CHAPTER 5
VERSE 1: (Chapter 5)
The BOOK with SEVEN SEALS
"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.
In this verse, the apostle John is verifying again what he is seeing in Heaven. He says here that he " saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book". John sees God Almighty holding a book in His right hand. We covered the significance of the right hand in Chapter 1. Please refer to Revelation 1:16 for reference on the importance of the right hand of God. We also know from the previous verses that it is God sitting on the throne. So let's get right to the book that God is holding in His right hand.
Books have been around for many centuries.. A lot of people do not realize that. Many believe that the first man was very primitive, perhaps even a caveman. Some believe that mankind came from apes. These two views are very far from the real truth. The fact is that early mankind was super intelligent. Today we have computers to do the thinking, processing, and calculating for us. Humans were originally created with very great intelligence. Early civilizations built unprecedented pyramids. They studied stars, galaxies, and the telling of times without telescopes or compasses like we have today. Early civilizations had built castles, towers, and beautiful palaces with no gas-powered machinery. How did they build the tower of Babel having to haul the extremely heavy boulders way up above the clouds? It was built in such perfect balance. It was built with great precision. Back then, people were indeed very intelligent. They were definitely not unintelligent. The fact is that mankind, centuries ago, were much more intelligent than we are today.
There is a book located at the Bulgaria National Museum of History that some people may deem as the oldest book in the world. It has six pages of 24-carat gold written in Etruscan script. Reports estimate that this book is about 2,500 years old. I do not know of anyone today who could articulate such beautiful carvings in gold, without a machine, as was done here over two thousand years ago! There is a book we can hold in our hands that was written over 3,500 years ago.
Around 1520 B.C., the book of Job was written by very early civilization. Even though the book of Job is placed 18th in the Bible index, it is the oldest book of the Bible. You can hold and read it anytime and see how intelligently written it is. These two books themselves verify that early civilization was very intelligent.
This is a very interesting book that God is holding in His right hand. Our verse states that it is written on both sides and that it is sealed with seven seals. Our books today are usually written on both sides, but to have a book sealed with seven seals makes it extremely important. Our court system seals documents which are of high importance or information which is not to be released until the proper time. This is true with the book God is holding. It is of high importance and it is not going to be unsealed (opened) until the proper time.
This "book" that is in the right hand of God, has seven seals. It has seven pages, written on the front and back sides, and each page is sealed with a separate seal. Each seal has to be opened in order. The seventh seal could not be unsealed until the first six seals, in their order, has been opened (see picture of scroll).
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VERSE 2: (Chapter 5)
The QUESTION about the BOOK with SEVEN SEALS
"And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?"
The chief attributes of angels are strength and wisdom. Angels are also given the power to become visible to humans as God wills. Below are some characteristics of angels which I obtained from my study in my KJV Old Scoffield Study Bible. In my opinion, this is the best reference Bible. The original Old Scoffield Study Bible, Authorized King James Version, 1611 by Reverand Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, D.D. has innumerable cross references and notes that are inexhaustible. "O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" (Romans 11:33). In Hebrews 1:4, Scoffield's notes share the following characteristic of angels:
Hand Penciled by 'M' @joker328007
1) Angels are exceedingly numerous. Matthew 26:53 mentions 12 legions of angels. One legion equals 6,000. That makes 12 legions of angels to equal 72,000 angels! And there are many more than that!
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2) Their power is inconceivable. One angel of the LORD smote over 185,000 Assyrians in one night (2 Kings 19:35).
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3) Their place is around the Throne of God. We will read about the voice of many angels (ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands), in Revelation 5:11.
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4) Angels minister to the safety and well-being to those of us who are God's children. Hebrews 1:14 says that angels are "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation".
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5) Angels observe us. 1 Corinthians 4:9b informs us that "...we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels..." This fact should influence our conduct. If we would remember that angels are watching us, we would probably behave better.
6) Angels carry those who are saved into Heaven (Luke 16:22). For over eight years, I served as a Hospice volunteer. I sat with people as they were actively dying. I usually sat alone at night. Yes, I could sense angels around the person if they were a Christian. And, yes, I could feel the presence of demons around those who were not Christians. Please make sure of your salvation. Angels and demons are very real.
7) Angels will accompany Christ at His Second Coming. Matthew 25:31 says: "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him". We will be studying the second coming later on in Revelation.​
In this verse, we see this strong angel proclaiming and asking a question. In the early centuries, when a proclamation was made, it was made by one of the king's officers. This very strong angel is indeed one of God's officers. This angel's voice is sounding out like a trumpet. His voice can be heard throughout all of Heaven, earth, and even under the earth as this is verified in the very next verse. The question that this angel asks is "...Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?"
In verse 1 of this chapter, we just read about the book in the hand of God and it being sealed with seven seals. This strong angel is asking who can open the book. He wants to know if there is anyone who can unseal the seven seals.
In the very next verse, we will see if there is anyone who can open the seals. The angel looks everywhere ... throughout Heaven's universe, all over the earth, and even under the earth.
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VERSE 3: (Chapter 5)
​NO ONE is WORTHY
"And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon."
The strong angel looks everywhere for someone "worthy" to open the "book". No one in Heaven ... not the 24 elders nor any of the saints ... is worthy to open this book. No one on the earth is worthy and no one under the earth (those in hell) can open this book with seven seals. In fact, no one was even able to even "look thereon". No one. Not even a peek!
VERSE 4: (Chapter 5)
JOHN WEEPS
"And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon."
John's heart was truly broken over this issue. Not only did John weep, but he wept much. Have you ever seen a man weep extremely? Perhaps at the loss of a very dear loved one? This shows John's heart was extremely broken because he "wept much". John was weeping because no one in the whole universe was worthy to "open the book". No one was worthy to open this book. No one was worthy to "read" this book, and no one was even worthy to "look" at it, not even John himself. He felt very unworthy.
​This verse shows us our unworthiness, too. It shows us that there is not one of us who worthy to be saved. Romans 3:23 verifies this: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God". There is no one who can do enough 'good works' to earn a place in heaven. Not one person, absolutely no one, can be saved by good works like baptism, church membership, being a good neighbor, etc. Like John, we need to weep for our unworthiness.
Psalm 34:18 says that:
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"The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;
and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."
Not only was no man worthy to open this book, but no one was worthy to even look upon it! This is a very holy book. God is holy. When the Lord appeared unto Moses in the burning bush, "... Moses hid his face" (Exodus 3:6). The closer we get to God, the more unworthy we feel and the holier God appears to us. People who treat God like a man upstairs are either not saved or very far away from Him.
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VERSE 5: (Chapter 5)
An ELDER COMFORTS JOHN
"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 twenty-four elders are comforting John as he is weeping. One elder informs John that there is Someone Who can open the book and loose the seven seals. This elder tells John that the "Lion of the tribe of Juda", Who is also called the "Root of David", is worthy to open this book and loose the seven seals.
We've learned about Jesus being the "Lion" in the section of Revelation 4:7. We also saw that He is the "Root of David" in Revelation 22:16 where Jesus says: "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." Jesus is the only One worthy to open this book and to loose the seals. This elder also tells John why Jesus is worthy to open this book. He tells John that Jesus can open this book because "He hath prevailed". In the very next verse we are going to see what "prevailed" means.
VERSE 6: (Chapter 5)
The LAMB STANDS
"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."
John had been crying. Now he lifts up his head and this is what he sees. John had just told us about seeing God's throne in Heaven. He told us about the four beasts and about the twenty-four elders. Now John sees a "Lamb" standing in the middle of everything in Heaven.
Jesus is the "Lamb" that is standing "in the midst". In John 1:29, John the Baptist testifies and says: "... Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Throughout the Book of Revelation, we see many passages referring to Jesus as the "Lamb" (Revelation 7:10; 14:4; 15:3; 17:14; 21:23). The Old Testament sacrifices of a lamb also point to Jesus as the "Lamb". Ezekiel 45:15 says: "And one lamb out of the flock...to make reconciliation for them, saith the Lord GOD." Isaiah 53:7 prophesied about Jesus being the sacrificial "Lamb": "He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth"
We need to really grasp this verse. We need to fully understand that Jesus is the "Lamb", and He is standing "in the midst" as He "had been slain". In other words, Jesus will be standing there all mutilated looking. Jesus will be bearing in His body all the wounds He suffered on Calvary for us. We will see what our sins did to our Saviour. His body was beaten with rods. He was spit upon. His beard was torn from His precious face. A cat-of-nine tails (which we studied in Revelation 2:4) was used to tear the flesh off of His entire body. His eyes were beaten so badly that He could hardly even see (Isaiah 52:14). Our Lord was a bloody mess for us. A living piece of hamburger. He became the sacrificial "Lamb" for us. Ask any butcher what a lamb looks like on a butcher block. How can we ever think that our 'good works' will matter when we see Jesus standing there like the "Lamb slain"???
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1 Peter 1:18, 19 tells us: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things ... But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot:" Jesus laid down His life, shed His blood, so we can be saved. Jesus is the perfect "Lamb of God". Jesus only is worthy to open this book and to loose the seals.
There is a beautiful song titled "Above All" that includes the lyrics of 'like a rose, trampled on the ground, you (Jesus) took the fall'. It is by Michael W. Smith. I hope you will take the time to listen to this song carefully. You can find it on YouTube. It truly expresses the meaning of these verses we are studying. Please listen to the song. It may really bless you.
Verse 6 goes on to say: "...having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth". The number seven was of special significance to the Hebrews. Seven implies perfection, and is used more frequently than any other number in the Bible according to 'The System Bible Study' Book of 1954. From the very beginning of earthly time, seven has been the number of days in a week. We read here that Jesus has seven horns and seven eyes. This implies perfection. Horns were used throughout the Bible to make a loud sound, to announce, and to declare for everyone to hear. Jesus' eyes also see everything. So, the picture we have here is Jesus standing in the middle of Heaven as the "Lamb". He will be sounding out loudly for all to hear what this "book" says when He takes and opens each seal.
Next we will see Jesus approaching Almighty God to take this book out of God's right hand.
VERSE 7: (Chapter 5)
​JESUS TAKES the BOOK
"And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne."
Now we see Jesus approaching God the Father to receive this book, the book that no one else is worthy to open. Jesus is the only One worthy to take this book from the Father because He gave His sinless life as the supreme sacrifice, the "Lamb" without spot or blemish.
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot:" (1 Peter 1:18,19).
After Jesus takes this book out of the Father's hand, the next verse happens.
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VERSE 8: (Chapter 5)
​The HARPS and the PRAYERS
​"And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints."
Remember, John is writing down what he is witnessing. These verses that we are studying will take place after the Rapture has occurred. Saints in Heaven will be witnessing Jesus, as the "Lamb" slain, taking this holy "book" out of the hand of His Father. The four beasts and the twenty-four elders will fall before Jesus and worship Him. Every one of the elders will have a harp. Harps are used in moments of joy and thanksgiving. The harp is also used in signifies joy events. There is great joy in Heaven at this time when the "Lamb of God" is about to open this "book".
Golden Harp
Every elder also had a golden vial "full of odours". A vial is pictured here. It is a beautiful container. The vials mentioned here in our verse are made of fine gold. They are also full. They are filled to the top with odours. Odours are a sweet smell, a perfume, a wonderful scent. It is revealed to us what this wonderful scent is. Remember, Revelation is to reveal! All through Revelation, God is revealing to us what is to come. And these sweet odours are to come up before God's throne. What are these sweet odours? God reveals this in our verse. Odours are "the prayers of saints". These vials, that the twenty-fours elders are holding, are full of our prayers! Isn't it something that the word 'odours' has the word 'ours' in it. Interesting. I wonder what our prayers are. Are they our prayers for our loved ones? Are they our prayers for those left on the earth during the Great Tribulation? Are they our prayers, praise, and thankfulness to our precious Saviour Who gave Himself for us? One thing is for certain, and that is we are the ones whose prayers that are saved in these golden vials. How is your prayer life? Your prayers will be saved in a golden vial to be offered up to God Almighty someday soon.
We will be reading more about these prayers when we get to Chapter 8 of Revelation.
Golden Vial
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VERSE 9: (Chapter 5)
The NEW SONG
"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;"
We are still in this Heavenly Throne Room. We will be seeing the twenty-four elders singing with their harps of gold. This is what they are singing: "Thou (Jesus) art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation:" They sing because Jesus died on the Cross to redeem us.
God created us to sing unto Him. In fact, everything God created gives glory and praise to Him. Did you know plants sing? There is even a 'singing plant concert' held in Turin, Italy. Sensors are attached to the leaves of plants which processes it into a music synthesizer. You can even buy a machine that allows you to listen to the music of your very own houseplants. You can even listen and watch corn grown on YouTube. All of plant life sings. Grass, trees, cacti, all sing and the plant list goes on.
Scientists have placed microphones near plants and have picked up many beautiful sounds in the ultrasonic range of 20 to 100 kilohertz. There are rocks that sound like ringing bells when you tap them. The fact is that God created everything melodious. He created everything in perfect harmony with each other. I believe the Garden of Eden was full of music from all the different plant life. I also believe the new earth will have these same attributes. But let's remember, God also created us humans to sing unto Him, too. We should be singing down here about His salvation. We should be singing about His great love towards us when He went to Calvary. Saints will be singing throughout all eternity to the Lord along with the twenty-four elders, the four beasts, and all the angels. Are you singing to your Redeemer?
The rest of this verse is the lyrics to the song that the twenty-four elders and the beasts sing unto Jesus. They are singing that He is worthy to take the "book" and open the seals. They are also stating here that Jesus was the only worthy one to open this book because He redeemed us to God by His blood. The elders also state that those whom Jesus redeemed were of "every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation". There is no racism with God. It does not matter to God what color our skin is. It does not matter to God what country we live in. All that matters to God is that we receive Jesus as our Saviour.
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One last thing to notice in this verse is the word "tongue". Let's just clarify this again. Tongue in the Bible means 'language'. As a rule, the first time a word is used in the Bible, its meaning carries throughout the entire Bible. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, mentions 'tongue' as a distinct language in Chapter 10. In Genesis 11:5-9, tells us about the tower of Babel. Verse 6 says that "the people is one, and they have all one language". Verse 7, God says: "let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." Verse 8 tells us that this is what God did. Verse 9 tells us that this place is called Babel because "the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth". These verses explain to all of mankind how our different languages occurred.
Now let's look at Revelation 14:6: "...to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people". This verse almost duplicates the verse we are studying now, Revelation 5:9. Tongues is just another name for languages. There is good information on the website Uneed2no.com under Articles explaining more about Tongues.
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VERSE 10: (Chapter 5)
WE shall REIGN
"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."
This verse is the rest of the elders' song. This verse is almost a repeat of Revelation Chapter 1, verse 6. We covered this topic. However, I'd like to remind you of one verse we covered there: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood..." (1 Peter 2:9). If God is your King, your Father, then that makes you a prince or a princess ... royalty. We need to conduct ourselves properly. Remember, when you approach your Heavenly Father in prayer, He is King. Address Him with reverence. He is not 'just a guy upstairs'. That is actually an insult to our Holy King.
VERSE 11: (Chapter 5)
The VOICE of MANY
"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;"
Not only is John telling us what he is seeing, he is also telling us what he is hearing. While looking at our Saviour as a slain Lamb, and looking at the twenty-four elders and the four beasts, John hears a magnificent sound. John hears "the voice of many angels". These angels, with the beasts and the elders, surround the throne of God. The number of these angels are innumerable. There are so many angels that man cannot count them. Ten thousand times ten thousand is a hundred thousand thousand (100,000,000), Take this number and try to multiply it times thousands and thousands of thousands! We cannot, but God can. Picture this innumerable number of angels surrounding God's throne with the elders and the beasts!
Many of us have heard choirs. Some of us have even been to a live Trans Siberian Orchestra show and felt the impact of all the instruments and voices blending together. Here was John hearing the greatest orchestra possible. Innumerable heavenly angels praising God in perfect unison. Our next verse continues this scene.
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VERSE 12: (Chapter 5)
WORTHY is the LAMB
"Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."
We are continuing the scene with the innumerable angels that surround God's throne. This enormous number of angels will be singing: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing". There are seven things listed in this verse that Jesus has 'earned' because He gave Himself on the Cross for all mankind. Remember that seven is the number of perfection. These are seven gifts that Jesus received from His Father:
1. Power: Jesus has all authority and power to redeem.
2. Riches: The Father has bestowed all riches upon His Son.
3. Wisdom: He has the wisdom of God.
4. Strength: His strength is above all. He can conquer and destroy.
5. Honour: All creation honours Christ ... in Heaven, on Earth, and under the earth.
6. Glory: He has royal majesty and dignity above all.
7. Blessing: He is worshipped and He bestows blessings upon whom He will.
Only Jesus is worthy because He is the perfect "Lamb of God". He is the only Sacrifice that the Father could accept. Jesus is the spotless "Lamb", slain and placed before the Father, to redeem us from God's wrath upon our sin.
This verse shows all the angels worshipping and exalting the "Lamb". The next verse will show us what every creature will do, including us.
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VERSE 13: (Chapter 5)
SAYING onto HIM that SITTETH upon the THRONE
"And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."
In verses 8-10 of this chapter, we studied about the twenty-four elders and the four beasts worshipping the "Lamb". In verses 11-12 we read about all the angels worshipping Jesus, the "Lamb". Now we are reading about every creature that will worship the "Lamb of God".
There will be nothing or no one who will not worship the "Lamb of God". Every creature in Heaven will worship Him. Every creature on the earth will worship Him. And every creature under the earth will worship Christ. Let's look at this in two parts, the human part and the non-human part. All the hosts of Heaven will be worshipping Christ, whether they be the twenty-four elders, the beasts, or the angels. All the hosts of the earth will worship the "Lamb" whether they are Christians or are not. And all the hosts under the earth will worship the "Lamb". In other words, all the souls in hell, from the beginning of creation unto this point of time, will worship Jesus. Will people get out of hell and be allowed into Heaven because they are worshipping the "Lamb"? No, I'm afraid not. The decision to accept the "Lamb's sacrifice for sin must be made before physical death. However, all those in hell, and even Satan himself, will bow before the "Lamb of God".
Satan used to worship the "Lamb of God", but Satan decided he didn't want to anymore. Ezekiel 28:14-15 says this about Satan: "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." Every creature ... human or non-human, will worship the "Lamb of God". "That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth" (Philippians 2:10).
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The second point is that every creature and everything that has life will also worship the "Lamb". All the stars, planets, milky ways, etc. will be praising the "Lamb". There was a conference held in Minnesota back in 2011 called the 'Desiring God National Conference'. Louie Giglio amazed all the people there when he played audio tapes verifying the sounds that outer space makes. The audio tapes that Mr. Giglio played revealed both rhythm and melody from the planets, stars, etc., singing praise to their Creator.
Non-human elements on this earth will also be praising its Creator. We just wrote about the flowers, trees, and rocks making sounds of praise to their Creator in verse 9 of this chapter. The birds of the air and all the fish life in the waters will be worshipping their Creator. Anything under the earth - the crust, the mantels, volcanoes, and even hell itself will be worshipping the "Lamb". Before man sinned and ruined this perfect world, the whole universe was in harmony. The Bible says in Romans 8:19 "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation...". Verse 21 of Romans 8 says: "...the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty..." And verse 22 says: "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." The "Lamb of God" will one day soon break the bondage of all sin that is upon the entire world.
In our verse here, John is saying that he is hearing "every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them". John hears them saying "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever". All of Heaven, the universe, and our earth will be sounding out with loud praises to Almighty God and the "Lamb"!
A part of Psalm 65:12 states that "...the little hills rejoice on every side..." Psalm 65:13 says: "The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys are also covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing."
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VERSE 14: (Chapter 5)
AMEN !!!
"And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever."
When every single being gives praise and glory to the "Lamb", the four beasts talk! Remember they say "Holy, Holy, Holy" day and night. They also say "Amen"! Amen means 'so be it'. "Amen" represents truth and faithfulness. In Revelation 3:14, Jesus is called "The Amen". He is faithful and true. John 14:6 says: "Jesus saith ... I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Then "the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him". We need to be on our knees worshipping our Saviour, the "Lamb" Who died for us. Christ will live forever and ever. So will you. But will you live forever in Heaven or will you live forever in Hell? The choice is yours and you must make that choice before you die. Don't wait too long. Our next chapter will reveal to us what is going to happen as the "Lamb" opens the first seal. Will you be in Heaven watching Christ open the first "seal" or will you be on the earth as the Tribulation Period begins? Where will you be?
