Revelation 4:6

4:6 and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. ¹ 

In ²  the middle of the throne ³  and around the throne were four living creatures ⁴  full of eyes in front and in back.

Revelation 4:10

4:10 the twenty-four elders throw themselves to the ground ⁵  before the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever, and they offer their crowns ⁶  before his ⁷  throne, saying:

Revelation 7:2

7:2 Then ⁸  I saw another angel ascending from the east, ⁹  who had ¹⁰  the seal ¹¹  of the living God. He ¹²  shouted out with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given permission ¹³  to damage the earth and the sea: ¹⁴ 

Revelation 7:11

7:11 And all the angels stood ¹⁵  there in a circle around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground ¹⁶  before the throne and worshiped God,

¹ tn This could refer to rock crystal, but it is possible this refers to ice (an older meaning). See BDAG 571 s.v. κρύσταλλος.

² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

³ tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).

⁴ 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.”

⁵ tn Grk “the twenty-four elders fall down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

⁶ sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.

⁷ tn The pronoun “his” is understood from the demonstrative force of the article τοῦ (tou) before θρόνου (qronou).

⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

¹⁰ tn Grk “from the rising of the sun.” BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατολή 2.a takes this as a geographical direction: “ἀπὸ ἀ. ἡλίου…from the east Rv 7:2; 16:12…simply ἀπὸ ἀ. …21:13.”

¹¹ tn Grk “having,” but v. 3 makes it clear that the angel’s purpose is to seal others with the seal he carries.

¹² tn Or “signet” (L&N 6.54).

¹³ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁴ tn The word “permission” is implied; Grk “to whom it was given to them to damage the earth.”

¹⁵ tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

¹³ tn The verb is pluperfect, but the force is simple past. See ExSyn 586.

¹⁴ tn Grk “they fell down on their faces.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”