Daily Bread 2010 - Revelation 4
Daily Bread 2010 – Revelation 4
Revelation 4
The Throne in Heaven
1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 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. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of 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. 7 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 its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”
The apostle John moves from the messages to the seven churches, to a vision of the Throne in Heaven. And the theme of what heaven is like is all about worship. Whether is it the seven lamps/Spirits, or the 24 elders (who may represent those who have been faithful in handling God’s affairs in this world), or the four living creatures as symbolized as a lion, an ox, one with the face of a man or a flying eagle; the purpose of each of these residents in heaven is to worship the one who sits on an incredible throne in heaven.
Their mantra, which we call the “Trisagion” (for tri=three, and sagion=holy,) is “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, as is and is to come.” We see in Revelation how important numbers are. All of the numbers have significance whether it is the 24 elders (2 x 12, which is the completed set doubled), or seven (the number of perfection or completeness), or the four letter name of God is "YHWH", the Four Gospels, Four cups of wine at the Jewish Passover, or the four living creatures (Rev 3) or four horsemen (Rev 6). And finally, three, which symbolizes the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the complete amount of reverence given to God in the Holy, Holy, Holy.
We often wonder what we will be doing in heaven. It appears from this text that worship will be a big part of it. As we worship God in Three Persons on Sunday morning in the Lutheran tradition we say, “It is a foretaste of the feast to come.” Tonight we will read the Christmas story where angels came down and joined in a heavenly chorus to worship the newborn King in a manger in Bethlehem. As you make worship a part of your Christmas celebration tonight and tomorrow, remember that one day we will join all the numbers of Creation and angelic host in worshiping God and singing “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty who was, who is and who is to come.” As you enjoy your Christmas feast, make sure and get a foretaste of the feast to come!
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this sacred night where the angels joined the shepherds in worshipping a Savior which was born unto us. Thank you for sending Jesus so that we might find the open door to heaven and where one day we will worship you with all of Creation and all the heavenly host and sing “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty the maker of Heaven and Earth!!” Amen.
Revelation 4
The Throne in Heaven
1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 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. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of 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. 7 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 its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”
The apostle John moves from the messages to the seven churches, to a vision of the Throne in Heaven. And the theme of what heaven is like is all about worship. Whether is it the seven lamps/Spirits, or the 24 elders (who may represent those who have been faithful in handling God’s affairs in this world), or the four living creatures as symbolized as a lion, an ox, one with the face of a man or a flying eagle; the purpose of each of these residents in heaven is to worship the one who sits on an incredible throne in heaven.
Their mantra, which we call the “Trisagion” (for tri=three, and sagion=holy,) is “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, as is and is to come.” We see in Revelation how important numbers are. All of the numbers have significance whether it is the 24 elders (2 x 12, which is the completed set doubled), or seven (the number of perfection or completeness), or the four letter name of God is "YHWH", the Four Gospels, Four cups of wine at the Jewish Passover, or the four living creatures (Rev 3) or four horsemen (Rev 6). And finally, three, which symbolizes the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the complete amount of reverence given to God in the Holy, Holy, Holy.
We often wonder what we will be doing in heaven. It appears from this text that worship will be a big part of it. As we worship God in Three Persons on Sunday morning in the Lutheran tradition we say, “It is a foretaste of the feast to come.” Tonight we will read the Christmas story where angels came down and joined in a heavenly chorus to worship the newborn King in a manger in Bethlehem. As you make worship a part of your Christmas celebration tonight and tomorrow, remember that one day we will join all the numbers of Creation and angelic host in worshiping God and singing “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty who was, who is and who is to come.” As you enjoy your Christmas feast, make sure and get a foretaste of the feast to come!
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this sacred night where the angels joined the shepherds in worshipping a Savior which was born unto us. Thank you for sending Jesus so that we might find the open door to heaven and where one day we will worship you with all of Creation and all the heavenly host and sing “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty the maker of Heaven and Earth!!” Amen.
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