Catholic Commentary on Revelation 5

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:12)

The Scroll and the Lamb

In the right hand of the one on the throne is a scroll sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel asks: who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll? No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth is found worthy, and John weeps bitterly. Then one of the elders says: do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. John turns and sees not a lion but a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the centre of the throne. The Lamb takes the scroll. The four living creatures and twenty-four elders fall down before him, holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people. They sing a new song: you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Then ten thousand times ten thousand angels join the chorus: Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise! Then every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea joins: to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever. The Catechism identifies the Lamb as the key to the whole of history: the book of Revelation is the book whose seals only the crucified and risen Christ can open, because the meaning of history is his Cross and Resurrection (CCC 677).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, the golden bowls of incense are the prayers of God's people. Your prayers are in those bowls. The prayers you have prayed that seemed to go nowhere, the intercessions you offered in the dark, the petitions you brought again and again without visible answer: they are in the golden bowls before the throne of the Lamb. Nothing has been lost. Everything is held.

Prayer

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise. To the one on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever. Amen.

5
The Lamb Takes the Scroll
1 Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One seated on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”
 
3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look inside it. 4 And I began to weep bitterly, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it.
 
5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
 
6 Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the seven Spirits * 5:6 Or the sevenfold Spirit of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And He came and took the scroll from the right hand of the One seated on the throne.
 
8 When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song:
 
“Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals,
because You were slain,
and by Your blood You purchased for God
those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom
and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign upon † 5:10 Or they will reign over; WH they reign upon the earth.”
The Lamb Exalted
 
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels and living creatures and elders encircling the throne, and their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. 12 In a loud voice they were saying:
 
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing!”
 
13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
 
“To Him who sits on the throne
and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power
forever and ever!”
 
14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.‡ 5:14 TR includes Him who lives for ever and ever.

*5:6 5:6 Or the sevenfold Spirit

†5:10 5:10 Or they will reign over; WH they reign upon

‡5:14 5:14 TR includes Him who lives for ever and ever.

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