And I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice:

"Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and unroll it?"

But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.

 Then I wept because no one could be found who was worthy to open the scroll and read it. But one of the twenty-four elders said to me,

"Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has conquered.

He is worthy to open the scroll and break its seven seals."

                                  I looked and I saw a Lamb that had been killed

but was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders.

He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that are sent out into every part of the earth.  He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne.  And as he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense – the prayers of God's people!  And they sang a new song with these words: "You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were killed, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become God's Kingdom and his priests. And they will reign on the earth."  

     Then I looked again, and I heard the singing

of thousands and millions of angels around

 the throne and the living beings and the elders.

 And they sang in a mighty chorus:

"The Lamb is worthy – the Lamb who was killed

 He is worthy to receive power and riches

and wisdom and strength and honor

and glory and blessing."  And then

I heard every creature in heaven and on earth

and under the earth and in the sea.

 They also sang: "Blessing and honor and

glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne

 and to the Lamb forever and ever."  

And the four living beings said, "Amen!"

And the twenty-four elders fell down

                                       and worshiped God and the Lamb.                                        

 

Above Text from Revelation 5:1-14 (not inclusive)

                                                                                                                           

Note: Why Seven Seals?

"Sealing a scroll was a common and important practice in Biblical times. The wills of both Emperor Vespasian and Caesar Augustus were secured with seven seals.

"For such a document, a scribe would procure a long roll of parchment and begin writing. After a period of writing he would stop, roll the parchment enough to cover his words and seal the scroll at that point with wax. Then he would resume writing, stop again, roll the scroll, and add another seal. By the time he was finished, he would have sealed the scroll seven times. The scrolls would be read a section at a time, after each seal was opened.

"Why was this process used? Evidently it was to prevent unauthorized persons from tampering with the scroll or reading and revealing its contents. Only a "worthy" person -- that is, someone with proper authority -- could have legal access to the scroll's message.

"When a Jewish family was required to forfeit its land and possessions through some distress, the property could not be permanently taken from them. Their losses were listed in a scroll and sealed seven times, then the conditions necessary to purchase back the land and possessions were written on the outside of the scroll. When a qualified redeemer could be found to meet the requirements of reclamation, the one to whom the property had been forfeited was obligated to return the possessions to the original owner."