Introduction: This is a thrilling passage in which we see God in His glory. God receiving the praise which is due to Him. I especially love the ending of these verses, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
As we begin I find myself with two questions. 1. What does ‘heaven’ indicate? Is it the sky? Most certainly it isn’t hell, but is it the throne room of God, or entering into the place prepared for those who are going to forever live in the presence of God? 2. What does ‘in the Spirit’ infer? All of the Greek New Testament was written in Capital letters, so we cannot know if the word ‘Spirit’, just because it starts with a capital, means the Third Person of the Trinity. Did John leave his body behind and his spirit only was taken through the door which opened?
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
Comment: The throne room of God’ sounds absolutely beautiful, colourful and full of Life! I see the bow of God’s promises stretched over God’s head, I see the 12+12 of the sons of Jacob and the Apostles! I see the white of purity and the gold of royalty. I hear the thunder peals indicating the power of God. Thank God I see the church there! And the four gospels with the four animal representations of lion, ox, man and eagle! Why are there two sets of four living creatures? Or is it describing the gospels in both their powerful messages of majesty, power, made for man, but uplifting to God but the second four meaning the gospels full of understanding having been and being taken to the whole world with the message of God’s great insight and mercy?
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” and “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.” fit together well and I fancy that it is one song, but when it begins, the living creatures and the 24 elders can’t help but to fall on their faces in worship!
Exodus 34: 6&7 – The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty.
Prayer: I fall on my knees in worship of You, Almighty God.