The Throne in Heaven

4 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.” ² Immediately I was ^[a](F)in the Spirit, and behold, ^(G)a throne was standing in heaven, and ^(H)One sitting on the throne. ³ 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. ^4 (M)Around the throne were ^(N)twenty-four thrones, and upon those thrones I saw ^(O)twenty-four elders ^(P)sitting, clothed in ^(Q)white garments, and ^(R)golden crowns on their heads. ⁵ And out from the throne come ^(S)flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were ^(T)seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are ^(U)the seven Spirits of God. ⁶ And before the throne there was something like a ^(V)sea of glass, like crystal. And in the ^[c]center and ^(W)around the throne, ^(X)four living creatures ^(Y)full of eyes in front and behind. ^7 (Z)And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ 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 ^[d]they do not cease to say,

⁹ And when the living creatures give glory and 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 will worship ^(AM)Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their ^(AN)crowns before the throne, saying,

A Multitude from Every Nation

⁹ After these things I looked, and behold, a great ^[a]multitude which no one could count, from ^(A)every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing ^(B)before the throne and ^(C)before the Lamb, clothed in ^(D)white robes, and ^(E)palm branches were in their hands; ¹⁰ and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,

“^(F)Salvation belongs to our God ^(G)who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” ¹¹ And all the angels were standing ^(H)around the throne and ^(I)the elders and the ^(J)four living creatures, and they ^(K)fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying,

“^(L)Amen, ^(M)the blessing and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the honor and the power and the strength, be to our God forever and ever. ^(N)Amen.”

¹³ Then one of the elders ^(O)answered, saying to me, “These, clothed in the ^(P)white robes, who are they, and from where have they come?” ¹⁴ And I ^[b]said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the ^(Q)great tribulation, and they ^(R)washed their robes and made them ^(S)white in the ^(T)blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ For this reason, they are ^(U)before the throne of God; and they ^(V)serve Him day and night in His ^[c](W)sanctuary; and ^(X)He who sits on the throne will ^[d](Y)dwell over them. ^16 (Z)They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun ^[e]beat down on them, nor any heat; ¹⁷ for the Lamb at the center of the throne will ^(AA)shepherd them and will guide them to springs of the ^[f](AB)water of life. And ^(AC)God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”