The symbols in Revelation stand for real things. The symbol is often weaker than the reality behind the symbol. Which is more beautiful a sunset or a picture of a sunset? Which are sweeter plump, juicy cherries or kisses that are sweeter than cherries? Which is more horrifying fire with its burning sulfur-brimstone adhering to your flesh, muscles and sinews or the future lake of fire in Rev. 20 (also called Gehenna) for unbelievers, such as those receiving the mark of the Beast in Rev. 14:10.
A problem is that often some people and Satan seek to make Revelation appear confusing and unclear by noting its symbolism, as an end and not a means to an end. They look at the symbols and stop there or give them some alternate, even fanciful, interpretation instead of some cogent, consistent explanation. They make it appear, as though God mumbles in Revelation and cannot make Himself clearly understood!
This is like my granddaughter who cannot read yet but can understand the "Golden Arches" as a symbol of McDonalds. Just because there is a symbol for McDonald hamburgers does not mean that McDonald hamburgers do not exist! On the contrary, their hamburgers taste much better then the building materials out which they make their Golden Arches.
This is the reason why God used apocalyptic symbolism in Revelation.
Revelation 5:1 – This is God the Father sitting on His Throne in the Third Heaven with a scroll of the prophecies of the Jewish 7-year Tribulation.
The expression, "inside and on the back," infers the many details that were given and eventually recorded in Revelation 6-22.
Seals were used in Roman law for a "Last Will and Testament" and here God had seven, the number of completeness, of His "Last Will and Testament" for humanity.
5:2 – This is one of the mighty Elect, Holy Angels of God (although not necessarily Gabriel nor Michael), as a spokesman for the rest of the angels.
The idea of "worthy" comes from a business use involving a balance-scales on which one pan some item is placed, where items of known weight are place in the other pan – to be of the same weight, value, gravity, worth, honor or authority.
The answer to this question is given in verses 9-10!! Jesus Christ, as the infinite God-man – Son of God and Redeemer, is eminently appropriate and deserving.
5:3 – Obviously no one else in all of human history nor throughout the earth is appropriate, deserving or qualified.
5:4 – This is a timeless observation, but within the timeline of history prior to the cross there was no one who provided redemption. The promise of redemption (see Heb. 11:13) was, as good as done, but before Jesus went to the cross the plan was historically incomplete.
5:5 – In Col. 2:13-15 Paul described this "prevailed" by what happened on the cross: "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."
These "principalities and powers" are Satan and his demonic armies who were stripped of their power and weaponry.
5:6 – Note the paradox of the Lion and the Lamb – Jesus is both The Lion of Judah and The Lamb of God.
Jesus has the unique combination-role of Prophet, Priest, and King, as:
Prophet – Jesus is worthy to open the Scroll of the Prophecies of the Seven-Year Tribulation.
Priest – Jesus is the Lamb having been slain for the sins of the world to bring us to God.
King – Jesus is the Lion of Judah, as the right King of the Jews and King of Kings.
These "four living creatures" are the same as the four in Rev. 4:7-9 – a lion, a young ox, face of a man, and a flying eagle. These exact four are described in Ezekiel 1:10 with four faces: a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle, however in verses 6-8 they looked human with each have four wings. In Ezekiel 10:9 there are four wheels each with a cherub making a total of four cherubim associated with the temple. In 10:14 each of these four cherubim had four faces: cherub, man, lion, and eagle. These were guardians of the worship of God in the Temple.
Here in Rev. 4:7-8 they had "six wings" and are associated with the praise of God. They appear to be more like the seraphim ("flaming" seraph-angels) in Isaiah 6:3.
These four creatures have an interesting parallel with the testimony about Jesus found in the four biographical themes of each of the Four Gospels:
Matthew – Jesus Christ, as the Son of David, the King of the Jews – The Lion of Judah.
Mark – Jesus Christ, as the Suffering Servant – The young ox-calf (an animal of sacrifice).
Luke – Jesus Christ, as the Son of man in His humanity – a face of a man.
John – Jesus Christ, as the Son of God in His sovereign deity – a flying eagle.
These "elders" are the same as the 24 elders in Rev. 4:4 & 20. These 24 had their precedent in 1 Chronicles 24 where King David appointed 24 elders to represent the Levitical priesthood before the throne. Their number, as 24, can represent God’s people, as Israel with their 12 tribes and the Church with her 12 apostles – God’s people through the ages.
Seven is the symbolic number of completeness, so the Lamb is Jesus Christ slain on the cross of Calvary but standing in His resurrection. His "seven horns" represent His complete omnipotence. His "seven eyes" represent His complete omniscience. His "seven Spirits" represent His complete triune connection with God the Father in His sovereign rule "into all the earth."
5:7 – Thus Jesus Christ came to God the Father on the throne in the throne-room of the Third Heaven (2 Cor. 12:2-4) and took the scroll of the prophecies described in Revelation 6-20.
5:8 – All men and angels react with submission, recognizing God’s sovereignty.
Their prayers, as incense rising up to the nostrils of God, as in Ps. 141:2. Their prayers would be of praise to God and intercession for the saints of the Tribulation on earth.
5:9 – They react with singing, recognizing God’s universal salvation offered to all mankind, in their direct address to Jesus Christ who redeemed the saints of the ages to God the Father.
5:10 – During the future Millennial Kingdom of Christ on earth described in Rev. 20, we believers will be, as kings ruling over various cities and priests ministering for God to the people on earth in their corruptible bodies.
5:11 – All the holy, elect angels of God’s creation then would calculated to be some 100 million!! [in contrast to Satan’s fallen angels of some 50 million demons according to Rev. 12:4], although the Greek term for ten thousand here is a "myriad."
This number is simply the largest number available in the Koine Greek language and could be compared to our colloquial expression of "a zillion." In other words, a myriad number of myriads here may simply mean an uncountable number.
5:12 – The term "slain" here and in verse 9 specifically refers to a ceremonial cutting of the throat in a sacrifice-procedure.
Note specifically seven items of praise are listed.
5:13 – Here is the eventual praise of the Lamb, as Sovereign, from all of His creation, when "every knee shall bow and ever tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil. 2:10-11).
The term, "all," would mean that at some point in the future even Satan and his demons will have to confess these words of praise the Lamb of God before their sentence is carried out in the Lake of Fire, Gehenna.
5:14 – The Hebrew term, "Amen," simply means "truly so."
The four living creatures representing the witness of Jesus Christ and these elders representing the believers through the ages come to their climax of praise of Jesus Christ, THE ONE IN CHARGE!
Questions to Consider:
