Then a vision came to me; I saw a door in heaven, standing open. And the same voice, which I had heard speaking to me before, loud as the call of a trumpet, said to me, Come up to my side, and I will shew thee what must find, after this, its due accomplishment.

And all at once I was in a trance, and saw where a throne stood in heaven, and one sat there enthroned.

He who sat there bore the semblance of a jewel, jasper or sardius, and there was a rainbow about the throne, like a vision of emerald.

Round it were twenty-four seats, and on these sat twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with crowns of gold on their heads.✻

Lightnings came out from the throne, and mutterings, and thunders, and before it burned seven lamps, which are the seven spirits of God;

facing it was a whole sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst, where the throne was, round the throne itself, were four living figures, that had eyes everywhere to see before them and behind them.✻

The first figure was that of a lion, the second that of an ox, the third had a man’s look, and the fourth was that of an eagle in flight.

Each of the four figures had six wings, with eyes everywhere looking outwards and inwards; day and night they cried unceasingly, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who ever was, and is, and is still to come.

And as often as these figures gave glory and honour and blessing to him who sat on the throne, who lives for ever and ever,

the twenty-four elders fell down in worship before him who sat on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, and threw down their crowns before the throne, crying out,✻

Thou, our Lord God, claimest as thy due glory and honour and power; by thee all things were created; nothing ever was, nothing was ever created, but in obedience to thy will.