of true adoration. The book of Revelation gives us some wonderful illustrations of how worship is conducted in heaven.
There are four remarkable living being who are in the immediate presence of God (see Rev 4:6-7). Their primary function, is to give honour, glory and thanks to God. "Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come” (Rev 4:8).
Around the throne of God are twenty-four thrones. On these thrones sit the elders. Every time the living beings praise God the they worship with words that reflect the worthiness of the Lord to receive glory, honor and power. The Lord merits such a response because everything that exists was created by him for his own pleasure (Rev 4:11).
As we progress further in Revelation we witness the living beings and elders again worshipping God. This time they are singing a new song related to Jesus’ worthiness to open the sealed scroll. He has the power to perform this action because in death, he shed his blood, thereby ransoming people from every tribe and language group. The redeemed have become priests of God who will eventually reign on the earth (Rev 5:9-10).
Praise and worship of God in heaven is not restricted to the living beings and the elders. The rest of the angels are involved as well. We find them proclaiming the worthiness of the slaughtered Lamb to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessing (Rev 5:12). Notice the reoccurring theme of the Lord’s worthiness.
The Apostle John then goes on to describe a great number of people, who have come out of the great tribulation, standing before the throne of God. Their song introduces a new theme that focusses upon the salvation that comes from God and the Lamb (Rev 7:10). The angels respond to this anthem with “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen” (Rev 7:12).
The next time we witness the worship and praise of the elders it is of a different nature. They start their praise by acknowledging that God has assumed his power and has started to reign. With his kingship the time to judge the dead has arrived. Those who have been God’s holy people down through the ages will be rewarded richly. Their adoration of God then is expressed in relation to his judgment of the wicked who will be condemned to an unending and enduring destruction (Rev 11:17-18).
For a final time John witness praise in heaven. At this point Jesus Christ is totally victorious. All things are under his control and heavenly voices cry out “Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him" (Rev 19:6-7).
Heavenly worship has included a number of important elements. There is the acknowledging of the holiness of God, his eternal nature, his creative power, his work of redemption, his holy judgments and his ultimate victory over evil. These are key components that need to be regularly incorporated into our adoration of God because they are the essence of his divine nature. We need to regularly ask ourselves the question “how does our praise line up with that of heavens?"
Copyright. Bruce August 2006
Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.
There are four remarkable living being who are in the immediate presence of God (see Rev 4:6-7). Their primary function, is to give honour, glory and thanks to God. "Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come” (Rev 4:8).
Around the throne of God are twenty-four thrones. On these thrones sit the elders. Every time the living beings praise God the they worship with words that reflect the worthiness of the Lord to receive glory, honor and power. The Lord merits such a response because everything that exists was created by him for his own pleasure (Rev 4:11).
As we progress further in Revelation we witness the living beings and elders again worshipping God. This time they are singing a new song related to Jesus’ worthiness to open the sealed scroll. He has the power to perform this action because in death, he shed his blood, thereby ransoming people from every tribe and language group. The redeemed have become priests of God who will eventually reign on the earth (Rev 5:9-10).
Praise and worship of God in heaven is not restricted to the living beings and the elders. The rest of the angels are involved as well. We find them proclaiming the worthiness of the slaughtered Lamb to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessing (Rev 5:12). Notice the reoccurring theme of the Lord’s worthiness.
The Apostle John then goes on to describe a great number of people, who have come out of the great tribulation, standing before the throne of God. Their song introduces a new theme that focusses upon the salvation that comes from God and the Lamb (Rev 7:10). The angels respond to this anthem with “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen” (Rev 7:12).
The next time we witness the worship and praise of the elders it is of a different nature. They start their praise by acknowledging that God has assumed his power and has started to reign. With his kingship the time to judge the dead has arrived. Those who have been God’s holy people down through the ages will be rewarded richly. Their adoration of God then is expressed in relation to his judgment of the wicked who will be condemned to an unending and enduring destruction (Rev 11:17-18).
For a final time John witness praise in heaven. At this point Jesus Christ is totally victorious. All things are under his control and heavenly voices cry out “Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him" (Rev 19:6-7).
Heavenly worship has included a number of important elements. There is the acknowledging of the holiness of God, his eternal nature, his creative power, his work of redemption, his holy judgments and his ultimate victory over evil. These are key components that need to be regularly incorporated into our adoration of God because they are the essence of his divine nature. We need to regularly ask ourselves the question “how does our praise line up with that of heavens?"
Copyright. Bruce August 2006
Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.
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