1I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals. 2I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?” 3No one in heaven above, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book or to look in it. 4Then I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look in it. 5One of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome: he who opens the book and its seven seals.”
6I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. 7Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9They sang a new song, saying,
“You are worthy to take the book
and to open its seals,
for you were killed,
and bought us for God with your blood
out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,
10and made us kings and priests to our God;
and we will reign on the earth.”
11I looked, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. The number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!”
13I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!”
14The four living creatures said, “Amen!” Then the elders fell down and worshiped.
In verse one John says he received his revelation from Jesus the Messiah, and in verse 5 he elucidates the nature and works of Jesus, who faithfully gives testimony to what He presents to John. That Jesus is the firstborn from the dead assures the resurrection of all believers (1 Thess 4:14-16; 1 Cor 15:20, 23).
John continues that Jesus is the ruler over the kings of the earth. Though it is not contested that Jesus, as God, is ruler of the universe, and has authority as the glorified man (Matt 28:18), the reference in verse 5 regards His future authority that will be exercised at His second coming (Rev 19:17-21). When He exercises this authority Jesus "will give authority over the nations" to those who overcome (2:26, 27), who "will sit down with Jesus on His throne" (3:21). Believers will be "made kings and priests of God, and reign on the earth" (5:10) and will sit on thrones and reign "with Jesus for a thousand years" (20:4) and "the kings of the earth" will "bring the glory and honor of the nations" into the light of the city of God (21:24).