天上的敬拜

此后,我再观看,见天上有一扇门开了,又听见刚才那个像号角般响亮的声音对我说:“你上这里来,我要把以后必发生的事指示给你看。” 我便立刻被圣灵感动,看见天上安设着一个宝座,有一位坐在宝座上, 闪耀着碧玉和红宝石般的光彩。有一道翡翠般的彩虹围绕着宝座。 宝座的周围设有二十四个座位,有二十四位长老坐在上面,他们身穿白袍,头戴金冠。 从宝座中有闪电、响声、雷鸣发出,宝座前面燃烧着七把火炬,代表[a]上帝的七灵。 宝座前还有一个水晶般的玻璃海,宝座的四周有四个活物,他们前后都长满了眼睛。 第一个活物像狮子,第二个像牛犊,第三个有人的面孔,第四个像飞鹰。 这四个活物各有三对翅膀,翅膀内外都长满眼睛。他们昼夜不停地说:

“圣哉!圣哉!圣哉!
主上帝是昔在、今在、
以后永在的全能者。”

每逢这些活物将荣耀、尊贵、感谢献给坐在宝座上、活到永永远远的那位时, 10 二十四位长老就俯伏在坐宝座的那位面前,敬拜那位永活者,又摘下他们头上的冠冕,放在宝座前,说:

11 “我们的主,我们的上帝,
你配得荣耀、尊贵和权能,
因你创造了万物,
万物都因你的旨意被创造而存在。”

Footnotes

  1. 4:5 代表”希腊文是“就是”。

The Throne in Heaven

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open(A) in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet(B) said, “Come up here,(C) and I will show you what must take place after this.”(D) At once I was in the Spirit,(E) and there before me was a throne in heaven(F) with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper(G) and ruby.(H) A rainbow(I) that shone like an emerald(J) encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.(K) They were dressed in white(L) and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.(M) In front of the throne, seven lamps(N) were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a](O) of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass,(P) clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,(Q) and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.(R) The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.(S) Each of the four living creatures(T) had six wings(U) and was covered with eyes all around,(V) even under its wings. Day and night(W) they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’[b](X)

who was, and is, and is to come.”(Y)

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne(Z) and who lives for ever and ever,(AA) 10 the twenty-four elders(AB) fall down before him(AC) who sits on the throne(AD) and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,(AE)
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.”(AF)

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:5 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
  2. Revelation 4:8 Isaiah 6:3

Scene in Heaven

After (A)these things I looked, and behold, (B)a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, (C)like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “(D)Come up here, and I will (E)show you what must take place after these things.” Immediately I was (F)in the [a]Spirit; and behold, (G)a throne was standing in heaven, and (H)someone was sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a (I)jasper stone and a (J)sardius in appearance; and there was a [b](K)rainbow around the throne, like an (L)emerald in appearance. (M)Around the throne were (N)twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw (O)twenty-four elders (P)sitting, clothed in (Q)white garments, and (R)golden crowns on their heads.

The Throne and Worship of the Creator

Out from the throne *came (S)flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were (T)seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are [c](U)the seven spirits of God; and before the throne there was something like a (V)sea of glass, like crystal; and in the [d]center and (W)around the throne, (X)four living creatures (Y)full of eyes in front and behind. (Z)The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf, the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the (AA)four living creatures, each one of them having (AB)six wings, are (AC)full of eyes around and within; and (AD)day and night [e]they do not cease to say,

(AE)Holy, holy, holy is the (AF)Lord God, the Almighty, (AG)who was and who is and who [f]is to come.”

And when the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who (AH)sits on the throne, to (AI)Him who lives forever and ever, 10 the (AJ)twenty-four elders will (AK)fall down before Him who (AL)sits on the throne, and they will worship (AM)Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their (AN)crowns before the throne, saying,

11 (AO)Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You (AP)created all things, and because of Your will they [g]existed, and were created.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:2 Or spirit
  2. Revelation 4:3 Or halo
  3. Revelation 4:5 Possibly a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit in His fullness, or to seven key angels
  4. Revelation 4:6 Lit middle of the throne and around
  5. Revelation 4:8 Lit they have no rest, saying,
  6. Revelation 4:8 Or is coming
  7. Revelation 4:11 Lit were

John’s Vision of God

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.” Immediately I was in spirit. And look! A throne was standing in heaven, and someone was sitting on the throne. 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.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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:

Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
who was and who is and who is coming.

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:

11 Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive the glory and the honor and the power,
    for you have created all things,
    and because of your will they existed and were created.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:3 Or carnelian
  2. Revelation 4:8 Literally inside. The English idiom for the inside of a wing is underneath, that is, the hidden side.