1 Then I saw in the right hand of the One seated on the throne a scroll with writing on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
Here is the introduction of a series of judgments that are coming upon the whole earth and those who dwell in it.
The phrase “Then I saw in the right hand of the One seated on the throne a scroll” is in reference to God the Father.
Seven seals refer to seven different judgments that are on the scroll.
2 I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
The phrase “Who is worthy to open the scroll” does not suggest that Almighty God cannot open it but it is in reference to the One who was victorious over sin and death. Sin, because He was tempted by Satan yet, did not sin (Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 4:15), and death because He rose from the grave (Acts 2:24). Jesus Christ is worthy to open the scroll because He alone was victorious and that victory came through His death and resurrection.
3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even to look in it.
No one was worthy because no one in heaven could have done what Jesus did on earth, that is the cross.
All judgment and authority were given to Jesus from the Father to judge the earth for rejecting Him and for worshipping Satan and his demons through idols, witchcraft, and worldly lust.
4 And I cried and cried because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or even to look in it.
John, started to weep because no one was able to open the scroll and see what the Word of God was about to reveal.
The reason it could be that he thought that was because he saw that God seated on the throne couldn’t open it. It still didn’t dawn on him the full scope of the power of the cross regarding the End Time judgments until it was revealed to him.
5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals.”
One of the 24 elders proclaimed to John that the reason why no one could open the scroll was that it was only reserved for Jesus Christ who was slaughtered for the sins of the world and was victorious.
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Spiritual Minefield 
I like your pic of the scroll better than the one I used. I still haven’t figured out how the scroll was unrolled with each of the other seals still intact. Having unrolled a Torah scroll on many occasions, it still boggles me. Perhaps you can unravel that for me.
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Excellent question and a very hard one but I will move full steam ahead and try to answer it. If you look at Revelation 6 when Jesus opens the first seal it doesn’t say that He reads it but He sends His angel to proclaim to John what was the judgment for that seal that was broken. Every time a seal is broken in sequence a judgment occurs. Once all the seals are broken and the scroll is completely open, it means that those judgments are fulfilled and pronounced upon the world.
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Oh, I like that. I had confused the actual events that are described by what was actually written on the scroll, but you are right. The angel isn’t reading the scroll, John is describing what he saw or heard. Thanx.
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Even though the angel isn’t reading it the judgments that are unleash are the one’s that are written in the scroll.
Thanks for your question Donald.
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