The Throne in Heaven
1 After 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.”
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit. There was a throne set in heaven and one sitting on the throne 3 that looked like jasper and carnelian. There was a rainbow around the throne. To look at it, it was like an emerald. 4 Around the throne were 24 thrones. On the thrones were 24 elders sitting, dressed in white garments, with crowns of gold on their heads.
Worship of the Creator
5 From the throne proceeded flashes of lightning, thunder, and voices. There were seven lamps of fire burning before his throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6 Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. In the middle of the throne, and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and back. 7 The 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. 8 The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, were full of eyes all around and within. They had no rest day and night, saying,
“Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God, the Almighty,
who was and who is and who is to come!”
9 When the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever, 10 the 24 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,
to receive glory, honor, and power,
for you created all things,
and because you desired it,
they existed, and were created!”