Revelation 5:11-14 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” 14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
 
IT is praise time in heaven! First, the elders sang, “You are worthy.” (verse 9). Now 100 million angels join the 24 elders to echo the praise, “Worthy is the lamb.” Wow! What a sound to behold. I wonder how many times they repeated this praise chorus? I’ve heard many criticisms of “contemporary” (whatever that means) Christian praise songs that repeat simple choruses. I hope these music-critic saints adjust to heaven’s choruses. Otherwise, they be in a silent minority.
    Then the worship congregation grows even larger! Joining the 100 million angels is every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them. God’s entire church is united in song. And what did they sing? They describe the traits the Father gave to the Son: Power and wealth are kingly traits. Wisdom is from God. Honor is the respect due the one who is worthy. Praise is our continual offering to the Son.
    No wonder the Christian music  group Hillsong sings, “Shout to the Lord all the Earth, let us sing Power and majesty, praise to the King. Mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of Your name.” Such shouting and praise to the Lord is in the Bible! Why wouldn’t we shout our praises and joy to the Lord? He is King of Kings. He is Savior of our souls. Jesus is Redeemer, Conquering King. Maybe we don’t sing the choruses enough.
    The Revelation of Jesus Christ tells us that heaven is a glorious place of worship. Heaven is filled with and reflects God’s holy beauty. The Father directs the praise to the Son. He keeps it simple: Jesus is worthy. Jesus is the lamb. Jesus is King. Shout it to the world.
 
Prayer: Open my mouth, Father, to shout my praise to the Holy Trinity, who has saved me to worship you in heaven. Amen.

Revelation 5:7-10 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
 
NOW is the time for a new song. The worshiping elders each played a harp and held forth in the bowls the prayers of God’s people for God’s justice to come to earth. A new song, a song of praise, deliverance, salvation and glory is about to ring through the heavens and over the earth. Jesus, at the right hand of God, takes the scroll from God’s right hand of power to declare what is to come.
    Here is the answer to the prayer of Psalms 33:2-3 “Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.” Amid the trials and warfare to come will be an overflowing joy of all who sing the song, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” What great praise and thanksgiving we can sing because Jesus reigns! The Father has planned. Jesus has fulfilled the plan. The Spirit empowers the plan into all the nations of the earth. Together rises the chorus of praise to God to joyfully celebrate our salvation.
    Keep in mind this is worship. Each day in our hearts we can sing this song because Jesus has made us his priests. That means we are his representatives on earth. Priests pray for others. Priests teach of Jesus. Priests strive for holy living. Priests forgive sins and obey God’s commands. Yes, we are a kingdom of priests set apart to sing our Lord’s praises. 
 
Prayer: Joyful, joyful, Jesus, we adore you. You are the Son of God, who comes in glory. Amen.    

Revelation 5:6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
 
JESUS is the Lion of Judah. He is the Lamb who was slain. Lions and lambs are very different, aren’t they? One is all powerful. One is at the mercy of predators. Lions win. Lambs lose.
    But not Jesus. He is the Lamb who triumphs. Because he is the “lamb that had been slain” he is the “resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Dead lambs do not stand in triumph alongside the Holy Father. He is risen. The slain Lamb is alive. He is holy and worthy to open the Father’s scroll, promising the victorious kingdom to come.
    Think of it. The Lamb first needed to die to be alive in God’s holy presence. The Lamb’s new life is the reason for the Lion’s power. There would be no Lion of Judah if there were no Lamb who was slain, risen and triumphant on God’s throne. The risen Lamb becomes the Lion to lead the war against evil. God’s salvation begins with God’s sacrifice.
    You may find it odd, even uncomfortable, to consider Jesus with seven horns and seven eyes. I don’t know of any artist’s rendition of this. Yet, this image perfectly represents the triumphant Christ. Horns symbolize strength and conquest throughout the Bible. For example, God commands four horns on the first altar in Exodus 27. They were to be covered with blood as priests were consecrated – set apart – to do God’s work. Christ is the High Priest. He has been covered in his own blood. God has set him apart to be Priest and King. See this image, too, in 1 Samuel 2:10 “those who oppose the Lord will be shattered. He will thunder against them from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
    The seven eyes again represent the Holy Spirit. This is our sovereign Savior, who lovingly and humbly died that you may have life. Through his death, we who believe will have life.
    Remember that Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 24:30 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” Celebrate this truth! Know you worship the Lion of Judah because he was first the Lamb who has been slain.
 
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, that you took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet, we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, but he did not open your mouth. And though you made the Son’s  life a guilt offering, the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand (from Isaiah 53). Amen.
 

 

Revelation 5:1-5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. 5 But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
 
WHO is worthy? Our Savior Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah – majestic and powerful – Jesus is worthy to open the scroll sealed in God’s perfection. There is no other in heaven, on the earth or below the earth. Only Jesus has perfectly obeyed the Father. The Lion has honored you with his majestic power and sacrificial love. Put away your tears and be of faith. The crucified and risen One is worthy to reveal the future held in the Father’s hand.
    The apostle John would certainly need this great encouragement. He is at the end of his life, exiled and alone because of his faith. But then the Father’s revelation confirms to John, “the one Jesus loved” (John 20:2c) how deep, long, high and wide his love is for John and for his church. The Lord sustains, too, the precious truth that all in Jesus are given the right to become children of God (John 1:12c). The perfect Lion of Judah is worthy to receive the true scroll from the Father’s hand.  
    As the Father sent Jesus to earth to declare salvation, the Father has now sent Jesus to alert the church to coming conflict and Jesus’ coming glory. Jesus will reveal a terrible time of turmoil and joyous time of heaven’s glory to come. We must always understand our worldly trials are steps toward heaven’s joy.
    As the scripture describes Jesus opening the seven seals, we will witness evil raging against God’s holiness and your salvation. Keep your heart and mind firm against the bad news. Be centered, instead, on the Good News of salvation. Remember victory belongs to the Lord and to those who believe he is the Lamb of God: 1 John 5:4-5 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 
    What are your struggles today? What sin may be raging against you, striving to control your life? Look to the Holy God. His perfect Word, the Living Christ, will strengthen you to confidently, triumphantly walk in the joy of your salvation.   
 
Prayer: Dear Jesus, you are my conquering Savior. Thank you for the gift of faith that gives me the victory of eternal life. Amen.

Revelation 4:7-11 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” 9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
 
AS we are prone to see heaven from our earthly point of view, we are also apt to describe God in “worldly” terms. For example, we might call him the “guy in the sky” or “one up there”. We may  call him “Father”, which is correct. But even this can be a challenge for many who are not blessed with good fathers. Even if we call him “friend”, we might think of our earthly friends who can sometimes be untrustworthy and even hurtful.
    Here again is another crucial “must” for reading the Bible. The entire Bible is God defining his character to you. As you understand his story of creation, law, judgment, grace, forgiveness, atonement and salvation, you come to understand who God is. You see his power and his holiness. You understand “love”, “friend” and “Father” from heaven’s view as God reveals himself to you. One place to clearly see God in one picture is right here in this scripture.
    The four living creatures defined as the seraphim are described as possessing the highest expression of God’s character. The lion-faced seraphim represents God’s majesty and power. The ox is faithfulness; the man is intelligence; and fourth, the eagle is sovereignty.
    Our Lord is further defined as the seraphim sing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” The  three-part expression of “Holy, holy, holy,” is the Hebrews language of completeness. None other can compare. There is no stain or imperfection in God. “Lord God Almighty” tells us he is the ultimate divine warrior. He will conquer all that opposes him. He is the authority of all things, ruling Father and King. He has reigned from the past to the present and will reign into the eternal future.
    This passage concludes with the twenty-four elders mentioned in verse 4 responding to the seraphims’ holy liturgy. They fall down prostrate before the Lord God Almighty, the Bible’s common display of those who submit to and adore God’s holy character.
    This is worship. When you attend worship services, do you give God all glory, honor and thanks? Such is heaven’s way. Adoring worship is the only response to the Holy God, who has created you to be with him forever.
 
Prayer: I adore you, Lord God, Father, Savior, Spirit. You are my all in all. Amen.
 

Revelation 4:6 Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.
 
WE tend to define heaven with an earthly view, don’t we? It is natural for us to speak from our experiences. This is one very important reason to read the Bible. Through the Holy Spirit’s inspired words, we begin to experience God’s glory. His beauty, power and holiness is revealed to us, so we may increasingly have a heart of deeper love and greater worship for out Lord. God wants his church – his people –  to know heaven is much, much more than what we can know or imagine with our limited knowledge. Read and imagine as you are able heaven’s worship.
    The “sea of glass” is a large expanse of perfectly clear, crystal-like glass. Glass in the first century was very rare, and none was clear. God’s throne room is a stunning display of perfection. His crystal-clear glory draws us to true worship.
    The four living creatures are the angels called seraphim. These closely resemble the creatures first described in Ezekiel 1:5-25 (Read for a remarkable, extended description.) and Isaiah 6:2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. The seraphim display and proclaim God’s gory. You will read of them throughout Revelation. They teach us several aspects of heaven’s worship.
    First, there is corporate worship in heaven The seraphim are worship leaders. Worship is not merely music; instead, it is the joyful, loving submission to God’s holy majesty. Here in heaven’s throne room is the perfect fulfillment of the first command: Exodus 20:3-4 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”
    Second, in heaven, God’s people are one with God. There are no divisions of denominations, preferences, traditions or theologies. True believers are gathered to gloriously proclaim God’s holiness and majesty. This unity fulfills Jesus’ prayer in John 17:22 “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.”
    Third, no one and no thing is away from heaven’s view. The seraphim’s eyes covering their bodies see all. We can only be in God’s presence as we ae made holy through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. Fourth, heaven is God’s seat of power. The seraphim’s powerful wings are instruments of God’s judgment and salvation, moving at the Father’s command.
    Beautiful, pure and glorious, heaven’s throne room awaits God’s people. Live in joy and confidence. Through Jesus Christ, the Father has called us out sin into his glory.  
 
Prayer: How great is your love, Father, that we may be called into your holy perfection through Jesus Christ. We were once sinners incapable of seeing heaven’s beauty. Now, by your grace, we anticipate eternal worship with all believers. Amen.

 

Heaven’s Worship
 
Revelation 4:4-5 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
 
ONE month ago we began Revelation 4. Recall that chapters 4-8 are one vision revealing heaven’s majesty and God’s holiness. Prior to this, the Father’s words through the Son to the apostle John have spoken of the church on earth. Now John has been called to spiritually, “Come up here.” (verse 1b) to see the future through God’s power.
    When you are in the midst of a severe thunder storm and  bolts of lightning flash from the clouds to earth, do you consider God’s holiness and power? This is a consistent image throughout Scripture. One is God’s appearance to the Hebrews in Exodus 19:16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. And see in Psalms 77:18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. Seven times, too, God declares his power and purity to Job with such words as Job 36:32-33 He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. 33 His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach.
    The Bible also tells us that when the Hebrews, the palmist and Job came face-to-face with God’s holiness, they could only respond in humble, contrite worship. Worship is heaven’s response to God. Worship is the purpose of the twenty-four elders. Crowned and dressed in perfection, these elders are heavenly creatures created to worship God. We may consider their number illustrates the full gospel message to the nations.  First was Israel’s 12 tribes and then the 12 apostles.
    The number seven points to the Holy Spirit. The seven lamps that are the seven spirits is another name for the Holy Spirit. This, too, is a common reference throughout Scripture. The 66 books of the Bible written over some 20 centuries  form one book defining God and his purposes. When God declares his majesty to such prophets as Isaiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah, he uses the images of lightning, light, lampstands, fire and heavenly beings worshiping him. He does so here to John. And now we also know God’s holy power.
    How do you respond to God’s holiness? When you see and hear of storms do you consider our Lord is the Creator of those storms? Do you understand his authority to build up and break down? Are you aware your life is in his hands? Have you considered his gracious blessing to reveal himself to you? Do you remember, too, he calms the storms?
    Mark 4:41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”  
    Indeed, he is our Holy God. Rejoice he calls you to his holy presence through Jesus Christ. Worship him.
 
Prayer: Holy, holy, holy, you are Lord God, creator of heave and earth, Savior of my soul. I praise and worship you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.