The Throne in Heaven

4 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.” ² At once ^(D)I was in the Spirit, and behold, ^(E)a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. ³ 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. ⁴ 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. ⁵ 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, ⁶ 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: ^7 (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. ⁸ 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,

²⁶ And above the expanse over their heads there was ^(A)the likeness of a throne, ^(B)in appearance ^(C)like sapphire;^[a] and seated above the likeness of a throne was ^(D)a likeness with a human appearance. ²⁷ And ^(E)upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were ^(F)gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and ^(G)there was brightness around him.^{[b] 28} Like the appearance of ^(H)the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of ^(I)the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, ^(J)I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering ^(A)myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice,

¹³ And I heard ^(C)every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

¹⁴ And the four living creatures ^(D)said, “Amen!” and the elders ^(E)fell down and worshiped.