Revelation 4:1-7

The Amazing Scene in Heaven

4:1 After these things I looked, and there was ¹  a door standing open in heaven! ²  And the first voice I had heard speaking to me ³  like a trumpet ⁴  said: “Come up here so that ⁵  I can show you what must happen after these things.” 4:2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, ⁶  and ⁷  a throne was standing ⁸  in heaven with someone seated on it! 4:3 And the one seated on it was like jasper ⁹  and carnelian ¹⁰  in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald ¹¹  encircled the throne. 4:4 In ¹²  a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were ¹³  dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns ¹⁴  on their heads. 4:5 From ¹⁵  the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring ¹⁶  and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God, ¹⁷  were burning in front of the throne 4:6 and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. ¹⁸ 

In ¹⁹  the middle of the throne ²⁰  and around the throne were four living creatures ²¹  full of eyes in front and in back. 4:7 The ²²  first living creature was like a lion, the ²³  second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature looked like an eagle flying.

[4:1]  ¹ 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).

[4:1]  ² tn Or “in the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[4:1]  ³ tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.”

[4:1]  ⁴ sn The phrase speaking to me like a trumpet refers back to Rev 1:10.

[4:1]  ⁵ tn The conjunction καί (kai), much like the vav-consecutive in Hebrew, appears to be introducing a final/purpose clause here rather than a coordinate clause.

[4:2]  ⁶ 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).

[4:2]  ⁷ 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).

[4:2]  ⁸ tn BDAG 537 s.v. κεῖμαι 2 gives the translation “stand” for the term in this verse.

[4:3]  ⁹ tn Grk “jasper stone.”

[4:3]  ¹⁰ sn Carnelian was a semiprecious gemstone, usually red in color (L&N 2.36).

[4:3]  ¹¹ tn Or “a rainbow emerald-like in appearance.”

[4:4]  ¹² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:4]  ¹³ 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.

[4:4]  ¹⁴ sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.

[4:5]  ¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:5]  ¹⁶ 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?…).”

[4:5]  ¹⁷ 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.

[4:6]  ¹⁸ tn This could refer to rock crystal, but it is possible this refers to ice (an older meaning). See BDAG 571 s.v. κρύσταλλος.

[4:6]  ¹⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:6]  ²⁰ tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).

[4:6]  ²¹ 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.”

[4:7]  ²² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:7]  ²³ tn Both here and before the phrase “the third,” καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.