Revelation 4-6

New King James Version

The Throne Room of Heaven^(A)

4 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing ^(B)open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a ^(C)trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

² Immediately ^(D)I was in the Spirit; and behold, ^(E)a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. ^3 [a]And He who sat there was ^(F)like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; ^(G)and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. ^4 (H)Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, ^(I)clothed in white ^[b]robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ And from the throne proceeded ^(J)lightnings, ^[c]thunderings, and voices. ^(K)Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are ^(L)the^[d] seven Spirits of God.

⁶ Before the throne there ^[e]was ^(M)a sea of glass, like crystal. ^(N)And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. ^7 (O)The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ The four living creatures, each having ^(P)six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, ^(T)who lives forever and ever, ^10 (U)the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

The Lamb Takes the Scroll

5 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne ^(Y)a scroll written inside and on the back, ^(Z)sealed with seven seals. ² Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ^(AA)“Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

⁴ So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open ^[i]and read the scroll, or to look at it. ⁵ But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, ^(AB)the Lion of the tribe of ^(AC)Judah, ^(AD)the Root of David, has ^(AE)prevailed to open the scroll ^(AF)and ^[j]to loose its seven seals.”

⁶ And I looked, ^[k]and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood ^(AG)a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and ^(AH)seven eyes, which are ^(AI)the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand ^(AJ)of Him who sat on the throne.

Worthy Is the Lamb

⁸ Now when He had taken the scroll, ^(AK)the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the ^(AL)prayers of the saints. ⁹ And ^(AM)they sang a new song, saying:

¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice:

¹³ And ^(AS)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, I heard saying:

¹⁴ Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the ^[p]twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped ^[q]Him who lives forever and ever.

First Seal: The Conqueror

6 Now ^(AV)I saw when the Lamb opened one of the ^[r]seals; and I heard ^(AW)one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” ² And I looked, and behold, ^(AX)a white horse. ^(AY)He who sat on it had a bow; ^(AZ)and a crown was given to him, and he went out ^(BA)conquering and to conquer.

Second Seal: Conflict on Earth

³ When He opened the second seal, ^(BB)I heard the second living creature saying, “Come ^[s]and see.” ^4 (BC)Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to ^(BD)take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth

⁵ When He opened the third seal, ^(BE)I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, ^(BF)a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of ^(BG)scales^[t] in his hand. ⁶ And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A ^[u]quart of wheat for a ^[v]denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and ^(BH)do not harm the oil and the wine.”

Fourth Seal: Widespread Death on Earth

⁷ When He opened the fourth seal, ^(BI)I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” ^8 (BJ)So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And ^[w]power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, ^(BK)to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, ^(BL)and by the beasts of the earth.

Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs

⁹ When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under ^(BM)the altar ^(BN)the souls of those who had been slain ^(BO)for the word of God and for ^(BP)the testimony which they held. ¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ^(BQ)“How long, O Lord, ^(BR)holy and true, ^(BS)until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” ¹¹ Then a ^(BT)white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them ^(BU)that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disturbances

¹² I looked when He opened the sixth seal, ^(BV)and ^[x]behold, there was a great earthquake; and ^(BW)the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the ^[y]moon became like blood. ^13 (BX)And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. ^14 (BY)Then the sky ^[z]receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and ^(BZ)every mountain and island was moved out of its place. ¹⁵ And the ^(CA)kings of the earth, the great men, ^[aa]the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, ^(CB)hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, ^16 (CC)and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who ^(CD)sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day of His wrath has come, ^(CE)and who is able to stand?”