The Throne Room of Heaven(A)

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing (B)open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a (C)trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

Immediately (D)I was in the Spirit; and behold, (E)a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. [a]And He who sat there was (F)like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; (G)and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. (H)Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, (I)clothed in white [b]robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded (J)lightnings, [c]thunderings, and voices. (K)Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are (L)the[d] seven Spirits of God.

Before the throne there [e]was (M)a sea of glass, like crystal. (N)And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. (O)The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having (P)six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

(Q)“Holy,[f] holy, holy,
(R)Lord God Almighty,
(S)Who was and is and is to come!”

Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, (T)who lives forever and ever, 10 (U)the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

11 “You(V) are worthy, [g]O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
(W)For You created all things,
And by (X)Your will they [h]exist and were created.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:3 M omits And He who sat there was, making the following a description of the throne.
  2. Revelation 4:4 NU, M robes, with crowns
  3. Revelation 4:5 NU, M voices, and thunderings.
  4. Revelation 4:5 M omits the
  5. Revelation 4:6 NU, M add something like
  6. Revelation 4:8 M has holy nine times.
  7. Revelation 4:11 NU, M our Lord and God
  8. Revelation 4:11 NU, M existed

Scene 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 (F)in the [a]Spirit; and behold, (G)a throne was standing in heaven, and (H)someone was 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 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

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; 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. (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. 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.”

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

  1. Revelation 4:2 Or spirit
  2. Revelation 4:3 Or halo
  3. Revelation 4:5 Possibly a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit in His fullness, or to seven key angels
  4. Revelation 4:6 Lit middle of the throne and around
  5. Revelation 4:8 Lit they have no rest, saying,
  6. Revelation 4:8 Or is coming
  7. Revelation 4:11 Lit were

1 Another vision containing the glory of God’s Majesty:  3 which is magnified of the four beasts, 10 and the four and twenty Elders.

After [a]this I looked, and behold, a door was open in heaven, and the first voice which I heard, was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be done hereafter.

And [b]immediately I was ravished [c]in the spirit, [d]and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat upon the throne.

[e]And he that sat, was to look upon, like unto a Jasper stone, and a sardine, and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like to an emerald.

[f]And round about the throne were four and twenty seats, and upon the seats I saw four and twenty Elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and had on their heads crowns of gold.

[g]And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings and voices, and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

[h]And before the throne there was a Sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne were four beasts, full of eyes before and behind.

And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying Eagle.

And the [i]four beasts had each one of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within, and they ceased not [j]day nor night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Which was, and which is, and which is to come.

And when those beasts [k]gave glory, and honor, and thanks to him that sat on the throne, which liveth forever and ever,

10 [l]The four and twenty Elders fell down before him that sat on the throne, and worshipped him that liveth for evermore, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 [m]Thou art (A)worthy, O Lord, [n]to receive glory, and honor, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy will’s sake they are, and have been created.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:1 Hereafter followeth the second part of this book, altogether prophetical, foretelling those things which were to come, as was said before, Rev. 1:19. This is divided into two histories: one common unto the whole world, unto Chapter 9: and another singular of the Church of God, thence unto chapter 22. And these histories are said to be described in several books, Rev. 5:1 and 10:2. Now this verse is as it were a passage from the former part unto this second: where it is said, that the heaven was opened, that is, that heavenly things were unlocked, and that a voice as of a trumpet sounded in heaven to stir up the Apostle, and call him to the understanding of things to come. The first history hath two parts: one the causes of things done, and of this whole Revelation, in that and the next chapter. Another of the acts done, in the next 4 chapters. The principal causes according to the distinction of persons in the vanity of divine essence, and according to the economy or dispensation thereof, are two. One the beginning, which none can approach unto, that is, God the Father, of whom is spoken in this chapter. The other, the Son, who is the mean cause, easy to be approached unto us, in respect that he is God and man in one person: of whom, Rev. 5.
  2. Revelation 4:2 The manner of revelation, as before, 1:10.
  3. Revelation 4:2 See Rev. 1:12.
  4. Revelation 4:2 A description of God the Father, and of his glory in the heavens, framed unto the manner of men, by his office, nature, company, attending, effect, instruments and events that follow afterwards. In this verse, he is presented in office a judge, as Abraham said, Gen. 18, which is declared by his throne, as an ensign of judgment, and his sitting thereupon.
  5. Revelation 4:3 By his nature, in that he is the Father, most glorious in his own person, and with his glory overshining all other things.
  6. Revelation 4:4 By the company attending about him in that, as that most high Judge, he is accompanied with the most honorable attendance of Prophets and Apostles, both of the old and new Church, whom Christ hath made to be Priests and Kings, Rev. 1:6 and 5:10.
  7. Revelation 4:5 By effects, in that most mightily he speaketh all things by his voice and word, as Ps. 29:3, and with the light of his spirit and providence peruseth and passes through all.
  8. Revelation 4:6 By instruments used, in that he both hath a most ready treasury, and as it were a workhouse excellently furnished with all things, unto the executing of his will, which things flow from his commandment, as is repeated, Rev.15:2. And hath also the Angels most ready administers of his counsels and pleasure unto all parts of the world, continually watching (in this verse) working by reason otherwise than the instruments, without life last mentioned, courageous as lions, mighty as bulls, wise as men, swift as eagles, verse 7, most apt unto all purposes, as furnished with wings on every part, most piercing of sight, and finally pure and perfect Spirits, always in continual motion, verse 8.
  9. Revelation 4:8 Every beast had six wings.
  10. Revelation 4:8 By events, in that for all the causes before mentioned God is glorified both of Angels, as holy, Judge, omnipotent, eternal and immutable, verse 8, and also after their example he is glorified of holy men (verse 9) in sign and in speech, verses 10, 11.
  11. Revelation 4:9 God is said to have glory, honor, kingdom, and such like given unto him, when we godly and reverently set forth that which is properly and only his.
  12. Revelation 4:10 Three signs of divine honor given unto God, prostration or falling down, adoration and casting their crowns before God, in which the godly, though made kings by Christ, do willingly empty themselves of all glory, moved with a religious respect for the majesty of God.
  13. Revelation 4:11 The sum of their speech: that all glory must be given unto God: the reason, because he is the eternal beginning of all things, from whose only will they have their being and are governed: and finally in all respects are that which they are.
  14. Revelation 4:11 That is, that thou shouldest challenge the same to thyself alone. But as for us, we are unworthy, that even by thy goodness we should be made partakers of this glory. And hitherto hath been handled the principal cause unapproachable, which is God.