Revelation 4–5

The Throne in Heaven

4After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me ^flike a trumpet, said, ^g“Come up here, and ^hI will show you what must take place after this.” ²At once ⁱI was in the Spirit, and behold, ^ja throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. ³And he who sat there had the appearance of ^kjasper and carnelian, and around the throne was ^la rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. ⁴Around the throne were ^mtwenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, ⁿclothed in white garments, with ^ogolden crowns on their heads. ⁵From the throne came ^pflashes of lightning, and rumblings¹ and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning ^qseven torches of fire, ^rwhich are the seven spirits of God, ⁶and before the throne there was ^sas it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are ^tfour living creatures, ^ufull of eyes in front and behind: ^7vthe first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. ⁸And the four living creatures, ^weach of them with six wings, are ^xfull of eyes all around and within, and ^yday and night they never cease to say,

^z“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

^awho was and is and is to come!”

⁹And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, ^bwho lives forever and ever, ¹⁰the twenty-four elders ^cfall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast ^dtheir crowns before the throne, saying,

^11e“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for ^fyou created all things,

and ^gby your will they existed and were created.”

The Scroll and the Lamb

5Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne ^ha scroll written within and on the back, ⁱsealed with seven seals. ²And ^jI saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, ⁴and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, ^kthe Lion ^lof the tribe of Judah, ^mthe Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw ⁿa Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with ^oseven eyes, which are ^pthe seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. ⁸And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders ^qfell down before the Lamb, ^reach holding a harp, and ^sgolden bowls full of incense, ^twhich are the prayers of the saints. ⁹And they sang ^ua new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for ^vyou were slain, and by your blood ^wyou ransomed people for God

from ^xevery tribe and language and people and nation,

¹⁰and you have made them ^ya kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.”

¹¹Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering ^zmyriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹²saying with a loud voice,

^a“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!”

¹³And I heard ^bevery creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

¹⁴And the four living creatures ^csaid, “Amen!” and the elders ^dfell down and worshiped.