Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Prayer for the King

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

The Cloud Above the Tent

¹⁵ On the day the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle], the Tent of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant], was set up, a cloud covered it. From dusk until dawn the cloud above the ·Tent [Tabernacle] looked like fire [Ex. 40:34–38]. ¹⁶ The cloud stayed above the ·Tent [Tabernacle], and at night it looked like fire. ¹⁷ When the cloud moved from its place over the Tent, the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] moved, and wherever the cloud stopped, the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] camped. ¹⁸ So the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] moved at the Lord’s command, and they camped at his command. While the cloud stayed over the ·Tent [Tabernacle], they remained camped. ¹⁹ Sometimes the cloud stayed over the ·Tent [Tabernacle] for a long time, but the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] obeyed the Lord and did not move. ²⁰ Sometimes the cloud was over it only a few days. At the Lord’s command the people camped, and at his command they moved. ²¹ Sometimes the cloud stayed only from dusk until dawn; when the cloud lifted the next morning, the people moved. When the cloud lifted, day or night, the people moved. ²² The cloud might stay over the ·Tent [Tabernacle] for two days, a month, or a year. As long as it stayed, the people camped, but when it lifted, they moved. ²³ At the Lord’s command the people camped, and at his command they moved. They obeyed the Lord’s order that he commanded through Moses.

John Sees Heaven

4 After the vision of these things I looked, and [^Llook; ^Tbehold] there before me was an open door in heaven. And the ·same [^Lfirst] voice that spoke to me before, that sounded like a trumpet [1:8], said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” ² Immediately I was in the ·Spirit [or spirit; ^Ca state of deep spiritual communion with God; 1:10], and [^Llook; ^Tbehold] before me was a throne in heaven, and someone was sitting on it. ³ The One who sat on the throne looked like precious stones, like jasper and carnelian [^Ca symbol of great beauty, purity and value]. All around the throne was a ·rainbow [or halo] ·the color of [or that looked like] an emerald. ⁴ Around the throne there were twenty-four other thrones with twenty-four elders sitting on them [^Cprobably angelic leaders]. They were dressed in white and had golden crowns [^Cwreaths symbolizing honor or victory; see 2:10] on their heads. ⁵ Lightning flashes and ·noises and thunder [or the rumbling of thunder; ^Cphenomena associated with God’s appearance at Mount Sinai; Ex. 19:16–18] came from the throne. Before the throne seven lamps were burning, which are the seven spirits [^Ceither angels or the “sevenfold Spirit”—the Holy Spirit portrayed in his perfection; 3:1] of God. ⁶ Also before the throne there was something that looked like a sea of glass, clear like crystal.

In the center and around the throne were four living creatures ·with eyes all over them [full of eyes], in front and in back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion. The second was like an ·ox [or calf]. The third had a face like a man. The fourth was like a flying eagle [Ezek. 1:10; ^Cangelic beings identified with the most powerful example of various species]. ⁸ Each of these four living creatures had six wings and was ·covered all over with eyes [full of eyes], inside and out. Day and night they never ·stop [rest from] saying: