Revelation 4 · Verse 2

Revelation 4:2

And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
Revelation 4:2, King James Version

Revelation 4:2 in other translations

BSBAt once I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne standing in heaven, with someone seated on it.
WEBImmediately I was in the Spirit. Behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting on the throne
ASVStraightway I was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne;
YLTand immediately I was in the Spirit, and lo, a throne was set in the heaven, and upon the throne is one sitting,
DARBYImmediately I became in the Spirit; and behold, a throne stood in the heaven, and upon the throne one sitting,
BBEStraight away I was in the Spirit: and I saw a high seat in heaven, and one was seated on it;
WebsterAnd immediately I was in the spirit: and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

What does Revelation 4:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. And--omitted in the two oldest manuscripts, Vulgate, Syriac. I was, &c.--Greek, "I became in the Spirit" (see on Re 1:10): I was completely rapt in vision into the heavenly world. was set--not was placed, but was situated, literally, "lay." one sat on the throne--the Eternal Father: the Creator (Re 4:11): also compare Re 4:8 with Re 1:4, where also the Father is designated, "which is, and was, and is to come." When the Son, "the Lamb," is introduced, Re 5:5-9, a new song is sung which distinguishes the Sitter on the throne from the Lamb, "Thou hast redeemed us to God," and Re 5:13, "Unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." So also in Re 5:7, as in Da 7:13, the Son of man brought before the Ancient of days is distinguished from Him. The Father in essence is invisible, but in Scripture at times is represented as assuming a visible form.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 2. And immediately I was in the Spirit. 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. He was doubtless still in Patmos, and these things were made to pass before his mind as a reality; that is, they appeared as real to him as if he saw them, and they were in fact a real symbolical representation of things occurring in heaven.

And, behold, a throne was set in heaven. That is, a throne was placed there. The first thing that arrested his attention was a throne. This was "in heaven"--an expression which proves that the scene of the vision was not the temple in Jerusalem, as some have supposed. There is no allusion to the temple, and no imagery drawn from the temple. Isaiah had his vision (Isaiah 6) in the holy of holies of the temple; Ezekiel, (Eze 1:1)by the river Chebar; but John looked directly into heaven, and saw the throne of God, and the encircling worshippers there.

And one sat on the throne. It is remarkable that John gives no description of him who sat on the throne, nor does he indicate who he was by name. Neither do Isaiah or Ezekiel attempt to describe the appearance of the Deity, nor are there any intimations of that appearance given from which a picture or an image could be formed. So much do their representations accord with what is demanded by correct taste; and so sedulously have they guarded against any encouragement of idolatry.

(a) "in the spirit" Rev 17:3, 21:10, Eze 3:12-14 (b) "throne" Isa 6:1, Jer 17:12, Eze 1:26,28 (c) "sat" Dan 7:9, Heb 8:1

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 I was in the Spirit - Rapt up in an ecstasy.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 4:1-8

Chapter Outline A vision of God, as on his glorious throne, around which were twenty-four elders and four living creatures. (1-8) Whose songs, and those of the holy angels, the apostle heard. (9-11) Verses 1-8 After the Lord Jesus had instructed the apostle to write to the churches "the things that are," there was another vision. The apostle saw a throne set in heaven, an emblem of the universal dominion of Jehovah…

Read the full comment on Revelation 4:1-8 →

Revelation 4:2 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

εὐθέωςeutheōsimmediatelyG2112
ἐγενόμηνegenomēnI wasG1096
ἐνeninG1722
πνεύματιpneumati[the] SpiritG4151
καὶkaiandG2532
ἰδοὺidoubeholdG2400
θρόνοςthronosa throneG2362
ἔκειτοekeitowas setG2749
ἐνeninG1722
τῷtō<the>G3588
οὐρανῷ,ouranōheaven,G3772
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐπὶepiuponG1909
τὸνtontheG3588
θρόνονthrononthroneG2362
καθήμενος.kathēmenos[One] sitting.G2521

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Revelation 4:2

  • Revelation 1:10

    I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

  • 1 Kings 22:19

    And he said, Hear thou therefore 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 hand and on his left.

  • Isaiah 6:1

    In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

  • Ezekiel 3:12-14

    Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place. I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing. So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me.

  • Ezekiel 1:26

    And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

  • Revelation 5:1

    And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

  • Revelation 4:5

    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.

  • Revelation 5:13

    And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

  • Daniel 7:9

    I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

  • Revelation 4:9

    And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

  • Hebrews 8:1

    Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

  • Revelation 21:10

    And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I was.
1:10; 17:3; 21:10; Eze 3:12-14
a throne.
5; 20:11; Isa 6:1; Jer 17:12; Eze 1:26,28; 10:1
and one.
9; 3:21; 5:1,6,7,13; 6:16; 7:9-17; 12:5; 19:4; 21:5; 22:1-3; Isa 6:1
Da 7:9; Heb 8:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Revelation 4:1

    After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

  • Revelation 4:2

    And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

  • Revelation 4:3

    And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

Read all of Revelation 4

Revelation 4:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y luego yo fuí en Espíritu: y he aquí, un trono que estaba puesto en el cielo, y sobre el trono estaba uno sentado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Sur-le-champ je fus en Esprit: et voici, un trône était placé dans le ciel, et sur le trône, quelqu’un était assis;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Alsbald war ich im Geiste; und siehe, ein Thron stand in dem Himmel, und auf dem Throne saß einer.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et statim fui in spiritu: et ecce sedes posita erat in cælo, et supra sedem sedens.