Revelation 4-6

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Throne Room of Heaven

4 After this I looked, and there in heaven was an open door. The first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

² Immediately I was in the Spirit,^[a](A) and a throne was set there in heaven.^(B) One was seated on the throne, ³ and the One seated^[b] looked like jasper^[c] and carnelian^[d] stone. A rainbow that looked like an emerald surrounded the throne. ⁴ Around that throne were 24 thrones, and on the thrones sat 24 elders dressed in white clothes, with gold crowns on their heads. ⁵ Flashes of lightning and rumblings of thunder came from the throne. Seven fiery torches were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.^{(C) 6} Something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal, was also before the throne. Four living creatures^(D) covered with eyes in front and in back were in the middle^[e] and around the throne. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion; the second living creature was like a calf; the third living creature had a face like a man; and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings;^(E) they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop,^[f] saying:

⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One seated on the throne, the One who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the 24 elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, worship the One who lives forever and ever, cast their crowns before the throne, and say:

The Lamb Takes the Scroll

5 Then I saw in the right hand of the One seated on the throne a scroll with writing on the inside and on the back,^(F) sealed with seven seals. ² I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even to look in it. ⁴ And I cried and cried because no one was found worthy to open^[i] the scroll or even to look in it.

⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah,^(G) the Root of David,^(H) has been victorious^(I) so that He may open the scroll and^[j] its seven seals.” ⁶ Then I saw One like a slaughtered lamb standing between^[k] the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God^(J) sent into all the earth. ⁷ He came and took the scroll^[l] out of the right hand of the One seated on the throne.

The Lamb Is Worthy

⁸ When He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹ And they sang a new song:^(K)

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. ¹² They said with a loud voice:

¹³ I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say:

¹⁴ The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

The First Seal on the Scroll

6 Then I saw^[p] the Lamb open one of the seven^[q] seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!”^{[r][s] 2} I looked, and there was a white horse.^(N) The horseman on it had a bow; a crown was given to him, and he went out as a victor to conquer.^[t]

The Second Seal

³ When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”^{[u][v] 4} Then another horse went out, a fiery red one, and its horseman was empowered^[w] to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him.^(O)

The Third Seal

⁵ When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!”^[x][y] And I looked, and there was a black horse. The horseman on it had a set of scales in his hand. ⁶ Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius—but do not harm the olive oil and the wine.”

The Fourth Seal

⁷ When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”^{[z][aa] 8} And I looked, and there was a pale green^[ab] horse. The horseman on it was named Death, and Hades was following after him. Authority was given to them^[ac](P) over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.

The Fifth Seal

⁹ When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the people^[ad] slaughtered because of God’s word and the testimony they had.^{[ae](Q) 10} They cried out with a loud voice: “Lord,^[af] the One who is holy and true, how long until You judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?” ¹¹ So a white robe was given to each of them, and they were told to rest a little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow slaves and their brothers, who were going to be killed just as they had been.

The Sixth Seal

¹² Then I saw Him open^[ag] the sixth seal. A violent earthquake occurred; the sun turned black like sackcloth^(R) made of goat hair; the entire moon^[ah] became like blood; ¹³ the stars^[ai] of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a high wind; ¹⁴ the sky separated like a scroll being rolled up; and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the military commanders, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.^{(S) 16} And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us^(T) from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷ because the great day of Their^[aj] wrath has come! And who is able to stand?”^(U)