Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne, 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!”

NOTE:  Revelation is not written like Genesis, with the events in order.  Revelation is the visions shown to John, along with some of the structure of the Tribulation. In this blog, we will move between the Tribulation events (Chapters 4-22) and the letters to the churches (Chapters 2-3).

The Heavenly Scene (Three Visions) 

The Great Throne of God

John was taken to heaven in his spirit and saw visions of what would come to pass as the Tribulation begins. A grand celebration is taking place in heaven.  John is trying to describe this heavenly event as something wonderful that is unlike anything on earth.  The scene was beyond anything John had ever witnessed.  He uses the word “like” to help describe the marvelous scene.

Verse 3-5 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices.

Also, heavenly creatures around the throne shouted day and night, “Worthy is the Lord to receive glory, honor, and power. You created all things. And by Your will they exist and were created.  There was also great worship of God.

The Scroll 

The earth and all people are born in bondage because of sin in the Garden of Eden.  Sin separated man from God.  Jesus’ work on the cross paid the price to cancel the bondage of sin.  A scene appears in heaven of a search for someone worthy to open this scroll, but no one is found.  Would the world and man be forever bound by sin and death?  Then Jesus appeared “as a lamb who had been slain”.  Jesus took the scroll because He paid the price for sin and death. 

Largest celebration ever

A grand celebration begins as Jesus takes the scroll.  Soon, the earth will be reclaimed, Tribulation will be poured out on the world,  sin will be destroyed, and all will be made Holy again.  This scene could be as big as Jupiter, as the Bible says:

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,  saying with a loud voice:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

One of my favorite passages is verses 13-14: 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, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

Imagine every creature worshiping God. All the dogs barking, horses whinnying, elephants shouting, whales singing, birds chirping, and underground sounds, along with the angels and heavenly creatures, all worship God on the throne and Christ, the Lamb.

This scene is the inspiration for Handel’s Messiah.