Revelation 4
New American Standard Bible
Scene 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 (F)in the [a]Spirit; and behold, (G)a throne was standing in heaven, and (H)someone was 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 the thrones I saw (O)twenty-four elders (P)sitting, clothed in (Q)white garments, and (R)golden crowns on their heads.
The Throne and Worship of the Creator
5 Out from the throne *came (S)flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were (T)seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are [c](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 [d]center and (W)around the throne, (X)four living creatures (Y)full of eyes in front and behind. 7 (Z)The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf, 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 [e]they do not cease to say,
“(AE)Holy, holy, holy is the (AF)Lord God, the Almighty, (AG)who was and who is and who [f]is to come.”
9 And when the living creatures give glory, 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 they 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.”
Footnotes
- Revelation 4:2 Or spirit
- Revelation 4:3 Or halo
- Revelation 4:5 Possibly a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit in His fullness, or to seven key angels
- Revelation 4:6 Lit middle of the throne and around
- Revelation 4:8 Lit they have no rest, saying,
- Revelation 4:8 Or is coming
- Revelation 4:11 Lit were
Revelation 4
Lexham English Bible
The Heavenly Throne
4 After these things I looked, and behold, an open door in heaven, and the former voice that I had heard like a trumpet speaking with me was saying, “Come up here and I will show you the things which must take place after these things.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one was seated on the throne. 3 And the one seated was similar in appearance to jasper and carnelian stone, and a rainbow was around the throne similar in appearance to emerald. 4 And around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders dressed in white clothing, and on their heads were gold crowns. 5 And from the throne came out lightnings and sounds and thunders, and seven torches of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. 6 And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal, and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 And the first living creature was similar to a lion, and the second living creature was similar to an ox, and the third living creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth living creature was similar to an eagle flying. 8 And the four living creatures, each one[a] of them, had six wings apiece, full of eyes around and inside, and they do not have rest day and night, saying,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God All-Powerful,[b]
the one who was and the one who is and the one who is coming!”
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever[c], 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever[d], and put down their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
because you have created all things,
and because of your will they existed and were created.”
Footnotes
- Revelation 4:8 Literally “one by one”
- Revelation 4:8 A quotation from (or an allusion to) Isa 6:3
- Revelation 4:9 Literally “for the ages of the ages”
- Revelation 4:10 Literally “for the ages of the ages”
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