1I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals. 2I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?” 3No one in heaven above, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book or to look in it. 4Then I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look in it. 5One of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome: he who opens the book and its seven seals.”
6I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb standing, 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. 7Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9They sang a new song, saying,
“You are worthy to take the book
and to open its seals,
for you were killed,
and bought us for God with your blood
out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,
10and made us kings and priests to our God;
and we will reign on the earth.”
11I looked, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. The number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!”
13I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!”
14The four living creatures said, “Amen!” Then the elders fell down and worshiped.
Heaven (Gk. οὐρανός, ouranos). (10:21; Matt 3:2, Acts 2:34; 4:2, Rom 1:18; Col 1:16; 1 Thess 4:16; Heb 1:10, Rev 5:13) Strong’s 3772
The term “heaven” in the NT is used in a variety of ways, referring to the sky or the part of creation above the earth, the dwelling place of God and the angels, the destiny of believers and it is even used as a circumlocution or substitute term for God. To speak of a reward in heaven, as in Mark 10:21, is to set attention on the spiritual realm, the afterlife, one’s eternal destiny and the presence of God. In this verse, “heaven” refers to the dwelling place of God and the destiny of believers. This rich man claimed to be a perfect follower of the law, but misses Jesus’ point when He says, “no one is good except God.” By asking him to sell all his property, Jesus is attempting to help him see that he is not quite as good or impressive as he might think. The rich man should not have evaluated and defined himself by his earthly existence, but by heaven. As much as he might consider himself a success in earthly terms, the better questions for the rich man are: How successful am I now in the eyes of heaven? How successful will I prove to be upon receiving my heavenly reward? Will I enjoy a heavenly arrival at all?