“The things that must happen after these”
4
1 After these things I looked and wow—a door standing open in the sky, and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me,* saying, “Come up here and I will show you the things that must take place after these.”†
The Throne Room
2 And immediately I was in spirit,‡ and there, a throne set in heaven (and One sitting on the throne) 3 similar in appearance to a stone,§ jasper and carnelian, and there was a rainbow around the throne, similar in appearance to an emerald. 4 And around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw the twenty-four elders sitting,* clothed in white robes and golden crowns on their heads.† 5 And out of the throne came lightnings and noises and thunders; and seven lamps of fire were burning before His throne, which are seven spirits‡ of God; 6 and before the throne it was like a sea of glass, similar to crystal.
The four living beings
And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living beings full of eyes, front and back. 7 The first living being was similar to a lion, the second living being was similar to a calf, the third living being had a face like a man, and the fourth living being was similar to a flying eagle. 8 And the four living beings, each one of them, having six wings apiece, were full of eyes around and within.§ And they take no rest, day or night, saying:*
“Holy, holy, holy;
Holy, holy, holy;
Holy, holy, holy;†
The Lord God Almighty;
He who was and who is
and who is coming!”
The twenty-four elders
9 And whenever the living beings ascribe glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and they cast their crowns before the throne saying:
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, the Holy One,‡
to receive the glory and the honor and the power,
because You created all things,
and by Your will they exist and were created!”
* 4:1 This is a reference to 1:10 above, so it is the glorified Christ who is speaking—He is continuing His communicating (see 1:1 above), only now He is speaking from Heaven. † 4:1 “After these” opens and closes the verse. ‘These’ is a pronoun, so what is its antecedent? Presumably the churches described in chapters 2 and 3 (“the things that are” referred to in 1:19). Does “after” the churches imply that they are off the scene? ‡ 4:2 Compare 1:10. The Voice commanded him to “come up here”—it was something John had to do; I take it that his spirit was transported to heaven. (Consider Jesus—Matthew 17:25, John 1:48; Paul—1 Corinthians 5:3-4, Colossians 2:5; Elisha—2 Kings 5:26, 6:12.) § 4:3 The throne, not the One. 15% of the Greek manuscripts do have the One looking like a stone, but I judge that the 85% are correct. * 4:4 Why do we have “the” twenty-four elders the first time they are mentioned? I take it that John found them to be especially impressive or interesting (perhaps he identified with them). † 4:4 Might this picture have any connection with the promise in 3:21 above? ‡ 4:5 There is no definite article with “seven spirits”. I doubt that they represent the Holy Spirit. § 4:8 The picture seems to be that the throne was not solid—the living beings moved in, through and around it; and they themselves were translucent—at least John could see that they had eyes inside as well as outside. * 4:8 Most of the Greek manuscripts have the elders in chorus with the living beings here, but the best line of transmission has just the living beings repeating ‘holy’ endlessly, which agrees with verse nine. † 4:8 The manuscript evidence is badly divided here, but I take it that two of the tree main lines of independent transmission, including the best one, have “holy” nine times, instead of three. Surely it is more likely that ‘nine’ would be changed to ‘three’ than vice versa. In fact, try reading “holy” nine times in a row out loud—it starts to get uncomfortable! Since in the context the living ones are repeating themselves endlessly, the ‘nine’ is both appropriate and effective. Three ‘holies’ for each member of the Trinity. ‡ 4:11 ‘O Lord’ as in KJV is found in a very few late manuscripts. Almost all Greek manuscripts have the words “Lord”, “God” and “our”, and some ⅔ of them (including the best group) have “the Holy One”.