In today's episode, Craig and LaDonna Smith begin their study in Revelation 5 in this in-depth coverage of The Raptured Church in Heaven. They introduce to us the chapter's contents, and begin their verse by verse unpacking of what it has to say about what John saw when the Lord told him to, Come up here. He saw things mankind had never seen before and he attempts to convey those visions to us today. The Smiths begin to uncover details of a very important scroll that was in the hand of the One who sat on heaven's throne. That was none other than God the Father. This scroll was unique in that it had writing on both sides of the parchment, signifying it as being very special. From there, the Smiths take us to an Old Testament passage in Jeremiah 32 where another scroll was talked about and draw some important comparisons to the scroll John was seeing in heaven. And that's when time ran out in today's episode, unfortunately. Do you want to know what that scroll was all about? Well, you'll just have to join us again next week in part 2 of this enlightening and encouraging prophetic series, right here on Indigenous Faith!

Today the Smiths wrap up their study of Revelation 4 as the go deep into their review of the four living creatures John saw in heaven, who they are, what they do, and why they do it. These four living creatures had their counterparts in the vision Ezekiel had way back in the Old Testament when he saw Cherubim and Seraphim. While similar in looks, they are different from the four living creatures John saw in Revelation 4. While strange in their appearance, they, by their example, show the twenty-four elders how to worship God in the right way. What is their response? Well, they, too, fall down before the Lord and join the heavenly creatures in a symphony of praise and adoration. Yes, these creatures had an important role to play, way back when John saw them, and even to this day. They call us, too, to fall down before the Lord and worship Him from planet earth. One day we will join them in person in heaven, when we are raptured into the very presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, His Father, and the Holy Spirit, as they sit on the throne of heaven. What a day that will be! Friend, are you ready? It could happen any day now. If you aren't ready, you can cry out to Jesus right now, ask Him to forgive you and make you His own! Then you will know you'll be there as well because as Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father but by me! Salvation is found in Christ, and Christ alone!

As the Smiths continue to unpackage Revelation 4 about the Raptured Church in Heaven, they take some important time to not only unpackage the biblical text itself, but give some important details about the study helps they use to help gain a full understanding of what the Scriptures have to say. They focus on explaining what the term, canon of Scripture means, and how they arrive at the knowledge needed to understand these phrases and the Scriptural texts as well. They share with us that they use a variety of resources, including books of trusted theologians, as well as online resources. The reason they took a bit of time on this is to help you, as a listener of Indigenous Faith , find access to these helpful tools as well so you can go to them in your own independent study of God's Word. It's all about equipping you, as an Indigenous follower of Christ do your own personal study of God's Word, helping you to become a biblically healthy Indigenous follower of Christ. In the time remaining in this episode, they go back to the text at hand, which is Revelation 6b-11 and its introduction to some strange heavenly creatures that we've never seen before. It begins launching us together in a study of these creatures, and how the 24 elders respond to their worship. That's the focus on the next episode, which you'll have to wait until it launches next week. All here on Indigenous Faith!