1 Thessalonians 4:13–18  and Matthew 24:30-36

The Revelation of Jesus Christ
 

Patmos is an island in the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece. Picture from BiblePlaces.com

The word "revelation" means something that was hidden is now visible or clear. This book makes Jesus Christ in glory visible. The revelation was from God who gave it to Jesus. Then Jesus gave it to an angel who gave it to John the Apostle.  John wrote the Revelation in about 94 to 96 A.D. At that time in history, the ruler of Rome was Emperor Domitian. When he wrote the Revelation, John was an old man. He was the last of the 12 apostles who was still alive. John was visiting the churches in Asia Minor. That is in the area that is now called Turkey. Paul had also visited those churches about 30 years before. When Paul was there, the churches were healthy and active. When John visited though, they were having problems. The Romans did not like John visiting the 7 churches to encourage them. They were trying to stop the spread of Christianity. They arrested John and  then sent him to exile on a small barren island named Patmos. While he was on Patmos, John saw visions in which Jesus told him about the future of the world. Overview of the parts of the Revelation I. John tells about how he saw the vision and how Jesus looked when He talked to him. II.  Letters to the 7 churches III.  Things that will happen in the future.

Revelation 4

After that, I looked and saw a door open in heaven.  I heard the same voice that I heard before.  It was the voice that sounded like a trumpet. The voice said come here and I will show you things that will happen next.
[1] After this 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 me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.


John sees God sitting on a throne and 24 elders sitting around God's throne.
 

Immediately, I was in the spirit and I saw a throne in heaven and someone was sitting on the throne.
[2] And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.


The one who sat on the throne was shiny like the jewels, jasper and sardine.  
[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.


There were 24 seats around the throne. There were 24 elders sitting on the seats. The elders were wearing white clothes. They had gold crowns on their heads.
[4] And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

 

From TOHH Bible Verses

Lightning, thunder, and voices came out of the throne.  In front of the throne were 7 lamps of fire burning.  These were the 7 spirits of God.
[5] And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.


4 beasts were in front of God's throne.

In front of the throne, there was a sea of glass like crystal. In the middle of the throne and around the throne, there were 4 beasts. The 4 beasts had eyes in front and in back.
[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.

 

The first beast was like a lion. The second beast was like a calf.  The third beast had a face like a man.  The fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
[7] And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.


Each beast had 6 wings.  They had many eyes all over.  They did not rest during the day or night. They said, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." They said that God was in the past, is in the present, and will be in the future.
[8] And the four beasts 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 beasts give God glory, honor, and thanks. The elders worship God.


The beasts gave God glory, honor, and thanks. God sits on the throne and lives forever and ever.  When the beasts give God glory, honor, and thanks, the 24 elders kneel down in front of God. They worship Him. They put their crowns in front of the throne.  They say that God is worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. That is because God created everything.  Everything is created because it was God's choice and plan to create them.
[9] And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
[10] 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,
[11] Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Scroll closed with 7 seals From BibleandScience.com

Revelation 5


God was holding a book that was sealed with 7 seals.
 

I saw God sitting on His throne. He was holding a book in His right hand. The book had writing on the inside and back cover. It was sealed with 7 seals.
[1] And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.



I saw a strong angel. He used a loud voice and asked who was good enough to break the seals and open the book.
[2] And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?


No man in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book. No one could look at the book either.
[3] And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.


I cried because no one was good enough to open the book, read the book, or look at the book.
[4] And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.


One of the elders said to me, "Do not cry. Look and see the lion of the tribe of Judah. He is the root of David. He has opened the book and broke the seals."
[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.

I looked,  and I saw a Lamb. The Lamb was in the middle of the throne, in the middle of the 4 beasts, and in the middle of the elders. The Lamb had been killed. The Lamb had 7 horns and 7 eyes.  These are the 7 Spirits of God sent into all the earth.
[6] And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.


The Lamb came and took the book. He took the book from God's right hand. God was sitting on the throne.
[7] And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.


After the Lamb took the book, the 4 beasts and 24 elders kneeled down in front of the Lamb.  They each had harps. They each had golden bowls of incense. These are the prayers of the saints.
[8] And when he had taken the book, the four beasts 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.


The beasts and elders sang a new song. They sang to the Lamb. They sang that He is good enough to take the book and open the seals. He is good enough because He was killed to redeem them to God.  He redeemed them with His blood. He redeemed every race, language, country, and person in the world. Because of His death, they are like kings and priests to God. They will rule over the earth.
[9] And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
[10] And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.


I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels. The angels, beasts, and elders were around the throne.  There were 10,000 x 10,000 and 1,000's of 1,000's.
[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;

They were saying loudly that the Lamb was killed, and now the Lamb is good enough to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing.  
[12] Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

I heard every creature in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, and in the sea. They were all saying, "Blessing, honor, glory, and power to Him who is sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever."
[13] 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.


The 4 beasts said, "Amen." The 24 elders fell down on their knees. They worshiped Him that lives forever and ever.
[14] And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

 

Revelation 6

The Lamb opened the 2nd seal. I heard the second beast say to come and see. A horse came out. This horse was red. The rider of the red horse was given power. He had power to take away the peace from the earth. Then the people on earth will kill each other. He was given a big sword.
[3] And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
[4] And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.


The Lamb opened the 3rd seal. I heard the third beast say to come and see.  I saw a black horse. The rider on the black horse was holding scales for weighing. I heard a voice coming from the 4 beasts.  The voice said some wheat will cost a penny, and three times as much wheat will also cost a penny. Be careful -- don't hurt the oil and the wine.
[5] And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
[6] And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.


The Lamb opened the 4th seal. The voice of the 4th beast said to come and see.  I looked, and I saw a pale (gray or light green) horse.  The name of the rider was Death. Hell followed him.  They were given power over a 1/4 of the earth. They will kill people with swords, hunger, and animals.
[7] And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
[8] And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.


The Lamb opened the 5th seal. I saw souls of some people under the altar. These were the souls of people who were killed because they witnessed and told other people about God.  They cried loudly about God. They said He is holy and true.  They asked if He will punish the people who killed them.  They were given white robes.  They were told they should rest a little longer. They should rest until some other people are killed for witnessing for God.
[9] And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
[10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
[11] And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.


The Lamb opened the 6th seal.  Then there was a big earthquake. The sun became black like rough cloth made of hair. The moon turned into blood.  The stars fell down out of the sky like figs fall off the fig tree in strong wind.
[12] And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
[13] And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.


Heaven rolled up like a scroll. Every mountain and island moved out of their places.
[14] And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
 

On the earth, the kings, the rich men, the powerful men, the strong men, the army leaders, every slave, and every free man hid. They hid in the rocks and caves of the mountains. They asked the rocks and mountains to fall on them. They wanted the rocks to hide them from God on the throne and hide them from the Lamb's anger.  The Lamb is angry now, and no one will be able to stand.
[15] And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
[16] And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
[17] For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

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