Lexical Summary katasphragizó: To seal completely, to seal up Original Word: κατασφραγίζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance seal. From kata and sphragizo; to seal closely -- seal. see GREEK kata see GREEK sphragizo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kata and sphragizó Definition to seal up NASB Translation sealed (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2696: κατασφραγίζωκατασφραγίζω: perfect passive participle κατεσφραγισμενος; "to cover with a seal (see κατά, III. 3), to seal up, close with a seal": βιβλίον σφραγῖσιν, Revelation 5:1. (Job 9:7; Wis. 2:5; Aeschylus, Euripides, Plato, Plutarch, Lucian, others.) Topical Lexicon Biblical Setting and Narrative Focus The sole appearance of κατασφραγίζω occurs in Revelation 5:1: “Then I saw in the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.”. John’s vision centers on a divinely authored scroll whose contents remain inaccessible until the Lamb breaks each seal. The intensive prefix kata- (“down, thoroughly”) stresses an absolute fastening, underscoring that no created being can open or even look inside (Revelation 5:3). Old Testament Background of Sealed Scrolls Sealing authoritative documents is deeply rooted in Scripture. Jeremiah deposits the title-deed of Anathoth in an earthen vessel “so that it will last a long time” (Jeremiah 32:14). Daniel is instructed: “Seal the book until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4). Isaiah speaks of revelation becoming “like the words of a sealed scroll” (Isaiah 29:11). These passages anticipate a climactic disclosure reserved for God’s appointed moment, preparing the theological backdrop for the sealed scroll in Revelation. Historical and Cultural Insights In the first-century Roman world, legal wills were secured by multiple witnesses, each affixing a separate seal. Only the designated executor possessing all requisite authority could break them. Revelation employs that cultural reality to communicate Christ’s exclusive worthiness; He alone satisfies every legal, covenantal, and moral requirement to open God’s redemptive plan. Christological Significance The seven-fold sealing magnifies both the completeness of God’s decree and the unparalleled authority of the slain yet risen Lamb (Revelation 5:6-10). The impounded scroll symbolizes inheritance, judgment, and consummation. By taking and opening it, Jesus Christ asserts His messianic kingship, executes divine justice, and secures the promised inheritance for His people (compare Hebrews 9:15). Eschatological Implications Each broken seal inaugurates events that propel history toward the new heaven and new earth (Revelation chapters 6–8). Until the Lamb intervenes, the contents remain irreversibly locked, reflecting the truth that history unfolds only at God’s initiative and timing. Relation to the Seal of the Holy Spirit While κατασφραγίζω appears only in Revelation 5:1, the broader New Testament theme of sealing (ἐσφραγίσθη, etc.) comforts believers with assurance. “When you believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13). The unbreakable seal on the scroll mirrors the unbreakable seal on the redeemed, both guaranteed by divine authority. Ministry Application and Pastoral Use 1. Assurance of Sovereignty: God’s plans are not subject to human tampering. This undergirds pastoral exhortations to trust His timing amid uncertainty. Related Concepts and Cross-References • Divine Decrees: Psalm 2:7-9; Isaiah 46:10. Summary Strong’s Greek 2696 captures an intensified act of sealing that both conceals and secures God’s ultimate redemptive blueprint until the Lamb alone reveals it. The concept unites Old Testament precedent, Roman legal custom, and New Testament fulfillment, reinforcing believers’ confidence that the same sovereign Lord who guards history’s scroll also guards their eternal inheritance. Forms and Transliterations κατασφραγίζει κατεσφραγισμενον κατεσφραγισμένον katesphragismenon katesphragisménonLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Revelation 5:1 V-RPM/P-ANSGRK: καὶ ὄπισθεν κατεσφραγισμένον σφραγῖσιν ἑπτά NAS: and on the back, sealed up with seven KJV: on the backside, sealed with seven INT: and on [the] back having been sealed with seals seven |
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