Revelation 4:2-6

4:2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, ¹  and ²  a throne was standing ³  in heaven with someone seated on it! 4:3 And the one seated on it was like jasper ⁴  and carnelian ⁵  in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald ⁶  encircled the throne. 4:4 In ⁷  a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were ⁸  dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns ⁹  on their heads. 4:5 From ¹⁰  the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring ¹¹  and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God, ¹²  were burning in front of the throne 4:6 and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. ¹³ 

In ¹⁴  the middle of the throne ¹⁵  and around the throne were four living creatures ¹⁶  full of eyes in front and in back.

¹ tn Or “in the spirit.” “Spirit” could refer either to the Holy Spirit or the human spirit, but in either case John was in “a state of spiritual exaltation best described as a trance” (R. H. Mounce, Revelation [NICNT], 75).

² tn Grk “and behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

³ tn BDAG 537 s.v. κεῖμαι 2 gives the translation “stand” for the term in this verse.

⁴ tn Grk “jasper stone.”

⁵ sn Carnelian was a semiprecious gemstone, usually red in color (L&N 2.36).

⁶ tn Or “a rainbow emerald-like in appearance.”

⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁸ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the words “They were” to indicate the connection to the preceding material.

⁹ sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.

¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹¹ tn Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. BDAG 1071 s.v. φωνή 1 states, “In Rv we have ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”

¹² sn Some interpret the seven spirits of God as angelic beings, while others see them as a reference to the sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit.

¹³ tn This could refer to rock crystal, but it is possible this refers to ice (an older meaning). See BDAG 571 s.v. κρύσταλλος.

¹⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁵ tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).

¹⁶ tn On the meaning of ζῴον (zwon) BDAG 431 s.v. 2 states, “Of the four peculiar beings at God’s throne, whose description Rv 4:6-9 reminds one of the ζῷα in Ezk 1:5ff, the cherubim. S. also Rv 5:6, 8, 11, 14; 6:1, 3, 5-7; 7:11; 14:3; 15:7; 19:4.”