Les sept sceaux

Une porte ouverte dans le ciel

Après cela, je vis une porte ouverte dans le ciel. Et la voix que j’avais entendue me parler au début et qui résonnait comme une trompette me dit : Monte ici, et je te montrerai ce qui doit arriver après cela.

La vision du trône de Dieu[a]

A l’instant, l’Esprit se saisit de moi. Et voici : il y avait un trône dans le ciel. Et sur ce trône quelqu’un siégeait. Celui qui siégeait avait l’aspect d’une pierre de jaspe et de sardoine. Un arc-en-ciel entourait le trône, brillant comme l’émeraude.

Autour du trône se trouvaient vingt-quatre trônes. Et sur ces trônes siégeaient vingt-quatre représentants du peuple de Dieu[b]. Ils étaient vêtus de blanc, et portaient des couronnes d’or sur la tête. Du trône jaillissaient des éclairs, des voix et des coups de tonnerre. Devant le trône brûlaient sept flambeaux ardents, qui sont les sept esprits de Dieu. Devant le trône s’étendait comme une mer de verre, transparente comme du cristal. Au milieu du trône et tout autour se tenaient quatre êtres vivants entièrement couverts d’yeux, devant et derrière.

Le premier d’entre eux ressemblait à un lion, le deuxième à un jeune taureau, le troisième avait le visage pareil à celui d’un homme et le quatrième était semblable à un aigle en plein vol. Chacun de ces quatre êtres vivants avait six ailes couvertes d’yeux par-dessus et par-dessous. Jour et nuit, ils ne cessent de dire :

Saint, saint, saint
est le Seigneur Dieu[c] ,
le Tout-Puissant,
celui qui était,
qui est et qui vient.

Et chaque fois que les êtres vivants présentent leur adoration, leur hommage et leur reconnaissance à celui qui siège sur le trône, à celui qui vit éternellement, 10 les vingt-quatre représentants du peuple de Dieu se prosternent devant celui qui siège sur le trône et adorent celui qui vit éternellement. Ils déposent leurs couronnes devant le trône, 11 en disant :

Tu es digne,
notre Seigneur
et notre Dieu,
qu’on te donne gloire,
honneur et puissance,
car tu as créé
tout ce qui existe,
l’univers entier
doit son existence
et sa création
à ta volonté.

Footnotes

  1. 4.2 Cette vision rappelle en particulier la vision d’Ez 1.
  2. 4.4 Peut-être les représentants de l’ensemble des rachetés de l’ancienne et de la nouvelle alliance.
  3. 4.8 Voir Es 6.3.

The Heavenly Throne

After these things I looked, and behold, an open door in heaven, and the former voice that I had heard like a trumpet speaking with me was saying, “Come up here and I will show you the things which must take place after these things.” Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one was seated on the throne. And the one seated was similar in appearance to jasper and carnelian stone, and a rainbow was around the throne similar in appearance to emerald. And around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders dressed in white clothing, and on their heads were gold crowns. And from the throne came out lightnings and sounds and thunders, and seven torches of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal, and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. And the first living creature was similar to a lion, and the second living creature was similar to an ox, and the third living creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth living creature was similar to an eagle flying. And the four living creatures, each one[a] of them, had six wings apiece, full of eyes around and inside, and they do not have rest day and night, saying,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God All-Powerful,[b]
    the one who was and the one who is and the one who is coming!”

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever[c], 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever[d], and put down their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
because you have created all things,
    and because of your will they existed and were created.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:8 Literally “one by one”
  2. Revelation 4:8 A quotation from (or an allusion to) Isa 6:3
  3. Revelation 4:9 Literally “for the ages of the ages”
  4. Revelation 4:10 Literally “for the ages of the ages”

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

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