Author: Ron Moore

The fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth. The key to the shaft of the abyss was given to him. Revelation 9:1 HCSB

The Life Application Bible says it is uncertain if the “star” represents Satan, a fallen angel, Christ, or a good angel. Most likely it is a good angel, because the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit is normally held by Christ, and it was temporarily given to another being from heaven. This heavenly being is still under the control of Christ and His authority.

The fifth angel and trumpet represent the fifth judgment of God on those who refuse to believe in Jesus. The judgments started as each of the seven seals of the scroll were broken. (see Revelation 8:7-11:19) With each seal that is broken the judgments became progressively harsh.

The abyss was a bottomless pit. It is the realm of the dead (Romans 10:7); it is where the beast abides (Revelation 11:7); it is the place of demons (Luke 8:31); and in this passage it is the home for the demon locusts.

Challenge: God is a God of love and mercy but He is also the God of justice and judgment. You have the opportunity to accept Christ and receive God’s love and mercy or you can choose to reject Jesus as Lord and suffer God’s judgment. Thank God for His great love and mercy.

They said with a loud voice: The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say: Blessing and honor and glory and dominion to the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! Revelation 5:12-13 HCSB

Paul tells us in Philippians 2:10, “so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” Every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus as Lord. That includes the worst of sinners and the best of believers. This verse confirms what John is telling us in Revelation. Not only will every person proclaim Jesus as Lord, but every creature and everything God created will praise Jesus and pronounce that He is worthy. Even Satan will bow and proclaim Jesus as Lord.

Note what He is worthy of: power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing. He will have dominion over everything forever and ever! What is inspiring is that as believers, Jesus will share with us everything He has. Because we are His children and He loves us, we will receive all of the riches and glory of heaven. It is hard to imagine what a wonderful day that will be.

Challenge: Jesus is worthy of our praise and honor today and forever. Spend some time in prayer praising Jesus for who He is, for what He has done for you, and for what He will someday do for you in heaven.

And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slaughtered, and You redeemed people for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. Revelation 5:9 HCSB

I can remember the racial tensions in the United States back in the 1960’s. As unimaginable as it seems today, African Americans were not allowed to drink out of certain water fountains and some restaurants refused to serve them. Rosa Parks refused to sit in the back of a bus, thereby beginning a change in our nation where everyone regardless of skin color was considered equal.

This verse tells us that there will be people from every tribe and nation in heaven. There is no prejudice in heaven; everyone is welcome. Jesus loves everyone regardless of his or her skin color, social position, political party, or even his or her intelligence.

Challenge: Love everyone as Jesus loves them. Open your arms and accept those who are not like you. Praise God that He has accepted you into His kingdom.

Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb standing between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. Revelation 5:6 HCSB

Jesus lived a perfect life without sin and is worthy to be the perfect lamb of God (see John 1:29) that paid the penalty for the sins of the world. The lamb symbolized the submission to God’s will. In verse 5 Jesus is referred to as the Lion from the tribe of Judah. The lion symbolized the authority and power of Jesus. When John looked at the lion he saw only a slaughtered lamb.

In Old Testament times the priests slaughtered a lamb on the altar as an atonement for the sins of the people. The lamb was to be perfect without any blemishes. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was the perfect lamb of God. He was perfect and was without any sin in order to become the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for the sins of the world. Christ, the lamb, willingly gave His life on the cross so we could be forgiven. Christ, the lion, will lead the battle against all evil and defeat Satan. Christ, the lion, will be victorious because of what Christ, the lamb, has already done on the cross.

Challenge: Praise God for providing the perfect sacrifice for your sins so you can be forgiven and receive eternal life. Read Hebrews 10:1-18.

Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals. Revelation 5:5 HCSB

The “Lion from the tribe of Judah” and the “Root of David” was an indication of Jesus’ lineage from the tribe of David. The promised Messiah would come from the house of David. John then describes Jesus as being the One who has been victorious. He has defeated sin and the penalty of sin so that everyone can experience forgiveness and gain eternal life with God in heaven.

Jesus proved Himself worthy to break the seals on the scroll and pronounce judgment on the world by living a perfect life of obedience to God without ever sinning, by dying on the cross for the sins of the world, and by rising from the dead to prove His power and authority over death. He has conquered sin, the evil of our world, death, hell, and Satan. Only He is worthy and qualified to open the scroll and its seven seals.

Challenge: Praise God that you have won victory over sin through Jesus Christ. As a believer you now have victory over death and will have eternal life in heaven. Praise God!!!

Then I saw in the right hand of the One seated on the throne a scroll with writing on the inside and the back, sealed with seven seals. I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to the open the scroll and break its seals?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even to look in it. Revelation 5:1-3 HCSB

In today’s computer-driven world I am constantly asked to provide a password to get into the website or account information. A password is required to access my computer, my phone, my bank accounts, and my retirement fund account. I keep a list of the various passwords that I might need because I cannot remember all of them. A password is important because it keeps people from acquiring information that is private and not intended for their use.

The scroll was sealed and no one had access to its information. Just as I am the only person who knows the passwords to my account information, there is only one person who is able to access the information contained in the scrolls. Jesus paid the price for the sins of the world by His death on the cross. He is the only One who is qualified to open the scrolls and gain access to its information. The scrolls contained God’s plan for the future and the judgment of those who do not accept Jesus as Lord.

Challenge: Through Jesus you have access to the kingdom of God and all of its riches and glory. The one and only access code for heaven is: J-E-S-U-S. Jesus is the only way to forgiveness of sins and eternal life (see John 14:6). Thank God for providing a way for you to have access to heaven.

Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created. Revelation 4:11 HCSB

Stop and think about God’s creation. God created every kind of bird, animal, insect, fish, and human. There is not just one type of bird but a variety of birds of all sizes and colors. The animals vary from the very small mouse to the very large elephant. The creatures under the water vary from the small minnow to the large whale. Even humans are of many different sizes and colors. God surely likes variety and colors. Think about the human body and how all the different parts work together so perfectly. It is hard to imagine how anyone could think that all of creation just happened without a God.

As this verse says, God is worthy of all glory, honor, and power. Since He created everything in the world, everything belongs to Him and everything continues to exist at His will. Every breath we take and every heart beat is a gift from God. He allows us to live and blesses us with a variety of creatures around us and a variety of foods to eat. The point of this verse is that someday all creation in heaven, earth, and the sea will praise God.

Challenge: God is the sustainer of all life. He is worthy of our praise. Spend a few minutes praising God for His wonderful world that you enjoy. Praise Him for giving you life and blessing you in so many ways.

Something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal, was also before the throne. Four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back were in the middle and around the throne. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature was like a calf; the third living creature had a face like a man; and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. Revelation 4:6-7 HCSB

One of my favorite outdoor photos is one that I took at a campground in Tennessee. It was fall and the trees had already started to change to their many shades of reds, yellow, and orange. The trees lined the shoreline of the lake. The lake was perfectly still and created a perfect mirror reflection of the beautiful trees.

In New Testament times glass was very rare, and crystal clear glass was virtually unheard of. John said that there was a sea of glass before the throne of God. The picture that John painted with his words stands in stark contrast to the chaos of this world. In heaven there will be peace and calm like a sea of glass.

Challenge: Know that heaven will be a wonderful peaceful place filled with beauty. Thank God that someday that you will be able to see the wonders of heaven.

Around that throne were 24 thrones, and on the thrones sat 24 elders dressed in white clothes, with gold crowns on their heads. Flashes of lightning and rumblings of thunder came from the throne. Seven fiery torches were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. Revelation 4:4-5 HCSB

In Kentucky we have had a lot of rain recently. It has been hot and humid, creating just the right atmospheric conditions for afternoon thunderstorms. Lightning and thunder are normally a part of these storms which can be very dangerous. I was on the golf course once when lightning struck a tree about 100 yards from where I was standing. The power of the lightning blew the tree apart like a piece of dynamite. Splinters of wood went flying everywhere. My dad and I quickly made our way to the clubhouse. That experience has caused me to respect any lightning when I am outside.

These verses tell us there were 24 thrones with 24 elders around the main throne. These probably represent the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles. This is symbolic that the message of Jesus Christ is for everyone, both Jews and Gentiles. There were flashes of lightning and rumblings of thunder coming from the throne. This is reflective of God’s great power and majesty. God is awesome and deserves our respect.

Challenge: Do you really respect and honor God? Thank God that everyone who has accepted Jesus as Lord is welcome in heaven. Praise God for who He is.

Immediately I was in the Spirit, and a throne was set there in heaven. One was seated on the throne, and the One seated looked like jasper and carnelian stone. A rainbow that looked like an emerald surrounded the throne. Revelation 4:2-3 HCSB

I enjoy outdoor photography. Taking pictures of God’s beautiful creation is fun. Finding just the right location to frame a scene with other items that are closer and achieving the right angle with the correct amount of light is a skill that God has helped me to develop over the years. There have been times when I have had to stand in precarious positions to get the best picture. The old adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words” is certainly true. It would be hard for me to adequately describe what I have captured in some of my pictures.

Just imagine being John and trying to describe what he saw as he was ushered into the throne room of God. He used the most descriptive words he could find to tell his readers how majestic and wonderful the sights were that he was given the pleasure to see. Jasper as we know it today is an opaque stone, but in Revelation 21:11 it is described as being a transparent crystal like a diamond. Carnelian was a fiery red mineral found in Sardis. The rainbow was not like what we see as a rainbow with many different colors. It was an arc around the throne and was the color of emerald green. John did the best he could at describing something that really was indescribable.

Challenge: God is still on His throne and is as majestic as He has always been. Try to imagine what the throne room of God looks like. Praise Him for who He is, what He has done, and what He going to do in the future.