Yes — the Revelation 5 scroll is a mortgage because it represents the lost dominion of Adam that must be redeemed, and Les Feldick shows that Christ alone is the Kinsman-Redeemer who can pay it off.
Les teaches that the scroll is a debt document, not merely a book. Adam was given dominion over the earth in Genesis 1:28, but when he fell, Satan picked up what Adam lost and has been the god of this world ever since. In Jewish custom, only a next of kin with the funds and the willingness could pay off a mortgaged property. Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, fulfills all three requirements and takes the scroll from the Father, ready to pay the debt.
Genesis 1:28 — God's original grant of dominion to Adam is the 'property' that later becomes the mortgage when Adam loses it.
Revelation 5:1 — John sees the sealed scroll in God's right hand — the object Les identifies as the mortgage.
Revelation 5:5 — The Lion of the tribe of Judah is the next of kin who is worthy to open the scroll.
Revelation 5:7 — The Lamb takes the scroll — the act of the Redeemer paying the debt.
Revelation 5:1 (KJV) says: 'And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.' A strong angel then asks who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof, and John weeps because no one in heaven, in earth, or under the earth was able to open the book or to look thereon (Revelation 5:2–4). One of the elders then declares: 'Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof' (Revelation 5:5). In Revelation 5:7, the Lamb comes and takes the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. The earlier foundation is Genesis 1:28, where God blessed Adam and Eve and gave them dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and every living thing that moved upon the earth — the stewardship that the later passage looks back to. The Bible itself does not use the word 'mortgage' in Revelation 5. The scroll is presented as a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals; the mortgage interpretation is the picture language Les Feldick draws from Old Testament Jewish redemption customs.
Les Feldick explains that the scroll in Revelation 5 is not just a book — it is a mortgage, a document recording a debt that must be paid off. He grounds this in Old Testament Jewish custom, especially the book of Ruth. When a Jew had mortgaged his land and was about to face foreclosure, a next of kin could rescue him by paying the debt. That redeemer had to satisfy three requirements: he had to have the funds, he had to be the next of kin, and he had to be willing. Les connects this to the loss of Adam's dominion. In Genesis 1:28, God gave Adam the earth to subdue and rule, but when Adam fell, Satan picked up what Adam lost and became the god of this world. So, even though God the Father is pictured holding the scroll in Revelation 5, Les says the mortgage actually belongs to Satan — he holds the mortgage on planet earth. God is holding it ready to be paid off. Then the Lamb appears. Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, is the only One who fulfills all the requirements. He has the wherewithal, He is the next of kin, and He willingly comes forward. In Revelation 5:7, the Lamb takes the scroll out of the Father's right hand — Les describes it as Christ coming before the throne and saying, in effect, 'I'll pay it off.'
Les says you have to go back into Jewish history and the book of Ruth to understand the scroll. If a Jew mortgaged his land and became incapable of paying it off, he faced foreclosure. But a 'rich uncle' — a next of kin — could bail him out. A stranger could not do it. The details of the mortgage were written publicly on the outside of the scroll and privately on the inside, much like a recorded deed in a courthouse protects other buyers.
Les teaches that the mortgage came into existence when Adam lost his dominion. He goes back to Genesis 1:28, where God told Adam to multiply, replenish the earth, subdue it, and have dominion. When Adam fell, Satan picked up that lost dominion and has been the god of this world ever since. So the scroll in Revelation 5 is Satan's mortgage, even though God the Father is holding it in His right hand, ready for it to be paid off.
According to Les, the redeemer of a mortgaged property had to meet three prerequisites: he had to have the funds to pay the debt, he had to be the next of kin (a stranger was disqualified), and he had to be willing to help. Les applies these to Christ: Jesus has the wherewithal as the Eternal Creator God, He is the next of kin as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and He shows Himself willing by taking the scroll from the Father.
Les notes that the King James translation says 'book' in Revelation 5:1, but it should be 'scroll,' because in John's day they did not have books as we know them — they used scrolls. The scroll was written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals, which is exactly the form of a Jewish mortgage document.
The Three Prerequisites and Christ Says 'I'll Pay It Off'
Les explains the Jewish mortgage custom from the book of Ruth and lists the redeemer's three requirements — funds, next of kin, and willingness — then shows Christ coming before the Father's throne to say in effect, 'I'll pay it off.'
God Is Holding a Mortgage
Les explains that the 'book' in Revelation 5:1 is actually a scroll written within and on the backside, and that this form is exactly what a Jewish mortgage looked like — so God is pictured holding a mortgage.
The Three Requirements for Paying Off a Mortgage
Les repeats the threefold requirement for a kinsman-redeemer: he must be the next of kin, must have the funds and wealth, and must be willing — the framework for understanding who can open the scroll.
The Mortgage Idea Traced to Genesis 1:28
When asked where the mortgage idea comes from, Les takes the listener all the way back to Genesis 1:28, where God gave Adam his instructions of dominion — the position that became the debt to be paid.
Whose Mortgage Is It? Satan's
Les makes the striking point that although God the Father holds the scroll, the mortgage actually belongs to Satan — the one who took up the dominion Adam lost.
Satan's Mortgage on Planet Earth
Les calls the scroll the mortgage that Satan has on planet earth, picked up when Adam fell, and says God the Father is now holding that mortgage ready to be paid off.
Christ Fulfills All the Requirements
Les connects the scroll to Daniel 7 and stresses that Christ alone fulfills the redeemer's requirements — He has the wherewithal, He is the next of kin, and He shows Himself willing.
KJV 'Book' Should Be 'Scroll'
Les points out that the King James word 'book' in Revelation 5:1 should be 'scroll,' since in John's day writing was done on scrolls, not bound books.
Genesis 1:28: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
The original grant of dominion that Adam lost — creating the debt Les calls the mortgage.
Revelation 5:1: And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
The sealed scroll in the Father's right hand — the mortgage document itself.
Revelation 5:5: And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
The Lion of the tribe of Judah is the Kinsman-Redeemer worthy to open the scroll.
Revelation 5:7: And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
The Lamb takes the scroll — the act of paying off the debt.
Daniel 7:14: And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
The Son of Man is given dominion — the restoration of what Adam forfeited, as Les connects Revelation 5 to Daniel 7.
Les Feldick teaches that the scroll is a mortgage because it represents the dominion Adam lost when he fell. Satan picked up that dominion and holds the mortgage on planet earth. In Jewish custom, a next of kin could pay off a fellow Jew's mortgage, and Jesus is the Kinsman-Redeemer who comes to pay that debt.
The redeemer must have the funds to cover the debt, must be the next of kin — a stranger is disqualified — and must be willing to help. Les shows that Jesus meets all three: He has the wherewithal as Creator, He is the Lion of Judah, and He willingly takes the scroll.
No. The word 'mortgage' never appears in Revelation 5. Les derives the mortgage picture from Old Testament Jewish land-redemption customs, especially the book of Ruth, and applies it to the sealed scroll in God's right hand.
Les explains that the King James chose the word 'book' because of the translation, but it should be 'scroll.' People in John's day wrote on scrolls rolled up and sealed — exactly the format of a mortgage document written within and on the backside.
Watch the Teaching: Who Can Open the Scroll? Daniel 7 & Revelation 5 Explained