Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
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Could the "scroll" (Rev 5:1 through 8:1), with the seven seals be the same scroll as the "Book of Life" (Rev 20:12,15)? So much emphasis is placed on the opening of the scroll in Chapter 5. Although the "scroll" is never opened; yet its seals are broken. Could the scroll possibly be the Book of Life (Rev 20) (which IS opened) since "scroll" and "book" in Greek refer to the same thing?

In Your Grace's article on the Diocese website you equate the scroll as a sentence of death.

Furthermore, is this scroll the same one mentioned in Daniel 12:1-4?

  1. at the beginning of this passage, the "book" sounds like the book of life in Revelation ("... those whose names are found written in the book, will  escape...")

  2. at the end of this passage, the book sounds like the sealed scroll in Revelation ("...seal the book until the time of the end...")

Daniel's vision (Ch. 12) may have been a preamble to St. John's revelation. What is concealed in the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament. Daniel 12, and Revelation 20, may refer to the content of the scroll as the "Book of Life",... but not necessarily. The scroll in itself may have been the actual sentence of death. "And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life....and anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:11-15).

As it is mentioned in the article, "Humanity was delivered to the sentence of death (the sealed scroll)." The opening of the first six seals inflicted so much pain and suffering for humanity as a prologue to the death sentence. The seventh seal is described as a prelude to the seven trumpets, which again would inflict even more pain on humanity by striking nature and the elements that were created to nourish man. The transitioning between the opening of the seventh seal and the beginning of the seven trumpets, is the prayers of the saints, breaking a unique silence in heaven: "Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand..." (Revelation 8:3,4). The seven angels were again instructed to "Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth" (Revelation 16:1).

Several books are mentioned in the Holy Book of Revelation. The "Little Book" eaten by St. John was already open. The eating of the book resembles the scene whereby Ezekiel also ate a book (Ezekiel 3:3). Both prophet and evangelist were commissioned to prophecy. Other books revealed the kept records of the works of each one. Each one will stand before God to give account of his/her life and receive judgment. "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened" (Revelation 20:12).
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