Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one 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,
- BSB And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One seated on the throne who lives forever 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,
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 5:13–14I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!”
- Rev 7:11–12All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before his throne, and worshiped God,
- Rev 10:6and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there will no longer be delay,
- Rev 15:7One of the four living creatures gave to 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 sits on his holy throne.
- Rev 1:18and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.
- Dan 4:34At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation.
- Ps 48:14For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death.
- Dan 12:7I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have finished breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
- Exod 15:18Yahweh shall reign forever and ever.”
- Heb 7:8Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives.
- Heb 7:25Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession 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.