259. "Who is worthy to open the book and to loose its seals?" This symbolically means, Who has the power to know the states of life of all in heaven and on earth and to judge each one according to his state?

"Who is worthy?" symbolically means, "Who can, or who has the power?" To open the book and to loose its seals means here, symbolically, to know the states of life of all in heaven and on earth and also to judge each one according to his state; for when the book is opened, an inquiry takes place into the people's character, followed by a verdict or judgment, comparatively as a judge judges with the book of the law and in accordance with it.

That opening the book symbolizes an inquiry into the character of each and every person's state of life is apparent from the following chapter, which describes what John saw when the Lamb opened its seven seals one by one.