The King’s Place of Power in Heaven

4 After this, I looked and saw a door standing open in heaven. The first voice I heard was like the loud sound of a horn. It said, “Come up here. I will show you what must happen after these things.” ² At once I was under the Spirit’s power. See! The throne was in heaven, and One was sitting on it. ³ The One Who sat there looked as bright as jasper and sardius stones. The colors like those of an emerald stone were all around the throne. ⁴ There were twenty-four smaller thrones around the throne. And on these thrones twenty-four leaders were sitting dressed in white clothes. They had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ Lightning and noise and thunder came from the throne. Seven lights of fire were burning before the throne. These were the seven Spirits of God.

⁶ Before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, shining and clear. Around the throne and on each side there were four living beings that were full of eyes in front and in back. ⁷ The first living being was like a lion. The second one was like a young cow. The third one had a face like a man. The fourth one was like a very large bird with its wings spread. ⁸ Each one of the four living beings had six wings. They had eyes all over them, inside and out. Day and night they never stop saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the All-powerful One. He is the One Who was and Who is and Who is to come.”

⁹ The four living beings speak of His shining-greatness and give honor and thanks to Him Who sits on His throne as King. It is He Who lives forever. ¹⁰ The twenty-four leaders get down before Him and worship Him Who lives forever. They lay their crowns before Him and say, ¹¹ “Our Lord and our God, it is right for You to have the shining-greatness and the honor and the power. You made all things. They were made and have life because You wanted it that way.”

The Book in Heaven

5 I saw a book in the right hand of the One Who sat on the a throne. It had writing on the inside and on the back side. It was locked with seven locks. ² I saw a powerful angel calling with a loud voice, “Who is able to open the book and to break its locks?” ³ No one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look in it. ⁴ Then I began to cry with loud cries. I cried because no one was good enough to open the book or to look in it.

⁵ One of the leaders said to me, “Stop crying. See! The Lion from the family group of Judah has power and has won. He can open the book and break its seven locks. He is of the family of David.”

⁶ I saw a Lamb standing in front of the twenty-four leaders. He was before the throne and in front of the four living beings. He looked as if He had been killed. He had seven horns and seven eyes. These are the seven Spirits of God. They have been sent out into all the world. ⁷ The Lamb came and took the book from the right hand of the One Who sat on the throne. ⁸ When the Lamb had taken the book, the four living beings and the twenty-four leaders got down before Him. Each one had a harp. They all had pots made of gold, full of special perfume, which are the prayers of the people who belong to God. ⁹ They sang a new song, saying, “It is right for You to take the book and break its locks. It is because You were killed. Your blood has bought men for God from every family and from every language and from every kind of people and from every nation. ¹⁰ You have made them to be a holy nation of religious leaders to work for our God. They will be the leaders on the earth.”

¹¹ I looked again. I heard the voices of many thousands of angels. They stood around the throne and around the four living beings and the leaders. ¹² They said with a loud voice, “The Lamb Who was killed has the right to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and shining-greatness and thanks.”

¹³ Then I heard every living thing in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that are in them. They were saying, “Thanks and honor and shining-greatness and all power are to the One Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever.” ¹⁴ The four living beings kept saying, “Let it be so!” And the twenty-four leaders fell down and worshiped.

The Seven Locks: the First Lock—Power to Win

6 I saw the Lamb break open the first of the seven locks. I heard one of the four living beings cry out like the sound of thunder, “Come and see!” ² I looked and saw a white horse. The one who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him. He went out to win and he won.

The Second Lock—Fighting

³ He broke open the second lock. Then I heard the second living being say, “Come and see!” ⁴ Another horse came out. This one was red. The one who sat on it was given a long sword. He was given power to take peace from the earth so men would kill each other.

The Third Lock—No Food

⁵ He broke open the third lock. Then I heard the third living being say, “Come and see!” I looked and saw a black horse. The one who sat on it had something in his hand with which to weigh things. ⁶ I heard a voice from among the four living beings saying, “A small jar of wheat for a day’s pay. Three small jars of barley for a day’s pay. Do not hurt the olive oil and wine.”

The Fourth Lock—Death

⁷ He broke open the fourth lock. Then I heard the fourth living being say, “Come and see!” ⁸ I looked and saw a light colored horse. The one who sat on it had the name of Death. Hell followed close behind him. They were given the right and the power to kill one-fourth part of everything on the earth. They were to kill with the sword and by people having no food and by sickness and by the wild animals of the earth.

The Fifth Lock—Killed for Telling of Jesus

⁹ He broke open the fifth lock. Then I saw under the altar all the souls of those who had been killed for telling the Word of God. They had also been killed for being faithful in telling about Christ. ¹⁰ All those who had been killed cried out with a loud voice saying, “How long will it be yet before You will punish those on the earth for killing us? Lord, You are holy and true.” ¹¹ White clothes were given to each one of them. They were told to rest a little longer. They were to wait until all the other servants owned by God and their Christian brothers would be killed as they had been. Then the group would be complete.

The Sixth Lock—God’s Anger on the Earth

¹² I looked as the Lamb broke the sixth lock. The earth shook as if it would break apart. The sun became black like dark cloth. The moon became like blood. ¹³ The stars of the sky fell to the earth. They were like figs falling from a tree that is shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The sky passed away like paper being rolled up. Every mountain and island moved from its place. ¹⁵ The kings and the leaders of the earth hid themselves in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. All the head soldiers and rich men and strong men and men who were free and those who were owned by someone hid themselves also. ¹⁶ They called to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us! Hide us from the face of the One Who sits on the throne. Hide us from the anger of the Lamb, ¹⁷ because the special day of Their anger has come! Who is able to stand against it?”