Revelation 4:5-11 Worship is a grateful and spontaneous response to the holy and perfect God

Revelation 4:5-11 Worship is a grateful and spontaneous response to the holy and perfect God

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.

Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”

And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

BACKGROUND

John was brought into heaven, to the throne of God where He saw the magnificent glory of God. The four creatures continually project His attributes of divine love, wisdom and power. The twenty four elders fall down spontaneously in worship whenever God’s attributes are manifested. What John saw is a perfect picture of worship; of creations’ response to a good and perfect God. Today’s devotion teaches us: worship is a grateful and spontaneous response to the holy and perfect God.

OBSERVATION

“Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.

The Spirit brought John “up here” so that he might see the unfolding of the last days from God’s vantage point. The glorious scene of the throne in heaven speaks of absolute sway God has over all dimensions of time and space. Indeed, nothing comes as a surprise to God and nothing escapes Him. Therefore, what John was about to see was predestined to occur.

Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.

The twenty-four elders are the sons of God, who are highly ascended because of their faith. These elders rule with God and God rules creation through them. The white garments symbolise purity and righteousness and the golden crowns symbolise the authority given to them.

And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God

The seven lamps are the seven spirits of God. By these seven Spirits, God dwells in His anointed servants and rule the universe through them. In Zechariah 4, the angel explained the vision of the seven lamps,

So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”… these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—these are the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth.” – Zechariah 4:5-7,10

The seven lamps, which are the seven Spirits of God will enable Zerubbabel to do the impossible; to level a great mountain into a plain. It was through the Spirit of God that Zerubbabel led the return of the exiles to Jerusalem to rebuild God’s temple. Indeed, it is not by earthly power but by God’s power that His servants accomplish the impossible.

And in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.

The four living creatures are angels that project the attributes of God: power, love, wisdom and dominion. The first creature likened to a lion projects omnipotence. The second likened to a calf projects love and servanthood. The third with a face of a man projects absolute wisdom: omniscience. The fourth creature likened to an eagle who is the all seeing eye: omnipresence. 

And day and night they (four living creatures) do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”

The role of the four living creatures is to actively and continually project God’s holiness; omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence and all-loving and forgiving nature. It is through this continual projection that God rules all things.

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

Whenever the four living creatures projects God’s holy attributes, the twenty-four elders respond by falling down in worship. The elders’ worship are motivated by God’s worthiness. God is worthy of worship firstly, because He is the supreme Creator (for You created all things). Secondly, He rules creation with righteousness and secures its future (because of Your will they existed, and were created).

TRUTH

WORSHIP IS A GRATEFUL AND SPONTANEOUS RESPONSE TO THE GOOD AND PERFECT GOD.

Imagine a flower of magnificent beauty is presented to you. The flower will elicit a spontaneous rush of wonder and amazement. Similarly, when the God of infinite glory, love, wisdom and power is revealed to you, your instantaneous response will be one of indescribable awe and adoration. That said, God is not a man that would require constant approval and admiration to sustain his ego. Nor does God require an external motivation to do what He did to save humanity. God is by His very nature perfect. And His perfection invariably and inevitably elicit a response of worship from creation.

However, those who bow down to God comprise two categories: those who love Him and those who idolise Him. 

• Those who love God worship out of conviction and reverent love for His attributes. 

For such, their worship translates into walking in Spirit and in truth. True worshipers are captivated by God’s attributes. They gravitate towards His love, wisdom, and power and they desire to be like Him in every way. Hence, the more they worship Him, the more they become like Him. The more they sing of His grace, the more they become gracious towards others. The more they sing of His wisdom, the more they become wise to solve complex problems. The more they sing of His power, the more they become courageous and powerful to accomplish great exploits. In other words, not only do they sing of God’s attributes, they have become in themselves divine love, wisdom and power.

• Those who idolise God remain distant and self-serving.

For such, they suppose their many praises will incentivise God to do their bidding. Not only do their worship yield no pleasure for God, they develop a sense of complacence of being near to God. But the truth is, their hearts are far away. Jesus spoke about some who say to God, “We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; and God will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from…” (Luke 13:26-27). Such are those who I idolise God, but do not truly want to follow Jesus to the end.

That said, no one can confidently say that he loves God perfectly. At some point along our growth, many will begin to idolise God. We draw a red line in the sand saying, “I can’t do this! I am not Jesus. I am just a human being!” But Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do.” (John 14:12). That is why we need to press in daily, into His magnificent presence through worship. It is here, God reveals the secrets of our hearts. If we yield to God, we begin to worship Him at a higher level. If we do not, we have become a bit of an idolator.

APPLICATION

Worship God by meditating on the life of Christ daily. In so doing, we become more and more like Him in love, wisdom and power. Here are some excerpts on Jesus’s life:

• Christ’s empathy towards others. 

Jesus was passing through Samaria where the locals were at odds with the Jews. Jesus was sitting by a well when a woman came to draw water. Even though it was inappropriate for a Jewish man to interact with a Samaritan woman, Jesus asked her for a drink. Jesus’s warm and friendly demeanour opened the door to heal her brokenness. Like the Samaritan woman, there are many in our midst who are suffering in silence without hope and direction. Let your fragrance of empathy and love fill the neighbourhood and workplace. Let them come to draw from your Christ-Self, the waters of eternal life and salvation. (See John 4).

• Christ’s self-control amidst oppositions and accusations.

Jesus was wise being self-controlled when He was arrested at the Garden. When Peter cut off the servant’s ear in an attempt to prevent Jesus’s arrest, He restored the ear of the servant. Jesus did not react to the lies, ridicules and abuses of the Jews and the soldiers. Before the Jews, Jesus declared His eventual victory and ascension to the Father’s righthand. At the cross, He did not respond to challenges to save Himself which would result in their destruction. Instead, He asked the Father to forgive them. Considering our own predicament as being pale in comparison to Jesus’s, we will not speak impulsively, but only to present the truth in love.

Dear Lord, as I humble myself and still my heart in total submission to you, show me your glory and attributes. Impress upon me the beauty of Jesus Christ. Stir in me a greater desire to emulate Him, to be patient as He is patient, to be self controlled, to empathise, and to be child-like. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.