Chapter 4

¹After these things I looked and saw a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, was one saying, “Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this.”

²Immediately I was in the Spirit. Behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting on the throne ³that looked like a jasper stone and a sardius. There was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald to look at. ⁴Around the throne were twenty-four thrones. On the thrones were twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white garments, with crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵Out of the throne proceed lightnings, sounds, and thunders. There were seven lamps of fire burning before his throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. ⁶Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. In the midst of the throne, and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. ⁷The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around about and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy³⁴⁴³⁴⁴Hodges/Farstad MT reads “holy” 9 times instead of 3. is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!”

⁹When the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever, and throw their crowns before the throne, saying, ¹¹“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One,³⁴⁵³⁴⁵TR omits “and God, the Holy One,” to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!”