The Heavenly Throne

¹ After these things I looked, and behold, an open door in heaven, and the former voice that I had heard like a trumpet speaking with me was saying, “Come up here and I will show you the things which must take place after these things.”

² Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one was seated on the throne.

³ And the one seated was similar in appearance to jasper and carnelian stone, and a rainbow was around the throne similar in appearance to emerald.

⁴ And around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders dressed in white clothing, and on their heads were gold crowns.

⁵ And from the throne came out lightnings and sounds and thunders, and seven torches of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

⁶ And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal, and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.

⁷ And the first living creature was similar to a lion, and the second living creature was similar to an ox, and the third living creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth living creature was similar to an eagle flying.

⁸ And the four living creatures, ⌞each one⌟¹ of them, had six wings apiece, full of eyes around and inside, and they do not have rest day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God All-Powerful,² the one who was and the one who is and the one who is coming!”

1. Literally “one by one”
2. A quotation from (or an allusion to) Isa 6:3

⁹ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, the one who lives ⌞forever and ever⌟¹,

1. Literally “for the ages of the ages”

¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives ⌞forever and ever⌟¹, and put down their crowns before the throne, saying,

1. Literally “for the ages of the ages”

¹¹ “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.”