The strong Angel and the little book Revelation 10:1-11

v1 And I saw another strong *angel come down from heaven. His clothes were like a cloud. There was a rainbow over his head. His face was like the sun. And his legs were like columns of fire. v2 He held in his hand a little book that was open. He put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. v3 Then he shouted with a loud voice. His voice was like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, 7 *thunders sounded. The sound was like voices that spoke. v4 When the 7 *thunders spoke, I started to write. But I heard a voice speak from heaven. ‘Keep secret what the 7 *thunders have said. Do not write it.’

v5 The *angel that stood on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. v6 He made a promise in front of God who lives now and always. God created the heavens and all that is in them. He created the earth and the sea and all that is in them. The *angel said, ‘There will be no more delay. v7 When the seventh (7th) *angel sounds his *trumpet, God will act. He will complete his secret plan. He has announced this plan to his servants the *prophets.’

v8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again. The voice said, ‘Go and take the open book from the hand of the *angel. He is standing on the sea and on the land.’

v9 So, I went to the *angel. I asked him to give me the little book. He said to me, ‘Take it. Eat it and it will be bitter in your stomach. But in your mouth, it will taste as sweet as honey.’ v10 I took the little book from the hand of the *angel and I ate it. It did taste as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, it was bitter to my stomach. v11 The voice said to me, ‘You must *prophesy again. This will be about the people from many nations and languages, and about many kings.’

Verse 1 John saw a great *angel come down from heaven. It seemed that a cloud covered him like a coat. There was a rainbow above his head. But his face shone with a bright light like the sun. The impression of his legs was like fire.

Verse 2 There was a little book in the left hand of the *angel. This book was open so that people could read it.

The *angel came down to earth. He was a very large *angel. He put one foot on the land and the other foot on the sea. By this, he showed that he had great authority.

Verse 3 When the *angel spoke, his voice was like the loud roar of a lion. At his call, the 7 *thunders answered. The 7 *thunders seemed to speak words. John heard the *thunders. And he understood what they said.

Verse 4 John kept a record of all that he saw. He wrote what he heard. He listened to the *thunders. Then he started to write down their words. But a voice from heaven stopped him. What the *thunders said must remain a secret. The message that they gave was for John alone.

Verses 5-6 The *angel raised his right hand to heaven. By this, he shows that his promise is sure. God in heaven is witness to it. The *angel makes the promise in front of God.

He describes God. God is the God who always exists. He will always be alive. God alone has life and he alone can give life. He made the heavens, the earth and the sea. God is greater than all and he is the ruler of all. He has the power to do all that he has said. The future will be as God has said. The *prophecies that are in this book will happen.

Here is the *angel’s promise. There will be no further delay. The final phase of history has come.

Verse 7 The seventh (7th) *trumpet will sound. In those days, God will finish his hidden plan. This will be the last struggle of evil things against goodness. It will be the last efforts of *Satan to defeat the purposes of God. But *Satan will not succeed. And this time will also be the last chance for people to turn from their *sins.

God has shown some of his plan to the *prophets. His plan for the end times is in the *scroll (Revelation 1:19 and chapter 5). This book of the Revelation tells what is in that *scroll. Some of it remains secret, for example what the *thunders said. And we do not yet understand many things that God has said.

Verse 8 The voice that John heard in verse 4 spoke to him again. He told John to go to the *angel and to take the little book from him. The *angel was still standing with one foot on the sea and the other one on the land.

Verses 9-10 John went to the *angel and asked for the book. The *angel told him to take it and to eat it. John took the little book and ate it. As the *angel had said, the book tasted as sweet as honey. But in his stomach, it tasted bitter.

It was as if John was feeling the effect of the word of God. Afterwards, he would be able to *prophesy. So, he ate the little book. The book contained the message that John had to tell.

We do not know what was in the little book. It was most likely a message to God’s people on the earth. It was like something sweet because the words came from God. But it was like something bitter because it told about troubles to come. God’s people would overcome in the end. But before that, people would suffer and there would be much pain.

The message that there would be no more delay was a pleasant (or sweet) message. The end for God’s people will be pleasant. But the time before that end would be unpleasant (bitter) for God’s people.

Verse 11 Once more, John must *prophesy. He must show what is yet to happen. The end was not yet but it would come soon. The days of the seventh (7th) *trumpet were ready to begin. This was a message to all the people in the world.

The 7 *trumpets – Revelation 8:2-11:19

The 7 *trumpets – Revelation 8:2-11:19

The 7 *trumpets - Revelation 8:2-11:19

Preparation for the *trumpets - Revelation 8:2-5

v2 Then I saw the 7 *angels who stand in front of God. They each received one of the 7 *trumpets.

v3 And another *angel came and he stood at the *altar. He had a gold bowl in which to burn *incense. He received a lot of *incense. He had to offer this on the gold *altar with the prayers of all God’s people. The *altar was in front of the *throne. v4 As the *angel burned the *incense, it caused smoke to rise from the bowl in his hand. That smoke rose up to God with the prayers of his people. v5 Then the *angel took the gold bowl. He filled it with fire from the *altar. Then he threw it onto the earth. There were *thunder, loud noises, and much lightning. And the earth shook.

Verse 2 There was a silence in heaven when the *Lord broke the seventh *seal. In the seventh *seal were the events called ‘the 7 *trumpets’. In the seventh *trumpet, there were the events called ‘the 7 bowls’.

After that silence, John looked. He saw the 7 *angels. These *angels were a special group. They stood in the holy place, ready to serve God. Each of these received a *trumpet. These *trumpets bring the anger of God to the earth.

Verse 3 An *angel came and he stood at the *altar. He was not one of the 7. He had much *incense, which he added to the prayers of God’s people.

The prayers of his people are important to God. He hears them and he answers them.

Verse 4 The sweet smell of the *incense and the prayers rose up to God. God received the prayers of his people. He would answer their cry.

Verse 5 The prayers had risen to God. Then the *angel took the empty bowl. He filled it with fire. Then he threw it to the earth. There were powerful effects in the sky. And the earth shook. The fire and the effects showed that God was angry. He was angry about people’s evil deeds. He was angry that they refused to obey him. He was angry that they would not accept his love. So, he would now act against the earth.

The first four *trumpets - Revelation 8:6-12

v6 Then the 7 *angels who had the 7 *trumpets prepared to sound them.

v7 The first *angel’s *trumpet sounded. Then *hail and fire mixed with blood poured down on the earth. It burned up a third of the earth. It also burned up a third of the trees. And it burned up all the green grass.

v8 The second *angel’s *trumpet sounded. I saw something like a great mountain. It was on fire, and it fell down into the sea. And a third of the sea became blood. v9 A third of all that was living in the sea died. And this event destroyed a third of all the ships on the sea.

v10 The third *angel’s *trumpet sounded. A great star fell from heaven. It was burning like a torch in flames. It fell on a third of the rivers and on the fountains of water. v11 The name of the star is *Wormwood. A third of the water became bitter. And many people died from the waters, because they were bitter.

v12 The fourth (4th) *angel’s *trumpet sounded. Something struck a third of the sun, of the moon and of the stars. A third of each of them became dark. There was no light for a third of the day and a third of the night.

Verse 6 All was ready for the *angels to sound the *trumpets.

The first four *trumpets affect a third of nature.

Verse 7 The first *trumpet.

When the first *angel sounded his *trumpet, there was a great storm. The storm appeared in heaven. The skies were as red as blood. Then the storm poured down on the earth. There was *hail, fire and blood.

The effects of the *hail and fire were terrible. The fire burned a third of the land. All the trees and other plants on that land died.

Verses 8-9 The second *trumpet.

The second *angel sounded his *trumpet. John saw what looked like a huge mountain. It burned with fire. As it burned, it fell into the sea. The effect of this was to make the sea red. A third of the sea became blood.

Then all that lived in that third of the sea died. All the ships on that part of the sea sank.

Verses 10-11 The third *trumpet.

Then the third *angel sounded his *trumpet. A third of the fresh water on the earth became bitter. The cause was a huge star, which fell to earth. Its name was *Wormwood. Many people who drank this bitter water died.

Verse 12 The fourth (4th) *trumpet.

At the sound of the fourth *trumpet, something struck the sun. The result was darkness for a third of the day. The same happened to the moon and the stars. Their light did not shine for a third of the night.

The cry of the *eagle - Revelation 8:13

v13 Then I saw and I heard an *eagle. It was flying across the sky. It cried with a loud voice, ‘Trouble, trouble, trouble to those who live on the earth! Trouble will come at the sounds of the *trumpets of the last three *angels.’

Verse 13 The effects of the first four *trumpets were terrible. But the effects of the last three would be even worse. The *eagle warned that the last three *trumpets would bring awful trouble. The first four affected only part of the world. The last three would affect all the people on earth.

The fifth (5th) *trumpet - Revelation 9:1-12

v1 The fifth (5th) *angel’s *trumpet sounded. And I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth. This star had received a key. And that key opens the entrance of the hole whose depth has no end. v2 Then this star opened the entrance to the deep hole. Smoke came up from the hole, like the smoke that comes from a great fire. The sun and the air became dark because of the smoke that came from the hole. v3 *Locusts came out of the smoke onto the earth. They received the same kind of power that *scorpions have upon the earth. v4 But these *locusts must not damage the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree. They must hurt only those people who did not have God’s mark on their heads. v5 They did not have the power to kill people. But they could cause them pain for 5 months. And the pain that people suffered was like the pain of a *scorpion sting. v6 In those days, people will want to die, but they will not be able to die. They will hope for death to come, but it will not.

v7 The *locusts seemed like horses that were ready for war. They wore something like crowns of gold on their heads. Their faces were like human faces. v8 Their hair was like the hair of women. Their teeth were like the teeth of lions. v9 On their bodies, they had what seemed to be iron shirts to protect them. Their wings made a great noise as they flew. This sound was like the sound of many horses and carts in a battle. v10 They had tails that sting like *scorpions. And their power to hurt people for 5 months was in their tails. v11 They have a king who rules them. He is the *angel in command of the hole whose depth has no end. His name in the *Hebrew language is Abaddon. In the *Greek language, he is Apollyon.

v12 The first trouble has happened. After this, there are two other troubles yet to come.

Verse 1 The fifth (5th) trumpet.

John saw a star. It had just fallen from the sky. The star came to the earth.

The star had fallen. This fact shows us that something terrible had happened. Stars belong in the sky. They should not fall. Isaiah uses a similar description in Isaiah 14:12-15. Isaiah seems to be referring to the events when the devil decided to oppose God.

This ‘star’ was really a person or an evil *angel. (In fact, John explains who the ‘star’ was in verse 11.) The ‘star’ had received a key. This key shows that the ‘star’ had authority. The key could open the hole, whose depth has no end. This is a description of hell.

Verse 2 This person (called the ‘star’) opened the door to the hole. Great clouds of smoke came out of the hole. As the smoke rose, it made the sky black. The light of the sun could not shine through the cloud.

The hole was the place where evil devils lived. They were in prison. The *angels who fell went there. It was a terrible place. The *Lord will send *Satan there when Jesus comes back again.

Verse 3 Out of the smoke, there came strange animals that seemed like *locusts. There was a great mass of them. *Locusts are insects. They fly together like great clouds. They destroy all the crops that they can find.

These *locusts were like *scorpions in the way that they sting. *Scorpions are insects that have poison in their tails. It is painful when they sting with their tails.

Verse 4 Unlike natural *locusts, these *locusts did not eat the grass or the trees. They must not damage any plants. But they had power to hurt people. However, these *locusts could not kill anyone. But the *locusts had to sting all those who did not have God’s mark on them.

These *locusts were evil. They came from the place of evil devils. But God would not allow them to hurt his people. God is in control. He sets limits on the power of evil things. Evil things cannot do anything that God does not permit them to do.

Verse 5 The *locusts came to hurt people. For a period of five months, they stung the people. The stings caused terrible pain. The pain was like a *scorpion sting. There was no way to ease the pain. But the *locusts could not kill.

Verse 6 The pain was so bad that people wanted to die. Death would be a freedom from the pain. They wished for death but it did not happen.

Verse 7 John tried to describe these *locusts. He says that they were like horses. They were as horses that were ready for battle. They were like a fierce army that was ready for war.

On the head of each *locust was something that seemed like a crown of gold. These were not the crowns of kings. Rather they showed that the *locusts were strong. They were able to overcome people.

The faces of the *locusts were like human faces. They were as clever as people are. They were not like insects or animals. They were from the devil and they were cruel.

Verse 8 They had long hair, which covered their heads. Their hair was like that of women. Women had long hair in the time when John wrote.

Their teeth were like lion’s teeth. They were strong and fierce. When a lion shows its teeth, people are afraid. The sight of these *locusts frightened the people.

Verse 9 There was no way to kill these *locusts. What seemed to be iron shirts protected them. No sword or arrow could cut the shirts.

As they flew, they made a terrible noise. The sound was like the sound of a great army. The sound was like many horses and carts during a battle. The sound frightened people.

Verse 10 They did not bite with their teeth. They had tails that sting. They were like the tails of *scorpions. The effect of a *scorpion sting is painful. So, these *locusts were able to hurt people. But the *Lord allowed them to do this for only 5 months.

Verse 11 The army of *locusts had a king. He was the *angel of the great hole. This *angel was not a servant of God. In fact, this *angel was a servant of the devil. Or perhaps, he was the devil himself. This evil *angel was the leader of the *locusts. He led them as a king leads his army.

His name in the *Hebrew language was Abaddon. He was the ruler of the world of the wicked devils. In the *Greek language, his name is Apollyon. His name means ‘the destroyer’.

Verse 12 This was only the first of the three troubles. There were two more *trumpets still to come.

The sixth (6th) *trumpet - Revelation 9:13-21

v13 Then the sixth (6th) *angel’s *trumpet sounded. I heard a voice speak. It came from the four (4) corners of the gold *altar that stands in front of God. v14 The voice spoke to the sixth *angel who had the *trumpet. The voice said, ‘There are four *angels at the great river called the Euphrates. Someone has bound them. Undo them and free them.’ v15 And he freed the four *angels. These *angels had been ready for this hour, this day, this month and this year. Now they were free so that they could kill a third of all people. v16 I heard how many soldiers on horses there were. The number was 200 million.

v17 As I looked, I saw the horses and their riders. Each rider had an iron shirt to protect him. These were red as fire, dark blue and pale yellow. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions. Fire, smoke and *sulphur came out of their mouths. v18 The fire, smoke and *sulphur killed a third of the people on earth. v19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails. Their tails were like poisonous snakes. Their tails could bite and they could hurt.

v20 The people, who did not die in these troubles, did not *repent. They did not turn away from the *idols that they had made. They *worshipped *demons and *idols. They made the *idols from gold, silver, metal, stone and wood. These *idols cannot see. They cannot hear or walk. v21 The people did not *repent of their murders or of their magic. They did not *repent of wrong sex or the fact that they stole from other people.

Verse 13 The sixth (6th) *trumpet.

When the sixth (6th) *angel sounded his *trumpet, John heard a voice. It came from the gold *altar.

Verse 14 There were four (4) *angels at the river Euphrates. They had control over a vast army from the east. Until now, that army could not cross the river. The voice told the *angel with the sixth *trumpet to free the four *angels.

We think that these four *angels were evil *angels. They wanted to send the army across the river. But God would not let them do it. They could not do their evil work until the time had come.

Verse 15 The four *angels were ready for the task that God would give them. They had to wait until the exact moment that God had chosen. They could not do anything until the exact time in God’s plan. Then they would lead their army to kill a third of the people.

Verse 16 At the time that John was writing, an army of this size was not possible. Since that time, there has been an increase in the number of people on earth. There could now be an army of this size east of the river Euphrates.

Such an army would spread out as far as the eye could see.

Verse 17 John describes what he saw. This vast army was of riders on horses. Each soldier wore an iron shirt. The colour of these shirts was red, dark blue and yellow. These matched the fire, the smoke and the *sulphur. (*Sulphur is yellow. When it burns, the smoke is blue. But the flames are red.)

The horses were not normal horses. Their heads were like lion’s heads. They were fierce and cruel. Fire, smoke and *sulphur came from their mouths.

Verse 18 The riders did not kill people. The horses killed a third of the people. They breathed out fire with smoke and *sulphur.

Verse 19 The power of the horses to kill was in their mouths. But like the *locusts, they had power to hurt in their tails. The tails were like snakes and they had heads. The horses could bite with their tails. When they did, it was like the bite of poisonous snakes. These bites were painful but they did not kill.

Verse 20 God’s purpose in these troubles was that people should *repent. The awful things that happened should have caused them to turn to God. But the people still did not *repent. They still trusted in the things that they had made rather than in God.

The people chose things that they made from gold, silver, metal and wood to be their gods. These gods have no life in them. They cannot hear or do anything. They cannot help and they are not useful. But people turn to these and not toward God.

Security and *salvation - Revelation 7:1-17

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v1 After this, I saw four (4) *angels who stood at the four corners of the earth. They held back the four winds of the earth. The wind could not blow on the earth or the sea or against any tree. v2 Then I saw another *angel come up from the east. He had authority from the God who lives. He called out in a loud voice to the four *angels. These *angels had received the power to damage the earth and the sea. v3 The other *angel said to them, ‘Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees yet. First, we must put a mark on the servants of our God. We shall put the mark on the front of their heads.’ v4 And I heard how many people had this mark on their heads. There were 144 000 of them. They were from every *tribe of *Israel. v5-8 There were 12 000 from each of the 12 *tribes. The tribes are called: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.

v9 After this, I looked, and there was a large crowd. It was so large that nobody could count them. The people were from all nations. They were from all *tribes and nations and languages. They stood in front of the *throne and in front of the *Lamb. They wore white clothes, and they had *palm branches in their hands. v10 And they all cried out in a loud voice. They said, ‘*Salvation belongs to our God. He sits on the *throne. And *salvation belongs to the *Lamb.’

v11 All the *angels stood round the *throne with the *elders and the four *creatures. They all fell down in front of the *throne so that their faces touched the ground. And they *worshipped God. v12 They said, ‘*Amen! *Praise, *glory, wisdom, thanks, honour, power and strength belong to our God. These qualities are his now. And these qualities will be his without end. *Amen.’ v13 Then one of the *elders spoke to me. He said, ‘Who are these people in white clothes? Where have they come from?’

v14 I answered him, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he told me. ‘These are the people who have come out of the great trouble. They have washed their clothes and made them white in the blood of the *Lamb. v15 Therefore, they are there at the *throne of God. And they serve God day and night in his *temple. And he who sits on the *throne will be with them. He will protect them. v16 They will never again be hungry nor will they need drink. They will not suffer from the sun or any terrible heat. v17 This is because the *Lamb at the centre of the *throne will be their *shepherd. He will lead them to the source of the water of life. And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.’

Verse 1 Now there is an interval between the sixth (6th) and the seventh (7th) *seals.

John saw these four (4) *angels. They stopped the winds so that the winds could not blow on the earth. No wind could stir up the sea. No wind caused the trees to move. The whole world was still. The *angels controlled the winds until the servants of God had his mark on their heads.

These *angels stood at the four corners of the earth. John did not think that the earth was a square. He meant that the *angels stood over the whole earth. They had control of all wind.

Verses 2-3 The four *angels had power to damage the earth and sea. God had given them this power. But another *angel came from the east. He shouted to the four. He told them to do no damage until God’s servants received the mark of God.

This mark of God was the name of God and of the *Lamb. God’s servants must have this mark on the front of their heads. The mark was there to give protection to these people. The awful events that were coming would not hurt them.

Verses 4-8 John heard that 144 000 had this mark of God. This is not an actual number. There were 12 *tribes of the *Jews. There are 12 times 1000 from each *tribe. These numbers show that all in the groups were marked.

John records the 12 *tribes by name. This means that all these 144 000 were *Jews. They all believed in Jesus their *Messiah. They were from all the *tribes of the *Jews.

Verse 9 The 144 000 had received the mark of God. Then John looked and saw a vast crowd. This crowd stood in front of the *throne. The crowd was as far as the eye could see. There were so many people that nobody could count them.

These people were from all over the world. They came from every nation. They were God’s people. At that time, they were in heaven.

By *faith in Jesus Christ, these people had received new life. The *Lord had made them perfect with his own goodness. He gave them white clothes to wear. These white clothes meant that they were holy. And they were free from *sin.

They had *palm branches in their hands. The people used to wave *palm branches at their parties. They did this when they were happy. Here, they waved the *palms in order to praise the *Lamb.

Verse 10 The whole crowd cried out together to praise God and the *Lamb. They had all received *salvation from God. God had saved them. This *salvation was because of Jesus Christ. *Salvation belonged to God and to the *Lamb. So, the crowd shouted their praise to God and to the *Lamb.

Verse 11 There were millions of *angels with the crowd. There were the four *creatures and the 24 *elders. The crowd praised God. The four *creatures and the 24 *elders fell down and they too praised God.

Verse 12 They praised God. They cried out seven things about God. All of these belong to our God. The list started and finished with *amen. The *amens insist that these things are true.

God deserves all *praise. *Glory is his greatness, which shines like a bright light. He knows everything and he has all wisdom. We should thank God always for all that he has done for us. He is over all and he deserves honour from all. He is the God of all power. By his strength, he has made all things. He has overcome all that was against us.

Verses 13-14 An *elder spoke to John. He asked John two questions. ‘Who are these people in white clothes? Where did they come from?’ It seems that John did not know the answers. So John asked the *elder to explain.

These people have come out of the great trouble. The great trouble will be the period immediately before Jesus comes back to the earth. It will be an awful time. It will include the events of the seven *seals. During this time, God will take these people from the earth.

These people trusted in the *Lord Jesus Christ. They accepted all that Jesus had done for them. They knew that their *sins had gone. Jesus took their *sins from them when he died. The Bible often describes *sin as if it is something dirty. Only the blood of a perfect *sacrifice could make a person clean (holy). The death of Christ is the perfect *sacrifice for *sin. It was as if the blood of Christ had washed away the *sins of these people. They had white clothes. They had the goodness of Jesus instead of their *sin.

Jesus will take his *church from the world (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). But God has not told us when this will be. Some teachers say that it will happen after the events in chapter 3. John does not talk about the *church on earth from that time. This event must be after chapter 3. But this vast crowd is not the whole *church. The people in this crowd were alive at the time of the great trouble.

Verse 15 This vast crowd stood by the *throne of God. Each person wore white clothes. The white clothes meant that Jesus had made them perfect. They were free from their *sin.

They served God day and night. Day and night are not as we understand them. There is no night in heaven. John used these words to mean that they did not stop their service for God.

They were in God’s *temple in heaven. There, they served him and they praised him. God will always be with them. He will surround them with his *glory.

Verse 16 There will be no more hunger. Neither will they need drink. Jesus promised this to those who came to him (John 6:35). He was not talking about what the body needs. But in heaven, God’s people will have all that they require.

The sun and the heat can be a problem on earth. There is nothing like that in heaven. God’s people will be at home there. They will live in total comfort. There, nothing will disturb them.

Verse 17 The *Lamb changes his role. He is their *shepherd, the leader of the sheep. He is the good shepherd who saves his sheep (John 10:11). The sheep mean the people of God. A *shepherd leads his sheep to the water. Jesus gives the ‘water of life’ to his people. This means that he gives *eternal life to them.

God’s people will not still cry. God will remove all that would cause them to be sad. They will be very happy.

The seventh (7th) *seal - Revelation 8:1

v1 When the *Lamb opened the seventh (7th) *seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

Verse 1 The seventh (7th) *seal.

The *Lamb then opened the seventh (7th) *seal. All the many sounds in heaven stopped. There was a sudden pause. There was complete silence. It lasted for about half an hour.

*Worship in heaven - Revelation 4:1-5:14

*Worship in heaven - Revelation 4:1-5:14

*Worship of God who created all things - Revelation 4:1-11

v1 After these things, I looked, and there in heaven a door was open. And the same voice that I had heard before, sounded like a *trumpet. The voice spoke to me. ‘Come up here. I will show you what must happen after this.’ v2 At once, I was in the Spirit. And there in heaven was a *throne. And someone was sitting on the *throne. v3 And the sight of him who sat there was like the precious stones called jasper and carnelian. There was a rainbow round the *throne. The sight of it was like the precious stone called an emerald. v4 Round the *throne, there were 24 other *thrones. And 24 *elders sat on these *thrones. They wore white clothes and they had gold crowns on their heads. v5 Flashes of lightning came from the *throne. There was the sound of voices and *thunder. In front of the *throne seven lamps of fire were burning. These are the seven Spirits of God. v6 Also, in front of the *throne I saw something like a sea of glass. It was as clear as *crystal. In the centre, round the *throne, there were four *creatures. They were full of eyes both in front and behind. v7 The first *creature was like a lion. The second creature was like an *ox. The third creature had a face like a human face. The fourth creature was like an *eagle that flies. v8 Each of the four *creatures had six wings. They were full of eyes all round and inside them. They did not rest by day or by night. All the time they said, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the *Lord God. He has all power. He was and he is. And he is yet to come.’

v9 The *creatures give *glory to God. They give him honour and they thank him. He sits on the *throne and he lives for all time. And he will never die. v10 When the *creatures praise God, so do the 24 *elders. They fall down in front of him who sits on the *throne. They *worship him. He lives for all time and he will never die. And they throw their crowns down in front of the *throne.

v11 They say ‘Our *Lord and our God you deserve to receive *glory, honour and power because you made all things. By your decision they existed, and you created them.’

Verse 1 Before he saw those future events, John saw the *throne of God. He tried to describe this in these two chapters. And from chapter 6, he writes about future events.

John saw a door that was open. It was the way into heaven. The voice that John heard before spoke to him again. It called him to come up through that door.

The *Lord told John about the events on earth. But before that, the *Lord showed John something of heaven. There, God is on the *throne. The control of all history is in heaven and not on earth. God has the end of history in his plans. His plans cannot fail. What the *Lord showed to John will happen.

Verse 2 The first thing that John sees in heaven is a *throne. The person on the *throne is the king of all. He is the *Lord God who has all power. This *throne is above all other *thrones. God is king above all other kings.

The *throne of God is the centre of heaven. All in heaven look to the *throne. God sits there on the *throne. All of them *worship and serve him.

Verse 3 John did not write about God as having a physical body. Rather, John gives an impression of God as bright light. This bright light shone as the light shines from precious stones.

The jasper was probably a clear stone like a diamond. The carnelian was red. The *throne was like emerald, which reflects green light. There was a rainbow, which glows with all colours. The effect of all these colours is to show the *glory of God.

John could not describe all that he had seen. He could only give us an impression of these things. The languages of earth are not able to describe what is in heaven. There are similar descriptions in Ezekiel chapter 1 and Isaiah chapter 6.

Verse 4 John does not tell us who the 24 *elders are. But they each sat on a *throne. Each time they appear in this book, they are praising God. They bring to God the prayers of his people (Revelation 5:8). In this, they serve the *church but they are not the *church. We think that they are special *angels. Their job is to serve and to praise God.

The white clothes show that the *elders are clean from *sin. Their crowns show that they are royal people.

Verse 5 The lightning and *thunder give an impression of the power of God. John hears these sounds as the voice of God. God speaks from his *throne.

We cannot see the Holy Spirit. He appeared as flames of fire on the day of *Pentecost (Acts 2:3). So here, the 7 lamps show that the Holy Spirit is there.

He is also the 7 Spirits of God. We should not understand this as 7 Spirits. These show seven views of the same Spirit. The number 7 in *scripture is the perfect or complete number. Here it shows that the person and work of the Spirit is perfect.

Verse 6 The sea of glass adds to the effect of what John saw in heaven. Its clear surface is spread out in front of the *throne. Like a mirror it reflected all the lights that flashed about the *throne.

The four *creatures were by the *throne. They were like an inner circle round about the *throne. They had eyes in front and behind. They saw all that happened. Nothing could hide from them.

Verse 7 John tries to describe the *creatures. They are special *angels. John says that their faces were like those of a lion, an *ox, a human person and an *eagle. They were strong like the lion. They were full of power as the *ox. They were wise as a wise man. They were as fast as the *eagle when it flies.

Verse 8 Each *creature had six wings. The wings show the speed with which they obeyed God. The eyes made them aware of all that was round about them.

Day and night the four *creatures praise God. They cry aloud that God is holy. They praise him for his power. Nobody else has power as strong as his. He is the God of all power. They praise him because he is God. He is the only God. There is no other real god. He has no beginning of life or end of life.

Verses 9-10 The four *creatures praise God because he is always the same. God was there at the start of time. He will be there after time has ended.

As the *creatures praise so the *elders fall down in front of God. They throw down their crowns as an act of *worship. They give all honour to God.

Verse 11 The *elders speak to God. They praise him for all that he has made. God made all things that exist. Because of this, God deserves to have all *glory, honour and power.

*Worship of the *Lamb - Revelation 5:1-14

v1 Then I saw a *scroll on the right hand of him who sat on the *throne. There were words on both sides of the *scroll. There were seven (7) *seals, which locked it. v2 I saw a strong *angel. With a loud voice, he asked this question. ‘Who deserves to open the *scroll? And who is able to break its *seals?’ v3 But nobody in heaven, on earth, or under the earth could open the *scroll. Nobody could look inside it. v4 And I wept much because there was nobody good enough. Nobody could open the *scroll or look into it. v5 Then one of the *elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. See, the Lion of the *tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome. He is able to open the *scroll and to break its seven *seals.’

v6 Then I saw a *lamb. It seemed as if it had been dead. It was standing in the centre of the *throne. And it was in the middle of the four *creatures and the *elders. The *Lamb had seven *horns and seven eyes. The eyes mean the seven spirits of God, which he sent out into all the earth. v7 The *Lamb came. He took the *scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the *throne. v8 And when he had taken the *scroll, the four *creatures and the 24 *elders fell down in front of him. Each one had a *harp and gold bowls full of *incense. The bowls of *incense mean the prayers of God’s people. v9 And they sang a new song. ‘You deserve to take the *scroll. And you are able to break its *seals. This is because you died. And with your blood, you purchased people for God. They come from every *tribe, language, people, and nation. v10 You have made them into a *kingdom. And you have appointed them to be priests to our God. They will rule on the earth.’ v11 As I looked, I heard the sound of many *angels. They were round the *throne, and the *creatures and the *elders. There were millions of *angels. v12 They sang with loud voices. ‘The *Lamb, whom people killed, deserves to receive power, wealth, wisdom and strength. He deserves all honour and *glory and *praise.’

v13 Then I heard every *creature in heaven and on earth sing. And all *creatures under the earth, on and in the sea sing with them. They sang a song. ‘This song is to him who sits on the *throne and to the *Lamb. To them belong *praise, honour, *glory, and power without end.’

v14 The four *creatures said, ‘*Amen!’ The *elders fell down and they *worshipped.

Verse 1 On the right hand of God was a *scroll. The *Lord had written on both sides of the *scroll. On it, there were 7 *seals. Each of these *seals locked a part of the *scroll. To read the *scroll someone had to break all 7 *seals in order.

The contents of the *scroll were secret. God’s plans for the end of the world were in it. After each *seal, the *scroll showed the events that would happen.

History and the end of the world are in God’s plan. All will happen as he has decided. Nobody can know what is in God’s plan. When someone opens the *scroll God will show us the future.

Verses 2-3 John saw a strong *angel. This *angel called out in a loud voice. He asked, ‘Who can open the *scroll? Who can break the *seals?’

The sound of his voice went to the ends of space, heaven and the earth.

In all that God had created, nobody could open the *scroll. There was no *angel who was good enough. No man or woman had earned the right to open it. So, nobody could read what was in the *scroll.

Verse 4 It was very important to know what was in the *scroll. A person had to be perfect in order to open the *scroll. There was nobody good enough. This made John so sad that he wept.

Verse 5 One of the *elders spoke to John. He told John not to weep. There is someone who can open the *scroll. He will break the 7 *seals. He has won the right to do it. He has overcome *sin and death. He is perfect and he is able to break those *seals.

This person is Jesus Christ. The *elder used two special names to describe Jesus. Jesus is the Lion of the *tribe of Judah. And Jesus is the Root of David.

Judah was called a young lion (Genesis 49:9-10). The great king would come from the *tribe of Judah. The *Jews understood this king to be their *Messiah. So, the *Messiah is the same person as the Lion who will rule the earth. He is the Christ. He came from the *tribe of Judah.

The Root of David shows that Jesus belonged to the family of David. The *Old Testament speaks about the king who would come. That king would be from the family of King David. That king would be even greater than David was. The *Lord Jesus is that king.

Verse 6 Then John saw the *Lord Jesus. He did not see Jesus as the king. He was not like a lion but like a *lamb. He stood in the centre of the *throne. He was with God. Round him were the *creatures and the *elders.

The *Lamb (in other words, Jesus) had been dead but was now alive. The marks of that death were still there. He had given his life for us and died. But death could not keep him. He had risen from the grave. We call Jesus, ‘the *Lamb of God’, because he died as a *sacrifice for us. He takes away the *sin of the world (John 1:29).

Normal *lambs have two *horns but this one had 7. He also had 7 eyes. The number 7 in the Bible often means that something is perfect or complete. So, this description shows that Jesus has perfect power and wisdom. Nobody can overcome the power of the *Lamb. Nobody can hide anything from the *Lamb. He knows all things.

The eyes are the 7 spirits of God (see 4:5). These 7 are the Holy Spirit. Jesus has sent him into all the earth. He is the agent of Jesus to bring people to God.

Verse 7 The *Lamb stepped forward. He had taken the *scroll from the right hand of God.

Verse 8 Then John saw the four *creatures and the 24 *elders fall down. They praised the *Lamb. They made music to the *Lamb on their *harps.

They gave to the *Lamb what was in the gold bowls. *Incense has a sweet smell. It gives pleasure to those who smell it. This *incense meant the prayers of God’s people. Their prayers pleased God.

The *worship of the *angels is for God alone. Here they *worship the *Lamb. Christ the *Lamb is one with the Father. Christ is God.

Verses 9-10 The four *creatures and the 24 *elders sang a new song. They sang this song to the *Lamb. The song was new not only in time. It was new in quality. It spoke about what the *Lamb had done. He had made a new contract between God and his people.

The *Lamb had earned the right to take the *scroll. He had done what nobody else could do. He alone was able to break the *seals.

They gave three reasons why the *Lamb could take the *scroll.

1. He died and he overcame death. Now, he is alive and he will always live.

2. When he died, he took away the *sins of the people. By his death, he purchased people for God.

3. He made God’s people a *kingdom. He made them priests to God.

Jesus has bought many people by his blood. They come from all the countries of the world. They are from all the nations. There will be in heaven those who speak every language.

All who believe in Christ are part of his *kingdom. Each one of them is a priest to God. As a *kingdom, they will rule with Christ. As priests, they serve the *Lord God. Because of Christ, they can come to God.

Verses 11-12 Then all the *angels joined in with those who were praising the *Lamb. There were millions of *angels. There were so many that nobody could count them.

This vast crowd of *angels live to serve God. They surrounded the *throne of God. And with loud voices, they sang to praise Jesus the *Lamb.

They sang that the *Lamb deserves to have seven qualities. These are power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honour, *glory and *praise. The *angels praise him because he has all these qualities. He always had them as the Son of God. But then he earned them. He died and he rose again from death. He now deserves that all people and *angels should praise him.

Verse 13 Then every *creature joined in the song of *praise. All that God had created sang. They sang to praise God and the *Lamb.

Verse 14 At the end of the song, the four *creatures said ‘*Amen’. The 24 *elders fell down and they praised God.