5, Revelation 5 must be placed right at the beginning of the Church Age.
Conclusions
In Revelation 5, Jesus overcame (5:5), appeared as a slain lamb (5:6), and accepted the sealed book at His Father’s right hand (5:7). At the same time, the Holy Spirit was sent out into all the world (5:6). Then, the entire universe glorified the Father and the Son (5:13). These events fit exactly with His exaltation at His Father’s right hand after His ascension, as described elsewhere in the New Testament. Therefore, He received the book at His ascension.
When He received it, the book was still fully sealed. In Revelation 6, He breaks the seals one by one. Each time that He breaks a seal, 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). Therefore, the first five seals symbolize events over the Church Age. 3:21 identifies those events as the experience of God’s people.
Alternative Interpretations
The Rapture
In Dispensationalism, Revelation 4:1 is 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. Show More
| Furthermore:
(1) John’s ascension in 4:1 is not to rescue the church from tribulation but to receive knowledge of future events. Jesus explicitly said that John must come up to heaven to see “what must take place after these things” (Rev 4:1).
(2) In Revelation 10:1, John sees an angel coming down from heaven. The angel tells John to eat the book and to “prophesy again” (Rev 10:8-11). In other words, John represents the church, which is still on earth in Revelation 10.
(3) The interpretation of 4:1, where John is called “Come up here,” as the rapture of the Church, rests on very slender evidence. It is much more likely that Revelation 11:12, where the two witnesses are also called to “Come up here,” represents the rapture of the church.
See also the article on the rapture in the discussion of the seven plagues: Revelation 16:15 and the Rapture. |
The Judgment of Daniel 7
The strongest parallel to Revelation 5 is probably in Daniel 7:9-14. In both, God is on the throne, books are mentioned, and the Son of man appears after God is already introduced and is given authority. Show More
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- 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 after God is already introduced (Dan 7:13; Rev 5:6), and
- Authority is bestowed on the Son (Dan 7:14; Rev 5:12).
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Daniel 7 seems to be a judgment scene shortly before Christ’s return, and many understand Revelation 5 as also describing that same end-time judgment. However, Revelation 5 is different. No books are opened in it, and we find no typical judgment language, such as judge or avenge. Show More
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1) No books are opened in Revelation 5, as in Daniel 7:10. Jesus takes the book and breaks the seals in Revelation 6.
2) We find no typical judgment language (e.g., judge, avenge) in Revelation 5. Except for the fifth seal, which is only a request for judgment, not the judgment itself, we find such language only in the second half of Revelation.
While Revelation 5 represents the events in heaven after Christ’s ascension, Daniel 7 is a judgment before Christ’s return. These are two different meetings in God’s throne room. However, the strong parallels between them imply that the two meetings could be related. Since the Revelation 5 meeting is about the sealed book, which, at that time, is still fully sealed, the meeting in Daniel 7 could be about that same book – perhaps when it is fully open or possibly when it is time to break the final seal. |
The Day of Atonement
In the Old Testament, on the annual “Day of Atonement” (Lev 23:26-27), “atonement” was made for “the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins” (Lev 16:16). During the year, to obtain forgiveness, sinners symbolically brought their sins to “the holy place” (the temple). Symbolically, their sins accumulated in the temple. On the Day of Atonement, the sins were symbolically removed from the temple and put on a goat (the scapegoat Lev 16:8), and the goat was led away into the wilderness (Lev 16:21). Show More
| This is symbolic of how God deals with sin in reality. In other words, God forgives His people for their sins, but that is not the end of their sins. These sins are no longer held against God’s people, but they are held against God’s temple, which is where God abides. By implication, the sins now are held against God. As stated by Romans 3:25, “in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed,” but that caused the need to “demonstrate His (God’s) righteousness.” There is something else that must be done to put a complete end to the consequences of those sins, namely to demonstrate that God is righteous when He selectively absolves some sinners of their sins. |
For some, Revelation 5 describes the real Day of Atonement. However, Revelation 5 does not mention the ark of the covenant, judgment language, the Most Holy Place, or a male goat. Show More
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(a) The primary part of the temple associated with the Day of Atonement is the ark of the covenant (Lev 16:13). Later, John mentions the ark (Rev 11:19), but he makes no mention of it in Revelation 4 and 5.
(b) Again, there is no judgment language in Revelation 4-5. Revelation reserves such language for clear end-time settings. As we have noticed, even at the time of the fifth seal, which is much later than Revelation 5, judgment has not yet begun.
(c) The Day of Atonement was associated with the Most Holy Place (Greek: naos), the inner chamber of the holy place. John uses this term (naos) about a dozen times (e.g., Rev 11:19), but all such references are found in the second half of the book and are completely absent from Revelation 4-5.
(d) If Revelation 5 was the true Day of Atonement, we would also expect a male goat instead of a Lamb as the central figure.
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Other Articles
The Seven Seals
Other
The breaking of the Seventh Seal is minimal in the extreme. It is devoid of action: