The Throne in Heaven

4 After 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 trumpetj 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. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jaspero and ruby.p A rainbowq that shone like an emeraldr encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.s They were dressed in whitet and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.u In front of the throne, seven lampsv were blazing. These are the seven spiritsa w of God. 6 Also 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 creaturesb had six wingsc and was covered with eyes all around,d even under its wings. Day and nighte they never stop saying:

“ ‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’b f

who was, and is, and is to come.”g

9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throneh and who lives for ever and ever,i 10 the twenty-four eldersj fall down before himk who sits on the thronel 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

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throneo a scroll with writing on both sidesp and sealedq with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angelr proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lions of the tribe of Judah,t the Root of David,u has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6 Then I saw a Lamb,v looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creaturesw and the elders.x The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes,y which are the seven spiritsa z of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He 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 creaturesb and the twenty-four eldersc fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harpd and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayerse of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:f

“You are worthyg to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slain,

and with your bloodh you purchasedi for God

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

10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priestsk to serve our God,

and they will reignb on the earth.”l

11 Then 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

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

“To him who sits on the thronet and to the Lambu

be praise and honor and glory and power,

for ever and ever!”v

14 The four living creaturesw said, “Amen,”x and the eldersy fell down and worshiped.z

The Seals

6 I watched as the Lamba opened the first of the seven seals.b Then I heard one of the four living creaturesc say in a voice like thunder,d “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse!e Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,f and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.g

3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creatureh say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.i Its rider was given power to take peace from the earthj and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creaturek say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!l Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,m saying, “Two poundsa of wheat for a day’s wages,b and six poundsc of barley for a day’s wages,d n and do not damageo the oil and the wine!”

7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creaturep say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!q Its rider was named Death, and Hadesr was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.s

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw undert the altaru the souls of those who had been slainv because of the word of Godw and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long,x Sovereign Lord,y holy and true,z until you judge the inhabitants of the eartha and avenge our blood?”b 11 Then each of them was given a white robe,c and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,e were killed just as they had been.d

12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.e The sun turned blackf like sackclothg made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth,h as figs drop from a fig treei when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,j and every mountain and island was removed from its place.k

15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,l hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.m 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on usn and hide usf from the face of him who sits on the throneo and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great dayp of theirg wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”q