The Throne in Heaven
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me alike a trumpet, said, b“Come up here, and cI will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once aI was in the Spirit, and behold, ba throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of ajasper and carnelian, and around the throne was ba rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were atwenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, bclothed in white garments, with cgolden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came aflashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning bseven torches of fire, cwhich are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was aas it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are bfour living creatures, cfull of eyes in front and behind: 7 athe 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, aeach of them with six wings, are bfull of eyes all around and within, and cday and night they never cease to say,
d“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
ewho 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, awho lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders afall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast btheir crowns before the throne, saying,
11 a“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for byou created all things,
and cby your will they existed and were created.”