I return to the question of two days ago: How is Ch. 5 to be properly understood in the light of all I have shared? Rev. 5:1-6:17 & 8:1-5 cover the breaking of 7 seals by the Lamb dealing with 7 symbolic representations of plagues. Later we have the sounding of 7 trumpets by 7 angels initiating more plagues (Rev. 8:6-9:21 & 11:15-19) and finally the pouring out of 7 bowls on the earth by a further 7 angels. God's wrath is displayed in each.

Ch. 4 ended with the worship of the Creator, the Sovereign God, who is Lord over all. Ch. 5 ends with the worship of the Redeemer, the Champion of the chosen, whose cross stands above it all declaring total victory over the world, the flesh and the devil. This summarizes the message of the whole book. "For John the End is the significant thing. He does not take in the whole in any one vision or any one series of visions. He deals with different aspects, sometimes covering the same ground from different points of view and sometimes taking in different features of the landscape adding new details. As the early church read his book it could recognize John is dealing with realities first spoken by Christ himself (Mt. 24; Mk. 13; Lk. 21) though in another fashion and using different symbolism (LM)."

The 7 plagues unleashed by the breaking of the seals underline the certainty of future judgement. We would want hell not to exist; that somehow all will be saved, but that is human thinking. It neither understands nor honours the utter holiness of God and the incredible price the Father paid to secure our salvation. Rejection of God's Son will not go unpunished, and that punishment will be terrible in the extreme. (See the link below for a great attempt at explaining the holiness of God.)

Psalm 2 tells us that God's coming King, the Messiah, would provoke worldwide rebellion. God laughs at, mocks, rebukes and terrifies earthly potentates who defy him. What horrifying ideas these words conjure up! But they are reserved for those who reject Jesus, who rage and plot against him. Sadly, that will continue right up to the end of time. Jesus will be their judge because ultimately it is his sacrifice for them that they are despising. Psalm 2 is confirmed by the following.

"Then the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person all hid themselves in caves … They cried to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb'" (Rev. 6:15-16). "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:31). This should surely drive us to prayer and tears, but our hearts can easily become hardened.

https://bibleproject.com/learn/holiness/