Solomon understands the things that come with wisdom

Solomon describes his love for wisdom. He describes wisdom as 'she'. From this chapter it is clear that Solomon loved wisdom more than gold or the precious jewels. He sees the beauty and the power of wisdom in able to teach and to apply knowledge. More importantly, he understood that wisdom is a gift from God.

Not only can wisdom be so beneficial for the person, it is indispensible for kings and rulers. Solomon understood that if only he can have wisdom, then all the other things will follow. The other things include: glory, honour, admiration, fame, feared by enemies, does not have a price such as arguments with others,





Wisdom 8 (NRSVCE)
8 She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other,
and she orders all things well.

Solomon’s Love for Wisdom
2 I loved her and sought her from my youth;
I desired to take her for my bride,
and became enamored of her beauty.
3 She glorifies her noble birth by living with God,
and the Lord of all loves her.
4 For she is an initiate in the knowledge of God,
and an associate in his works.
5 If riches are a desirable possession in life,
what is richer than wisdom, the active cause of all things?
6 And if understanding is effective,
who more than she is fashioner of what exists?
7 And if anyone loves righteousness,
her labors are virtues;
for she teaches self-control and prudence,
justice and courage;
nothing in life is more profitable for mortals than these.
8 And if anyone longs for wide experience,
she knows the things of old, and infers the things to come;
she understands turns of speech and the solutions of riddles;
she has foreknowledge of signs and wonders
and of the outcome of seasons and times.

Wisdom Indispensible to Rulers
9 Therefore I determined to take her to live with me,
knowing that she would give me good counsel
and encouragement in cares and grief.
10 Because of her I shall have glory among the multitudes
and honor in the presence of the elders, though I am young.
11 I shall be found keen in judgment,
and in the sight of rulers I shall be admired.
12 When I am silent they will wait for me,
and when I speak they will give heed;
if I speak at greater length,
they will put their hands on their mouths.
13 Because of her I shall have immortality,
and leave an everlasting remembrance to those who come after me.
14 I shall govern peoples,
and nations will be subject to me;
15 dread monarchs will be afraid of me when they hear of me;
among the people I shall show myself capable, and courageous in war.
16 When I enter my house, I shall find rest with her;
for companionship with her has no bitterness,
and life with her has no pain, but gladness and joy.
17 When I considered these things inwardly,
and pondered in my heart
that in kinship with wisdom there is immortality,
18 and in friendship with her, pure delight,
and in the labors of her hands, unfailing wealth,
and in the experience of her company, understanding,
and renown in sharing her words,
I went about seeking how to get her for myself.
19 As a child I was naturally gifted,
and a good soul fell to my lot;
20 or rather, being good, I entered an undefiled body.
21 But I perceived that I would not possess wisdom unless God gave her to me—
and it was a mark of insight to know whose gift she was—
so I appealed to the Lord and implored him,
and with my whole heart I said:

Psalms Help Topics

Finding Comfort and Counsel in the Psalms

When You Wonder:                  Know God Is:        Praise and Pray to Him with Psalm:

Why you are here                       Creator                  8, 19, 89, 97, 104, 147

What is important                       Glory                      66, 67, 96, 98, 99, 148

Whom you can trust                   Faithful                   12, 85, 98, 149

How to confess sin                     Peace                    32, 51

Where you are safe                    Refuge                  18, 31, 46, 91, 146

Which way to go                         Guard & Guide      23, 48, 73 

How to go on                              Strength & Joy      30, 63, 126 

When to be thankful                   Praiseworthy         24, 29, 30, 46, 62, 65, 84, 96, 100

Who can help you                      Relief & Remedy   40-43, 125, 126

How to escape danger               Rescue                  3, 4, 43, 54-57, 121 

What is truth                               Wisdom                 1, 37, 49, 52, 73, 83, 94

How to cope with sorrows          Comforter              31, 42 

What happens at death              Life Everlasting     16, 103, 116, 139

Revival and Glory of Israel under Simon the High Priest

This chapter starts with the capture of king Demetrius. For reasons not explicitly clear, it appeared the king was trying to build up his forces by invading territories, possibly to capture resources from Media, in order to wage war against Trypho. Unfortunately his campaign in Media failed and he was captured.

The majority of the chapters describes the glory and honor of Simon's rule over Israel as high priest. It appears that the position of ruler and high priest are combined, reflecting the past such as Melchizedek, and also our Lord Y'shua. This period of time when Simon ruled, appeared to be a small golden age in the history of Israel. Simon's predecessors, who were his brothers, Judas then Jonathan, had to fight the occupying powers, gained some independence, then defending against hostile neighbors. Jonathan was captured and Simon was chosen to replace him as leader over the new free nation of Israel. Eventually Simon fought off the remaining enemies and was able to establish friendship treaties with new powers such as Sparta and Rome. Through this period of Simon's rule, with the peace established, the nation of Israel began to flourish again.



1 Maccabees 14 (RSVCE)
Capture of Demetrius
1 In the one hundred and seventy-second year[a] Deme′trius the king assembled his forces and marched into Media to secure help, so that he could make war against Trypho. 2 When Ar′saces the king of Persia and Media heard that Deme′trius had invaded his territory, he sent one of his commanders to take him alive. 3 And he went and defeated the army of Deme′trius, and seized him and took him to Ar′saces, who put him under guard.

Eulogy of Simon
4 The land[b] had rest all the days of Simon.
    He sought the good of his nation;
his rule was pleasing to them,
    as was the honor shown him, all his days.
5 To crown all his honors he took Joppa for a harbor,
    and opened a way to the isles of the sea.
6 He extended the borders of his nation,
    and gained full control of the country.
7 He gathered a host of captives;
    he ruled over Gazar′a and Beth-zur and the citadel,
and he removed its uncleanness from it;
    and there was none to oppose him.
8 They tilled their land in peace;
    the ground gave its increase,
    and the trees of the plains their fruit.
9 Old men sat in the streets;
    they all talked together of good things;
    and the youths donned the glories and garments of war.
10 He supplied the cities with food,
    and furnished them with the means of defense,
    till his renown spread to the ends of the earth.
11 He established peace in the land,
    and Israel rejoiced with great joy.
12 Each man sat under his vine and his fig tree,
    and there was none to make them afraid.
13 No one was left in the land to fight them,
    and the kings were crushed in those days.
14 He strengthened all the humble of his people;
    he sought out the law,
    and did away with every lawless and wicked man.
15 He made the sanctuary glorious,
    and added to the vessels of the sanctuary.

Diplomacy with Rome and Sparta
16 It was heard in Rome, and as far away as Sparta, that Jonathan had died, and they were deeply grieved. 17 When they heard that Simon his brother had become high priest in his place, and that he was ruling over the country and the cities in it, 18 they wrote to him on bronze tablets to renew with him the friendship and alliance which they had established with Judas and Jonathan his brothers. 19 And these were read before the assembly in Jerusalem.

20 This is a copy of the letter which the Spartans sent: “The rulers and the city of the Spartans to Simon the high priest and to the elders and the priests and the rest of the Jewish people, our brethren, greeting. 21 The envoys who were sent to our people have told us about your glory and honor, and we rejoiced at their coming. 22 And what they said we have recorded in our public decrees, as follows, ‘Nume′nius the son of Anti′ochus and Antip′ater the son of Jason, envoys of the Jews, have come to us to renew their friendship with us. 23 It has pleased our people to receive these men with honor and to put a copy of their words in the public archives, so that the people of the Spartans may have a record of them. And they have sent a copy of this to Simon the high priest.’”

24 After this Simon sent Nume′nius to Rome with a large gold shield weighing a thousand minas, to confirm the alliance with the Romans.[c]

Official Honors for Simon
25 When the people heard these things they said, “How shall we thank Simon and his sons? 26 For he and his brothers and the house of his father have stood firm; they have fought and repulsed Israel’s enemies and established its freedom.” 27 So they made a record on bronze tablets and put it upon pillars on Mount Zion.

This is a copy of what they wrote: “On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the one hundred and seventy-second year,[d] which is the third year of Simon the great high priest, 28 in As′aramel,[e] in the great assembly of the priests and the people and the rulers of the nation and the elders of the country, the following was proclaimed to us:

29 “Since wars often occurred in the country, Simon the son of Mattathi′as, a priest of the sons[f] of Jo′arib, and his brothers, exposed themselves to danger and resisted the enemies of their nation, in order that their sanctuary and the law might be perserved; and they brought great glory to their nation. 30 Jonathan rallied the[g] nation, and became their high priest, and was gathered to his people. 31 And when their enemies decided to invade their country and lay hands on their sanctuary, 32 then Simon rose up and fought for his nation. He spent great sums of his own money; he armed the men of his nation’s forces and paid them wages. 33 He fortified the cities of Judea, and Beth-zur on the borders of Judea, where formerly the arms of the enemy had been stored, and he placed there a garrison of Jews. 34 He also fortified Joppa, which is by the sea, and Gazar′a, which is on the borders of Azo′tus, where the enemy formerly dwelt. He settled Jews there, and provided in those cities[h] whatever was necessary for their restoration.

35 “The people saw Simon’s faithfulness[i] and the glory which he had resolved to win for his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest, because he had done all these things and because of the justice and loyalty which he had maintained toward his nation. He sought in every way to exalt his people. 36 And in his days things prospered in his hands, so that the Gentiles were put out of the[j] country, as were also the men in the city of David in Jerusalem, who had built themselves a citadel from which they used to sally forth and defile the environs of the sanctuary and do great damage to its purity. 37 He settled Jews in it, and fortified it for the safety of the country and of the city, and built the walls of Jerusalem higher.

38 “In view of these things King Deme′trius confirmed him in the high priesthood, 39 and he made him one of the king’s[k] friends and paid him high honors. 40 For he had heard that the Jews were addressed by the Romans as friends and allies and brethren, and that the Romans[l] had received the envoys of Simon with honor.

41 “And[m] the Jews and their priests decided that Simon should be their leader and high priest for ever, until a trustworthy prophet should arise, 42 and that he should be governor over them and that he should take charge of the sanctuary and appoint men over its tasks and over the country and the weapons and the strongholds, and that he should take charge of the sanctuary, 43 and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all contracts in the country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple and wear gold.

44 “And none of the people or priests shall be permitted to nullify any of these decisions or to oppose what he says, or to convene an assembly in the country without his permission, or to be clothed in purple or put on a gold buckle. 45 Whoever acts contrary to these decisions or nullifies any of them shall be liable to punishment.”

46 And all the people agreed to grant Simon the right to act in accord with these decisions. 47 So Simon accepted and agreed to be high priest, to be commander and ethnarch of the Jews and priests, and to be protector of them all.[n] 48 And they gave orders to inscribe this decree upon bronze tablets, to put them up in a conspicuous place in the precincts of the sanctuary, 49 and to deposit copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them.

And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one

John 17:22
And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one

Personality is a mark of our inner spiritual man. It is that which is exposed outside reflection the person deep inside. When we are at one with God, Jesus is an example of this, our personality would be a reflection of the personality of God. Such a person would think of themselves, not as individuals, but as one in unity with God. This transformation will happen when we surrender to the Holy Spirit and be guided by Him.

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God

1 Corinthians 10:31
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Every single thing is ordained or allowed by God - this follows from the fact that God is truly Almighty. So there may be many times and instances in life that we are doing mundane things but we cannot despise these simple things. We should not be glorifying church or mission work over the daily chores that people still have to do, including our own chores. Otherwise this can lead to spiritual pride or a sense of superiority by those who serve.

He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment

John 16:8
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment

The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, He lives within us to tell us what is right and wrong in God's eyes. Before people receive the Holy Spirit, God has also built into man, a conscience knowing what God thinks is right and wrong. Having the Holy Spirit is much more because God Himself tells us and makes it clear His path. It is through the work of the Holy Spirit that makes it possible for us to renew our minds and renew our lives so that we live for the Glory of God.

Rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s suffering

1 Peter 4:13
but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 

Yshua will show us various kinds of struggles in life and let us experience them sometimes. This may be for training us to deal with situations and to help people who encounter similar situations in future. This may be the opposite to the blessings that some believers are hoping for, but God has not promised us a trouble free life. In times of blessings, which there will be, thank the Lord, so that in times of trouble, we can also thank the Lord.

Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?

John 11:40
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

God says that when we believe we will see His glory. It is easy to believe when we are at a spiritual high, when everything seems to be going well. However, when there is serious troubles, then that is where our test begins. It can either strengthen our faith or kill it. "Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me" (Matthew 11:6). Furthermore, it appears that when we step out in faith, then things happen which causes us to struggle and our vision blurred. This is the time when we need  to have absolute trust in God, since he would not forsake us.

You will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny

Matthew 5:26
Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

This verse follows the teachings of Yshua delivered after the Beatitudes. Yshua was teaching that hating someone is the same as murder in God's view. God knows that we all have sin and fall short of His glory. And the penalty for sin is death. Now Yshua has come to take our punishment for us. However we still have a part; and that is to repent and become right again with God. This is something that has to be done, so there it may as well be done sooner than later. This also includes forgiveness and being right with others around us.

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord

2 Cor3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (KJV)

The glory of the Lord cannot be fully understood by us at the moment. But there will be a time when we will behold the Lord's Glory and it will shine through us as if we are transparent. This is the promise of God and we will one day be made into His image, by the Holy Spirit.

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen

2 Corinthians 1:20
For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. (KJV)

The promises of God made to us are dependent on His ability and trustworthiness. On both counts, we can be sure that God is perfect. Hence there is no reason to doubt God's promises. The reason we may doubt is because the timing is slower than we think, and that we don't fully trust God enough because we don't know Him well enough,

Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?

Luke 24:26
Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?

Our Lord Yshua is obedient all the way to the Cross and He is gloried. He enters into the Glory of the Father. We cannot fully understand that kind of glory, let alone glimpse it. Only Christ enters into that Most Glorious position. However we are promised the resurrection and the Holy Spirit in us. We can walk with the Holy Spirit even here on earth, when we lead an obedient life to God. And when we are resurrected we too will have a glorious body like Christ.

The friend of the bridegroom

John 3:29
He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 

The subject of this verse is the bridegroom - who no doubt represents Jesus. The verse starts by saying others who has a bride are bridegrooms too. On the other hand the verse also describes the friends of the bridegroom. As followers of Jesus, we are depicted as the friends of the bridegroom. The other bridegrooms take the attention or glory upon themselves. On the other hand, the friends of the bridegroom, glorifies and rejoices with the Lord. The friends point to the glorious bridegroom.

The challenge for the believers may be to deflect attention on ourselves towards the Lord. Following Yshua should result in good works and compassion for others. When others praise these good works, then the honour and glory should be deflected towards the Lord.

He must increase, but I must decrease

John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease

John points the way to Yshua Ha Masiach as we all must do. John the Baptist would have been at the peak of his popularity right before he introduced Jesus. People from the cities came out to the desert to be baptised by him.

However, when Jesus was baptized, that became the beginning of Jesus' public ministry and John pointed his followers directly to Jesus. Like John, we must do the same. In our compassion and mercy, we may be helping many people. Ultimately, when those people give thanks, it should be directed towards God. To accept glory for ourselves would be to steal the glory from God.

Arise, shine; For your light has come!

Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.


It is well agreed upon that the latter half of the book of Isaiah is filled with hope in God, through the promise of a Messiah. The command in this verse is "Arise, Shine". How much more so that this command should apply to us that are living after the birth of Yshua the Messiah.

This is more than just a call to lift up our spirits, although that must begin first. It also mean that, once we come to know Yshua, that we actually arise out of our old lives. Having risen, then we are called to Shine - this is none other than shining the light of our Lord. Once we believe in the Lord, we are definitely being called apart - the question is do we go on to a new life or do we fall back to our old routines.

With unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord

2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

This verse reminds us that as we walk in the Spirit, He will transform us into the image of God from glory to glory. This makes a lot of sense because when we are close to someone, we also become like that person, as seen in husbands and wives who have been together for a long time.

To be in the image of God should be nothing surprising since from the very beginning in Genesis, it says that we are made in the image of God. It is not just having a form like God, but also the spirit like God. This may be difficult to imagine if we think we are such terrible sinners. However, with the Spirit's help, we are supposed to be more God-like in our spirit, because after all, He is our Heavenly Father.

It is useful then to hold up a spiritual mirror from time to time to check on our image. We need to ask ourselves: are we becoming more like God or more unlike Him.

There were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel

The revelation given to John about the opening of the seals stopped at the sixth seal for a while. The next vision is that four powerful angels are stationed at the four corners of the world to hold back the winds, probably the winds of destruction. These may be the angels of judgment because there appeared another angel from the East who called on these four angels to delay their destruction, so that 144,000 ( a hundred and forty four thousand) of the descendants of Israel can be sealed or set apart.

These 144,000 are not just the modern Israelites who can trace their ancestry back to the kingdom of Judah (and the tribe of Benjamin). The Scripture here is specific, the 144,000 Israelites are composed equally of the twelve tribes of Israel, 12,000 from each tribe.

Then the vision is of a multitude of people, who are the Gentile and non-Gentile saved believers (with white robe) in Yshua. So the 144,000 are clearly in addition to the Christians (believers white robes). So these Christians praised God and together with the 24 elders and the four beasts, worshipped God. Then one of the elders revealed to John that these multitude of people in white robes are the ones that have gone through the tribulation period. Hence the people in white robes are also in addition to Christian believers caught up in the Rapture. In other words, the tribulation period will result in many people coming to the Lord.





Revelation 7
The Sealed of Israel

1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:

5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;[a]
of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;
6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;
7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;
8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.
A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”

14 And I said to him, “Sir,[b] you know.”

So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.[c] And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals

John saw God the Father sitting on the throne holding a scroll with seven seals. John felt sad that no one was worthy enough to open the scrolls, the elders could not do it, the four creatures could not do it, neither could the angels do it. Then The Lamb who is Yshua, came forth to take the scroll. Also the seven Spirits of God was mentioned, and this could be the angels sent out to the seven churches.

Then the twenty four elders and the four creatures, worshipped the Lamb. The Lamb is clearly Messiah who was slain, and was brought back to life, in order to redeem us. All the other beings in heaven join in the worship of the Lamb, to glorify Him and to praise Him. They all glorified, honoured and blessed the Lamb and the Father on the throne. The Lamb must be one with the God the Father, because God would not share His glory with anyone.





Revelation 5
The Lamb Takes the Scroll

1 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read[a] the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose[b] its seven seals.”

6 And I looked, and behold,[c] in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

Worthy Is the Lamb

8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us[d] kings[e] and priests to our God;
And we[f] shall reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”[g]
14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four[h] elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.[i]

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!

John was given the revelation of the Throne of God in Heaven. He knew that he was being brought up in the Spirit, rather than in body so he knows that it is not a dream. The throne is surrounded by the 24 elders and the seven lamps which are the Spirits of God.

John also saw 4 creatures around the throne. Although these creatures were like lion, calf, man and eagle, they were spiritual beings which bear the resemblance to our terrestrial animals. These beings had wings and a multitude of eyes and their roles are to continuously worship The Lord God. As they worshipped, the 24 elders also worshipped and submitting their crowns before The Lord.

This is a picture of God being worshipped in a majestic way and it is Him who is deserving of such worship.



Revelation 4
The Throne Room of Heaven

1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 And He who sat there was[a] like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns[b] of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices.[c] Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the[d] seven Spirits of God.

6 Before the throne there was[e] a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

“Holy, holy, holy,[f]
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

11 “You are worthy, O Lord,[g]
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist[h] and were created.”

To convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him

Jude writes to the believers reminding them to contend with their faith. He warns of God's judgment on the unbelievers by using several examples including the Israelites after they came out of Egypt and the judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah. It is also interesting that Jude reveals a glimpse of the conflict in the heavenly realm by mentioning God will judge the angels who have left heaven to pursue evil. There is also mention of the conflict between the archangel Michael and the Enemy.

Jude mentions prophecies by Enoch, also emphasising that Enoch is the seventh generation from Adam. Enoch had prophecies about judgment of God on the ungodly unbelievers who carry on their business with no regard for God. They typically enjoy their life and success and are interested in their self-interests. They are also the grumblers, complainers and mockers of God. Jude encourages us to build ourselves up in faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, love God, look for the merch of Jesus, have compassion on others and trying to save others.


Jude 1
Greeting to the Called

1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,

To those who are called, sanctified[a] by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:

2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Contend for the Faith

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God[b] and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Old and New Apostates

5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed

12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about[c] by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Apostates Predicted

16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

Maintain Your Life with God

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction;[d] 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire,[e] hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Glory to God

24 Now to Him who is able to keep you[f] from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior,[g]
Who alone is wise,[h]
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,[i]
Both now and forever.
Amen.