Bible Passage Scripture Block

And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’

And they [four living creatures and twenty-four elders around the throne of God] sang a new song that praised the Lion of Judah/Root of David/Lamb [Jesus] because He was the only one worthy to open the scroll with its seals. He was the one that was slain and by whose blood people from every tribe and language and nation were ransomed to be God’s people. He made them to be a kingdom and priests to God reigning on earth.

The book of Revelation is what John saw and was told to write down (1:1-2). Using “in the Spirit” as a structural marker, the book can be sectioned into four visions in particular:

• Vision One (1:9-3:22) – Jesus speaking to the seven churches
• Vision Two (4:1-16:21) – Seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls of wrath; “one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls” introduces the last two (and therefore possibly connected):
  • Vision Three (17:1-21:8) – Babylon the Harlot
  • Vision Four (21:9-22:5) – Jerusalem the Bride

Chapters four and five begin the second major vision of the book. Specifically here, there is “one seated on the throne” mentioned several times beginning in chapter four, eventually identified as who would be God, the Father (4:11). Surrounding and singing praises to Him are “four living creatures” (4:6) and “twenty-four elders” (4:4). He is holding a scroll that cannot be opened by anyone, except one standing beside the throne and identified as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” (vs 5), and a “Lamb” (vs 6).