Re: Rev 5:3 OUDEIS EDUNATO...ANOIKSAI...OUTE BLEPEIN

Jim West (jwest@highland.net)
Sun, 26 Oct 1997 08:57:08 -0500 (EST)

At 08:32 AM 10/26/97 -0500, you wrote:
>I'm not sure if I'm getting too hung up on literal meaning of one word here.
>In Rev 5:3, it says that nobody was found who could open the scroll or even
>look inside:
>
>KAI OUDEIS EDUNATO EN TWi OURANWi OUDE EPI THS GHS OUDE hUPOKATW THS GHS
>ANOIKSAI TO BIBLION OUTE BLEPEIN AUTO.

>the phrase OUTE BLEPEIN makes me a little uncertain...does it really
>mean that nobody was found who was physically capable of peeking into it?
>

No- it simply continues with the idea that no one is authorized to look at it.

>Is my reading of the context OK? I'm not sure that I've completely grasped
>the symbolism of the seals; I would assume that the scroll came from the one
>seated on the throne, but why would you seal a scroll that you still had in
>your hands if you intended to give it directly to someone?

the book is highly figurative- and such questions as why you would seal a
scroll you are about to hand over would not have arisen for the author or
his audience. The gist is, who has authority to know what the one on the
throne wishes done? the answer, the lamb.
Otherwise your reading seems quite correct.

>
>Jonathan
>
>

Jim

+++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West

Adjunct Professor of Bible,
Quartz Hill School of Theology

jwest@highland.net