Worship in Heaven
1 At this point I had another vision and saw an open door in heaven.
And the voice that sounded like a trumpet, which I had heard speaking to me before, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” 2 At once the Spirit took control of me. There in heaven was a throne with someone sitting on it. 3 His face gleamed like such precious stones as jasper and carnelian, and all around the throne there was a rainbow the color of an emerald. 4 In a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, on which were seated twenty-four elders dressed in white and wearing crowns of gold. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. In front of the throne seven lighted torches were burning, which are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
Surrounding the throne on each of its sides, were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and behind. 7 The first one looked like a lion; the second looked like a bull; the third had a face like a human face; and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight. 8 Each one of the four living creatures had six wings, and they were covered with eyes, inside and out. Day and night they never stop singing:
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, who is, and who is to come.”
9 The four living creatures sing songs of glory and honor and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever. When they do so, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever. They throw their crowns down in front of the throne and say,
11 “Our Lord and God! You are worthy
to receive glory, honor, and power.
For you created all things,
and by your will they were given existence and life.”
العرش في السماء
1 ثُمّ رَأيتُ بابًا مَفتوحًا في السّماءِ، وسَمِعتُ الصّوتَ الأوّلَ الذي خاطَبَني مِنْ قَبلُ كأنّهُ البُوقُ يَقولُ: «اَصعَدْ إلى هُنا لأُريَكَ ما لا بُدّ مِنْ حُدوثِهِ بَعدَ ذلِكَ». 2 وفي الحالِ اَختَطَفَني الرّوحُ، وإذا عَرشٌ في السّماءِ، وعلى العرشِ واحدٌ 3 يَبدو كأنّهُ اليَشْبُ والعَقيقُ الأحمرُ، وَحولَ العَرشِ قَوسُ قُزَحَ في مِثلِ لونِ الزُمُرّدِ. 4 ويُحيطُ بِالعَرشِ أربعةٌ وعِشرونَ عَرشًا، وعلى العُروشِ أربعةٌ وعِشرونَ شَيخًا يَلبَسونَ ثِـيابًا بَيضاءَ وعلى رُؤوسِهِم أكاليلُ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ. 5 ويَخرُجُ مِنَ العَرشِ بَرقٌ وأصواتٌ ورَعدٌ، وتَتّقِدُ أمامَهُ سَبعةُ مَشاعِلَ هِيَ أرواحُ اللهِ السّبعَةُ، 6 وقُدّامَ العَرشِ ما يُشبِهُ بَحرًا شَفّافًا مِثلَ البِلّورِ، وفي وَسْطِ العَرشِ وحَولَهُ أربعةُ كائناتٍ حيّةٍ مُرَصّعةٍ بِالعُيونِ مِنْ قُدّامٍ ومِنْ خَلفٍ: 7 الكائنُ الحيّ الأوّلُ يُشبِهُ الأسدَ، والكائنُ الحيّ الثّاني يُشبِهُ العِجلَ، والكائنُ الحيّ الثّالِثُ لَه وَجهٌ كَوَجهِ الإنسانِ، والكائنُ الحيّ الرّابـعُ يُشبِهُ النّسرَ الطائِرَ. 8 ولكُلّ كائنٍ حيّ مِنْ هــذِهِ الكــائناتِ الحيّةِ الأربعَـةِ ستّةُ أجنِحَةٍ مُرَصّعَةٍ بِالعُيونِ مِنْ حَولِها ومِنْ داخِلِها وهِـيَ لا تَنقَطِـعُ عَنِ التّسبـيحِ ليلَ نهارَ:
«قُدّوسٌ، قُدّوسٌ، قُدّوسٌ
الرّبّ الإلهُ القَديرُ
كانَ وكائِنٌ ويأتي».
9 وكُلّما سَبّحَ الكائناتُ الحيّةُ الأربعةُ تسابـيحَ التّمجيدِ والإكرامِ والحَمدِ لِلجالِسِ على العَرشِ والحيّ إلى أبَدِ الدّهورِ، 10 رَكَعَ الأربعةُ والعِشرونَ شَيخًا أمامَ الجالِسِ على العَرشِ، وسَجَدوا لِلحَيّ إلى أبَدِ الدّهورِ وألقَوا أكاليلَهُم عِندَ العَرشِ وهُم يَقولونَ:
11 «يا رَبّنا وإلهَنا،
لكَ يَحِقّ المَجدُ والإكرامُ والقُدرَةُ
لأنّكَ خَلَقْتَ الأشياءَ كُلّها،
وهِـيَ بَمشيئَتِكَ كانَتْ ووُجِدَتْ».