Revelation 4 is the fourth chapter of the

Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation, also known as the Book of the Apocalypse or the Apocalypse of John, is the final book of the New Testament, and therefore the final book of the Bible#Christian Bible, Christian Bible. Written in Greek language, Greek, ...

or the Apocalypse of John in the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

of the

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

. The book is traditionally attributed to

John the Apostle John the Apostle (; ; ), also known as Saint John the Beloved and, in Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Saint John the Theologian, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he ...

, but the precise identity of the author remains a point of academic debate. This chapter contains an inaugural vision of heaven, portraying the throne room of

heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

, and the heavenly worship which the writer observes there.

Text

The original text was written in

Koine Greek Koine Greek (, ), also variously known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek, Septuagint Greek or New Testament Greek, was the koiné language, common supra-regional form of Greek language, Greek spoken and ...

. This chapter is divided into 11 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are among others: *

Codex Sinaiticus The Codex Sinaiticus (; Shelfmark: London, British Library, Add MS 43725), also called the Sinai Bible, is a fourth-century Christian manuscript of a Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Greek Old Testament, including the deuterocanonica ...

(330-360) * Uncial 0169 (4th century; extant verses 1–3) *

Codex Alexandrinus The Codex Alexandrinus (London, British Library, Royal MS 1. D. V-VIII) is a manuscript of the Greek Bible,The Greek Bible in this context refers to the Bible used by Greek-speaking Christians who lived in Egypt and elsewhere during the early ...

(400-440)

Old Testament references

* :

God on the Throne

God's sovereignty over all things is symbolized by the throne, which visions are found both in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament prophetic tradition (cf. ) as well as in some Jewish apocalypses, and in this chapter (echoing Isaiah 6 and

Ezekiel 1 Ezekiel 1 is the first chapter of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains prophecies attributed to the prophet/priest Ezekiel, and is one of the Books of the Prophets. In the New Ki ...

) is seen as "already fully acknowledged in heaven, and therefore as the true reality which must in the end prevail on earth". Taken up into heaven, John can see that "God's throne is the ultimate reality behind all earthly appearances".

Verse 1

:''After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven.'' :''And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this."'' "After these things" refers back to "the entire vision in Revelation 1:10 to ".

Verse 8

:''The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:'' ::''“Holy, holy, holy,'' ::''Lord God Almighty,'' ::''Who was and is and is to come!”'' *" Four living creatures": reflecting a combination of the cherubim in

and seraphim in Isaiah 6:2, they function as 'the priests of heavenly temple'. Their song is an adaption of Isaiah 6:3 with the incorporation of 'two of the key designations of God' (cf. Revelation 1:4 , 8).

Verse 11

:''"You are worthy, O Lord,'' :''To receive glory and honor and power;'' :''For You created all things,'' :''And by Your will they exist and were created."'' NKJV The depiction of God's sovereignty starts with him as the 'Creator of all things', then as 'Redeemer' to restore his universal sovereignty on earth ( Revelation 5), with the expectation to renew his whole creation in the end ( Revelation 21:5).

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

* King James Bible - Wikisource
English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate

''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org
(ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
Multiple bible versions at ''Bible Gateway''
(NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.) {{Book of Revelation 04