Revelation 5:3

3 There was no one - no one in Heaven, no one on earth, no one from the underworld - able to break open the scroll and read it.

Revelation 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 5:3

And no man in heaven
Or "no one in heaven", whether angels, or the souls of departed saints; neither the one nor the other know anything of what is to come, until it is revealed unto them:

nor in earth:
among all the men on earth, even those of the greatest sagacity and penetration, the wise, the prudent, the scribe, the disputer of this world, such who are most conversant with books, and have the greatest reach into the things of nature, or of grace:

neither under the earth;
the dead buried there, good or bad; which may be said agreeably to the notions of the ancient Jews, who believed the immortality of souls, and that they were rewarded or punished, (upo cyonov) , "under the earth", according to their virtue or vice in life ^F4: or the devils in hell; or whoever on the earth are influenced by them, as magicians, sorcerers, soothsayers, and necromancers:

was able to open the book, neither to look thereon;
or in it, so as to read it, understand it, and show to John what was in it; for the sense is, there was no creature in heaven, earth, or hell, who were masters of the deepest knowledge, and made pretensions to any, that were able to foresee and foretell things to come; or to exhibit the prophecies in this book, and represent them to John in the manner they afterwards were, and much less to accomplish them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Joseph. Antiqu. l. 18. c. 1. sect 3.

Revelation 5:3 In-Context

1 I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One Seated on the Throne. It was written on both sides, fastened with seven seals.

2 I also saw a powerful Angel, calling out in a voice like thunder, "Is there anyone who can open the scroll, who can break its seals?"

3 There was no one - no one in Heaven, no one on earth, no one from the underworld - able to break open the scroll and read it.

4 I wept and wept and wept that no one was found able to open the scroll, able to read it.

5 One of the Elders said, "Don't weep. Look - the Lion from Tribe Judah, the Root of David's Tree, has conquered. He can open the scroll, can rip through the seven seals."