Revelation 4-5 – After this I looked, and
there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first
heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you
what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before
me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there
had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald
encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones,
and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had
crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning,
rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were
blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there
was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were
four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.
The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third
had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four
living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under
its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
Whenever the living creatures
give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for
ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the
throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns
before the throne and say:
“You are worthy, our Lord and
God,
to receive glory and honor and
power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were
created
and have their being.”
Then I saw in the right hand of him
who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven
seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to
break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under
the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because
no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of
the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the
Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven
seals.”
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it
had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four
living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which
are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the
scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken
it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the
Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense,
which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the
scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for
God
persons from every tribe and language
and people and nation.
You have made them to be a
kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
Then I looked and heard the voice of
many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten
thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In
a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was
slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom
and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
Then I heard every creature in
heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in
them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to
the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and
power,
for ever and ever!”
The four living creatures said,
“Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
So, what is Heaven like?
The scene is one of worship. God is, indeed, worthy to be worshiped
like this.
But there is much more to life than worship. God created us to do more
and to live a balanced life. That’s why Heaven, and this worshipful scene, will
not last forever. There will be a New Heaven and a New Earth for us to live new
lives. Heaven is not eternal.
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