Revelation 5

Then I saw that the person who was sitting on the throne was holding a scroll in his right hand. He had written words on both sides of the scroll. But he had then sealed the scroll shut with seven pieces of wax{, so no one could read what he had written}.

I saw a powerful angel who was asking in a loud voice: “Who is the person who qualifies to break open the pieces of wax on the scroll and then unroll the scroll {and read what it says}?” \*

Yet no heavenly being, no person on the earth, and no one in the abode of the dead was sufficiently worthy to open the scroll and read it.

When I saw that no one anywhere was sufficiently worthy to open the scroll and read it, I wept bitterly. {I wept because I knew that what God had written was important, but I thought that no one would ever find out what he had written}.

But one of the elders said to me, “You do not need to weep! Here is the person we are looking for! He is the {person whom the prophets described as the} Lion from the tribe of Judah and as a branch that would grow from David’s roots. He is victorious! Therefore, he is {sufficiently} worthy to break open the seven pieces of wax on the scroll and open the scroll!” \*

Then I saw that a lamb was standing by the throne. The four living beings and the elders surrounded him. He was alive, but he had marks that showed that others had once killed him violently. He had seven horns. He also had seven eyes. Those are the seven spirits of God that God sends throughout all the world.

The Lamb came up to the throne, and the person who was sitting on the throne handed the scroll to him. \*

As soon as {the Lamb} accepted the scroll, the four living beings and the 24 elders knelt down in front of the Lamb. The elders each held a harp and some golden bowls that contained incense. The incense symbolized the prayers of people who belong to God. \*

The living beings and the elders sang a song that no one had ever sung before. They sang {to the Lamb}, “You deserve to receive this scroll and to break open its pieces of wax {so that you can read what it says}. {You deserve this} because when you gave up your life, you paid with your own blood to set people free from sin so that they could worship and obey God. You did this for people all over the world.

You have caused them to become people over whom our God rules and to become people who will lead others to worship God. They will be rulers of the people who live in the world.” \*

As I was seeing {these events}, I heard many angels singing. These angels surrounded the throne, the living beings, and the elders. There were millions of angels, so many that no one could count how many there were.

The angels were singing loudly, “The Lamb who gave up his life deserves for everyone to honor, glorify, and bless him and acknowledge how powerful, wealthy, wise, and strong he is!” \*

Then I also heard every creature that exists in heaven, on the earth, underneath the earth, and in the sea—yes, every creature in all of those places—singing, “May everyone forever praise and honor and glorify the one sitting on the throne and the Lamb and acknowledge how powerful they are!”

When the millions of angels and every creature sang these things, the four living beings said, “So be it!” Then the elders knelt down on the ground in front of both God and the Lamb to worship them. \*