In 4th and 5th chapters, Apostle John described the glorious splendor of God’s throne.
 HIS throne was surrounded by 7 Spirits of God, 4 living creature, 24 Elders and multitude of angels.
They were all doing one thing that is worshipping God on the throne.
The scene now shifts to the Planet Earth.
In the spirit Apostle John was at a vintage point where he was still in heaven but was able to look down and saw what was happening on the earth.
In chapter 6 we begin to see terrible destruction descends upon the earth whenever Lord breaks the seals on the scroll.
What takes place in chapter 6 and further is “the unleashing of great judgment on earth”
It is also commonly as the TRIBULATION.
Prophet Daniel refers to this period in chapter 12:1
“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.”
Lord Jesus points to this day in the Gospel of Matthew 24:21
“For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.”
Tribulation does not happen until the church is lifted up from the earth.
All the believers in Christ Jesus dead or alive will obtain glorified bodies and lifted up to meet the Lord in the clouds.
The trumpet sounds only for the believers in the Lord dead or alive at that time.
Apostle Paul alludes to this fact in his letters to the Thessalonian church.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
We call it THE RAPTURE.
After the rapture of the church, the clock begins to tick for the TRIBULATION period of 7 years.
Dr. Richison says that “The main purpose of the Tribulation is to bring Israel back to God.”
Today’s world events and the advancement of technology indicate that Rapture of the believers might happen at any time during our life time.
We are simply cautioned that the Lord secret return for the church may happen at any time.
Today we receive a wakeup call for two things.
Are we saved by HIS grave and was redeemed by HIS atoning sacrifice on the cross?
Are we ready to meet the lord the Lord Jesus when the trumpet sounds?


 

Rev 5:8-14
In these 7 verses we come across three worship settings.
First setting we see 4 living creature and 24 elders worship the Lamb
Second setting we see all the multitude of angels worship the Lamb
Third setting we see all creation worships God and the Lamb
Verse 8th focuses on the worship of THE LAMB.
The posture of the worshipper is prostrating before the Lamb.
They have an instrument of worship in one hand that is HARP.
They have another instrument in the other hand, a bowl full of prayers of all God’s people.
This is new song of praise worshipping the Lamb.
The Lamb paid the ultimate price to purchase all people in the contaminated world of sin.
He also paid the ultimate price of carrying HIS bruised body forever into the eternity.
I see a glimpse of God’s purpose of human creation in this statement.
God wanted for Himself the crown jewel of His creation, the human being to be with HIM forever.
So the Lamb made it possible for the people who are washed in HIS blood to have that fellowship with God in eternity.
9th verse speaks of millennial kingdom of the Lord Jesus on the earth.
All believers who are saved by HIS grace have a unique status to rule in the kingdom and to serve as priests.
In 10th verse we see countless angels are around the throne of God.
In Greek it is myriads of angels the highest number we can ever imagine.
One interesting observation was made by few scholars that angels cannot sing.
They never sang in the Scripture.
I think that is true.
The angels shouted in a loud voice.
Just imagine myriads of angels shouting in a loud voice.
Probably that could be loudest recorded shout in the human history.
In Verse 12 the angels are shouting the SEVEN FOLD proclamation of praise and worship.
POWER; WEALTH; WISDOM; STRENGTH; HONOR; GLORY and PRAISE
What the angels are declaring in loud voice is for the whole creation to hear for the last time before the end of this creation.
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
There a gap in the continuity of the scene in heaven.
Only time all creatures to worship the Lamb is possible at the end of the millennial kingdom.
Lord Jesus shows Apostle John the end of the created  world.
This is the fulfillment of what Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:9-11
In the final picture, every person will be either all for the Lord or not for the Lord.
They either join the new heaven and new earth or will be part of eternal damnation.
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
The four living creature just said so be it.
The scene concludes with elders falling down and worshipping.
The ultimate importance is given to the elders (representing all believers) but not the angels to the final worship.

Today we are celebrating Mother’s Day in USA.
We honor our mothers, bring flowers to them, and take them for lunch.
No matter who you are, we all have mothers, some are living, and some were with the Lord.
We love our mothers for their sacrifices, for their tender care, and compassionate heart for their children.
Today we will look at a very unique mother of all recorded human history.
God the Father chose a mother to bear HIS Son, Jesus, the Savior and Redeemer of the human kind.
The Scripture says that she was highly favored by God.
From the life of Mary we will see some interesting phases.
I. TROUBLED TEENAGER
When angel Gabriel came to her to announce that she was going to bear a child, Mary was troubled.
She was much more troubled that she was going to be pregnant thru the Holy Spirit.
She definitely did not understand how it is going to be.
Then most of all she was troubled because unwed pregnant girl is destined to be stoned to death according to the Jewish religion.
Mary stands alone of all the mothers of this world because of what happened in her life.
II. MOTHER WITH TROUBLING TREASURE
Number of people gave her momentary glimpses of the mystery and wonder of Christ Child (Shepherds, Simeon, and Anna).
Mary absorbed all they said and kept her thoughts in her heart.
Mary knew who Jesus was and who HE was to become but she could not tell anybody.
Her main concern was for HIS safety and she wanted to protect Lord Jesus’ identity.
Mary had a troubling treasure to protect which she could not share with anybody.
III. MOTHER WITH DEEP HEARTACHE
Mary’s interaction with Lord Jesus was very minimal in the Gospel narratives.
We have no record of any tender moments between Mary and Lord Jesus.
Very few conversations were recorded between Mary and Lord Jesus.
When Lord Jesus was 12 years old, HE purposely stayed behind at Jerusalem and was in the company of scholars and teachers at the Temple.
After a day’s journey the family realized that Jesus was not with them and they rushed back to Jerusalem in search of HIM.
When they found HIM at the temple, Mary asked why HE did this to HIS family.
In Luke 2:49 the family members did not understand HIS response but Mary understood very well.
That was the beginning of unending heartache for Mary.
In another context, Mark 3:33 Mary realized that she lost HIM completely.
Mary began to love Jesus before HE was born and lasted throughout HIS life.
Mary’s love and devotion for Jesus was so deep from conception to cross.
Loving Jesus was not an easy road for Mary to travel in fact it was difficult right from the get go.
If she was alive today, Mary would have been more troubled, distressed, and horrified what the Catholic Church made her to be.
In the eyes of Catholics Mary became what she was not.
She was just a human mother of Lord Jesus Christ and had other children of her own.
So on this Mother’s Day, we looked at a picture of a mother who went thru so much in her life.
Today loving our children may not be easy always and sometime the road may get very difficult.
Mother do go through agonizing times with their children.
But mothers will never give up on their children.
Most of all Christian mothers have one thing common that is they never cease praying for their children whether they are young or old.
Mother’s heart is always so deep that nothing can separate them from her children.
May God look upon Mothers with favor, kind to them and protect them.
May God bless them for all that they do on a daily basis for their children.


 

Rev 5:1-7
Apostle John sees God on HIS throne and holding a scroll in HIS right hand.
A scroll is a rolled parchment of an animal skin or papyrus reed.
Two peculiarities observed about this roll:
1. Writings on both sides of the scroll.
Indicates whatever is written on them was complete and nothing should be added.
Many scholars opine that this document has God’s judgment on human history.
God’s complete message of judgment is ready to be revealed.
2. Seven seals were affixed on the scroll.
It is a like Roman document sealed and secured preventing anyone to read it.
The proclamation of a mighty angel saying that no one in the whole crested beings is worthy to open this scroll.
It is interesting that not even an angel of that cadre is fit to open the scroll.
There are only three angels named in the Protestant Bible.
Angel Gabriel, arch Angel Michael and Lucifer who later became Satan
In my opinion it must be arch angel Michael who shouted in the 2nd verse.
No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth can open this scroll or look into it.
The entire vision of the seals is who is “worthy” to open that scroll.
The other question is who is worthy and willing to approach the throne of God.
One scholar says that “No created being is even able to contemplate being worthy to open this scroll.”
At the realization that no one can open the scroll, John begins to weep loudly.
I feel that this is the only instance we see tears in heaven.
Apostle John must be very close to one of the elders circle around the throne.
One elder points to the ONE who alone can break the seals and open the scroll.
What the elder says are the credentials of Lord Jesus in the 5th verse.
Lord Jesus with the credentials of a king and conquered the sin thru HIS death on the cross, is the only one who is worthy to break the seals and open the scrolls.
Apostle John sees a lamb with the sign of crucifixion instead of a ‘Lion of Judah.’
Lion is the symbol of power and majesty whereas lamb is a symbol of meekness and surrender.
One author says that “The Lamb refers to Jesus’ first coming and the Lion refers to His Second Coming.  As a Lion, He will bring the purpose of creation and history to fulfillment.”
He conquered the main problem of sin through HIS death on the cross.
So Lord Jesus is the only who can approach the throne of God with peculiar credentials no one could ever have in human history.
He was never created but brought redemption from sin through His sacrifice on Cross like a Lamb of God.
He alone can open the scroll of judgment on the world because HE alone paid the price for every human soul.
He paid the price on the Calvary cross so that anyone who believes in HIM shall escape the coming judgment on the planet earth.
He alone can bring the conclusion to the created world because HE created it in the first place.
HE alone was willing to deal with human sin problem and HE alone is worthy to begin the process of judgment upon the earth.
So HE went to the throne of God and took the scroll from God’s hand.