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Chapter 4

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¹ After this I had a vision of an open door ² to heaven, and I heard the trumpetlike voice that had spoken to me before, saying, "Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards."

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³ At once I was caught up in spirit. A throne was there in heaven, and on the throne sat

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one whose appearance sparkled like jasper and carnelian. Around the throne was a halo as brilliant as an emerald.

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Surrounding the throne I saw twenty-four other thrones on which twenty-four elders ⁴ sat, dressed in white garments and with gold crowns on their heads.

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From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. ⁵ Seven flaming torches burned in front of the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

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In front of the throne was something that resembled a sea of glass like crystal. ⁶ In the center and around the throne, there were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back.

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The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf, the third had a face like that of a human being, and the fourth looked like an eagle ⁷ in flight.

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The four living creatures, each of them with six wings, ⁸ were covered with eyes inside and out. Day and night they do not stop exclaiming: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come."

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Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,

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the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who sits on the throne and worship him, who lives forever and ever. They throw down their crowns before the throne, exclaiming:

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"Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created."