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 show thee things which must be hereafter.
And immediately I was in the spirit;
and, behold,
a throne was set in heaven,
and one sat on the throne.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
And when those beasts
give glory and honour and thanks
to him that sat on the throne,
who liveth for ever and ever,
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,
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.
And I saw in the right hand
of him that sat on the throne
a book written within
and on the backside,
sealed with seven seals.
And I saw a strong angel
proclaiming with a loud voice,
Who is worthy to open the book,
and to loose the seals thereof?
And no man in heaven,
nor in earth,
neither under the earth,
was able to open the book,
neither to look thereon.
And I wept much,
because no man was found
worthy to open and to read the book,
neither to look thereon.
And one of the elders saith unto me,
Weep not:
behold,
the Lion of the tribe of Juda,
the Root of David,
hath prevailed to open the book,
and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Revelation 4:1-5:5