John’s Vision of God

4 After these things I looked, and there was a door opened in heaven! And the first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things.” ² Immediately I was in spirit. And look! A throne was standing in heaven, and someone was sitting on the throne. ³ The one who was sitting there looked like a jasper stone and a ruby.^[a] Around the throne there was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.

⁴ Also around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and sitting on those thrones were twenty-four elders dressed in white garments, with gold crowns on their heads. ⁵ Out of the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and crashes of thunder. In front of the throne seven flaming lamps were burning, which are the seven spirits of God. ⁶ Also in front of the throne was something resembling a glassy sea, which was like crystal.

In the middle, near the throne and around the throne, there were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and in back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature was like an ox, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ Each one of the four living creatures had six wings, and the wings were full of eyes all around and underneath.^[b] Day and night, without pause, they keep saying:

⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders bow down before him who sits on the throne. They worship the one who lives forever and ever and lay down their crowns in front of his throne as they say: