Revelation 4–20

The Throne in Heaven

4After this I looked, and there in front of me was a door standing open in heaven. I heard the voice I had heard before. It sounded like a trumpet. The voice said, “Come up here. I will show you what must happen after this.”

²At once the Holy Spirit took complete control of me. There in front of me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. ³The One who sat there shone like jewels. Around the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.

⁴Twenty-four other thrones surrounded that throne. Twenty-four elders were sitting on them. The elders were dressed in white. They had gold crowns on their heads.

⁵From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and thunder. Seven lamps were blazing in front of the throne. These stand for the seven spirits of God. ⁶There was something that looked like a sea of glass in front of the throne. It was as clear as crystal.

In the inner circle, around the throne, were four living creatures. They were covered with eyes, in front and in back. ⁷The first creature looked like a lion. The second looked like an ox. The third had a man’s face. The fourth looked like a flying eagle. ⁸Each of the four living creatures had six wings. Each creature was covered all over with eyes, even under the wings. Day and night, they never stop saying,

“Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God who rules over all.

He was, and he is, and he will come.”

⁹The living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to the One who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever. ¹⁰At the same time, the 24 elders fall down and worship the One who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns in front of the throne. They say,

¹¹“You are worthy, our Lord and God!

You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power.

You are worthy because you created all things.

They were created and they exist.

That is the way you planned it.”

The Scroll and the Lamb

5Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne. The scroll had writing on both sides. It was sealed with seven seals.

²I saw a mighty angel calling out in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll. No one could even look inside it.

⁴I cried and cried because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.

⁵Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not cry! The Lion of the tribe of Judah has won the battle. He is the Root of David. He is able to break the seven seals and open the scroll.”

⁶Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if he had been put to death. He stood in the center of the area around the throne. The Lamb was surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes. The eyes stand for the seven spirits of God, which are sent out into all the earth.

⁷The Lamb came and took the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne. ⁸Then the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down in front of the Lamb. Each one had a harp. They were holding golden bowls full of incense, which stand for the prayers of God’s people.

⁹Here is the new song they sang.

“You are worthy to take the scroll

and break open its seals.

You are worthy because you were put to death.

With your blood you bought people for God.

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

¹⁰You have made them members of a royal family.

You have made them priests to serve our God.

They will rule on the earth.”

¹¹Then I looked and heard the voice of millions and millions of angels. They surrounded the throne. They surrounded the living creatures and the elders. ¹²In a loud voice they sang,

“The Lamb, who was put to death, is worthy!

He is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength!

He is worthy to receive honor and glory and praise!”

¹³All creatures in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea, and all that is in them, were singing. I heard them say,

“May praise and honor for ever and ever

be given to the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!

Give them glory and power

for ever and ever!”

¹⁴The four living creatures said, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

The Seals

6I watched as the Lamb broke open the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice that sounded like thunder, “Come!” ²I looked, and there in front of me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow in his hands. He was given a crown. He rode out like a hero on his way to victory.

³The Lamb broke open the second seal. Then I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” ⁴Another horse came out. It was flaming red. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. He was given a large sword.

⁵The Lamb broke open the third seal. Then I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there in front of me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶Next, I heard what sounded like a voice coming from among the four living creatures. It said, “A quart of wheat for a day’s pay. And three quarts of barley for a day’s pay. But don’t spoil the olive oil and the wine!”

⁷The Lamb broke open the fourth seal. Then I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” ⁸I looked, and there in front of me was a pale horse! Its rider’s name was Death. Following close behind him was Hell. They were given power over a fourth of the earth. They were given power to kill people with the sword, hunger and sickness. They could also use the earth’s wild animals to kill.

⁹He broke open the fifth seal. I saw souls under the altar. They were the souls of people who were killed because of God’s word and their faithful witness. ¹⁰They called out in a loud voice. “How long, Lord and King, holy and true?” they asked. “How long will you wait to judge those who live on the earth? How long will it be until you pay them back for killing us?”

¹¹Then each of them was given a white robe. “Wait a little longer,” they were told. “There are still more of your believing brothers and sisters who must be killed.”

¹²I watched as he broke open the sixth seal. There was a powerful earthquake. The sun turned black like black clothes that were made from the hair of a goat. The whole moon turned as red as blood. ¹³The stars in the sky fell to earth. They dropped like ripe figs from a tree shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴The sky rolled back like a scroll. Every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

¹⁵Everyone hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. This included the kings of the earth, the princes and the generals, rich people and powerful people. It also included every slave and everyone who was free. ¹⁶They called out to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us! Hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne! Hide us from the anger of the Lamb! ¹⁷The great day of their anger has come. Who can live through it?”

144,000 Are Sealed

7After this I saw four angels. They were standing at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth. This kept the winds from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.

²Then I saw another angel coming up from the east. He had the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been allowed to harm the land and the sea. ³“Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees,” he said. “Wait until we mark with a seal the foreheads of those who serve our God.”

⁴Then I heard how many people were sealed. There were 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

⁵From the tribe of Judah, 12,000 were sealed.

From the tribe of Reuben, 12,000.

From the tribe of Gad, 12,000.

⁶From the tribe of Asher, 12,000.

From the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000.

From the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000.

⁷From the tribe of Simeon, 12,000.

From the tribe of Levi, 12,000.

From the tribe of Issachar, 12,000.

⁸From the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000.

From the tribe of Joseph, 12,000.

From the tribe of Benjamin, 12,000.

The Huge Crowd Wearing White Robes

⁹After this I looked, and there in front of me was a huge crowd of people. They stood in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb. There were so many that no one could count them. They came from every nation, tribe, people and language. They were wearing white robes. In their hands they were holding palm branches. ¹⁰They cried out in a loud voice,

“Salvation belongs to our God,

who sits on the throne.

Salvation also belongs to the Lamb.”

¹¹All the angels were standing around the throne. They were standing around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces in front of the throne and worshiped God. ¹²They said,

“Amen!

May praise and glory

and wisdom be given to our God for ever and ever.

Give him thanks and honor and power and strength.

Amen!”

¹³Then one of the elders spoke to me. “Who are these people dressed in white robes?” he asked. “Where did they come from?”

¹⁴I answered, “Sir, you know.”

He said, “They are the ones who have come out of the time of terrible suffering. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵So

“they are in front of the throne of God.

They serve him day and night in his temple.

The One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

¹⁶Never again will they be hungry.

Never again will they be thirsty.

The sun will not beat down on them.

The heat of the desert will not harm them.

¹⁷The Lamb, who is at the center of the area around the throne, will be their shepherd.

He will lead them to springs of living water.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The Seventh Seal and the Gold Cup

8The Lamb opened the seventh seal. Then there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

²I saw the seven angels who stand in front of God. Seven trumpets were given to them.

³Another angel came and stood at the altar. He had a shallow gold cup for burning incense. He was given a lot of incense to…