Nor in earth, [neither under the earth].—No man on earth was worthy. “There is none righteous; no, not one; for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”—Rom. 3:10, 23.
Was able to open the book.—“In the picture John looked to see who the worthy one might be, but none was found worthy.”—Z. ’09‐243.
Neither to look thereon.—In the light of this Scripture, who can dare, in his own strength, wisdom or righteousness to interpret the Word of God or take any part in the execution of the Plan?—Heb. 12:18‐29.
5:4. And I wept much.—“It seemed to John too bad that God should have some great, wonderful purposes which might come to naught because no one was worthy to be the Divine executor.”—Z. ’09‐243.
Because no man.—No being in the Universe.
Was found worthy to open and to read the book.—“When silence prevailed, and none was found worthy either in Heaven or on earth (representing the condition of things prior to the First Advent), John began saying to himself: Alas! we may never know God’s gracious and wise plans for the welfare of His creatures, because none is found worthy to know or execute them.”—Z. ’97‐150; John 1:27; Matt. 8:8.
Neither to look thereon.—“So it was that, even our Lord Jesus, prior to the finishing of His sacrifice, as He then declared, did not know all about the Father’s plans, times and seasons (Mark 13:32.)”—Z. ’97‐150.
5:5. And one of the elders.—The deathbed prophecy of Jacob. It is the identification of this elder that enables us to recognize the other twenty‐three.—Rev. 4:10.
Saith unto me.—“Judah is a lion’s whelp. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.”—Gen. 49:9, 10.
Weep not: behold, the Lion.—“The Holy One, and the Just.”—Acts 3:14; 22:14.
Of the tribe of Juda.—“The great prize, for which Israel had been longing for centuries, was won by the Lion of the tribe of Judah. (Heb. 7:14.)”—B. 85.
“For an illustration of latter time assumptions, note the fact that a late pope, upon ascending the throne, took the title of Leo XIII, and shortly after subscribed himself ‘Leo de tribus Juda,’ i. e., ‘The Lion of the tribe of Judah.’ ”—B. 316.
The Root of David.—“It was not the pre‐human Logos, nor yet the man Jesus, that was David’s Lord and David’s Root; but the resurrected Messiah.”—E. _151_, 136; Isa. 11:1; Rom. 15:12; Rev. 22:16.