Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 dBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the eheavenly places, 4 feven as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be gholy and blameless before him. In love 5 he hpredestined us1 for iadoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the jpurpose of his will, 6 kto the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the lBeloved. 7 In him we have mredemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our ntrespasses, according to the oriches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in pall wisdom and insight 9 making known2 to us the qmystery of his will, according to his purpose, which rhe set forth in Christ3 10 as a plan for the sfullness of time, tto unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.
The Scroll and the Lamb
1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne aa scroll written within and on the back, bsealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, cthe Lion dof the tribe of Judah, the eRoot of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a fLamb standing, as though it had been gslain, with seven horns and with hseven eyes, which are ithe seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the jtwenty-four elders kfell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, lwhich are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a mnew song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you nransomed people for God
from every otribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and ppriests to our God,
and they shall qreign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of rmany angels, snumbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,
t“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
14 And the four living creatures said, u“Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
