It is most important that you follow along with your Bible. Perhaps making notations as we go along.

One of the most exciting, revealing and reader-blessed books of the Bible, Revelation! "Blessed is he………." 1:3 There's a lot of symbolism in Revelation, but by searching your Bible, the truths in this book are revealed. This book mostly deals with Israel's future and the Tribulation.

In Revelation 3, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." v. 22, is the very last mention of the Church until the end of the Book. So it's pretty obvious that the Church will be gone when the Tribulation starts.

One must remember that the descriptions given by John are the way he saw things back in that day. His world back then was totally different from our world today.

Rev 4:1: "After this (the completion of the Church age, when the saints are gone) I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with : (a voice that was likened to a trumpet) which said, "come up hither." The Church will also hear the trumpet call to come up, the "blessed hope" Paul speaks of in Titus 2. "which said, 'Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.'" (after the Church is gone)

Rev 4:2: "And immediately I (John) as in the spirit (he was exiled on Patmos, now, so he just went up to heaven in the spirit) "and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne."

Rev 4:3 "And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." It must have been awfully difficult for John to describe the awesome beauty of the Throne Room.

Rev 4: "And round about the throne were four and twenty seats (or thrones): and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold." The Bible doesn't tell us who the elders were, only that they are there.

Rev 4:5 "And out of the throne (which is the very presence of God) proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God." Probably, a better definition would be "attributes" of the Holy Spirit. Ref: Isaiah 11:2, "And the spirit of the LORD (God, when all letters are capitalized) shall rest upon him, (Christ the Son-v.1) the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;" the seven attributes as used within His role as member of Godhead.

Rev 4:6 "And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind." Hardly monstrous-looking beasts, but more likely 'living creatures'; an angelic being.

Rev 4:7 "And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf (or ox), and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast lwas like a flying eagle." Ref. Ezekiel Chapter 1 to see the relationship of these beasts. They relate perfectly. "Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance;" (now go to Eze, v. 10), "As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle." The same four as Rev 4:7.

Although Christ is pictured in Matthew as King; Mark as Servant; Luke as Son of Man; and, John as Son of God, Christ is FIRST AND FOREMOST the Lion of the tribe of Judah; King of kings and Lord of lords.

So the living, angelic beings spoken of by Ezekiel and John are all the living creatures that depict one of these four attributes of Christ as we see Him in the Gospels. Another perfect fit!

Now perhaps you have begun to realize that where some say the Bible contradicts itself, is not contradiction at all, but a change in programs. What the Bible says to the Nation of Israel is naturally going to be different than what He says to the Church: Israel is under the Law—we, the Church, are under Grace.

Rev 4:8 "And the four beasts (living creatures) had each of them six wings about him and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." The same Sovereign God from eternity past to eternity future.

Rev 4:9-11 "And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power (why?): for thou hast created all things, and for his pleasure they are and were created.

You will notice that although we may, and we would probably be less than worthy if we didn't throw our crowns at His feet when we get them, the scripture doesn't say we should. It says the elders do.

Rev 5:1 "And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book (scroll, rolled up and sealed) written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals." Details are written on the outside of the scroll/book. This is a mortgage and goes way back into the OT ecomony of Israel. Three requirements for paying off a mortgage are: Next of Kin, Able, and Willing. That's how Israelites kept their inheritance. If they got into a financial mess, they would either lose the property or go to a next of kin. If the next of kin were able and agreeable, he would pay off the mortgage. Things that need to be made public were written on the outside and private details were on the inside of the scroll. The point here is, there WAS a mortgage involved, but only One was worthy to open it and pay it off.

Rev 5:2,3 "And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?' And no man in heaven, nor in the earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon." No-one had the next of kinship, wealth, or was willing, so John says,

Rev 5:4 "And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon."

Rev 5:5 "And one of the elders saith unto me, 'Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." Christ was worthy!

Rev 5:6 "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the middle of the elders, stood a Lamb (I believe that John is the only book who uses the expression "Lamb of God") as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."

Rev 5:7 "And he (Lion of the tribe of Juda, Israel's King, the King of kings, the Son of God) came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne." Now the Trinity appears with God the Father on the Throne, and God the Son at the right hand. Being the Son of David and the Son of God give Him all the authority He needed to open the scroll, because He can fulfill the demands, and also because of His finished work on the Cross.

Tying the NT and the OT together now… Daniel 7:13a "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man". (Notice " Son" in this OT book.)

Daniel 7:13b "…came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days (God the Father), and they brought him (The Son) near before him."

Daniel 7:14a "And there was given him (God the Son) dominion…" Back in Gen 1, Adam had that dominion, but lost it in Chapter 3 of Gen when he sinned. Then Satan got it, making himself the "mortgage holder". These mortgages will be PAID IN FULL by the judgments and the seven years of Tribulation. The end of it will bring delivery and freedom from the curse.

Daniel 7:14 "And there was given him dominion and glory, and a kingdom (a visible, political governmental kingdom on earth). Christians already have their citizenship in heaven (book of Col). But we will come with the Lord when he brings his heavenly kingdom and sets it up on earth, where He will be KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS! HALLELUJAH!!!

Okay, now back to Revelations.

Rev 5:8 "And when he (Christ)had taken the book (scroll) out of the hand of Him (God) who sat on the throne, the four beasts (or creatures) and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints." Here are all the prayers you sometimes wondered if God received, accumulating as sweet-smelling fragrances before God.

Rev 5:9 "And they sung a new song, saying, 'Thou (the Son, the Lamb) art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof (no qualifications): For thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by the blood" (the blood being one of the absolutes of the plan as far back as the beginning of the Bible. "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin"; and "without faith it is impossible to please Him" - Book of Hebrews) out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;'"

Rev 5:10 "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests (which is the future of believers) and we shall reign (under our King of kings,) ON THE EARTH."

Rev 5:11 "And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;" Remembering at the ascension, a cloud received Him out of their sight, I believe this was a very heavenly host, not a moisture cloud, which escorted Him into Heaven. It is probable that all mentions of 'clouds', unless specifically stated as a moisture cloud, are these heavenly hosts. They are numbered in the tens of thousands here.

Rev5: 12,13a (All) "saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain (crucified) to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth,"… Notice it says "every creature", not just every man/woman/child; that ALL are aware of the Creator.

Romans 8:18,19 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in (to) us (our future), For the earnest expectation of the creature (creation) waiteth for the manifestation of the sons (children) of God." A good definition of "manifestation" is "to be brought into the spotlight". You see things you wouldn't ordinarily see when it is brought under a bright light.

Romans 8:20 "For the creature (creation) was made subject to vanity (the curse), not willingly (not the fault of the creation, but of Adam) but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope," After Adam sinned, our gracious Father came right back with the promise of a Redeemer (Gen. 3:15).

Romans 8:21-23 "Because the creature (creation) itself (all creation) also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption (the curse) into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they (but also humans, especially believers), but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." When we enter that magnificent rule and reign, and the curse is no longer.

Today there is nothing but fighting, even between all of the animals and birds, etc., for food and their very existence. No more, once the curse is lifted. All creation, human and animal, etc. will live together peaceably. But so many people don't know, or don't care that life as we are now living it now WILL COME TO AN END. We MUST try to get the truth out to them!

Rev 5:13,14 "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, heard I saying, 'Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.' And the four beasts (creatures) said, 'Amen'. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever." The Lamb has the mortgage and is going to open it and begin to pay it off.

(Watch for Revelation 6, where we will be introduced to the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse.)