Revelation 5:11: And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.

After John saw the 24 Elders and four beasts praising the Lamb in paradise in Revelation 5:8-10,¹ John looked again² and this time he also heard the praise of myriads upon myriads of additional angels.³ Their vast number is symbolically expressed as 100 million⁴ and thousands upon thousands more.⁵ The 100+ million angels were located beyond the concentric circles near the throne⁶ occupied by the Lamb,⁷ the 24 Elders,⁸ and four beasts in that order of precedence.⁹

This imagery indicates that in John's vision of heaven as of 96 AD,¹⁰ he gazed upon celestial paradise and beyond to see the 100+ million disembodied spirits of mankind separated¹¹ in that part of the postmortal spirit world¹² called hell or prison.¹³ Paradise and prison (hell) are part of the same spirit world,¹⁴ but the 100+ million angels were disembodied spirits of people in prison beyond paradise.¹⁵ They had faith in and raised their voices to Christ in praise,¹⁶ but John specifically identified them as a separate group from the 24 Elders and four beasts near the throne of God in paradise. The 100+ million angels obviously had faith in Christ, but they existed in prison because they were never baptized,¹⁷ either for themselves or vicariously by proxy, as of 96 AD.¹⁸

In John's vision, there was no apparent barrier or great gulf between the inner circle of spirits in celestial paradise and the outer circle of spirits in prison. The spirits in both places could sing together at increasing distances from the throne of God.¹⁹ This imagery expresses the truth that Christ's postmortal ministry bridged the great gulf²⁰ that once separated these two parts of the same spirit world.²¹ Christ's brief ministry in the postmortal spirit world made it possible for the spirits (angels)²² in paradise to teach the gospel to the spirits in prison so the latter group could become heirs of salvation in the celestial kingdom.²³ The Savior's atonement redeems them from death and hell²⁴ as they accept the gospel in spirit prison²⁵ and vicariously receive the ordinances of the gospel performed by mortal proxies here on earth.²⁶ However, until the earthly ordinances are actually performed for these disembodied spirits of faith,²⁷ they must raise their voices of praise separate and apart from the 24 Elders and four beasts in celestial paradise.²⁸

Revelation 5:12: Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

In Revelation 5:10, the 24 Elders sang a new song of redemption about their exalted state as kings and priests.²⁹ In Revelation 5:11, the four beasts in paradise join in the song of redemption,³⁰ together with the 100+ million angels in prison, saying (singing) with a loud voice.³¹

They praise the Lamb (Jesus Christ),³² who is worthy to have ascribed to him³³ seven³⁴ different doxologies or forms of praise.³⁵ The seven praises are described with a single article as though they were all one,³⁶ including: (1) power,³⁷ (2) riches,³⁸ (3) wisdom,³⁹ (4) strength,⁴⁰ (5) honour,⁴¹ (6) glory,⁴² and (7) blessing.⁴³

Revelation 5:13: And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Revelation 5:13 expands the seven doxologies from the prior verse⁴⁴ to include a fourth and final hymn of praise⁴⁵ from every creature (creation)⁴⁶ from all worlds.⁴⁷ John uses the symbolic world number (four)⁴⁸ to express the praise that Christ receives from all his creations throughout the universe.⁴⁹ He symbolically lists the four parts of the universe that are (1) in heaven,⁵⁰ (2) on the earth,⁵¹ (3) under the earth,⁵² and (4) such as are in the sea.⁵³ This final doxology is also fourfold, including⁵⁴ the blessing, and honour, and glory, and power.⁵⁵ This fourfold praise comes from the fourfold parts of the universe and all that are in them⁵⁶ because Christ's infinite atonement⁵⁷ redeemed them all.⁵⁸ An infinite atonement also includes the redemption of all creations from the fourfold kingdoms⁵⁹ of (1) mankind, (2) animals,⁶⁰ (3) plants,⁶¹ and (4) minerals.⁶²

The praise from every order of creation extends to both God the Father seated on the throne and to the Lamb (Jesus Christ) that stands before the throne.⁶³ The Father and the Son both share in the glory of their joint creations.⁶⁴ The praise of both Father and Son extends for ever and ever,⁶⁵ meaning through all generations of time⁶⁶ and for all generations of creation throughout all eternity.⁶⁷ Since the creations of this generation of spirits⁶⁸ will forever praise God and the Lamb for their creative and redemptive acts in this generation,⁶⁹ it must also be true that God the Father will forever praise the creator and redeemer of his generation in like manner.⁷⁰

Revelation 5:13 describes the universe of creations in this generation so broadly that the Father and the Son are seemingly praised by even the sons of perdition.⁷¹ That is not the case, however. Only creations that are redeemed to a kingdom of glory will sing the song of redemption.⁷² Sons of perdition are not redeemed to a kingdom of glory.⁷³ There is no reason to think they will ever raise their voice in praise of the Father or the Son because they persistently refuse to repent. It is a hallmark of their existence.

In the premortal existence, Lucifer and his angels rebelled against God⁷⁴ and forever placed themselves beyond the power of redemption when they rejected Christ as the creator and redeemer.⁷⁵ These unembodied sons of perdition are never redeemed from death because they are never born into mortality.⁷⁶ They will remain spiritually dead forever and the final place of their residence will be outer darkness (hell), referred to symbolically as the lake of fire.⁷⁷

Those that become sons of perdition in mortality because of their wicked acts and rebellion on earth will die and be resurrected last of all among humans.⁷⁸ They are redeemed from physical death, but they will suffer the second death forever as vessels of wrath.⁷⁹ They do not inherit a kingdom of glory,⁸⁰ and they will never sing the song of redemption in the postmortal spirit world as they await their resurrection⁸¹ because they persistently reject Jesus Christ and refuse to repent.⁸² Only those redeemed to a kingdom of glory will bend their knee to praise the Father and the Son.⁸³

Revelation 5:14: And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

The four beasts of creation within the inner circles of celestial paradise⁸⁴ say Amen to acknowledge and agree with⁸⁵ the praise offered by the myriads of angels outside the celestial circle in spirit prison.

The 24 Elders that represent exaltation-worthy saints,⁸⁶ also kneel and prostrate themselves to worship the Lamb.⁸⁷ They do so in apparent silence because most Greek manuscripts omit from this verse the spoken words which say, him that liveth forever and ever.⁸⁸ The silence is a sign of their reverent adoration.⁸⁹ This final image in John's vision of heaven⁹⁰ may also symbolize the submissiveness of those that pass through tribulation enroute to exaltation.⁹¹ Exaltation-worthy saints in paradise worship the Lamb, who is poised to finish the work of their redemption as he opens the book with seven seals.⁹²