Ruthe's Secret Rosesl
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Angel Activity in Heaven
John, who had often leaned on Jesus, and later described himself in his gospel, as the disciple
whom Jesus loved, was exiled to the island Patmos for his faith in his old age. While there he had
the most glorious visions and introduction to Heaven that we find in the Bible.
He saw a door standing open in Heaven, and the voice he had heard earlier invited him to
come up and see what is yet to happen.
First thing he saw was God on His throne with the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and an
emerald kind of glow, or rainbow surrounding Him. (It seems John knew gemstones; he used them as the
names of colours). From God's throne came flashes of lightening and peals of thunder.
All around this throne were twenty-four other thrones on which were the twenty-four elders
with white robes and golden crowns. Before the throne were seven blazing lamps representing the
seven spirits of God, and also, what looked like a sea of clear crystal glass.
John began to notice other creatures like the four near God's throne that were covered with
eyes but had the four shapes of a lion, an ox, a man, and a flying eagle. Each had six wings. Day
and night they never stopped saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is,
and is to come." And whenever they glorified God, the twenty-four elders fell on their faces to
worship God, and laid their crowns before Him.
A drama happened before John's eyes. It was a search to find someone worthy to open the
scroll of seven seals in God's hand, Only the Lamb slain for the human race, Jesus was worthy, and
He was worshiped with much rejoicing.
The powerful Lamb, Jesus, who won the right by His crucifixion and resurrection, opened the
seals one by one, revealing to John what was going to happen in each of these stages of earth's
history.
We won't go into the details of prophecy now, but focus on the amazing activity of the
angels.
The first four seals involved riders on different horses, each representing in turn, a
conqueror, wars, famine, and death. The fifth is about the cries of the martyrs waiting to be
avenged. (They are given robes and asked to wait a little longer).
After the sixth seal, a great earthquake, the sun turning black, the moon to blood, and
stars falling to earth, and the people on earth begging in their terror the mountains to fall on
them and kill them - four angels at the four corners of the earth, hold back the winds, while
another angel tells them not to harm the land and sea until 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel
are marked with God's seal. They will have a special assignment and protection.
Back around God's throne a great multitude of redeemed ones, together with all the angels
worship God with songs of praise.
When Jesus opens the seventh seal there is silence in Heaven for about half an hour. Then
God gives seven trumpets to seven angels standing before Him. Another angel steps forward carrying a
golden censor, or large dish, with all the prayers that believers have prayed on earth over the
centuries.
We'll continue next time with the actions of these eight angels.
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