The Revelation of Jesus Christ:
The Faithful Witness
Lesson 5 And Behold, in Heaven an Open Door!
the book of Revelation 4:1–11
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for the book of Revelation
cross references in the book of Revelation
chapter-by-chapter review page
next lesson: Who Is Worthy to Open the Scroll?
This material coordinates with Lesson 5 on pages 30–35 in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness.
“Great and wonderful are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways,
O King of the ages! Who shall not fear and glorify your name, O Lord? For you alone are holy.
All nations shall come and worship you, for your judgments have been revealed.”
—the book of Revelation 15:3–4
welcome to our in-depth study of the book of Revelation
We invite groups and individuals to check out the sample first lesson and video from this 23-lesson Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. Our online pages
link 
to the free lesson videos, a glossary, cross references in the biblical text, and a chapter-by-chapter review page—and they also include illustrations, maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness has been granted an imprimatur. The study may be purchased from our website shop. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.
open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:
Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.
let’s review—the book of Revelation 3:1–22
In Lesson 4 He Who Has an Ear, Let Him Hear, the key points to remember are included in the letters dictated by the Spirit to John to be sent to four of seven early Christian communities in Asia. The three named in the third chapter in the book of Revelation are Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. In all seven of these letters, Jesus tells the Christians how they’re doing—both the good and the not-so-good. The messages are different, but each letter promises a reward for those who conquer. Each letter also expresses a sense of urgency and exhorts its readers to hear what the Spirit is saying.
the popes inspire us—what’s behind door No. 1?
In the fourth chapter in the book of Revelation, John is invited into heaven through an open door,
clearly indicating a breach in the barrier between heaven and earth. Images of a door as well as a key or keys have appeared in the first three chapters in the book of Revelation, strongly pointing to the idea that until this time the realms of heaven, earth, and the abode of the dead have been
separated. Pope Francis has used the image of a closed door in another interesting way to discuss the danger posed by what he called “disciples of ideology.” A Christian who has become such a disciple of ideology, the Pope says, has lost faith and no longer is a disciple of Jesus: “And for this reason Jesus says to such a person: ‘You have taken away the key of knowledge.’ The knowledge 
of Jesus is transformed into an ideological and also moralistic knowledge, which closes the door to the Church with so many requirements.” Pope Francis went on to answer what happens in the heart of a Christian who becomes a rigid disciple of ideology: “It is simply one thing: That Christian does not pray. If there is no prayer, you always will close the door.” The implication is that prayer opens for us the door to heaven. Click on the image (above right) to enlarge the illustration by Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino. It also appears on page 31 of The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness. The map locating the churches that receive dictated letters from Jesus appears on page 33 and elsewhere in the study book; it can be enlarged by clicking on it.
Christians have duel citizenship on earth & in heaven (54:55)
When the author of the fourth chapter in the book of Revelation describes his 
experience of being invited into heaven, he’s writing about something shared with all baptized Christians. In the video for this lesson, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps explains that the biblical text points to the idea that John probably didn’t physically visit heaven, but instead was “in the Spirit” and that the book of Revelation is describing what John “saw” spiritually in the light of Christ. John’s vision is a re-envisioning of the works of the apocalyptic Old Testament prophets, especially 
Ezekiel, Zechariah, Isaiah, and Daniel. Images from their writings will continue to show up repeatedly in the book of Revelation. What’s seen in the light of Christ is otherwise invisible. That makes these images difficult to describe, and the author instead writes that something is “like” something described by the Old Testament prophets. The images in John’s vision aren’t new; they’re a re-viewing of the same images that can be seen in the Old Testament.
The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the Scripture ranges for the sets of questions in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness. You can follow along with the video overview as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 5, “And Behold, in Heaven an Open Door!” on pages 30–35 in the study book.
WHAT DO YOU THINK about what’s actually going on in heaven?
Among the more significant images John first encounters when he enters heaven are the throne, the 24 elders on thrones, the four living creatures, the seven torches of fire, and the sea of glass. Be on the lookout when these images reappear.
? What seems to be the primary activity in heaven?
? Is this what Christians have been led to expect?
? Consider what might be expected to appear in heaven that’s missing in John’s description in the fourth chapter in the book of Revelation.
? What might present-day Christians be most interested in seeing or doing on a day trip to heaven?
this is almost like the game of ‘Where’s Waldo?’
It’s easy enough to locate God the Father and the Holy Spirit, but where might Jesus be found in this scenario? One strong possibility is in the loud voice like a trumpet that John first heard speaking to him in the first chapter in the book of Revelation. There it became apparent that the voice belonged to one like a Son of man, and that the term “Son of man” referred to Jesus. So if the same voice is present in heaven now, that indicates Jesus also is present.
read the Catechism—the Church provides a valuable clue
Paragraph 689 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the consubstantial nature of the persons of the Trinity means that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are inseparable; if one is present, all three are present.
689 The One whom the Father has sent into our hearts, the Spirit of his Son, is truly God. Consubstantial with the Father and the Son, the Spirit is inseparable from them, in both the inner life of the Trinity and his gift of love for the world. In adoring the Holy Trinity, life-giving, consubstantial, and indivisible, the Church’s faith also professes the distinction of persons. When the Father sends his Word, he always sends his Breath. In their joint mission, the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinct but inseparable. To be sure, it is Christ who is seen, the visible image of the invisible God, but it is the Spirit who reveals him.
what’s up with the sea of glass?
Questions 7 and 8 in this lesson take an in-depth look at the unusual image of the sea of glass. Of 
particular interest is why the vision of heaven depicted in the book of Revelation includes this image, which isn’t reported in any of the Old Testament prophets’ apocalyptic visions of heaven. “The Sea of Glass” on page 35 of The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness provides more background about this symbol of hope, which will continue to be important as we move forward in our study. In the video for this lesson, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps focuses more attention on this image, which showed up at the entrance to Solomon’s Temple—but in no instance is it because God likes huge containers of water.
baptism—you could look it up in our archives
The book of Revelation describes a sea of glass as a rather transparent image—pardon the pun—of the sacrament of Baptism. To learn how the Church links Jesus’ baptism with his death, read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.
how long is a cubit?
A cubit is a common measurement in Scripture, and it shows up in the Old Testament descriptions of the “seas” that foreshadow the sea of glass in the book of Revelation. A cubit was equal to the distance from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow, somewhere between 17 and 22 inches. Considering one cubit equal to 18 inches (a foot and a half) allows for relatively easy math conversions based on the Imperial/U.S.A. measures presently used in most English-speaking countries.
the popes inspire us—something to sing about
In the book of Revelation 4:11, we find the 24 elders in heaven singing a hymn that celebrates God’s Creation of all things, especially celebrating our ability to interact with Creation in a visual sense. In “Visible & Invisible” on page 32 of The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness, you can read details about why Pope St. John Paul II considered these to be two fundamental spiritual elements worthy of Christian liturgical praise.
WHAT DO YOU THINK about the source of our Sanctus?
The words “holy, holy, holy” from the book of Revelation 4:8 are familiar to Catholics as part of the Sanctus that’s prayed during the Liturgy of the Eucharist at the Mass. Sanctus is the Latin word for “holy.” The more accurate name of this prayer is the Tersanctus, or “three holies,” reflecting that the word holy is repeated three times at the beginning of the prayer.
? The prayer from the Mass is taken from the book of Revelation 4:8 and two other passages in Scripture. From the Old Testament Book of Isaiah 6:3 we get: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory,” and from the New Testament Gospel According to Mark 11:9–10 comes: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! … Hosanna in the highest!” What reason might the Church have had for including in this important prayer the idea of God ‘s power and might (taken from the title “Lord God Almighty”) from the book of Revelation 4:8? You can learn more about the prophet known as Proto- (First) Isaiah’s prayer in Lesson 20 Isaiah Foresees Emmanuel’s Birth in the Turning 
to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.
? Consider why passages from both the Old and New Testaments are included in the Sanctus.
? How do these passages complement (complete) each other?
? What’s the significance of the threefold repetition of the word “holy” at the beginning of the Sanctus? If necessary, refer to “Numbers in Revelation” on pages 156–157 in the study book. Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps addresses one reason in the video for this lesson.
? What might explain why the Church considers the words “Hosanna in the highest” important enough to be repeated twice in the Sanctus?
? Which of the three biblical passages that form the basis of the Sanctus might be most meaningful to preset-day Christians?
be prepared for lots more multiple images
The author of the book of Revelation piles one image on top of another, all representing the same concept. This lesson calls attention to a number of images used to represent the Holy Spirit. Going forward, multiple images will be used to represent Jesus, the Church, Satan, and the anti-Church. This admittedly can be more than a little confusing. The best way to approach these multiple images is by trying to figure out why the author has chosen to use them to represent theological concepts.
? What do the various images have in common, and how do they differ?
? What do these images suggest about the ideas that they’re being used to represent?
Q&A—behold! a reader asks about punctuation!
A sharp-eyed participant has noticed something interesting and asked a question about the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation that we’re using in this study of the book of Revelation.
Q: Where are the exclamation points coming from in the book of Revelation 4:1? I thought that Greek language didn’t include punctuation.
A: Congratulations! You’re exactly right about the ancient Greeks not using punctuation! Originally, Greek language also didn’t capitalize any letters! This means that the exclamation points in the fourth chapter in the book of Revelation (and elsewhere in Scripture) were inserted by the translators to make—pardon the pun—a point! For that matter, periods and commas in Scripture also are inserted by the translators!
what Matthew says: Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps’ degree is from Grinnell College where he majored in classical languages with an emphasis on Greek. According to Matthew, the only clearly justifiable place to put an exclamation point in the book of Revelation 4:1 is after the word “behold!” (The earlier RSVCE translation uses the word “lo” instead of “behold.”) He explains: “That’s still a weird choice. It seems the translators have decided to attribute urgency to the word behold, although it’s used here as a simple imperative. I’ve seen this done in introductory or basic Greek language textbooks, but I question adding the exclamation point in this context since that’s not how we treat imperatives in English.”
English-language purists (full disclosure: We at Turning to God’s Word belong in that camp), note that the use of exclamation points has become ubiquitous in our modern culture. This probably is the result of how liberally this punctuation has come to be used by advertising copywriters to add a sense of urgency and excitement. The exclamation point (referred to by writers of newspaper headlines as a “ball bat”) now has become almost meaningless through overuse. Indeed, one scarcely can open an email without encountering a whole string of these “ball bats”, apparently added for emphasis by people who subscribe to the theory that more is better. Well-trained professional writers and editors disagree, but most days it seems they’re fighting a losing battle. (When determining the title for this lesson, we chose to use the same wording and punctuation as the biblical text that we reprint from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition [RSV2CE].)
? Does the translators’ decision seem reasonable?
? What about this passage might have caused the translators to decide exclamation points were warranted?
? Consider whether the same sense of urgency would be apparent if the exclamation points weren’t present.
? Is it likely that the original audience for whom the book of Revelation was written would have picked up on a sense of urgency in this passage without use of the startling punctuation?
? Why or why not?
read the Catechism—who are those 24 elders?
Here’s some bonus material regarding how the book of Revelation 4:4 is interpreted. Paragraph 1138 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church suggests that the 24 elders represent servants of the Old and New Covenants but offers no hint about who these elders might be.
1138 “Recapitulated in Christ,” these are the ones who take part in the service of the praise of God and the fulfillment of his plan: the heavenly powers, all creation (the four living beings), the servants of the Old and New Covenants (the twenty-four elders), the new People of God (the one hundred and forty-four thousand), especially the martyrs “slain for the word of God,” and the all-holy Mother of God (the Woman), the Bride of the Lamb, and finally “a great multitude which no one could number, from every nations, from all tribes, and peoples and tongues.”
Most scholars are in agreement that these elders are the 12 apostles and 12 representatives of the tribes of Israel. In the video for this lesson, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps suggests that these 24 elders, who are depicted as kings worshiping God, represent how power and authority operate within the Church.
What’s a bit murky is the listing of the 12 tribes, since these appear a variety of different ways in 
Scripture—in the book of Genesis 35:23–26 and 47:11–12, the book of Exodus 1:1–4, the book of Numbers 1:32–33, the Book of Joshua 13:14, and the First Book of the Chronicles 2:1–2. You can learn about the birth order of the 12 sons of Jacob in Lesson 17 Jacob & Rachel and Lesson 21 The Birth of Benjamin & the Death of Rachel, both in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis.
? What might explain the reasons for the differences in these listings?
? Which listing might be most likely to provide elders to sit on 12 of the 24 thrones in heaven? It isn’t necessary to expend a lot of time thinking about this now, but later this study definitely will look at the different listings of the 12 tribes in more depth.
pray the Psalms—an Old Testament suggestion about those thrones
Psalm 122 offers a clue to things that are starting to occur in John’s New Testament apocalyptic vision of heaven: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’ Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem, built as a city which is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.” The fourth chapter in the book of Revelation 
refers to thrones in heaven, but other themes found in Psalm 122 will pop up as we move forward in our study. Prayed at Monday Vespers (Week II), Psalm 122 is included as part of Lesson 19 For the Peace of Jerusalem Pray in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers.
the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic Bible study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however.
the book of Revelation 4:1—5:14—paragraph 1138
the book of Revelation 4:2—paragraph 1137
the book of Revelation 4:6–11—paragraph 662
the book of Revelation 4:8–11—paragraph 2642
the book of Revelation 4:11—paragraphs 295, 2855
ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out
persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun in the primary biblical text for The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness.
to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the 
cross references pertaining to it—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness.
review previous lessons
As we progress through the book of Revelation, the images become more complex, increasing the potential for confusion. To help participants 
in our study keep track of what’s happening in the Scripture, we’ve prepared a chapter-by-chapter review of key events and images in the book of Revelation. A link can be found at the top of every online study page that accompanies The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness.
don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.
ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
You can find links to magisterial documents referred to in Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studies 
at ex libris—magisterial documents. This page includes a listing of significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.
wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
the book of Revelation 4:1–11 (NIV)
close with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following short prayer based on this lesson’s text from the book of Revelation.
O Lord God Almighty, you sit on the throne of heaven
receiving glory and honor.
Help us to live in such a way that one day
the door to heaven itself will be opened to us.
We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ,
who established the sacrament of Baptism
as the door through which we enter the Church on earth. Amen.
Lesson 6 Who Is Worthy to Open the Scroll? the book of Revelation 5:1–14
Lesson 4 He Who Has an Ear, Let Him Hear, the book of Revelation 3:1–22
you also may like our study of the book of Genesis
The first seven lessons of In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, provide an in-depth look at the very earliest biblical history—including the two accounts of Creation, events surrounding the Fall of Adam and Eve, the relationship between Cain and Abel, and the baptismal foreshadowing present in the account of Noah and the Flood. Remaining lessons look at lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.
start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness. 
Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions and offer support. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer
*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?
Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online pages of The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.
The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.
Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.
You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.