THE SCROLL IN HEAVEN

Rev.5:1-5 – I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to be able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

The opening of this scroll is what the book of Revelation is all about. When I see the Father placing this scroll in the hand of Jesus my mind reverts back to that first sermon Jesus preached in His hometown synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus read from this scroll from the book of Isaiah and began to preach about the liberation of man from his sin. This was a message of Jubilee announcing the beginning of the harvest of souls on the earth. Jesus began this ministry of preaching forgiveness from sin, healing for our bodies, and an eternal life that comes from believing the gospel message; this ministry has continued for 2000 years through His followers. Jesus ended His reading abruptly stopping in mid-verse before the announcement of judgement in Isaiah’s prophesy. The fulfillment of that word would come at a later date.
The scroll given to the Lord in heaven marked the closing of the gospel age and the beginning of the outpouring of the judgement of God on those who have rejected and even opposed the ministry of Jesus. When Jesus began to remove the seals from the scroll in heaven unthinkable events began to unfold. A time of sorrow like the world has never tasted would begin to be released. There would be whole regions destroyed by war, nations that would fall to famine, and rampant disease would ravage parts of the earth. In the middle of all of the commotion the final appeal to turn to the Lord would be preached with many thousands turning to Christ at the very end. We are rapidly approaching these days, the days known as the time of Jacob’s trouble. Turn to the Lord if you have not given your heart to Him, pray that you can escape from the unthinkable trouble that is coming upon the whole world. Jesus will return for those that belong to Him, it is time for all of us to get ready.