Revelation 4:5

Revelation 4:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
• New International Version (NIV)From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God,
• New Living Translation (NLT)From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God.

Context of Revelation 4:5

3And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.

Revelation 4:5 word by word

καὶ ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου ἐκπορεύονται ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί, καὶ ἑπτὰ λαμπάδες πυρὸς καιόμεναι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου ἅ εἰσιν τὰ ἑπτὰ πνεύματα τοῦ θεοῦ,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the throneὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the throneθρόνοςthronos · throneG2362
• proceededἐκπορεύωekporeuomai · to departG1607
• lightningsἀστραπήastrapē · lightningG796
• thunderingsβροντήbrontē · thunderG1027
• voicesφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: noiseG5456
• sevenἑπτάhepta · sevenG2033
• lampsλαμπάςlampas · windowG2985
• of fireπῦρpur · fireG4442
• burningκαίωkaiō · to kindle/burnG2545
• beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• Spiritsπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for Revelation 4:5

• Revelation 8:5Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
• Revelation 11:19Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
• Revelation 16:17Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”
• Exodus 19:16Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.
• Exodus 20:18Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.
• Psalms 18:13The Lord thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.
• Psalms 68:35O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!
• Joel 3:16The Lord also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.
• Hebrews 12:18For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest,
• Genesis 15:7Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.”
• Exodus 37:23And he made its seven lamps, its wick-trimmers, and its trays of pure gold.
• 2 Chronicles 4:20the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn in the prescribed manner in front of the inner sanctuary,
• Ezekiel 1:13As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning.
• Zechariah 4:2And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.
• Revelation 1:4John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
• Revelation 3:1“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

Commentaries on Revelation 4:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Seven lamps of fire - Seven angels, the attendants and ministers of the supreme King. See Revelation 1:4, and the note there.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices - Expressive of the majesty and glory of Him that sat upon it. We are at once reminded by this representation of the sublime scene that occurred at Sinai Exodus 19:16, where “there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud.” Compare Ezekiel 1:13, Ezekiel 1:24. So Milton: “Forth rushed with whirlwind sound. The chariot of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5The thunder that follows flashes of lightning is a call from God to pay attention (see Revelation 8:5; 11:19; 16:18). Before the throne burned seven torches of fire: In ancient times, people placed torches before rulers to show their authority. These torches with burning flames represent the perfect spirit of God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. proceeded--Greek, "proceed." thunderings and voices--The two oldest manuscripts transpose, "voices and thunderings." Compare at the giving of the law on Sinai, Ex 19:16. "The thunderings express God's threats against the ungodly: there are voices in the thunders (Re 10:3), that is, not only does He threaten generally, but also predicts special judgments" [Grotius]. seven lamps ... seven Spirits--The Holy Spirit in His sevenfold operation, as the…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 4:5

• Holy Spirit
• Lamp
• Lightning
• Seven
• Throne
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• God
• Lightning
• Living creatures
• Receive
• Cherubim (1)
• Ethics
• Isaiah
• Luke, the Evangelist
• Number
• Raphael

Commentaries on Revelation 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings