¹After these things I saw a door standing open in heaven. I heard the first voice like a trumpet speaking to me. It said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.”

²Instantly, I came under the Spirit’s power. I saw a throne in heaven, and someone was sitting on it. ³The one sitting there looked like gray quartz and red quartz. There was a rainbow around the throne which looked like an emerald.

⁴Around that throne were 24 other thrones, and on these thrones sat 24 leaders wearing white clothes. They had gold crowns on their heads. ⁵Lightning, noise, and thunder came from the throne. Seven flaming torches were burning in front of the throne. These are the seven spirits of God.

⁶In front of the throne, there was something like a sea of glass as clear as crystal. In the center near the throne and around the throne were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back. ⁷The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like a young bull, the third had a face like a human, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸Each of the four living creatures had six wings and were covered with eyes, inside and out. Without stopping day or night they were singing,

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

who was, who is, and who is coming.”

⁹Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, to the one who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰the 24 leaders bow in front of the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever. They place their crowns in front of the throne and say,

¹¹“Our Lord and God, you deserve to receive glory, honor, and power

because you created everything.

Everything came into existence and was created because of your will.”

5TH CHAPTER

The Lamb Takes the Scroll That Has Seven Seals

¹I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sits on the throne. It had writing both on the inside and on the outside. It was sealed with seven seals. ²I saw a powerful angel calling out in a loud voice, “Who deserves to open the scroll and break the seals on it?” ³No one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth could open the scroll or look inside it. ⁴I cried bitterly because no one was found who deserved to open the scroll or look inside it.

⁵Then one of the leaders said to me, “Stop crying! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has won the victory. He can open the scroll and the seven seals on it.”

⁶I saw a lamb standing in the center near the throne with the four living creatures and the leaders. The lamb looked like he had been slaughtered. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent all over the world. ⁷He took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sits on the throne.

⁸When the lamb had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 leaders bowed in front of him. Each held a harp and a gold bowl full of incense, the prayers of God’s holy people. ⁹Then they sang a new song,

“You deserve to take the scroll and open the seals on it,

because you were slaughtered.

You bought people with your blood to be God’s own.

They are from every tribe, language, people, and nation.

¹⁰You made them a kingdom and priests for our God.

They will rule as kings on the earth.”

¹¹Then I heard the voices of many angels, the four living creatures, and the leaders surrounding the throne. They numbered ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands times thousands. ¹²In a loud voice they were singing,

“The lamb who was slain deserves to receive

power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and praise.”

¹³I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea. Every creature in those places was singing,

“To the one who sits on the throne and to the lamb

be praise, honor, glory, and power forever and ever.”

¹⁴The four living creatures said, “Amen!” Then the leaders bowed and worshiped.

Read in Logos