☰ REVELATION 4
4
Scene in Heaven
1 After this I looked, and behold, *a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a [war] trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” 2 At once I was in [special communication with] the Spirit; and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with One seated on the throne. [Ezek 1:26] 3 And He who sat there appeared like [the crystalline sparkle of] †a jasper stone and [the fiery redness of] a sardius stone, and encircling the throne there was a rainbow that looked like [the color of an] emerald. [Ezek 1:28; Rev 21:11, 19] 4 Twenty-four [other] thrones surrounded the throne; and seated on these thrones were ‡twenty-four elders dressed in white clothing, with crowns of gold on their heads.
The Throne and Worship of the Creator
5 From the throne came flashes of lightning and [rumbling] sounds and peals of thunder. Seven lamps of fire were burning in front of the throne, which are §the seven Spirits of God; [Ex 19:16-20a] 6 and in front of the throne there was something like a sea or large expanse of glass, like [the clearest] crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living *creatures who were full of eyes in front and behind [seeing everything and knowing everything that is around them]. [Ps 99:1; Is 6:2, 3; Ezek 1:5, 18] 7  †The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf (ox), the third creature had the face of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. [Ezek 1:10] 8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes all over and within [underneath their wings]; and day and night they never stop saying,
“Hoʟʏ, ʜoʟʏ, ʜoʟʏ [is the] Loʀᴅ Goᴅ, ᴛʜᴇ Aʟᴍɪɢʜᴛʏ [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all], wʜo wᴀs ᴀɴᴅ wʜo ɪs ᴀɴᴅ wʜo ɪs ᴛo coᴍᴇ [the unchanging, eternal God].” [Is 6:1-3; Rev 1:4]
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, [Ps 47:8] 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and they worship Him who lives forever and ever; and they throw down their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they exist, and were created and brought into being.” [Ps 19:1]
* 4:1 This chapter begins the revelation to John of future events. † 4:3 In antiquity this name was given to various kinds and colors of precious stones, while the sardius was a reddish stone. The gems are indicative of royalty. ‡ 4:4 The twenty-four elders may indicate the twelve tribes of Israel together with the twelve apostles, representing redeemed humanity. Others say the twenty-four may be an angelic order of worship akin to the Aaronic priests. § 4:5 See note 1:4. * 4:6 Some scholars identify these creatures as cherubim glorifying God and guarding the throne of heaven; others suggest the creatures represent God’s attributes (especially His omniscience and omnipresence). † 4:7 Jewish tradition suggests that during the exodus the four standards of the tribal triads depicted these images: the triad led by Judah, the lion; the triad led by Reuben, the man; the triad led by Ephraim, the ox; the triad led by Dan, the eagle.
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