Revelation 4-7

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^(A) said, “Come up here,^(B) and I will show you what must take place after this.”^(C)

² Immediately I was in the Spirit,^(D) and there was a throne in heaven^(E) and someone was seated on it. ³ The one seated^[a] there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian stone.^(F) A rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald surrounded the throne.^(G)

⁴ Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders^(H) dressed in white clothes,^(I) with golden crowns on their heads.^(J)

⁵ Flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder came from the throne.^(K) Seven fiery torches were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.^{(L) 6} Something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal, was also before the throne.^(M)

Four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back were around the throne on each side. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion; the second living creature was like an ox; the third living creature had a face like a man; and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.^{(N) 8} Each of the four living creatures had six wings;^(O) they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night^(P) they never stop,^[b] 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,^{(R) 10} the twenty-four elders fall down before the one seated on the throne^(S) and worship the one who lives forever and ever. They 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 both sides, sealed with seven seals.^{(W) 2} I also saw a mighty angel^(X) proclaiming with 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 I wept and wept because no one was found worthy to open^[d] the scroll or even to look in it. ⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah,^(Y) the Root of David,^(Z) has conquered^(AA) so that he is able to open the scroll and^[e] its seven seals.”

⁶ Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb^(AB) standing in the midst of 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^(AC) sent into all the earth. ⁷ He went and took the scroll 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 twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp^(AD) and golden bowls^(AE) filled with incense,^(AF) which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹ And they sang a new song:^(AG)

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.^{(AJ) 12} They said with a loud voice,

¹³ I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth,^(AK) on the sea, and everything in them say,^(AL)

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

The First Seal on the Scroll

6 Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven^[i] seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder,^(AM) “Come!” ² I looked, and there was a white horse.^(AN) Its rider held a bow;^(AO) a crown^(AP) was given to him, and he went out as a conqueror in order to conquer.^[j]

The Second Seal

³ When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” ⁴ Then another horse went out, a fiery red one,^(AQ) and its rider was allowed to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him.^(AR)

The Third Seal

⁵ When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and there was a black horse.^(AS) Its rider held a set of scales in his hand.^{(AT) 6} Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, “A quart of wheat for a denarius,^[k] and three quarts of barley for a denarius,^(AU) but do not harm the oil and the wine.”^(AV)

The Fourth Seal

⁷ When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” ⁸ And I looked, and there was a pale green^[l] horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following after him.^(AW) They were^[m] given authority^(AX) over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.^(AY)

The Fifth Seal

⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and the testimony they had given.^{[n](AZ) 10} They cried out with a loud voice, “Lord,^[o] the one who is holy and true,^(BA) how long until you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?^(BB)” ¹¹ So they were each given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters, who were going to be killed just as they had been.

The Sixth Seal

¹² Then I saw him open^[p] the sixth seal. A violent earthquake occurred;^(BC) the sun turned black like sackcloth^(BD) made of hair; the entire moon^[q] became like blood;^{(BE) 13} the stars^[r] of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a high wind; ¹⁴ the sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up;^(BF) and every mountain and island was moved from its place.^(BG)

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.^{(BH) 16} And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us^(BI) from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷ because the great day of their^[s] wrath has come! And who is able to stand?” ^(BJ)

The Sealed of Israel

7 After this I saw four angels^(BK) standing at the four corners of the earth, restraining the four winds of the earth^(BL) so that no wind could blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. ² Then I saw another angel rising up from the east,^(BM) who had the seal of the living God.^(BN) He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were allowed to harm the earth and the sea, ³ “Don’t harm the earth or the sea or the trees^(BO) until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads.”^{(BP) 4} And I heard the number of the sealed:

A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

⁹ After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language,^(BR) which no one could number,^(BS) standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands.^{(BT) 10} And they cried out in a loud voice:

¹¹ All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying,

¹³ Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these people in white robes, and where did they come from?”

¹⁴ I said to him, “Sir,^[t] you know.”

Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.^(BW) They washed their robes and made them white^(BX) in the blood of the Lamb.