The Revelation of St. John the Divine

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Chapter 4 -

After these things, I saw, and behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the voice that I heard speaking with me first was like a trumpet, saying: “Ascend to here, and I will reveal to you what must occur after these things.”

And immediately I was in the Spirit. And behold, a throne had been placed in heaven, and there was One sitting upon the throne.

And the One who was sitting there was similar in appearance to a stone of jasper and sardius. And there was an iridescence surrounding the throne, in aspect similar to an emerald.(a)

And surrounding the throne were twenty-four smaller thrones. And upon the thrones, twenty-four elders were sitting, clothed entirely in white vestments, and on their heads were gold crowns.

Worship of the Creator

And from the throne, lightnings and voices and thunders went forth. And there were seven burning lamps before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

And in view of the throne, there was something that seemed like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. And in the middle of the throne, and all around the throne, there were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and in back.

And the first living creature resembled a lion, and the second living creature resembled a calf, and the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature resembled a flying eagle.(b)

And each of the four living creatures had upon them six wings, and all around and within they are full of eyes. And they took no rest, day or night, from saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.”

And while those living creatures were giving glory and honor and blessings to the One sitting upon the throne, who lives forever and ever,

the twenty-four elders fell prostrate before the One sitting upon the throne, and they adored him who lives forever and ever, and they cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you have created all things, and they became and were created because of your will.”

Footnotes

(a)4:3 The word ‘iris’ is not translated as ‘rainbow’ in this context because a rainbow is not similar to an emerald. The word ‘iris’ can also refer to an iridescent stone, which could well be similar to an emerald.(Conte)

(b)4:7 The lion is the Gospel of Matthew, because Matthew wrote in Judea, for the Christians of Judea who converted from Judaism, which is represented by a lion, and the lion from the tribe of Judah is Christ, who led them from Judaism to Christianity. The calf is the Gospel of Mark, because Mark wrote in Rome, for the Christians who were Romans; they are represented by a calf because as Romans they used to worship false gods (analogous to the molten calf in Exodus), but now they sacrifice to God according to true worship. The living creature with a face like a man is Gospel of Luke, because Luke was a Gentile convert and who wrote in a Gentile nation for the Gentile converts (such as Theophilus); they are represented by the face of a man because Christ called them from being mere men apart from God to the fullness of humanity revealed only by Christ. The eagle is Gospel of John, because John’s Gospel soared above the earth with its profound and heavenly insights into the Gospel, which are beyond the reach of mere human reason and ability.(Conte)