And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One seated on the throne who lives forever and ever,
Parallel translations
- WEB When the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever,
- KJV And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
- NKJV Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
- NASB And when the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever,
- NLT Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever),
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Whenever the living creatures give glory and thanks to the eternal God, a wider act of worship is set in motion. Their praise prompts the elders to respond.
Overview
This verse links the creatures' worship to the elders' answering homage in the verses that follow, picturing heaven's worship as responsive and unified. God is again named as the One 'who lives forever and ever,' stressing His self-existent, unending life. All glory, honor, and thanks flow rightly toward the One who is the source of all life and being.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Rev 5:13–14And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever!”
- Rev 7:11–12And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. And they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God,
- Rev 10:6And he swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it: “There will be no more delay!
- Rev 15:7Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.
- Ps 47:8God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.
- Rev 1:18the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.
- Dan 4:34But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
- Ps 48:14For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even till death.
- Dan 12:7And the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, and times, and half a time. When the power of the holy people has finally been shattered, all these things will be completed.”
- Exod 15:18The LORD will reign forever and ever!”
- Heb 7:8In the case of the Levites, mortal men collect the tenth; but in the case of Melchizedek, it is affirmed that he lives on.
- Heb 7:25Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.
How Revelation 4:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.