From the immediate concerns of the church on earth John’s attention moves to heaven. From this point heavenly realities are in the forefront right throughout the book. John begins with the vision of God himself, though he does not call it that.
Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary,
Revelation 4:1–7:17 (MEV)
1 After this I looked. And there was an open door in heaven. The first voice 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.”
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit. And there was a throne set in heaven with One sitting on the throne!
3 And He who sat there appeared like a jasper and a sardius stone. There was a rainbow around the throne, appearing like an emerald.
4 Twenty-four thrones were around the throne. And I saw twenty-four elders sitting on the thrones, clothed in white garments. They had crowns of gold on their heads.
5 Lightnings and thunderings and voices proceeded from the throne. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6 Before the throne was a sea of glass like crystal. In the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back.
7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.
8 The four living creatures had six wings each, and they were covered with eyes all around. All day and night, without ceasing, they were saying: “ ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”
9 When the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and worship Him, who lives forever and ever. Then they cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You have created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”
1 Then I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?”
3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look in it.
4 I began to weep loudly, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look in it.
5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Look! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
6 I saw a Lamb in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, standing as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
7 He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
8 When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 and have made us kings and priests unto our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voices of many angels, numbering ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
13 Then I heard every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that are in them, saying: “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!”
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen.” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped Him who lives forever and ever.
1 I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures saying, with voice like thunder, “Come and see.”
2 And I looked, and there before me was a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow. And a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering that he might overcome.
3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come and see.”
4 Then another horse that was red went forth. Power was given to him who sat on it to take peace from the earth, causing people to kill one another. Then a great sword was given to him.
5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there was a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.
6 Then I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not harm the oil and the wine.”
7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”
8 So I looked, and there was a pale horse, and the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed him. Power over a fourth of the earth was given to them, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had held.
10 They cried out with a loud voice, “How long, O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
11 Then a white robe was given to each of them, and they were told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers should be completed, who would be killed as they were.
12 I watched as He opened the sixth seal. And suddenly there was a great earthquake. The sun became black, like sackcloth made from goat hair, and the moon became like blood.
13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when it is shaken by a strong wind.
14 Then the heavens receded like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the commanding officers and the strong and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains.
16 They said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,
17 for the great day of His wrath has come. Who is able to withstand it?”
1 Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind would not blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. He cried out with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the earth and the sea,
3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand out of every tribe of the children of Israel:
5 Twelve thousand from the tribe of Judah were sealed, twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben were sealed, twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad were sealed,
6 twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher were sealed, twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali were sealed, twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh were sealed,
7 twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon were sealed, twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi were sealed, twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar were sealed,
8 twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun were sealed, twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph were sealed, and twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
9 Then I looked. And there was a great multitude which no one could count, from all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
10 They cried out with a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures and fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God,
12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these clothed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” He said to me, “These are those who came out of great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore, they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.
16 ‘They shall neither hunger any more, nor shall they thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them,’ nor any scorching heat;
17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and ‘He will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”