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Revelation 4-8
Christian Standard Bible
Revelation 4-8
Christian Standard Bible
The Throne Room of Heaven
4 After this I looked, and there in heaven was an open door. The first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet(A) said, “Come up here,(B) and I will show you what must take place after this.”(C)
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit,(D) and there was a throne in heaven(E) and someone was seated on it. 3 The one seated[a] there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian stone.(F) A rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald surrounded the throne.(G)
4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders(H) dressed in white clothes,(I) with golden crowns on their heads.(J)
5 Flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder came from the throne.(K) Seven fiery torches were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.(L) 6 Something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal, was also before the throne.(M)
Four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back were around the throne on each side. 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 man; and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.(N) 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings;(O) they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night(P) they never stop,[b] saying,
Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God, the Almighty,
who was, who is, and who is to come.(Q)
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one seated on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever,(R) 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before the one seated on the throne(S) and worship the one who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne and say,
11 Our Lord and God,[c]
you are worthy(T) to receive
glory and honor and power,(U)
because you have created all things,(V)
and by your will
they exist and were created.
The Lamb Takes the Scroll
5 Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides, sealed with seven seals.(W) 2 I also saw a mighty angel(X) proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even to look in it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found worthy to open[d] the scroll or even to look in it. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah,(Y) the Root of David,(Z) has conquered(AA) so that he is able to open the scroll and[e] its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb(AB) standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God(AC) sent into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll out of the right hand of the one seated on the throne.
The Lamb Is Worthy
8 When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp(AD) and golden bowls(AE) filled with incense,(AF) which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song:(AG)
You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slaughtered,
and you purchased[f] people[g]
for God by your blood
from every tribe and language
and people and nation.(AH)
10 You made them a kingdom[h]
and priests to our God,(AI)
and they will reign on the earth.
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands.(AJ) 12 They said with a loud voice,
Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing!
13 I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth,(AK) on the sea, and everything in them say,(AL)
Blessing and honor and glory and power
be to the one seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb, forever and ever!
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
The First Seal on the Scroll
6 Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven[i] seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder,(AM) “Come!” 2 I looked, and there was a white horse.(AN) Its rider held a bow;(AO) a crown(AP) was given to him, and he went out as a conqueror in order to conquer.[j]
The Second Seal
3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse went out, a fiery red one,(AQ) and its rider was allowed to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him.(AR)
The Third Seal
5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and there was a black horse.(AS) Its rider held a set of scales in his hand.(AT) 6 Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, “A quart of wheat for a denarius,[k] and three quarts of barley for a denarius,(AU) but do not harm the oil and the wine.”(AV)
The Fourth Seal
7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 And I looked, and there was a pale green[l] horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following after him.(AW) They were[m] given authority(AX) over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.(AY)
The Fifth Seal
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and the testimony they had given.[n](AZ) 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “Lord,[o] the one who is holy and true,(BA) how long until you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?(BB)” 11 So they were each given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters, who were going to be killed just as they had been.
The Sixth Seal
12 Then I saw him open[p] the sixth seal. A violent earthquake occurred;(BC) the sun turned black like sackcloth(BD) made of hair; the entire moon[q] became like blood;(BE) 13 the stars[r] of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a high wind; 14 the sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up;(BF) and every mountain and island was moved from its place.(BG)
15 Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.(BH) 16 And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us(BI) from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 because the great day of their[s] wrath has come! And who is able to stand?” (BJ)
The Sealed of Israel
7 After this I saw four angels(BK) standing at the four corners of the earth, restraining the four winds of the earth(BL) so that no wind could blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel rising up from the east,(BM) who had the seal of the living God.(BN) He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were allowed to harm the earth and the sea, 3 “Don’t harm the earth or the sea or the trees(BO) until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads.”(BP) 4 And I heard the number of the sealed:
144,000 sealed from every tribe of the Israelites:(BQ)
5 12,000 sealed from the tribe of Judah,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
7 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 sealed from the tribe of Benjamin.
A Multitude from the Great Tribulation
9 After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language,(BR) which no one could number,(BS) standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands.(BT) 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
Salvation belongs to our God,(BU)
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!
11 All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength
be to our God forever and ever.(BV) Amen.
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these people in white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 I said to him, “Sir,[t] you know.”
Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.(BW) They washed their robes and made them white(BX) in the blood of the Lamb.
15 For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and they serve him day and night(BY) in his temple.(BZ)
The one seated on the throne will shelter[u] them:(CA)
16 They will no longer hunger;
they will no longer thirst;
the sun will no longer strike them,
nor will any scorching heat.(CB)
17 For the Lamb who is at the center of the throne
will shepherd them;(CC)
he will guide them to springs of the waters of life,(CD)
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.(CE)
The Seventh Seal
8 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence(CF) in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand in the presence of God;(CG) seven trumpets were given to them.(CH) 3 Another angel, with a golden incense burner, came and stood at the altar. He was given a large amount of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar in front of the throne.(CI) 4 The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up in the presence of God from the angel’s hand. 5 The angel took the incense burner, filled it with fire from the altar,(CJ) and hurled it to the earth; there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.(CK)
The Seven Trumpets
6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
The First Trumpet
7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire, mixed with blood, were hurled to the earth.(CL) So a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.(CM)
The Second Trumpet
8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain ablaze with fire was hurled into the sea.(CN) So a third of the sea became blood,(CO) 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
The Third Trumpet
10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from heaven.(CP) It fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood,(CQ) and a third of the waters became wormwood. So, many of the people died from the waters, because they had been made bitter.
The Fourth Trumpet
12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day was without light and also a third of the night.(CR)
13 I looked and heard an eagle[v] flying high overhead, crying out in a loud voice, “Woe!(CS) Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth, because of the remaining trumpet blasts that the three angels are about to sound!”
Footnotes
- 4:3 Other mss omit The one seated
- 4:8 Or rest
- 4:11 Some mss add the Holy One; other mss read Lord
- 5:4 Other mss add and read
- 5:5 Other mss add loose
- 5:9 Or redeemed
- 5:9 Other mss read us
- 5:10 Other mss read them kings
- 6:1 Other mss omit seven
- 6:2 Or went out conquering and in order to conquer
- 6:6 A denarius = one day’s wage
- 6:8 Or a greenish gray
- 6:8 Other mss read He was
- 6:9 Other mss add about the Lamb
- 6:10 Or “Master
- 6:12 Or I saw when he opened
- 6:12 Or the full moon
- 6:13 Perhaps meteors
- 6:17 Other mss read his
- 7:14 Or “My lord
- 7:15 Or will spread his tent over
- 8:13 Other mss read angel
Revelation 4-8
New International Version
Revelation 4-8
New International Version
The Throne in Heaven
4 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open(A) in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet(B) said, “Come up here,(C) and I will show you what must take place after this.”(D) 2 At once I was in the Spirit,(E) and there before me was a throne in heaven(F) with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper(G) and ruby.(H) A rainbow(I) that shone like an emerald(J) encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.(K) They were dressed in white(L) and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.(M) In front of the throne, seven lamps(N) were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a](O) of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass,(P) clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,(Q) and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.(R) 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.(S) 8 Each of the four living creatures(T) had six wings(U) and was covered with eyes all around,(V) even under its wings. Day and night(W) they never stop saying:
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne(Z) and who lives for ever and ever,(AA) 10 the twenty-four elders(AB) fall down before him(AC) who sits on the throne(AD) and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,(AE)
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”(AF)
The Scroll and the Lamb
5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne(AG) a scroll with writing on both sides(AH) and sealed(AI) with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel(AJ) proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion(AK) of the tribe of Judah,(AL) the Root of David,(AM) has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb,(AN) looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures(AO) and the elders.(AP) The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes,(AQ) which are the seven spirits[c](AR) of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.(AS) 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures(AT) and the twenty-four elders(AU) fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp(AV) and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers(AW) of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:(AX)
“You are worthy(AY) to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood(AZ) you purchased(BA) for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.(BB)
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests(BC) to serve our God,
and they will reign[d] on the earth.”(BD)
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.(BE) They encircled the throne and the living creatures(BF) and the elders.(BG) 12 In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb,(BH) who was slain,(BI)
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”(BJ)
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth(BK) and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne(BL) and to the Lamb(BM)
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”(BN)
14 The four living creatures(BO) said, “Amen,”(BP) and the elders(BQ) fell down and worshiped.(BR)
The Seals
6 I watched as the Lamb(BS) opened the first of the seven seals.(BT) Then I heard one of the four living creatures(BU) say in a voice like thunder,(BV) “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse!(BW) Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,(BX) and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.(BY)
3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature(BZ) say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.(CA) Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth(CB) and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.
5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature(CC) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!(CD) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,(CE) saying, “Two pounds[e] of wheat for a day’s wages,[f] and six pounds[g] of barley for a day’s wages,[h](CF) and do not damage(CG) the oil and the wine!”
7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature(CH) say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!(CI) Its rider was named Death, and Hades(CJ) was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.(CK)
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under(CL) the altar(CM) the souls of those who had been slain(CN) because of the word of God(CO) and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long,(CP) Sovereign Lord,(CQ) holy and true,(CR) until you judge the inhabitants of the earth(CS) and avenge our blood?”(CT) 11 Then each of them was given a white robe,(CU) and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,[i] were killed just as they had been.(CV)
12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.(CW) The sun turned black(CX) like sackcloth(CY) made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth,(CZ) as figs drop from a fig tree(DA) when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,(DB) and every mountain and island was removed from its place.(DC)
15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,(DD) hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.(DE) 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us(DF) and hide us[j] from the face of him who sits on the throne(DG) and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day(DH) of their[k] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”(DI)
144,000 Sealed
7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners(DJ) of the earth, holding back the four winds(DK) of the earth to prevent(DL) any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal(DM) of the living God.(DN) He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:(DO) 3 “Do not harm(DP) the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads(DQ) of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number(DR) of those who were sealed: 144,000(DS) from all the tribes of Israel.
5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
The Great Multitude in White Robes
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,(DT) standing before the throne(DU) and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes(DV) and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders(DY) and the four living creatures.(DZ) They fell down on their faces(EA) before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”(EB)
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes(EC)—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes(ED) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(EE) 15 Therefore,
“they are before the throne of God(EF)
and serve him(EG) day and night in his temple;(EH)
and he who sits on the throne(EI)
will shelter them with his presence.(EJ)
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.(EK)
The sun will not beat down on them,’[l]
nor any scorching heat.(EL)
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;(EM)
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[m](EN)
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[n]”(EO)
The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
8 When he opened the seventh seal,(EP) there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels(EQ) who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.(ER)
3 Another angel,(ES) who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people,(ET) on the golden altar(EU) in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God(EV) from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar,(EW) and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder,(EX) rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.(EY)
The Trumpets
6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets(EZ) prepared to sound them.
7 The first angel(FA) sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire(FB) mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third(FC) of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.(FD)
8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain,(FE) all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third(FF) of the sea turned into blood,(FG) 9 a third(FH) of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky(FI) on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water(FJ)— 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[o] A third(FK) of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.(FL)
12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third(FM) of them turned dark.(FN) A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.(FO)
13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair(FP) call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe(FQ) to the inhabitants of the earth,(FR) because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”
Footnotes
- Revelation 4:5 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
- Revelation 4:8 Isaiah 6:3
- Revelation 5:6 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
- Revelation 5:10 Some manuscripts they reign
- Revelation 6:6 Or about 1 kilogram
- Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
- Revelation 6:6 Or about 3 kilograms
- Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
- Revelation 6:11 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 12:10; 19:10.
- Revelation 6:16 See Hosea 10:8.
- Revelation 6:17 Some manuscripts his
- Revelation 7:16 Isaiah 49:10
- Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 49:10
- Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 25:8
- Revelation 8:11 Wormwood is a bitter substance.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.