Revelation 4

Worship in Heaven

1Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” 2And instantly I was in the Spirit,#4:2 Or in spirit. and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. 3The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. 4Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. 5From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit#4:5 Greek They are the seven spirits. of God. 6In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.

In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. 7The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. 8Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—

the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

9Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), 10the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,

11“You are worthy, O Lord our God,

to receive glory and honor and power.

For you created all things,

and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

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Revelation 4: NLT

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Revelation 4

The Throne in Heaven

1After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me #ch. 1:10; [Ex. 19:19, 20] like a trumpet, said, #ch. 11:12“Come up here, and #ch. 1:1, 19; 22:6I will show you what must take place after this.” 2At once #See ch. 1:10I was in the Spirit, and behold, #Ps. 11:4; 103:19; Isa. 66:1; Matt. 5:34; 23:22; See 1 Kgs. 22:19a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3And he who sat there had the appearance of #ch. 21:11jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was #Ezek. 1:28; [ch. 10:1; Gen. 9:13-17]a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4Around the throne were #ch. 11:16twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, #See ch. 3:4clothed in white garments, with #ver. 10; See James 1:12golden crowns on their heads. 5From the throne came #ch. 8:5; 11:19; 16:18; [Ex. 19:16] flashes of lightning, and rumblings#4:5 Or voices, or sounds and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning #[Zech. 4:2] seven torches of fire, #See ch. 1:4which are the seven spirits of God, 6and before the throne there was #ch. 15:2; [ch. 21:18, 21; Ps. 77:19] as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are #Ezek. 1:5four living creatures, #Ezek. 10:12full of eyes in front and behind: 7#[Ezek. 1:10; 10:14]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. 8And the four living creatures, #Isa. 6:2each of them with six wings, are #ver. 6full of eyes all around and within, and #ch. 14:11day and night they never cease to say,

# Isa. 6:3 “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

# See ch. 1:4 who was and is and is to come!”

9And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, #ch. 1:18; 5:13; 15:7; Dan. 4:34; 12:7who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders #ch. 5:8, 14; 7:11; 11:16; 19:4fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast #ver. 4their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 # ch. 5:12 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for #ch. 10:6; 14:7; Gen. 1:1; Acts 14:15you created all things,

and #Ps. 33:9-11; [Eph. 1:11]by your will they existed and were created.”

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