|
|
|
|
The English word for “book” misses the fact that in Jesus’ day books did not have pages or bindings. The English word should be scroll, because the actual Greek word is BIBLION which means “scroll.” Scrolls were made from the skins of sheep or goats or from the vellum of calves. The skins were washed, the hair removed and then rubbed with pumice and dressed with chalk. Finally the skins were cut into sheets (7.5 inches by 10 inches or 19 cm by 25 cm) and up to twenty sheets were glued together (less than 35 ft or 10.7 m). The scrolls were unrolled from left to right and were written in columns 2 to 3 inches wide (5-8 cm). Is this the type of scroll that God the Father had in His hand? We do not know, but the use of seven seals was something that would have been familiar to the apostle. This type of scroll was common for ancient legal documents (Jer. 32:10-12). The seals were apparently attached to the document as it was written. So the first seal would have been attached on the inside; the next seal would have been attached later after more words were written. This process would have continued until the legal document was completed. This scroll had seven seals. So the first seal on the end of the scroll would have been broken and the words would have been read. Then the next seal would have been broken so that more words could have been read. This process would continue until the document was completely read. This was an important legal scroll, since it had so many seals. It must have been important also since God the Father was holding the scroll. Who Is Worthy? Then the Apostle John heard a strong angel ask, “Who is worthy to open the scroll?”
|
||||||
|
| Art
used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992. Click here to visit her “Revelation Illustrated” site. |
||
| Copyright © Like The Master Ministries. All Rights Reserved. | Study
In Revelation |