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The Throne in Heaven

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.” Immediately I was [a](F)in the Spirit, and behold, (G)a throne was standing in heaven, and (H)One sitting on the throne. 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. (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. 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. 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. (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. 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,

(AE)Holy, holy, holy is the [e](AF)Lord God, the Almighty, (AG)who was and who is and who [f]is to come.”

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,

11 (AO)Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You (AP)created all things, and because of Your will they [g]existed, and were created.”

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:2 Or in spirit
  2. Revelation 4:3 Or halo
  3. Revelation 4:6 Lit middle of the throne and around
  4. Revelation 4:8 Lit they have no rest, saying,
  5. Revelation 4:8 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Is 6:3
  6. Revelation 4:8 Or is coming
  7. Revelation 4:11 Lit were

John’s Vision of God

After these things I looked, and there was a door opened in heaven! And the first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things.” Immediately I was in spirit. And look! A throne was standing in heaven, and someone was sitting on the throne. The one who was sitting there looked like a jasper stone and a ruby.[a] Around the throne there was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.

Also around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and sitting on those thrones were twenty-four elders dressed in white garments, with gold crowns on their heads. Out of the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and crashes of thunder. In front of the throne seven flaming lamps were burning, which are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne was something resembling a glassy sea, which was like crystal.

In the middle, near the throne and around the throne, there were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and in back. 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 man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. Each one of the four living creatures had six wings, and the wings were full of eyes all around and underneath.[b] Day and night, without pause, they keep saying:

Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
who was and who is and who is coming.

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders bow down before him who sits on the throne. They worship the one who lives forever and ever and lay down their crowns in front of his throne as they say:

11 Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive the glory and the honor and the power,
    for you have created all things,
    and because of your will they existed and were created.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:3 Or carnelian
  2. Revelation 4:8 Literally inside. The English idiom for the inside of a wing is underneath, that is, the hidden side.