Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

God’s Blessing on the King

For the music director. A psalm of David.^[a]

The Cloud and the Fire

¹⁵ And on a day setting up the tabernacle, the cloud covered the tent of the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony; in the evening it was on the tabernacle as an appearance of fire until morning. ¹⁶ So it was^[a] continually; the cloud would cover it and the appearance of fire by night. ¹⁷ Whenever the cloud lifted up from on the tent, after that the Israelites^[b] would set out, and in the place where the cloud dwelled, there the Israelites^[c] camped. ¹⁸ On the command of Yahweh^[d] the Israelites^[e] would set out, and on the command of Yahweh^[f] they encamped; all the days that the cloud dwelled on the tabernacle they encamped. ¹⁹ And when the cloud prolonged on the tabernacle many days the Israelites^[g] kept the kept requirement of Yahweh and did not set out. ²⁰ When the cloud remained^[h] a number of days on the tabernacle, on the command of Yahweh^[i] they encamped; and on the command of Yahweh^[j] they set out. ²¹ When the cloud remained^[k] from evening until morning, and the cloud lifted up in the morning, they would set out, or if it remained in the daytime and at night, when the cloud lifted up they set out. ²² When it was two days, a month, or a year^[l] that the cloud prolonged to dwell on the tabernacle, the Israelites^[m] encamped, and they did not set out; when it lifted up they set out. ²³ On the command of Yahweh^[n] they encamped, and on the command of Yahweh^[o] they set out. They kept the requirement of Yahweh, on the command of Yahweh^[p] in the hand of Moses.^[q]

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,