But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. – Revelation 5:3

Today's Scripture Reading (July 15, 2024): Revelation 5

It was called "Excalibur." It was a sword that possessed some sort of magical power that could only be wielded by the one who was worthy and belonged on the throne of England. To protect its use by an unauthorized person, it is placed in a stone, and only the one who is worthy can remove it from its hiding place. Many tried. Strong men grasped the handle of the sword and attempted to pull it from the stone, but all failed.

All that is until Arthur is exposed to the sword. Finally, the one worthy of removing the sword from the stone had arrived. Or, so the legend says. The story of the Sword in the Stone is a tale that I have known since early in my childhood, and it ushered my young imagination into the Arthurian legend of this good king and his Knights of the Round Table.

In his vision, John sees someone sitting on a throne with a scroll in his hand. The scroll has writing on both sides, but no one can open it or peek inside. There is no one worthy to receive the message of the scroll. It is not that no one tried to open the scroll or find someone strong enough to receive the message. An angel had been dispatched to find someone who was worthy, and strong angels had probably tried to open the scroll, but no one was found.

It is a story that resembles the Sword in the Stone from the Arthurian legend. It involves the tale of the search for the one who is worthy. And it is not brute strength that is the key to withdrawing the sword from the stone or opening the scroll. It is something different and intangible. Pastor David Guzik makes this observation. 

There was no answer to the strong angel's challenge because the creation is utterly incapable of deciding or effecting its own destiny. Someone above the order of created beings must determine the course of history – only God can unfold this plan (David Guzik).

Of course, the story of The Sword in the Stone sets us up for the legend and the character of Arthur. The search for the one who can open the scroll sets us up for Jesus, the uncreated one who can open the scroll and read the words contained within it.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 6