III. God and the Lamb in Heaven
Chapter 4
Vision of Heavenly Worship. 1 After this I had a vision of an open door to heaven, and I heard the trumpetlike voice that had spoken to me before, saying, “Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards.” 2 At once I was caught up in spirit.(A) A throne was there in heaven, and on the throne sat 3 one whose appearance sparkled like jasper and carnelian. Around the throne was a halo as brilliant as an emerald. 4 Surrounding the throne I saw twenty-four other thrones on which twenty-four elders sat, dressed in white garments and with gold crowns on their heads.(B) 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. Seven flaming torches burned in front of the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. 6 (C)In front of the throne was something that resembled a sea of glass like crystal.
In the center and around the throne, there were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back. 7 The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf, the third had a face like that of a human being, and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight. 8 The four living creatures, each of them with six wings, were covered with eyes inside and out. Day and night they do not stop exclaiming:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty,
who was, and who is, and who is to come.”(D)
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who sits on the throne and worship him, who lives forever and ever. They throw down their crowns before the throne, exclaiming:
11 “Worthy are you, Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things;
because of your will they came to be and were created.”(E)
Footnotes
- 4:1–11
- 4:1
- 4:2–8
- 4:4
- 4:5
- 4:6
- 4:7
- 4:8
Cross references
- 4:2–3 : Is 6:1 / Ez 1:26–28.
- 4:4 : Is 24:23.
- 4:6 : Ex 24:10.
- 4:8 : Is 6:2–3 / Rev 1:4, 8; 11:17; 16:5.
- 4:11 : Rom 4:17; 16:27.
