Revelation 4:2
in Revelation 4At once I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne standing in heaven, with someone seated on it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Straightway I was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne;
KJV
And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
⋯
This verse in Revelation 4
Commentary
13 notes on this verse[Daniel 7:9] "I beheld until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of days took His seat. His garment was as white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was composed of fiery flames and its wheels were set on fire. From before His presence there issued forth a rushing, fiery stream."
This site's exposition
a throne standing in heaven
on Revelation 4:2-3
At once I was in the Spirit, as at 1:10, and John sees a throne standing in heaven, with someone seated on it. The One seated is described by stone, jasper and carnelian, and the rainbow around the throne recalls the covenant sign of Genesis 9:13.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
A commentator
Victorinus of PettauCommentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John · Written before 304.
proposed
"Immediately I was in the Spirit." And since the mind of the faithful is opened by the Holy Spirit, and that is manifested to them which was also foretold to the fathers, he distinctly says:- "And, behold, a throne was set in heaven." The throne set: what is it but the throne of judgment and of the King?
Who would think that he speaks anything fleshly who reports that he had entered in the spirit? A man so thoroughly tested by his God receives nothing fleshly, nothing earthly. But he was in the spirit so that he might see the Lord of majesty, …
The jasper stone shines with a green and radiant brightness, so that he might know that the flesh of the assumed man, taken up without a hint of sin, shines with the vigor of everlasting sincerity and glows through the indwelling of the divine power. …
And rising in the Spirit, since the ascent was neither physical nor perceptible by the senses. I see, it says, a throne, and God upon it. …
The Medieval Church1 voice
And immediately I was in the spirit. If this is taken as referring to John, it means that he was taken into ecstasy; if it is taken as referring to the Church, these words show its spiritual conversion. And behold there was a throne set …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
And immediately I was in the Spirit. And the first voice which I heard. Certainly similar to the previous voice, which had said: What you see, write in a book (Rev. 1).
And behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sitting on the throne. The Lord inhabits the church placed in heavenly conversation. Pope Gregory interprets the throne of God in the vision of Micah as angelic powers. Presiding higher in their minds, He disposes …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Here, also, the kingdom of Satan is disclosed; and hence we may extract the most important things out of the most comprehensive and, at the same time, most secret history of the kingdom of hell and heaven. But herein we must be content to know only what is expressly revealed in this book.
And immediately I was in the Spirit,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And immediately I was in the Spirit - See the notes on Rev 1:10. He does not affirm that he was caught up into heaven, nor does he say what impression was on his own mind, if any, as to the place where he was; but he was at once absorbed in the contemplation of the visions before him.
I was in the Spirit - Rapt up in an ecstasy.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εὐθέως | eutheos | immediately | G2112 → | |
| ἐγενόμην | egenomen | I was | G1096 → | 667 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| πνεύματι | pneumati | [the] Spirit | G4151 → | 378 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἰδοὺ | idou | behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| θρόνος | thronos | a throne | G2362 → | 62 times |
| ἔκειτο | ekeito | was set | G2749 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὐρανῷ, | ourano | heaven, | G3772 → | 272 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θρόνον | thronon | throne | G2362 → | 62 times |
| καθήμενος. | kathemenos | [One] sitting. | G2521 → | 91 times |
εὐθέωςimmediately
eutheosG2112 →
ἐγενόμηνI was
egenomenG1096 →667 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
πνεύματι[the] Spirit
pneumatiG4151 →378 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἰδοὺbehold
idouG2400 →200 times
θρόνοςa throne
thronosG2362 →62 times
ἔκειτοwas set
ekeitoG2749 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
οὐρανῷ,heaven,
ouranoG3772 →272 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπὶupon
epiG1909 →883 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
θρόνονthrone
thrononG2362 →62 times
καθήμενος.[One] sitting.
kathemenosG2521 →91 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 6:1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple.
it leads to
- John 12:41
Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about Him.
- Revelation 15:8
And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
- Revelation 7:15–17
For this reason, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.
- Psalms 113:5
Who is like the LORD our God, the One enthroned on high?
- Daniel 7:9
As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool.…
- John 12:41
Through
1 Kings 22:19Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.
it leads to
Through
Revelation 1:10On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
it leads to
- Revelation 21:10
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,
- Revelation 21:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies14
About Revelation
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alcuin of York, COMMENTARY ON REVELATION; Apringius of Beja, TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:2; Apringius of Beja, TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:3; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER SEVEN; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation and Victorinus of Pettau, Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John.