11 Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. 12 And they sang in a mighty chorus:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing.”13 And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power
belong to the one sitting on the throne
and to the Lamb forever and ever.” (Rev 5:11-13) NLT
In these chapters, John continues to give us a vivid description of Jesus and all that leads up to the second coming of Christ as revealed to him by the Holy Spirit. All of creation sings praises to God the Father and Jesus.
13 Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, “Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from?”
14 And I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.”
Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.
15 “That is why they stand in front of God’s throne
and serve him day and night in his Temple.
And he who sits on the throne
will give them shelter.
16 They will never again be hungry or thirsty;
they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun.
17 For the Lamb on the throne
will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” (Rev 7:13-17)
I can persevere in this life because of these promises–the hope of knowing that one day Jesus will make all things right, that he will take away all the pain and suffering, and I will be in His presence through all eternity. I believe this and hold fast to them. Everything in this book I’ve been reading all year is true. I stake my eternal life on the Word.
When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour. (Rev 8:1)
All the praising stopped! It was silent for 30 minutes. I think all of heaven prepared for what was about to come. The consequence of sin and those who chose not to believe in Jesus for salvation was about to begin. I think even in those 30 minutes God was giving people a chance, one last chance, to accept his son.
20 But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their immorality or their thefts. (Rev 9:20-21) NLT
After all the terrors (the NIV calls them woes) set upon the earth in chapters 8 and 9, there were still those who were unwilling to repent and accept Jesus. Their hearts were so hardened, nothing could get through to them. Woe to them is really what comes to mind. My heart breaks for these people and tears well up in my eyes at the possibility of any of my loved ones being in this group. It is why I must continually and fervently pray for those who have not yet accepted Jesus as their Savior.
Lord Jesus, I know that one day I will be in your presence and I, too, will sing praises and worship you. You are my Shepherd. There are many in my family that have not yet accepted you and I pray for their salvation. Please work in their hearts, reveal yourself to them, let them know you as Savior. I pray this not only for my loved ones, but for all who have not believed. Use me to tell my story of you, your love, your kindness, and your forgiveness. May they see all you have done to change me and seek you to do the same in their own lives. As we celebrate your birth on this Christmas Eve, may many come to understand the sacrifice you made for all of us, so none would be lost. Thank you for coming from heaven to this earth as a baby. You alone are worthy of worship. In your precious name I pray. Amen
Cindy (gardnlady)
Sixty-six books in a year 