Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULB does this with verses 8 and 11.
These words refer to kinds of special stones that the people in John's day considered valuable. It may be difficult for you to translate these words if people in your culture do not value special kinds of stones.
##### Twenty-four elders #####
Elders are church leaders. Twenty-four elders may be symbolic of the whole church through the ages. There were twelve tribes in Old Testament Israel and twelve apostles in the New Testament church. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-apocalypticwriting]])
God's glory is the great beauty and radiant majesty that God has because he is God. Other Bible writers describe it as if it were a light so bright that no one can look at it. No one can give God this kind of glory, because it is already his. For people "to give glory" to God and for God "to receive glory" means that people are praising and worshiping God because of the glory he already has. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/glory]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/worthy]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/worship]])
Such things as bolts of lightning coming from the throne, lamps that are spirits, and a sea in front of the throne may be difficult to imagine, and so the words for them may be difficult to translate. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-apocalypticwriting]])
See in Reader
