Day 98 – The Throne of Heaven

₁At this point I had another vision and saw an open door in heaven. And the voice that sounded like a trumpet, which I had heard speaking to me before, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” ₂At once the Spirit took control of me. There in heaven was a throne with someone sitting on it. ₃His face gleamed like such precious stones as jasper and carnelian, and all round the throne there was a rainbow the colour of an emerald. ₄In a circle round the throne were 24 other thrones, on which were seated 24 elders dressed in white and wearing crowns of gold. ₅From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. In front of the throne seven lighted torches were burning, which are the seven spirits of God. ₆Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

Surrounding the throne on each of its sides, were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and behind. ₇The first one looked like a lion; the second looked like a bull; the third had a face like a human face; and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight. ₈Each one of the four living creatures had six wings, and they were covered with eyes, inside and out. Day and night they never stop singing:

₉The four living creatures sing songs of glory and honour and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives for ever and ever. When they do so, ₁₀the 24 elders fall down before the one who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They throw their crowns down in front of the throne and say:

₁I saw a scroll in the right-hand of the one who sits on the throne; it was covered with writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals. ₂And I saw a mighty angel, who announced in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ₃But there was no one in heaven or on earth or in the world below who could open the scroll and look inside it. ₄I cried bitterly because no one could be found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside it. ₅Then one of the elders said to me, “Don't cry. Look! The Lion from Judah's tribe, the great descendant of David, has won the victory, and he can break the seven seals and open the scroll.”

₆Then I saw a Lamb standing in the centre of the throne, surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb appeared to have been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that have been sent throughout the whole earth. ₇The Lamb went and took the scroll from the right-hand of the one who sits on the throne. ₈As he did so, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people. ₉They sang a new song:

₁₁Again I looked, and I heard angels, thousands and millions of them! They stood round the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders, ₁₂and sang in a loud voice:

₁Then I saw the Lamb break open the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice that sounded like thunder, “Come!” ₂I looked, and there was a white horse. Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown. He rode out as a conqueror to conquer.

₃Then the Lamb broke open the second seal; and I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” ₄Another horse came out, a red one. Its rider was given the power to bring war on the earth, so that people should kill each other. He was given a large sword.

₅Then the Lamb broke open the third seal; and I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there was a black horse. Its rider held a pair of scales in his hand. ₆I heard what sounded like a voice coming from among the four living creatures, which said, “A litre of wheat for a day's wages, and three litres of barley for a day's wages. But do not damage the olive trees and the vineyards!”

₇Then the Lamb broke open the fourth seal; and I heard the fourth living creature say, “Come!” ₈I looked, and there was a pale-coloured horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades followed close behind. They were given authority over a quarter of the earth, to kill by means of war, famine, disease, and wild animals.

₉Then the Lamb broke open the fifth seal. I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because they had proclaimed God's word and had been faithful in their witnessing. ₁₀They shouted in a loud voice, “Almighty Lord, holy and true! How long will it be until you judge the people on earth and punish them for killing us?” ₁₁Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the complete number of their fellow-servants and fellow-Christians had been killed, as they had been.

₁₂And I saw the Lamb break open the sixth seal. There was a violent earthquake, and the sun became black like coarse black cloth, and the moon turned completely red like blood. ₁₃The stars fell down to the earth, like unripe figs falling from the tree when a strong wind shakes it. ₁₄The sky disappeared like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. ₁₅Then the kings of the earth, the rulers and the military chiefs, the rich and the powerful, and all other people, slave and free, hid themselves in caves and under rocks on the mountains. ₁₆They called out to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the eyes of the one who sits on the throne and from the anger of the Lamb! ₁₇The terrible day of their anger is here, and who can stand against it?”

₁After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so that no wind should blow on the earth or the sea or against any tree. ₂And I saw another angel coming up from the east with the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels to whom God had given the power to damage the earth and the sea. ₃The angel said, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we mark the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.” ₄And I was told that the number of those who were marked with God's seal on their foreheads was 144,000. They were from the twelve tribes of Israel, _5-812,000 from each tribe: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.

₉After this I looked, and there was an enormous crowd — no one could count all the people! They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood in front of the throne and of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. ₁₀They called out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb!” ₁₁All the angels stood round the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. Then they threw themselves face downwards in front of the throne and worshipped God, ₁₂saying, “Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honour, power, and might belong to our God for ever and ever! Amen!”

₁₃One of the elders asked me, “Who are these people dressed in white robes, and where do they come from?”

₁₄“I don't know, sir. You do,” I answered.

He said to me, “These are the people who have come safely through the terrible persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb. ₁₅That is why they stand before God's throne and serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will protect them with his presence. ₁₆Never again will they hunger or thirst; neither sun nor any scorching heat will burn them, ₁₇because the Lamb, who is in the centre of the throne, will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”