Revelation 4
Common English Bible
John sees God’s heavenly throne
4 After this I looked and there was a door that had been opened in heaven. The first voice that I had heard, which sounded like a trumpet, said to me, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in a Spirit-inspired trance and I saw a throne in heaven, and someone was seated on the throne. 3 The one seated there looked like jasper and carnelian, and surrounding the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald. 4 Twenty-four thrones, with twenty-four elders seated upon them, surrounded the throne. The elders were dressed in white clothing and had gold crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came lightning, voices, and thunder. In front of the throne were seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God. 6 Something like a glass sea, like crystal, was in front of the throne.
In the center, by the throne, were four living creatures encircling the throne. These creatures were covered with eyes on the front and on the back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion. The second living creature was like an ox. The third living creature had a face like a human being. And the fourth living creature was like an eagle in flight. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and each was covered all around and on the inside with eyes. They never rest day or night, but keep on saying,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is coming.”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one seated on the throne, who lives forever and always, 10 the twenty-four elders fall before the one seated on the throne. They worship the one who lives forever and always. They throw down their crowns before the throne and say,
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
because you created all things.
It is by your will that they existed and were created.”
Hisgalus 4
Orthodox Jewish Bible
4 After these things I looked, and, hinei, a delet (door) having been opened in Shomayim, the kol harishon [the first voice, 1:10], the voice like a shofar that I heard speaking to me, said, Come up here! And I will show you MAH DI LEHEVE ("what will happen," DANIEL 2:28f) after these things.
2 At once I was in the Ruach Hakodesh, and, hinei, there in Shomayim stood a Kes (Throne), and upon the Kes DEMUT KEMAREH ADAM ("a figure in appearance like a Man," YECHEZKEL 1:26-28), [MELACHIM ALEF 22:19; YESHAYAH 6:1; DANIEL 7:9]
3 And the One sitting there was KEMAREH ("in appearance") like jasper stone and carnelian, and a keshet beanan (rainbow, BERESHIS 9:16) was around the Kes (Throne) that looks like an emerald. [YECHEZKEL 1:28]
4 And around the Kes (Throne) were esrim v’arba’ah kisot (twenty-four thrones) and on the kisot were sitting esrim v’arba’ah Zekenim (twenty-four Elders, SHEMOT 12:21), each clothed in lavan (white), each wearing a kittel, and on the roshim (heads) of them, golden atarot (crowns).
5 And out of the Kes (Throne) comes forth lightning and sounds and thunders and there were sheva lapidei eish (torches of fire) burning before the Kes (Throne), which are the sheva ruchot (spirits, Rv 1:4) of Hashem [SHEMOT 19:16; ZECHARYAH 4:2].
6 And before the Kes (Throne) there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. And on each side and around the Kes (Throne) there were Arbah Chayyot (four living beings), being full of eynayim in front and in back. [YECHEZKEL 1:5]
7 And harishonah (the first) of HaChayyot [the living beings, YECHEZKEL 1:10; 1:14] was like an aryeh (lion), and hasheniyah (the second) of HaChayyot (the living beings) like an egel (calf), and hashlishit (the third) of HaChayyot had the face of a ben Adam (human being), and hareve’it (fourth) of HaChayyot was like a flying nesher (eagle).
8 And the Arba HaChayyot (four living beings), each one of them had six wings and they were full of eynayim (eyes) without and within. And yomam valailah (day and night), they do not cease to rest but continue singing, KADOSH, KADOSH, KADOSH, ADONOI TZVAOT, the One who was and is and is to come. [YESHAYAH 6:3; YECHEZKEL 1:18; YESHAYAH 6:3]
9 And whenever the Chayyot will give kavod (glory) and hod (splendor) and hadar (majesty) and shevakh (praise) to the One sitting on the Kes (Throne), to Him that Hu Chai ad olemei olamim (that lives forever and ever), [TEHILLIM 47:8]
10 Then the esrim v’arba’ah Zekenim fall prostrate before the One sitting on the Kes (Throne) and worship the One that Hu Chai ad olemei olamim (lives forever and ever) and cast down their atarot (crowns) before the Kes (Throne), saying, [DEVARIM 33:3]
11 Worthy art Thou, Adoneinu and Eloheinu, to receive hod (honor) and hadar (splendor) and oz (power), because it was your "BARAH" that created all things, and because they existed and came to be by your ratzon (will). [BERESHIS 1:1]
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