Then John saw the God on the throne holding a scroll filled with writing, sealed with seven seals, and a powerful angel declared that no one could open and read the scroll because no one was worthy to do so. At this time, I saw three lambs that seemed to have been slaughtered standing on the throne, four living creatures, and twenty-four elders. This lamb had seven horns and seven eyes—these were the seven spirits of God—from the hands of God on the throne. Taking the scroll, only he can break the seven seals, open and read the scroll.
Immediately, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders each took harps and golden censers filled with incense, and fell down before the Lamb. The incense in the censers was the prayer of all the saints. John heard the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, many angels around them, and all creation in heaven and earth saying the same thing: The Lamb who was slain is the one who is worthy to take the scroll and open its seven seals, and to receive authority and prosperity. , wisdom, power, honor, glory, praise; to my God, and to the Lamb, who is on the throne, forever and ever.
The Lamb opened the first of the seven seals, and as one of the four living creatures said, "Come!" a victor, holding a bow and arrow and wearing a crown, appeared riding on a white horse; the Lamb opened the second seal. The second seal, followed by another "Come here!" A man riding a red horse appeared and was given authority and a big sword, indicating that he could take away peace from the earth and make people kill each other; at this time, the third seal When it was opened, a man appeared in front of John with a scale in his hand and riding a black horse. He could also hear a voice from among the four living creatures saying: "One denarius shall buy one liter of wheat, and one denarius shall buy three liters of barley; neither oil nor wine shall be allowed." Ruined."
The fourth seal was opened, and the fourth creature said again, "Come!" A man riding a gray horse appeared. This rider was named "Death". With him was the underworld, and the gifts they received His authority is to destroy a quarter of the people on the earth by sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts.
When the fifth seal was opened, some souls shouted loudly under the sacrifice: - They were killed for supporting God's way and bearing witness for God - "O holy and true God, you will not judge those who live on the earth; How long will it take for our blood to be avenged? "So each of them was given white robes and told to rest for a while, and then they would be satisfied.
As soon as the sixth seal was opened, the heaven and the earth shook, the sun and the moon lost their light, and the stars in the sky were like a strong wind blowing off unripe fruits from the trees and falling all over the ground. The sky is shifting, the mountains and islands are also drifting... This is the wrath of the Lamb! The kings of the earth, their ministers, their generals, their mighty men, their rich men, and all their slaves and those who worshiped God, hid themselves in caves and dens to avoid the face of God on the throne and the wrath of the Lamb.
Then, the four angels who were in charge of the winds on the earth each stood at the four corners of the earth and silenced the wind. Another angel came up from the place where the sun rose, holding the seal of the eternal God, and gave the seal to the foreheads of all the servants of God. The number of those who were sealed from each of the tribes of Israel was one hundred and forty-four thousand: the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, the tribe of Amab, the tribe of Naphtali, the tribe of Manasseh, the tribe of Simeon, the tribe of Levi, Twelve thousand each were sealed from the tribe of Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.
After that, many people from different countries and nationalities came from all directions, all dressed in white and holding palm branches in their hands. They stood in front of the throne and the Lamb, worshiping and praising God on the throne and the Lamb. All the angels also appeared in front of them. Fall on your face and worship God and the Lamb.
One of the elders came and asked John who these people in white clothes were and where they came from. John said, "You know my God." So the elders told John that they had escaped from the great tribulation. Their white clothes were made from the blood of the Lamb. After being washed, they served God in the temple day and night, no longer suffering from hunger, thirst and the sun. The Lamb fed them and led them to the source of the spring of life, and God wiped away their tears of sadness.
The Lamb finally opened the seventh seal, and heaven immediately fell silent. About two quarters later, the seven angels standing in front of God were given seven trumpets. An angel holding a golden censer came to the altar. The incense smoke and the prayers of the saints slowly rose up before God; the angel filled the censer with fire from the altar and poured it on the ground. Suddenly there was lightning and thunder, and the earth trembled.
At this time, the seven angels holding trumpets blew their trumpets. When the first angel blew his trumpet, hail mixed with fire and blood fell from the sky, and one-third of the trees and grass were burned away.
When the second angel blew his trumpet, the burning mountain rolled down into the sea, and the water turned into blood. One-third of the creatures and ships in the sea died and became ruined.
The third angel blew his trumpet, and the big burning star called Wormwood descended from heaven into the rivers and their water sources. Then the water in the rivers became bitter and tasted like Wormwood, and many people died.
The fourth angel sounded the trumpet, and one-third of the sun, moon, and stars were struck and dimmed. The day was no longer bright, and the night was starless. An eagle flew in the sky and cried, "Three angels will sound the other trumpets. Woe to you who live on the earth! Woe to you! Woe to you!"
The fifth angel sounded the trumpet, and a star fell from the sky, and opened the bottomless pit with the key of the bottomless pit. Thick smoke came out of the pit, covering the sky and the sun; swarms of locusts surged out along with the thick smoke. Out, these locusts look like war horses ready for battle. They wear golden crowns on their heads, have faces like men, hair like women, have sharp teeth like lions, wear iron armor on their chests, and drag scorpion tails. They flap their wings like Thousands of horses are galloping, and their mission is to harm those who do not have the mark of God on their foreheads. They will use the stings on their scorpion tails to sting these people for five months. During this period, these people will endure the pain of a scorpion sting, but they will Can't die. The messenger of the bottomless pit is the king of locusts, and his Hebrew name is Abaddon. This is the first disaster for the people on earth.
The sixth angel began to blow the trumpet, and voices came from the four corners of the golden altar in front of God, commanding the angels who blew the trumpet: "Let go of the four angels who are tied up in the Euphrates River." These four angels had already vowed to kill three of them. One of the people. If you are released at this time, you will immediately follow your wish. I saw that they had many soldiers and horses, and the cavalry wore armor on their chests like fire, accompanied by purple horse and brimstone, as if they were burning; the horses were all majestic, with heads like lions, tails like snakes with snake heads, and the horses' mouths were constantly They spewed out fire and smoke, along with streams of brimstone, and a third of the people died at their feet. The remaining two-thirds saw this but still did not want to repent. They still worshiped demons and idols, and continued to commit murder, sorcery, prostitution, and theft.
After the disaster was over, another angel came down from heaven. He was clothed in colorful clouds, with a rainbow around his head. His face was like a red sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. He held a small open book in his hand, and with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the earth, he shouted loudly: The lion roared, and with this cry came seven deafening thunders. Just as John was about to write down what he saw, words came from heaven: "What the seven thunders have spoken, you must seal it and do not write it out." Then he was ordered to take the small scroll from the angel's hand and eat it, and said, "Eat it." It will feel as sweet as honey in the mouth, but bitter when it enters the stomach. John did as he was told, and sure enough it was.
(End of chapter)