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Revelation

About this book
Chapter 5

1 Then I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and back and sealed with seven seals.⁠ 2 And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming in a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it. 4 So I began weeping bitterly because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered;⁠ thus he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”⁠ 6 Then I saw standing in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.⁠ 7 Then he came and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne, 8 and when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders threw themselves to the ground before the Lamb. Each of them had a harp and golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints). 9 They were singing a new song:⁠ “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were killed, and at the cost of your own blood you have purchased for God persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation. 10 You have appointed them as a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”⁠ 11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their number was ten thousand times ten thousand—thousands times thousands—⁠ 12 all of whom were singing in a loud voice: “Worthy is the lamb who was killed to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and praise!” 13 Then I heard every creature—in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them—singing: “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures were saying “Amen,” and the elders threw themselves to the ground and worshiped.

Texts in conversation

Compare 1 Enoch 90:6 and Revelation 5:6

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · New Testament

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Summary

Revelation 5 describes the Messiah as a lamb, language rarely used in Jewish tradition but may have been influenced by the Animal Apocalypse in 1 Enoch 90. That text describes the faithful as lambs, and a single lamb emerges as a leader.

Passages

1 Enoch 90:6

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
5 I watched until twenty-three shepherds had pastured and completed their terms fifty-eight times. 6 Then lambs were born from those white sheep, and they began to open their eyes and see, and cried out to the sheep. 7 Yes, they cried to them, but they did not listen to what they said to them, but were extremely deaf, and their eyes were utterly blinded. 8 I saw in the vision how the ravens flew upon those lambs and took one of the lambs, and dashed the sheep in pieces and devoured them. 9 I watched until horns grew upon those lambs, and the ravens cast down their horns; and I watched until a great horn sprouted from one of those sheep, and their eyes were opened. 10 It looked at them, their eyes were opened, and it cried out to the sheep, and the rams saw it and all ran to it.
300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

Revelation 5:6

New Testament
2 And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming in a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it. 4 So I began weeping bitterly because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered; thus he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 Then I saw standing in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then he came and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne, 8 and when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders threw themselves to the ground before the Lamb. Each of them had a harp and golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints).
92–96 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Revelation

References

"... While the designation 'Lamb' is in some respects synonymous with the term Messiah in Revelation, there is only a single disputed instance in which the figure of the lamb is used of the Messiah in early Jewish literature (Testament of Joseph 9:3). Apart from this one text, there is no convincing evidence that the Messiah was symbolized by a lamb in second temple Judaism ... According to 1 Enoch 90:6 ... [when] he shifts to the future and describes the intervention of the Lord of the sheep, who strikes the earth, which opens up and swallows the enemies of Israel (90:18). A sword is then given to the sheep, and all wild animals flee before them (90:19). A throne is then set up, and the Lord of the sheep sits on it, and the sealed books of judgment are opened before him (90:19–20) ..."
David E. Aune, Word Biblical Commentary: Revelation 1-5 (Dallas: Word, 2008), 628–630.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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1 Enoch 90:6 and Revelation 5:6

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