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II. LE VISIONI PROFETICHE

1. PRELIMINARI DEL "GRANDE GIORNO" DI DIO

Dio affida all'Agnello i destini del mondo

Dopo ciò ebbi una visione: una porta era aperta nel cielo. La voce che prima avevo udito parlarmi come una tromba diceva: Sali quassù, ti mostrerò le cose che devono accadere in seguito. Subito fui rapito in estasi. Ed ecco, c'era un trono nel cielo, e sul trono uno stava seduto. Colui che stava seduto era simile nell'aspetto a diaspro e cornalina. Un arcobaleno simile a smeraldo avvolgeva il trono. Attorno al trono, poi, c'erano ventiquattro seggi e sui seggi stavano seduti ventiquattro vegliardi avvolti in candide vesti con corone d'oro sul capo. Dal trono uscivano lampi, voci e tuoni; sette lampade accese ardevano davanti al trono, simbolo dei sette spiriti di Dio. Davanti al trono vi era come un mare trasparente simile a cristallo. In mezzo al trono e intorno al trono vi erano quattro esseri viventi pieni d'occhi davanti e di dietro. Il primo vivente era simile a un leone, il secondo essere vivente aveva l'aspetto di un vitello, il terzo vivente aveva l'aspetto d'uomo, il quarto vivente era simile a un'aquila mentre vola. I quattro esseri viventi hanno ciascuno sei ali, intorno e dentro sono costellati di occhi; giorno e notte non cessano di ripetere:

Santo, santo, santo
il Signore Dio, l'Onnipotente,
Colui che era, che è e che viene!

E ogni volta che questi esseri viventi rendevano gloria, onore e grazie a Colui che è seduto sul trono e che vive nei secoli dei secoli, 10 i ventiquattro vegliardi si prostravano davanti a Colui che siede sul trono e adoravano Colui che vive nei secoli dei secoli e gettavano le loro corone davanti al trono, dicendo:

11 «Tu sei degno, o Signore e Dio nostro,
di ricevere la gloria, l'onore e la potenza,
perché tu hai creato tutte le cose,
e per la tua volontà furono create e sussistono».

The Throne Room of Heaven(A)

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.”

Immediately (D)I was in the Spirit; and behold, (E)a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. [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. (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. 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.

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. (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. 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:

(Q)“Holy,[f] holy, holy,
(R)Lord God Almighty,
(S)Who was and is and is to come!”

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:

11 “You(V) are worthy, [g]O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
(W)For You created all things,
And by (X)Your will they [h]exist and were created.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:3 M omits And He who sat there was, making the following a description of the throne.
  2. Revelation 4:4 NU, M robes, with crowns
  3. Revelation 4:5 NU, M voices, and thunderings.
  4. Revelation 4:5 M omits the
  5. Revelation 4:6 NU, M add something like
  6. Revelation 4:8 M has holy nine times.
  7. Revelation 4:11 NU, M our Lord and God
  8. Revelation 4:11 NU, M existed

The Throne in Heaven

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me (A)like a trumpet, said, (B)“Come up here, and (C)I will show you what must take place after this.” At once (D)I was in the Spirit, and behold, (E)a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of (F)jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was (G)a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were (H)twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, (I)clothed in white garments, with (J)golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came (K)flashes of lightning, and rumblings[a] and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning (L)seven torches of fire, (M)which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was (N)as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are (O)four living creatures, (P)full of eyes in front and behind: (Q)the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, (R)each of them with six wings, are (S)full of eyes all around and within, and (T)day and night they never cease to say,

(U)“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
    (V)who was and is and is to come!”

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, (W)who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders (X)fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast (Y)their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 (Z)“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for (AA)you created all things,
    and (AB)by your will they existed and were created.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:5 Or voices, or sounds