REVELATIO 5 COMMETARY EDITED BY GLE PEASE 1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. BARES, “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne - Of God, Rev_4:3-4 . His form is not described there, nor is there any intimation of it here except the mention of his.” right hand.” The book or roll seems to have been so held in his hand that John could see its shape, and see distinctly how it was written and sealed. A book - βιβλίον biblion This word is properly a diminutive of the word commonly rendered “book” (βίβλος biblos), and would strictly mean a small book, or a book of diminutive size - a tablet, or a letter (Liddell and Scott, Lexicon). It is used, however, to denote a book of any size - a roll, scroll, or volume; and is thus used: (a) To denote the Pentateuch, or the Mosaic law, Heb_9:19 ; Heb_10:7 ; (b) The book of life, Rev_17:8 ; Rev_20:12 ; Rev_21:27 ; (c) Epistles which were also rolled up, Rev_1:11 ; (d) Documents, as a bill of divorce, Mat_19:7 ; Mar_10:4 . When it is the express design to speak of a small book, another word is used (βιβλαρίδιον biblaridion), Rev_10:2 , Rev_10:8-10 . The book or roll referred to here was what contained the revelation in the subsequent chapters, to the end of the description of the opening of the seventh seal - for the communication that was to be made was all included in the seven seals; and to conceive of the size of the book, therefore, we are only to reflect on the amount of parchment that would naturally be written over by the communications here made. The form of the book was undoubtedly that of a scroll or roll; for that was the usual form of books among the ancients, and such a volume could be more easily sealed with a number of seals, in the manner here described, than a volume in the form in which books are made now. On the ancient form of books, see the notes on Luk_4:17 . The engraving in Job 19, will furnish an additional illustration of their form. Written within and on the back side - Greek, “within and behind.” It was customary to write only on one side of the paper or vellum, for the sake of convenience in reading the volume as it was unrolled. If, as sometimes was the case, the book was in the same form as books are now - of leaves bound together - then it was usual to write on