Study Desk

He made us his kingdom and priests who serve God his Father. To Jesus be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

The Lord God says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am the one who is, who always was, and who is coming. I am the All-Powerful."

"Write this to the angel of the church in Thyatira: "Here is a message from the Son of God, the one who has eyes that blaze like fire and feet like shining brass.

Wake up! Make yourselves stronger before what little strength you have left is completely gone. I find that what you do is not good enough for my God.

Those who win the victory will be pillars in the temple of my God. I will make that happen for them. They will never again have to leave God's temple. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God. That city is the new Jerusalem. It is coming down out of heaven from my God. I will also write my new name on them.

"Write this to the angel of the church in Laodicea: "Here is a message from the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of all that God has made.

Lightning flashes and noises of thunder came from the throne. Before the throne there were seven lamps burning, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Each of these four living beings had six wings. They were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day and night they never stopped saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God All-Powerful. He always was, he is, and he is coming."

"Our Lord and God! You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power. You made all things. Everything existed and was made because you wanted it."

Then I saw a Lamb standing in the center near the throne with the four living beings around it. The elders were also around the Lamb. The Lamb looked as if it had been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that were sent into all the world.

And they all sang a new song to the Lamb: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were killed, and with your blood sacrifice you bought people for God from every tribe, language, race of people, and nation.

You made them to be a kingdom and to be priests for our God. And they will rule on the earth."

Then I saw another angel coming from the east. This angel had the seal of the living God. The angel called out in a loud voice to the four angels. These were the four angels that God had given the power to hurt the earth and the sea. The angel said to them,

"Don't harm the land or the sea or the trees before we mark the foreheads of those who serve our God."

They shouted loudly, "Victory belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

The elders and the four living beings were there. All the angels were standing around them and the throne. The angels bowed down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.

They said, "Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength belong to our God forever and ever. Amen!"

So now these people are before the throne of God. They worship God day and night in his temple. And the one who sits on the throne will protect them.

The Lamb in front of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of water that give life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

And I saw the seven angels who stand before God. They were given seven trumpets.