Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
5 Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne. The scroll had writing on both sides and was ·kept closed [L sealed] with seven seals [C a wax stamp that sealed a document shut]. 2 And I saw a ·powerful [mighty] angel ·calling [proclaiming] in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But there was no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth who could open the scroll or look inside it. 4 I cried ·bitterly [L much] because there was no one who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not cry! [L Look; T Behold] The Lion from the tribe of Judah [C a messianic title; Gen. 49:9–10], ·David’s descendant [L the root of David; C a messianic title applied to Christ; Is. 11:10], has ·won the victory [overcome; conquered] so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb [C Jesus] standing ·in the center of the throne and in the middle of the four living creatures and the elders [or between the throne and the living creatures and among the elders]. The Lamb looked as if he had been ·killed [slaughtered; slain]. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God [C either angels or the “sevenfold Spirit”; see 1:4] that were sent into all the world. 7 The Lamb came and ·took [received] the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne. 8 When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [4:4] ·bowed down [fell] before the Lamb. Each one of them had a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s holy people [Ps. 141:2]. 9 And they all sang a new song [Ps. 33:3; 40:3; 98:1] to the Lamb:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were ·killed [slaughtered; slain],
and with ·the blood of your death [L your blood] you ·bought [ransomed; purchased; redeemed] people for God
from every tribe, language, people, and nation.
10 You made them to be a kingdom ·of priests [or and priests; Ex. 19:6] for our God,
and they will ·rule [reign; C other manuscripts have “they reign” (present tense)] on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels around the throne, and the four living creatures, and the elders. There were ·thousands and thousands [L myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands; C a myriad can mean either ten thousand or many thousands; here means “countless”] of angels, 12 saying in a loud voice:
“The Lamb who was ·killed [slaughtered; slain] is worthy
to receive power, wealth, wisdom, and strength,
honor, glory, and ·praise [or blessing]!”
13 Then I heard all creatures in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea saying:
“To the One who sits on the throne
and to the Lamb
be ·praise [or blessing] and honor and glory and power
forever and ever.”
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen [C Hebrew for “so be it”],” and the elders ·bowed down [fell] and worshiped.
6 Then I watched while the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals [5:1]. I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “·Come [or Go; C Christ, the Lamb, calls forth the four riders who bring bloody judgment on the world]!” 2 I looked, and ·there before me was [L look; T behold] a white horse. The rider on the horse held a bow [C signifying war], and he was given a crown [C indicating victory; see 2:10], and he rode out, ·determined to win the victory [L conquering and in order to conquer].
3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “·Come [or Go; 6:1]!” 4 Then another horse came out, a ·red [L fiery/bright red; C possibly signifying blood] one. Its rider was given ·power [permission] to take away peace from the earth and to make people ·kill [slaughter] each other, and he was given a ·big [great] sword [C signifying civil war].
5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “·Come [or Go]!” I looked, and ·there before me was [L look; T behold] a black horse [C indicating mourning brought on by the rider], and its rider held a pair of scales in his hand [C for use in commerce; Prov. 11:1; 16:11]. 6 Then I heard something that sounded like a voice coming from the middle of the four living creatures. The voice said, “A quart of wheat for a ·day’s pay [L denarius; C a Roman coin equal to a day’s wage], and three quarts of barley for a ·day’s pay [L denarius; C inflated prices caused by famine], and do not damage the olive oil and wine [C indicates only partial destruction; vines and olive trees endured drought better than wheat and barley]!”
7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “·Come [or Go; 6:1]!” 8 I looked, and ·there before me was [L look; T behold] a ·pale [or pale green] horse. Its rider was named death, and Hades [C the realm of the dead, also known as Sheol] was following close behind him. They were given ·power [authority] over a fourth of the earth to kill people by ·war [L the sword], by ·starvation [famine], by ·disease [pestilence; plague], and by the wild animals of the earth.
9 When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar [C probably the bronze altar where sacrifices were offered] the souls of those who had been ·killed [slaughtered; slain] because ·they were faithful to [L of] the word of God and to the ·message [witness; testimony] they had ·received [or given; or maintained]. 10 These souls ·shouted [cried out] in a loud voice, “Holy and true ·Lord [Master], how long until you judge the people of the earth and ·punish them for killing us [L avenge our blood]?” 11 Then each one of them was given a white robe [C signifying high status and purity] and was told to ·wait [or rest] a short time longer. There were still some of their fellow servants and ·brothers and sisters in the service of Christ [L their brothers; C the Greek term may include men and women] who ·must be [were soon to be] killed as they were. They had to wait until all of this was ·finished [fulfilled; completed].
12 Then I watched while the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black like ·rough black cloth [L sackcloth made of goat hair; C clothing used in mourning], and the whole moon became red like blood [C signifying destruction; apocalyptic literature often describes nature falling apart at the end time; Joel 2:31]. 13 And the stars in the sky fell to the earth like ·figs [or unripe figs] falling from a fig tree when ·the wind blows [L shaken by a strong wind/gale]. 14 The sky ·disappeared [vanished] as a scroll when it is rolled up [Is. 34:4], and every mountain and island was moved from its place.
15 Then the kings of the earth, the ·rulers [princes; nobles; magnates], the generals, the rich people, the powerful people, ·the slaves, and the free people [L and everyone, both slave and free; C people of every status and economic level] hid themselves in caves and in the rocks on the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us. Hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne and from the ·anger [wrath] of the Lamb! 17 [L Because] The great day for their ·anger [wrath] has come [C the final judgment], and who can stand against it [C a rhetorical question]?”
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