Revelation 4:3
1 After this I looked and saw a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had previously heard speak to me like a trumpet was saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things.”
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne standing in heaven, with someone seated on it.
The One seated there looked like jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow that gleamed like an emerald encircled the throne.
4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on these thrones sat twenty-four elders dressed in white, with golden crowns on their heads.
5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven torches of fire. These are the seven Spirits of God.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- The One seated there looked like jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow that gleamed like an emerald encircled the throne.
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- that looked like a jasper stone and a sardius. There was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald to look at.
- ASV
- and he that sat [was] to look upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and [there was] a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon.
- DARBY
- and he [that was] sitting like in appearance to a stone [of] jasper and a sardius, and a rainbow round the throne like in appearance to an emerald.
- BLB
- and the One sitting, in appearance [was] like jasper and carnelian stone. And a rainbow [was] around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.
- ÅB
- Og han som satt der, var å se til slik som jaspis og sarder-stein, og det var en regnbue rundt omkring tronen, å se til slik som en smaragd.
- OTB
- Han som satt der, hadde utseende som jaspis og sardius, og en regnbue som lignet en smaragd omkranset tronen.
- B1930
- Og han som satt der, var å se til likesom jaspis og sarder-sten, og det var en regnbue rundt omkring tronen, å se til likesom en smaragd.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Ezekiel 1:28
The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.
Read in contextRevelation 21:11
shining with the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, as clear as crystal.
Read in contextGenesis 9:13–16
I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.
Read in contextRevelation 10:1
Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun, and his legs were like pillars of fire.
Read in contextEzekiel 28:13
You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold, prepared on the day of your creation.
Read in contextEzekiel 1:26
Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.
Read in contextRevelation 21:19–20
The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone: The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
Read in contextExodus 24:10
and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.
Read in context