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.”

The Scroll and the Lamb

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne (AC)a scroll written within and on the back, (AD)sealed with seven seals. And (AE)I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, (AF)the Lion (AG)of the tribe of Judah, (AH)the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw (AI)a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with (AJ)seven eyes, which are (AK)the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders (AL)fell down before the Lamb, (AM)each holding a harp, and (AN)golden bowls full of incense, (AO)which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang (AP)a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
for (AQ)you were slain, and by your blood (AR)you ransomed people for God
    from (AS)every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them (AT)a kingdom and priests to our God,
    and they shall reign on the earth.”

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

(AV)“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”

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

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

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

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:5 Or voices, or sounds

A Great Multitude from Every Nation

After this I looked, and behold, (A)a great multitude that no one could number, (B)from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, (C)clothed in white robes, with (D)palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, (E)“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and (F)the four living creatures, and they (G)fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 (H)saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, (I)clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of (J)the great tribulation. (K)They have washed their robes and (L)made them white (M)in the blood of the Lamb.

15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God,
    and (N)serve him day and night in his temple;
    and he who sits on the throne (O)will shelter them with his presence.
16 (P)They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
    (Q)the sun shall not strike them,
    nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne (R)will be their shepherd,
    and he will guide them to springs of (S)living water,
and (T)God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

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