Revelation / Chapter 4

Revelation 4

11 verses • SBL Greek New Testament 1 tradition available

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Revelation 4 shifts from the seven churches on earth to the throne room of heaven. John sees an open door in heaven and hears the trumpet-like voice from chapter 1 calling him to come up. He is immediately 'in the Spirit' and sees a throne with one seated on it, described in terms of precious stones and surrounded by a rainbow. Twenty-four elders on twenty-four thrones encircle the central throne, dressed in white with golden crowns. From the throne come lightning, thunder, and voices. Seven blazing torches burn before the throne. A crystal sea stretches before it. Four living creatures — one like a lion, one like an ox, one with a human face, and one like a flying eagle — each covered with eyes and having six wings, never cease to cry: 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.' When they give glory, the twenty-four elders fall down in worship, casting their crowns before the throne.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

The throne-room vision draws heavily from three Old Testament sources: Isaiah 6 (seraphim with six wings crying 'Holy, holy, holy'), Ezekiel 1 and 10 (four living creatures with multiple faces and eyes), and Daniel 7 (the Ancient of Days on his throne). John synthesizes these traditions into a single, cohesive vision. The one on the throne is never directly named or described in anthropomorphic terms — only through the imagery of light refracted through gemstones. The 'trisagion' (threefold 'holy') is one of the oldest continuous liturgical elements in Christian worship. The twenty-four elders may represent the twelve tribes and twelve apostles — the full people of God from both covenants.

Translation Friction

We render the vision as presented without attempting to identify the symbolic referents definitively. The rainbow (iris) is described as 'like an emerald' (homoios horasei smaragdinō), which is unusual since rainbows are multicolored; this may refer to a dominant green hue or to a circular halo of light. The precise identification of the gemstones (iaspidi, sardiō) is uncertain; ancient gem names do not always correspond to modern ones.

Connections

Isaiah 6:1-4 (seraphim, trisagion), Ezekiel 1:4-28 (four living creatures, throne, rainbow, crystal), Ezekiel 10 (cherubim), Daniel 7:9-10 (Ancient of Days, throne, fire), 1 Kings 22:19 (heavenly court), Exodus 24:10 (sapphire pavement under God's feet). The 'sea of glass' may echo the bronze sea in Solomon's temple (1 Kings 7:23) or the cosmic waters above the firmament (Genesis 1:6-7). **Tradition comparisons:** The Latin Vulgate shaped Western theology here: The heavenly Trisagion of Revelation echoes Isaiah 6:3. Jerome's rendering links the two Sanctus texts across the Latin Bible, reinforcing the Trinitarian reading of the threefold 'holy.' The Sanctus... See the [Vulgate Revelation](/vulgate/revelation).

Revelation 4:1

Μετὰ ταῦτα εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ θύρα ἠνεῳγμένη ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἡ φωνὴ ἡ πρώτη ἣν ἤκουσα ὡς σάλπιγγος λαλούσης μετ' ἐμοῦ λέγων· Ἀνάβα ὧδε, καὶ δείξω σοι ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι μετὰ ταῦτα.

After this I looked, and there before me was an open door in heaven. And the first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."

KJV After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase meta tauta ('after this') marks a major structural transition — from the earthly churches to the heavenly throne room. The 'first voice' (hē phōnē hē prōtē) refers back to 1:10, connecting this scene to the initial commission. The open door in heaven (thyra ēneōgmenē en tō ouranō) recalls Ezekiel 1:1 ('the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God'). The phrase ha dei genesthai ('what must take place') echoes Daniel 2:28-29 (LXX), where Daniel reveals to Nebuchadnezzar 'what must happen in the last days.'
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Ezekiel 1:1. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Daniel 2:28-29. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
Revelation 4:2

εὐθέως ἐγενόμην ἐν πνεύματι, καὶ ἰδοὺ θρόνος ἔκειτο ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον καθήμενος,

At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne set in heaven, with one seated on the throne.

KJV And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This is the second of four 'in the Spirit' (en pneumati) experiences in Revelation (1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10), each introducing a major new vision. The description of the one on the throne is strikingly restrained — no human features are described, only the appearance of gemstones and light (v. 3). This reticence about depicting God directly follows the tradition of Ezekiel 1:26-28, where the prophet describes only 'the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.'
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Ezekiel 1:26-28. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
Revelation 4:3

καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ὅμοιος ὁράσει λίθῳ ἰάσπιδι καὶ σαρδίῳ, καὶ ἶρις κυκλόθεν τοῦ θρόνου ὅμοιος ὁράσει σμαραγδίνῳ.

And the one seated there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.

KJV And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. God is described entirely through light and gemstones — jasper (iaspidi, likely a clear, brilliant stone, not the modern opaque jasper) and carnelian (sardiō, a red stone). The combination of clear brilliance and deep red may evoke glory and judgment. The rainbow (iris) echoes Genesis 9:13-16, where the rainbow is the sign of God's covenant with Noah — its presence around the throne is a covenant symbol. The emerald-like quality (smaragdinō) gives the rainbow a dominant green hue, suggesting life and renewal. Ezekiel 1:28 similarly describes 'the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds' surrounding the divine presence.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Genesis 9:13-16 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Ezekiel 1:28 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
Revelation 4:4

καὶ κυκλόθεν τοῦ θρόνου θρόνους εἴκοσι τέσσαρες, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς θρόνους εἴκοσι τέσσαρας πρεσβυτέρους καθημένους περιβεβλημένους ἐν ἱματίοις λευκοῖς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν στεφάνους χρυσοῦς.

Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.

KJV And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The twenty-four elders (eikosi tessaras presbyterous) have been variously identified as angelic beings, heavenly representatives of Israel's tribes, the combined twelve patriarchs and twelve apostles, or the twenty-four priestly divisions of 1 Chronicles 24. Their white garments recall the promise to the faithful in 3:4-5, and their crowns (stephanous, victor's wreaths) will be cast before the throne in verse 10. They sit on thrones (thronous), indicating delegated authority within a heavenly court.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes 1 Chronicles 24. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
Revelation 4:5

καὶ ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου ἐκπορεύονται ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί· καὶ ἑπτὰ λαμπάδες πυρὸς καιόμεναι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου, ἅ εἰσιν τὰ ἑπτὰ πνεύματα τοῦ θεοῦ,

From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God.

KJV And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Lightning, voices/rumblings, and thunder (astrapai kai phōnai kai brontai) echo the Sinai theophany (Exodus 19:16) and recur at key structural points in Revelation (8:5; 11:19; 16:18), each time with escalating intensity. The seven torches (hepta lampades pyros) are explicitly identified as the seven spirits of God, connecting to 1:4 and 3:1. The imagery merges Zechariah's seven-lamped menorah (Zechariah 4:2) with the fiery presence of God. The Greek lampades refers to torches or large lamps, not small candles.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Exodus 19:16 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Zechariah 4:2 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
Revelation 4:6

καὶ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου ὡς θάλασσα ὑαλίνη ὁμοία κρυστάλλῳ. Καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ κύκλῳ τοῦ θρόνου τέσσαρα ζῷα γέμοντα ὀφθαλμῶν ἔμπροσθεν καὶ ὄπισθεν.

Before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the center, around the throne, were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and behind.

KJV And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The 'sea of glass' (thalassa hyalinē) may recall the cosmic waters above the firmament (Genesis 1:6-7), the bronze sea in Solomon's temple (1 Kings 7:23-26), or the pavement of sapphire under God's feet at Sinai (Exodus 24:10). Its crystal-like stillness contrasts with the turbulent sea that symbolizes chaos elsewhere in Revelation. The four 'living creatures' (zōa, not 'beasts' as in the KJV — zōa means 'living beings,' while the hostile creatures of later chapters are thēria, 'beasts/wild animals'). Their eyes covering front and back suggest omniscient awareness. The description draws on Ezekiel 1:5-21 and 10:12.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Genesis 1:6-7. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes 1 Kings 7:23-26. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
  4. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Exodus 24:10. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
  5. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Ezekiel 1:5-21. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
Revelation 4:7

καὶ τὸ ζῷον τὸ πρῶτον ὅμοιον λέοντι, καὶ τὸ δεύτερον ζῷον ὅμοιον μόσχῳ, καὶ τὸ τρίτον ζῷον ἔχων τὸ πρόσωπον ὡς ἀνθρώπου, καὶ τὸ τέταρτον ζῷον ὅμοιον ἀετῷ πετομένῳ.

The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature was like an ox, the third living creature had a face like that of a human, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.

KJV And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The four faces correspond to Ezekiel 1:10, where each cherub has all four faces simultaneously; here each creature bears one face. The lion, ox, human, and eagle have been traditionally interpreted as representing the noblest, strongest, wisest, and swiftest of all creatures — the entirety of animate creation in worship before the Creator. Early Christian tradition also associated them with the four Gospels (lion = Mark, ox = Luke, human = Matthew, eagle = John), though this association is not in the text. The Greek moschos ('calf, young bull') is rendered 'ox' to capture the full-grown stature implied by the parallel with lion and eagle.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Ezekiel 1:10. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
Revelation 4:8

καὶ τὰ τέσσαρα ζῷα, ἓν καθ' ἓν αὐτῶν ἔχων ἀνὰ πτέρυγας ἕξ, κυκλόθεν καὶ ἔσωθεν γέμουσιν ὀφθαλμῶν· καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς λέγοντες· Ἅγιος ἅγιος ἅγιος κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ, ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος.

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never cease to say: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

KJV And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

ἅγιος hagios
"holy" — holy, set apart, sacred, consecrated, other

The threefold repetition (trisagion) expresses the superlative — God is not merely holy but the holiest of all, utterly set apart from all creation. This acclamation has been central to Jewish and Christian liturgy for millennia.

Translator Notes

  1. The six wings come from Isaiah 6:2 (the seraphim), while the eyes come from Ezekiel 1 and 10 (the cherubim). John's living creatures merge features of Isaiah's seraphim and Ezekiel's cherubim into a single heavenly order. The trisagion ('Holy, holy, holy') is a direct echo of Isaiah 6:3. In Hebrew, repetition for emphasis is common (doubling = superlative), but the threefold repetition is unique in the Old Testament and expresses the absolute holiness of God. The threefold temporal designation (ho ēn kai ho ōn kai ho erchomenos) repeats from 1:4 and 1:8, but here the order shifts — 'who was' comes first, perhaps emphasizing God's eternal past as foundation for present and future sovereignty.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Isaiah 6:3 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Ezekiel 1 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Latin Vulgate (Jerome, 405 CE)

"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come"

The heavenly Trisagion of Revelation echoes Isaiah 6:3. Jerome's rendering links the two Sanctus texts across the Latin Bible, reinforcing the Trinitarian reading of the threefold 'holy.' The Sanctus of the Mass draws on both Isaiah and Revelation. Reginald Heber's hymn 'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty' is a direct English paraphrase of the Vulgate.

Revelation 4:9

καὶ ὅταν δώσουσιν τὰ ζῷα δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν καὶ εὐχαριστίαν τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπὶ τῷ θρόνῳ τῷ ζῶντι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων,

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanksgiving to the one seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever,

KJV And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The temporal clause hotan dōsousin ('whenever they give') uses the indefinite construction, indicating a repeated, ongoing action — each time the living creatures offer their praise, the elders respond. The three offerings — glory (doxan), honor (timēn), and thanksgiving (eucharistian) — will be expanded to seven in 7:12. The phrase tō zōnti eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn ('the one living into the ages of the ages') affirms God's eternal, inexhaustible life.
Revelation 4:10

πεσοῦνται οἱ εἴκοσι τέσσαρες πρεσβύτεροι ἐνώπιον τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν τῷ ζῶντι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, καὶ βαλοῦσιν τοὺς στεφάνους αὐτῶν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου λέγοντες·

The four and twenty elders fall down prior to him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns prior to the throne and stated,.

KJV The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The casting of crowns (balousin tous stephanous) is an act of subordination — whatever authority or honor the elders possess is derived from and returned to the one on the throne. In Greco-Roman culture, subject kings would lay their crowns before the emperor as a sign of submission; here the gesture acknowledges that all created authority is delegated from and belongs to God. The repetition of 'forever and ever' reinforces the endless nature of this worship.
Revelation 4:11

Ἄξιος εἶ, ὁ κύριος καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν, λαβεῖν τὴν δόξαν καὶ τὴν τιμὴν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν, ὅτι σὺ ἔκτισας τὰ πάντα, καὶ διὰ τὸ θέλημά σου ἦσαν καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν.

"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

KJV Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The acclamation 'worthy are you' (axios ei) deliberately echoes the Roman acclamation 'axios' ('worthy!') used to acclaim emperors. The heavenly court declares God — not Caesar — as the one truly worthy of universal praise. The title 'our Lord and God' (ho kyrios kai ho theos hēmōn) is notably the same title the emperor Domitian reportedly demanded: dominus et deus noster ('our lord and god'). The ground for worship is creation — God made all things, and all things exist because of his will (dia to thelēma sou). The verb ēsan ('they existed') preceding ektisthēsan ('they were created') is puzzling; it may mean 'they came into being and were created' or 'they existed [in God's purpose] and [then] were created.'
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