Revelation 4

The Throne in Heaven

1 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblingst and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God,

6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the 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.

8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!"

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

11  "Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created."

Revelation 4

A vision of worship in heaven

1 After this, I looked and saw a door that opened into heaven. Then the voice that had spoken to me at first and that sounded like a trumpet said, “Come up here! I will show you what must happen next.” 2 At once the Spirit took control of me, and there in heaven I saw a throne and someone sitting on it.t

3 The one who was sitting there sparkled like precious stones of jaspert and carnelian.t A rainbow that looked like an emeraldt surrounded the throne.
4 Twenty-four other thrones were in a circle around that throne. And on each of these thrones there was an elder dressed in white clothes and wearing a gold crown. 5 Flashes of lightning and roars of thunder came out from the throne in the centre of the circle. Seven torches, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning in front of the throne.t

6 Also in front of the throne was something that looked like a glass sea, clear as crystal.
Around the throne in the centre were four living creatures covered front and back with eyes.tt 7 The first creature was like a lion, the second one was like a bull, the third one had the face of a human, and the fourth was like a flying eagle.

8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and their bodies were covered with eyes. Day and night they never stopped singing,t
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord,
the all-powerful God,
who was and is
and is coming!”
9 The living creatures kept praising, honouring, and thanking the one who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever.

10 At the same time the twenty-four elders knelt down before the one sitting on the throne. And as they worshipped the one who lives for ever, they placed their crowns in front of the throne and said,

11 “Our Lord and God,
you are worthy
to receive glory,
honour, and power.
You created all things,
and by your decision they are
and were created.”