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

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:

        • 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]

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]

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]

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.

[Show More]

(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]

(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]

(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]

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]

Third, Jesus spoke about His return, which is also described by the sixth seal (Rev 6:12-14). [Show More]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]


Other Articles

The Seven Seals

Other

In Pre-Wrath Dispensationalism, the church will suffer the last 7 years.

EXCERPT: In Pre-Wrath Dispensationalism, the church will NOT be removed before the last 7 years but will suffer tribulation during the second half of the last seven years. God will gather (rapture) them just before the end of the last 7 years of Daniel 9. Then all those left on earth will have the mark of the beast and, on the Day of the Lord, God will pour his wrath on them.


INTRODUCTION

I wrote an article, Does “coming like a thief” in Revelation 16:15, support a secret rapture? In response, Yves Peloquin posted a comment to explain Pre-Wrath Dispensationalism. I converted that comment into this post. Yves wrote:

Some (maybe most) Dispensationalists believe that the church will be removed before the last 7 years. However, this view contradicts many Bible passages and it should be rejected.

But there is a group among the dispensationalists who believe in a more attractive interpretation: The Pre-Wrath view.  To the benefit of your readers, here is a brief summary of what Pre-wrath means:

The last 7 years are divided into two parts.

FIRST 3.5 YEARS

In the first part (3.5 years) a ‘beast’ will become prominent in the middle east. In that time, he will sign a 7-year covenant with Israel, allowing them to build the temple and to sacrifice.

He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ (Dan 9:27)

MIDDLE OF THAT SEVEN

But in the middle point of those 7 years, he will commit an abomination:

In the middle of that ‘seven’, he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation.” (Dan 9:27)

The abomination referred to here could be that the beast will pretend to be God himself (thus eliminating the need to sacrifice in the Temple). By doing that, the beast will seduce millions of people:

He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. … 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Rev 13:7-8)

SECOND 3.5 YEARS

In the second half of the last seven years, the beast will put a mark on the people to separate those who believe in him from those who perceive that he is false. This will be the beginning of a period of wrath against true Christians (the great tribulation), i.e. persecution (against those who don’t have the mark of the beast) that will be so intense that many ‘true’ Christians will die.

If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” (Matt 24:22 – NIV)

DAY OF THE LORD

Toward the end of that period of tribulation (near the end of the last seven years of Daniel), God will intervene (day of the Lord). The Day of the Lord is the wrath against those who have the mark of the Beast. 

DIFFERENCES

Note the difference between this view and the traditional view:

Those who don’t have the mark of the beast – the true Christians – will suffer tribulation from the beast.

Those who do have the mark of the beast will suffer God’s wrath on the Day of the Lord.

SIGNS IN THE SKY

The Day of the Lord will start with signs in the sky

Immediately after the distress [i.e. tribulation] of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky.” (Matt 24:29-30; cf. Joel 2:31; Acts 2:20; Rev 6:12).

PRE-WRATH RAPTURE

Then God will gather his elect – the rapture: just before the end of the last 7 years of Daniel 9. It won’t be a secret event. The pre-wrath view stands on the position that the rapture will happen just before God starts pouring out the bowls of his wrath.

But at that time your people … will be delivered” (Dan 12:1).

And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matt 24:31).

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thess 4:16).

Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe” (Rev 14:15).  [That is, brings the dead in Yeshua and those alive who don’t wear the mark of the beast.]

GOD’S WRATH

Then God will pour his wrath on the inhabitant of the earth (i.e. all those left on earth because they wear the mark of the beast):

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth‘” (Rev 16:1).

Yves P.

MY COMMENT

This Pre-wrath Dispensationalism seems like a fairly accurate interpretation of the events described in Revelation, by why do you try to force it to fit into Daniel 9’s last week? I still believe your interpretation of Daniel 9 is fundamentally flawed. See Evaluation of the Four Major Interpretations of the 490 years of Daniel 9.


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