Author：Karen Narrator：Liying
While the echo of the twenty four elders praising God as the Creator still resonant, John noticed that God who sat on the throne had in His right hand a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. The double sided writing could suggest the content in the scroll is final, left no room to add. The seven seals fully guaranteed the authenticity of the scroll. The scroll contains God's plan to restore His good creation to its perfection, completing the redemption for the faithful, and carrying out His just judgment for the wicked. John sensed the prefound significance of the scroll and the urgency to open it so that the sin, suffering and spiritual languish of this world could being stopped.
A mighty angel roared in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" The angel did not ask the strong one to break it with force, neither the intelligent one to figure out a way to unfold it. He called for the one who is worthy. The worthiness is required and measured by God.
As soon as John understood what the angel was asking, he wept and wept. Because no one was worthy to open the scroll or even look inside it. The biggest problem humanity faces is the separation from God caused by their sin. And the human beings can not solve this most pressing problem. At this dreadful moment, I quess John was experiencing disconnection between what he knew in his mind and how he felt in his heart. He forgot there is One who was worthy. But the heavenly assembly would never forgot Him. One of the elders in the heavenly court announced the good news to John.
"Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
When John looked, he did not see a mighty Lion, he saw a Lamb, once slain now risen, bears scars of sacrificial slaughter. This is not a picture of victorious for people to think, who would send a Lamb to rescue? No one, but God! He directed His people to trust the one perfect sacrifice offered by Himself, His own Son, Jesus Christ. John must remember that once his old teacher, John the Baptist, pointed to Jesus and told him, " look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
Do we trust that He is the One who can save us from the the bondage of sin, grant us eternal life?
Immediately after the Lamb took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders sang a new song,
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."
This song announced at least three reasons for Jesus' worthiness. First He had been slain; second His death provides a ransom for believers; third He makes His followers into a kingdom and priests who start to serve God on the earth. He did all of this out of love and obedience to His Father. He did this for His Father! He is the only way to His Father, but anyone may come to His Father through Him. His Father wants to adopt us and to be our Father!
Soon every angels in heaven encircled the throne and started the second hymn. There were so many of them and John could not count. Their voice is so loud in singing.
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"
The countless angels sang with intense joy and reverence. They could not sing without mention the worthiness of the Lamb. They offered their praise and worship from every aspects they could think of. This was a crescendo of praise to cause the universe to tremble.
Indead the universe trembled becsuse every creature from the whole universe started the third song of praise, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
forever and ever!"
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
The concert of praise and worship never ends.
Of course there are always intersection during concert. The concert in heaven has one too. The four living creatures, who were the first to sing praise in chapter 4, pause with a celestial "Amen."
They take a break for our to join the choir or orchestra to offer praise and worship to our heavenly Father, to the Son of God. Heaven is a place of authentic, unrestrained celebration. Music goes on, gives wings to our soul to express your deepest appreciation and love for our Creator and Redeemer.
一位大能的天使高声问到，“有谁配展开那书卷，揭开那七印呢？” 天使没问哪位强者可以用力打开，或哪位智者可以用计打开，他问的是哪位有资格打开，而对资格的要求和评定只能是神说了算。
约翰刚一明白天使的问话就大哭起来，因为没有人配打开书卷看里面的内容。人类最大的问题就是因为犯罪与神隔绝，而自身又解决不了这个难题。在这个揪心的时刻，我猜约翰脑子里想的和心里感觉的脱节了，他忘了有一位配打开这书卷的，但是天上的诸君忘不了这一位，天庭中一位长老报好消息给约翰说，“不要哭！看哪，犹大支派中的狮子、大卫的根，他已得胜，能以展开那书卷，揭开那七印。”
可是，约翰看过去时，他看见的不是一头威武的雄狮，而是一只羔羊，曾被宰杀，现今复活，带着祭牲的伤痕。这幅画面绝非人们心目中得胜者的形象，谁会送一只羔羊去当救命者呢？没人这样做，只有神如此行！神要祂的子民相信祂献上的完美之祭，祂的爱子，主耶稣基督。约翰一定想起来了，他的师傅施洗约翰，曾指着耶稣告诉他说，“看哪，神的羔羊，除去世人罪孽的。”
我们相不相信祂是那位救我们脱离死亡的捆绑，赐我们永生的那一位呢？
羔羊刚一拿到书卷，四活物和二十四位长老马上就开始唱起了新歌，“你配拿书卷，配揭开七印。因为你曾被杀，用自己的血从各族、各方、各民、各国中买了人来，叫他们归于神，又叫他们成为国民，作祭司，归于神，在地上执掌王权。”
这首新歌宣告了至少三个耶稣配拿书卷的原因，第一祂曾被宰杀，第二祂舍命赎回了祂的子民，第三祂使祂的子民成为国民和祭司，在地上侍奉神。祂做所有的事都是出于对天父的爱和顺服，祂为了父神而做！祂是通往父神的唯一道路，任何人都可以藉着祂到父神那里去，祂的父想收养我们，成为我们的父亲！
很快，围绕着宝座的天使们开始唱起了第二首赞美诗，他们的数目太多，约翰数不清楚了。天使们大声唱说，“曾被宰杀的羔羊是配得权柄、丰富、智慧、能力、尊贵、荣耀、颂赞的！”
数不清的天使带着盈溢的喜乐和尊敬唱这首赞美诗，他们不能不唱羔羊配得一切，他们从各个方面唱出了对羔羊的赞美和敬拜，越来越高声的赞美引起宇宙震颤。
确实，宇宙间所有的受造物都加进来了，开始唱第三首赞美诗，“但愿颂赞，尊贵，荣耀，权势都归给坐宝座的和羔羊，直到永永远远！”
诸天诉说神的荣耀，穹苍传杨祂的手段，宇宙对神赞美敬拜的音乐会从没停止过。
当然了，音乐会的节目之间是有间歇的，天上的音乐会也不例外，在第四章里领头唱出第一首赞美诗的四活物，此刻以天籁之音“阿们”为第三首赞美诗划上了休止符。
他们暂时停了下来，是为了让我们加入诗班或乐队，一起赞美敬拜天父和神子。天堂是一个可以真心地自由敬拜的地方，在那里，美妙的音乐给我们的灵魂插上翅膀，让我们可以尽情地表达对创造者和救赎者的爱戴。
