Two Covenants^(A)

²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons: ^(B)the one by a bondwoman, ^(C)the other by a freewoman. ²³ But he who was of the bondwoman ^(D)was born according to the flesh, ^(E)and he of the freewoman through promise, ²⁴ which things are symbolic. For these are ^[a]the two covenants: the one from Mount ^(F)Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— ²⁵ for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— ²⁶ but the ^(G)Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. ²⁷ For it is written:

²⁸ Now ^(I)we, brethren, as Isaac was, are ^(J)children of promise. ²⁹ But, as ^(K)he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(L)even so it is now. ³⁰ Nevertheless what does ^(M)the Scripture say? ^(N)“Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for ^(O)the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” ³¹ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

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.