The
Heavens Opened by Anna Rountree
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Praise Purified
The angels in flight gathered some of the
praise from the sea of glass and wove it into their praise within each color of
the bow (that is, the radiance around the Father) before it went to Him. Some
worship went to a small altar on which there appeared to be smoldering coals. I
wondered why some went one way and some another.
Epaggelias addressed this unspoken
question. “Some praise is already in harmony with heavenly praise, but some
must pass through the fire,” he said.
Angels of His Presence
Angelic beings in pale lavender were at
this small altar. Their robes were embroidered with deep purple and gold on the
sleeves and hem, and they were bound with golden girdles. The palms of their
hands were also tinted with the purple color. I felt that they must be angels
of His presence. They took great care with all that was going to the Father.
There was a delicacy in handling that which belongs to Him, like a shepherd
encouraging and assisting a newborn lamb. Whether being woven into the angelic
harmony within each color of the radiance, or like a homing pigeon, drawn into
the coals on the small altar—all, all goes to Him. Nothing is carried away nor
stolen.
Interwovenness
I became more aware of the pleasant
fragrance around the throne area and of the interwovenness of sound and color
and smell. These cannot be woven together on earth the way they are blended
here in heaven. We below can experience them simultaneously, but above they
seem to have the same properties. It is more like water being poured into
water. Water, having the same properties, can be mixed. So it is here with
sound, light, and fragrance. It seems strange to see sound, hear color, and for
smell to have a tangible quality to it; yet in heaven it all seems natural and
right and even obvious.
Seven Great Flames
There were seven great flames of fire,
seven torches, before the throne.
Epaggelias spoke, “These are manifestations
of the Holy Spirit. They burn before the throne continually. He reveals Himself
here [above] and on earth. The Lamb embodies these, and the Spirit takes of
Him. Of the created, heavenly hosts, the seraphim, burning in holiness, most
closely resemble these lamps of the Spirit. They burn above, and the lamps burn
before [the throne].”
Seraphim
I looked up to see heavenly beings burning
right above the most intense light of the throne. Each had six wings. Now and
then I could see their faces or the movement of their wings. They burned like
blow torches. From them came the sweetest and purest music I had ever heard.
The Twenty -four Elders
In the midst of the intensely white light
of the throne area, there stood twenty-four very tall beings with crowns on
their heads.° Each wore a chain with a single gold medallion hanging from it.
The hair on their heads was white, and they were full of light. I could sense
that they were ancient, wise, and bore much authority.
Epaggelias led me into a clear area nearer
the throne.
Four Living Creatures
Within the greater light, I could see four
living creatures.’ Each was whiter than white, so full of light were they. Each
had six wings. One looked like a calf, one like a lion, one like an eagle, and
one like a man. Their heads and their feet, paws, hoofs, or claws were golden.
They were full of eyes, awesome and very beautiful.
The living creature of light that looked
something like a man wore a transparent garment with a collar that came up high
from the neck to the ears. This collar looked like an open fan of white lace
interwoven with golden thread. A golden yoke and front panel completed the
center of the robe. Through the gossamer fabric of his clothing, I could see
that his body was covered with eyes. Beneath the wings of each of these living
creatures were hands.
When the redeemed dropped to their knees
during the dance, these four bowed before the King. Within their hands they
held golden bowls that they presented before the throne.
Epaggelias spoke to me: “These represent
four great divisions of animate creation.” The Word says that all things are to
praise Him. These are the remnant of creation that fulfill that Word. That
which they do is attributed to all that God has made.”
“Why do they have golden heads?” I
whispered.
“Gold shows their place among those
representing creation before the throne,” he answered. “It is a precious metal
on earth and representative of Christ here, so their color reflects that which
is precious: worshiping God. God deals with the remnant. These four are a
certain remnant. Before the throne, God the Almighty, the glorious One, is
being praised and worshiped by His creation. The white represents the innocence
of all He brought forth originally. It reminds Him that what He created was
created pure and uncorrupted in the beginning.”
Concluding the offering of Praise
The offering of worship and thanksgiving by
the redeemed was drawing to a close. As one, the redeemed saints stepped
forward, their arms around each others’ waists. They knelt on their right knees
before the throne, bowing their heads in reverence. The twenty-four ancient
ones and the four living creatures knelt, saying amen at the conclusion of the
dance.
The myriads of angels praising Him aloft
within the radiance stood still. They looked like thousands upon thousands and
tier upon tier of organ pipes as far as I could see.
In the silence that followed, God spoke.