sealed with seven seals. this signifies either the fulfillment of the book, which is obscure and unknown to all, or the dispensation of the one who searches the depths of the Spirit of God. 1 Cor 2:10
book written within and without. is the all-wise memory of God. The things written on the outside are easily understood according to the literal meaning, but the things inside symbolizing the spiritual meaning are very hard to comprehend.
seven seals. the seven seals are first, the incarnation; second, the nativity; third, the passion; fourth, the death; fifth, the resurrection; sixth, the glory; and seventh, the kingdom. Therefore, Christ fulfilled all these things through his humanity. All Scriptures that were closed and sealed, he opened and unsealed.
And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose its seven seals."
A book written within and without. Books were then skins, membranes, or parchments, and when written on both sides part of the writing appeared, though they were rolled up.
Sealed with seven seals, as containing mysteries and secrets of high importance. (Witham)
Intus et foris, esothen kai opisthen; on the back side. Ver. 12. Accipere virtutem et divinitatem: in the Greek, instead of divinitatem, plouton. In one or two manuscripts of the Marquis de Velez, theoteta.
seven seals. The nativity from the womb, this was signified in the birth of Isaac in Gen 22, The passion was prefigured in the sacrifice of the lamb in Ex. 12 and the goat in Num 7. The resurrection was signified in Sampson who broke through the gates of Gaza in Judges 16. The ascension was signified in the passage in Lev. 1, where one live bird is left and flies away, and in Elijah being caught up in 2 Kgs 2. The sending of the Holy Spirit is in the figure of the fie descending from heaven in 1 Kgs 1. The coming for judgment is signified in Dan 7, and the books were opened.
book within and without. the book is the entire holy Scripture. inside, the spiritual sense, and outside because according to its historical meaning it feeds souls
in the right hand. Now in his right hand, that is, within his power and knowledge, all mystery of the Deity was enclosed in the books of the prophets. For the Lord does nothing which he does not reveal to his servants the prophets.
First is the incarnation Is. 8.
Second is the nativity Is. 7.
Third is the passion Is. 53.
Fourth is the descent into hell Zech 9.
Fifth was the resurrection Hosea 6.
Sixth is the ascension Is. 63.
Seventh is the coming judgment Is. 3.
And I saw. He uses a copulative conjunction 'and', because what is said here is not a different vision from the preceeding one, but they are joined as one section with another.
sealed with seven seals. that is, with all obscurity. And because all time is enveloped in seven days, wholeness is rightly signified by the number seven.
sealed with seven seals. The number seven, being a perfect number, indicates that the book had been truly and very securely shut and sealed up. The fact that the scroll was closed and sealed indicates, as has been said, the lack of a free approach to God by those whose names were written in the book.
book. this is the secret of the ordering of the times of the world.
For no one is capable of this, except the One who has created the periods of times. The seven seals are the secret of the full duration of the world, which is seven thousand years. In every seal there is what will come to pass in that millennium, one by one.