In The Word
Read: Revelation 4
4 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.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and someone was sitting on the throne. 3 And He who was sitting waslike a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.4 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 Throne and Worship of the Creator
5 Out from the throne *came 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; 6 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. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf, the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8 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.”
9 And when the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever,10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and they will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “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.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
We are called as Christians to look at the world through the eyes of God. The only way we can see from this perspective is to walk and live in the Spirit. Christ said in John 16:13, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” Through the eyes of the Spirit we can see that the center of life is our King seated on the throne above all of heaven and earth. And from the Spirit of God we receive wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:2) The Spirit often uses mature believers to help us have God’s perspective. Proverbs 11:14 tells us, “in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Thus, it is important that we surround ourselves with people who are mature in the Lord as proven by godly fruit in their lives.
In Revelation 4, we see key examples in the elders and the living creatures who maintained God’s perspective by giving constant worship to the one true King of the universe. The activity of giving glory, honor, and thanks should never end in the life of a believer. We were created by God and for God. May we see life from His perspective so as to have the right perspective.