Revelation 4–5

The Throne in Heaven

4After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing openⁱ in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet^j said, “Come up here,^k and I will show you what must take place after this.”^{l 2}At once I was in the Spirit,^m and there before me was a throne in heavenⁿ with someone sitting on it. ³And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper^o and ruby.^p A rainbow^q that shone like an emerald^r encircled the throne. ⁴Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.^s They were dressed in white^t and had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.^u In front of the throne, seven lamps^v were blazing. These are the seven spirits^aw of God. ⁶Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass,^x clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,^y and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.^{z 7}The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.^{a 8}Each of the four living creatures^b had six wings^c and was covered with eyes all around,^d even under its wings. Day and night^e they never stop saying:

“ ‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’^bf

who was, and is, and is to come.”^g

⁹Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne^h and who lives for ever and ever,^{i 10}the twenty-four elders^j fall down before him^k who sits on the throne^l and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

¹¹“You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,^m

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.”ⁿ

The Scroll and the Lamb

5Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne^o a scroll with writing on both sides^p and sealed^q with seven seals. ²And I saw a mighty angel^r proclaiming 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 or even look inside it. ⁴I wept and wept 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 weep! See, the Lion^s of the tribe of Judah,^t the Root of David,^u has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶Then I saw a Lamb,^v looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures^w and the elders.^x The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes,^y which are the seven spirits^az of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.^{a 8}And when he had taken it, the four living creatures^b and the twenty-four elders^c fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp^d and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers^e of God’s people. ⁹And they sang a new song, saying:^f

“You are worthy^g to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slain,

and with your blood^h you purchasedⁱ for God

persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.^j

¹⁰You have made them to be a kingdom and priests^k to serve our God,

and they will reign^b on the earth.”^l

¹¹Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.^m They encircled the throne and the living creaturesⁿ and the elders.^{o 12}In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb,^p who was slain,^q

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength

and honor and glory and praise!”^r

¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth^s and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne^t and to the Lamb^u

be praise and honor and glory and power,

for ever and ever!”^v

¹⁴The four living creatures^w said, “Amen,”^x and the elders^y fell down and worshiped.^z