Through the Bible – Day 346

₁After this, I looked and saw a door that opened into heaven. Then the voice that had spoken to me at first and that sounded like a trumpet said, “Come up here! I will show you what must happen next.” ₂At once the Spirit took control of me, and there in heaven I saw a throne and someone sitting on it. ₃The one who was sitting there sparkled like precious stones of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow that looked like an emerald surrounded the throne.

₄Twenty-four other thrones were in a circle around that throne. And on each of these thrones there was an elder dressed in white clothes and wearing a gold crown. ₅Flashes of lightning and roars of thunder came out from the throne in the centre of the circle. Seven torches, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning in front of the throne. ₆Also in front of the throne was something that looked like a glass sea, clear as crystal.

Around the throne in the centre were four living creatures covered front and back with eyes. ₇The first creature was like a lion, the second one was like a bull, the third one had the face of a human, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. ₈Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and their bodies were covered with eyes. Day and night they never stopped singing,

₉The living creatures kept praising, honouring, and thanking the one who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever. ₁₀At the same time the twenty-four elders knelt down before the one sitting on the throne. And as they worshipped the one who lives for ever, they placed their crowns in front of the throne and said,

₁In the right hand of the one sitting on the throne I saw a scroll that had writing on the inside and on the outside. And it was sealed in seven places. ₂I saw a mighty angel ask with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ₃No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or see inside it.

₄I cried hard because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or see inside it. ₅Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying and look! The one who is called both the ‘Lion from the Tribe of Judah’ and ‘King David's Great Descendant’ has won the victory. He will open the book and its seven seals.”

₆Then I looked and saw a Lamb standing in the centre of the throne that was surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb looked as if it had once been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent out to all the earth.

₇The Lamb went over and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. ₈After he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders knelt down before him. Each of them had a harp and a gold bowl full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people. ₉Then they sang a new song,

₁₁As I looked, I heard the voices of a lot of angels around the throne and the voices of the living creatures and of the elders. There were millions and millions of them, ₁₂and they were saying in a loud voice,

₁₃Then I heard all beings in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea offer praise. Together, all of them were saying,

₁₄The four living creatures said “Amen”, while the elders knelt down and worshipped.

₁At the same time that I saw the Lamb open the first of the seven seals, I heard one of the four living creatures shout with a voice like thunder. It said, “Come out!” ₂Then I saw a white horse. Its rider carried a bow and was given a crown. He had already won some victories, and he went out to win more.

₃When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come out!” ₄Then another horse came out. It was fiery red. And its rider was given the power to take away all peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. He was also given a big sword.

₅When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come out!” Then I saw a black horse, and its rider had a balance scale in one hand. ₆I heard what sounded like a voice from somewhere among the four living creatures. It said, “A litre of wheat will cost you a whole day's wages! Three litres of barley will cost you a day's wages too. But don't ruin the olive oil or the wine.”

₇When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come out!” ₈Then I saw a pale green horse. Its rider was named Death, and Death's Kingdom followed behind. They were given power over one fourth of the earth, and they could kill its people with swords, famines, diseases, and wild animals.

₉When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of everyone who had been killed for speaking God's message and telling about their faith. ₁₀They shouted, “Master, you are holy and faithful! How long will it be before you judge and punish the people of this earth who killed us?”

₁₁Then each of those who had been killed was given a white robe and told to rest for a little while. They had to wait until the complete number of the Lord's other servants and followers would be killed.

₁₂When I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, I looked and saw a great earthquake. The sun turned as dark as sackcloth, and the moon became as red as blood. ₁₃The stars in the sky fell to earth, just like figs shaken loose by a storm. ₁₄Then the sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all mountains and islands were moved from their places.

₁₅The kings of the earth, its famous people, and its military leaders hid in caves or behind rocks on the mountains. They hid there together with the rich and the powerful and with all the slaves and free people. ₁₆Then they shouted to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us! Hide us from the one who sits on the throne and from the anger of the Lamb. ₁₇That terrible day has come! God and the Lamb will show their anger, and who can face it?”

_1-2After this I saw four angels. Each one was standing on one of the earth's four corners. The angels held back the four winds, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. These angels had also been given the power to harm the earth and the sea. Then I saw another angel come up from where the sun rises in the east, and he was ready to put the mark of the living God on people. He shouted to the four angels, ₃“Don't harm the earth or the sea or any tree! Wait until I have marked the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

₄Then I heard how many people had been marked on the forehead. There were one hundred and forty-four thousand, and they came from every tribe of Israel:

₉After this, I saw a large crowd with more people than could be counted. They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands, ₁₀as they shouted,

₁₁The angels who stood around the throne knelt in front of it with their faces to the ground. The elders and the four living creatures knelt there with them. Then they all worshipped God ₁₂and said,

₁₃One of the elders asked me, “Do you know who these people are that are dressed in white robes? Do you know where they come from?”

₁₄“Sir,” I answered, “you must know.”

Then he told me: