Revelation 4:6

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.

And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and back.

⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.

⁸ And each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

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: And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and back.
KJV: 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.
WEB: Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. In the middle of the throne, and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.
ASV: and before the throne, as it were a sea of glass like a crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.
DARBY: and before the throne, as a glass sea, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, four living creatures, full of eyes, before and behind;
BLB: And before the throne [was] like a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne [were] four living creatures, being full of eyes in front and behind.

ÅB: Og foran tronen er det slik som et glasshav, likt krystall, og midt for tronen og rundt om tronen er det fire livsvesener, fulle av øyne for og bak.
OTB: Foran tronen var det noe som lignet et glasshav, klart som krystall; og i midten, rundt tronen, var det fire levende skapninger dekket med øyne, foran og bak.
B1930: Og foran tronen er det likesom et glasshav, likt krystall, og midt for tronen og rundt om tronen er det fire livsvesener, fulle av øine for og bak.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Revelation 15:2
And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, beside which stood those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. They were holding harps from God,
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Revelation 5:6
Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Read in context
Revelation 4:8–9
And each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
Read in context
Revelation 14:3
And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
Read in context
Ezekiel 10:12
Their entire bodies, including their backs, hands, and wings, were full of eyes all around, as were their four wheels.
Read in context
Revelation 19:4
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying: “Amen, Hallelujah!”
Read in context
Ezekiel 10:14
Each of the cherubim had four faces: the first face was that of a cherub, the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.
Read in context
Revelation 5:14–6:1
And the four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Read in context