Revelation 4 - What Will Worship Be Like in Heaven?

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(Quotes are from David Guzik's Enduring Word Commentary unless otherwise specified)

From Revelation 4 through 19 we have a section mainly concerned with God’s judgment upon the world preceding Jesus’ earthly reign, the period known as the “Messianic Woes” or the “Great Tribulation.”

God’s judgments are announced by a seven-sealed scroll, seven trumpets, seven signs, and seven bowls that pour out God’s wrath. Revelation four introduces us to the place judgment comes from: God’s throne in heaven.

The Throne in Heaven

4 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.

John's revelation now takes him to heaven, where he has a vision of what heaven is like. Jesus tells him to come up as he will tell him what MUST take place after this. John was then  "in the Spirit". What does this mean? 

Where was his body? Was John’s body in heaven also, or was it just his spirit? This is impossible to know. Paul, when he had his heavenly experience, didn’t know if he was in the body or not (2 Corinthians 12:1-4).

John sees presumably Jesus sitting on a throne in heaven. He had the appearance of jasper and ruby and a rainbow encircled the throne. There were 24 smaller thrones occupied by those who are called "elders". They were dressed in white with gold crowns. In front of the thrones were the seven lamps, which represented all of the churches. The seven spirits represent the completeness of the Holy Spirit. 

Who are these twenty-four elders? Commentators debate whether they are glorified human beings or angelic beings. Taking all things into consideration, the elders certainly seem to represent God’s people.

Who are these twenty-four elders? Commentators debate whether they are glorified human beings or angelic beings. Taking all things into consideration, the elders certainly seem to represent God’s people.

In Revelation 5:9-10, the twenty-four elders sang a song of praise to Jesus, and they cried out: For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood, out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. In that passage, the twenty-four elders clearly spoke as representatives of all God’s people, of the great company of the redeemed.

Angels are sometimes presented in white robes or garments (Mark 16:5; John 20:12; Acts 1:10), but saints also have white robes (Revelation 6:11, 7:9, 13-14) as a picture of their imputed righteousness (Isaiah 61:10, Revelation 3:5-18). However, we never see angels crowned but believers will be (1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4).

You can see heaven is a glorious place and a key theme in the book of Revelation and the upcoming chapters is worship. Though we have all had amazing experiences worshipping here on earth, in heaven I can't to see what it will be like. The flashes of lightning, peals of thunder, and rumblings show the power and awesomeness of God. Though God is loving and kind, He is majestic and beautiful beyond description. 

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.”

We are introduced to the four living creatures, who also surround the throne. Each living creature had different characteristics. One was a lion, one an ox, one a man, and one a flying eagle. They had six wings and eyes covered their whole body. Their main purpose was to worship God day and night. Their praise song praised the Lord God Almighty by saying "holy, holy, holy".  

We call this the "trisagion". The word holy means "set apart". It means "consecrated". It means "special". At the heart of who God is, He is holy! There is no one like him, no not even one. God is holy and we are not! When we come into His presence we sense our unholiness and unworthiness before him, which is why we fall to our knees. We shall never feel too comfortable coming into the presence of the Living God. This doesn't we need to be afraid of God, but we approach him with awe and reverence as we behold His majesty. This also shows why it is a sin to "take his name in vain". For instance using His name as a "cuss" word. 

There is a large variety of interpretations for the four living creatures. Here are some of those interpretations and explanations. To me none of them are completely convincing. 

From comparison with Ezekiel 1:4-14 and 10:20-22, we understand these creatures to be cherubim, the spectacular angelic beings surrounding the throne of God. Satan was once one of these high angelic beings, according to Ezekiel 28:14. Cherubim were also prominent in design of the tabernacle, particularly in the Most Holy Place (Exodus 25:17-22 and 26:1-31). The Scriptures show us that the tabernacle is a model of the throne of God, in some manner (Exodus 25:8-9).

These beings of great intelligence and understanding live their existence to worship God. All failure to truly worship is rooted in a lack of seeing and understanding.

From comparison with Ezekiel 1:4-14 and 10:20-22, we understand these creatures to be cherubim, the spectacular angelic beings surrounding the throne of God. Satan was once one of these high angelic beings, according to Ezekiel 28:14.

Their multitude of eyes indicates these living creatures (not “beasts” as in the KJV) are not blind instruments or robots. They know and understand, and have greater insight and perception than any man.

Some think they represent the 4 gospels. 

Because there is no specific connection between the four faces of the cherubim and a particular gospel, different traditions have connected these four faces of the cherubim in different ways. Some have seen Matthew as the “Lion” gospel, showing Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Mark is seen as the “Ox” gospel, showing Jesus as a humble servant, a worker. Luke is seen as the “Man” gospel, showing Jesus as the perfect man, the second Adam. John is seen as the “Eagle” gospel, showing Jesus as the man from heaven, the sky. Still, this approach also has other interpretations.

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.”

Again we see the predominant theme of worship. Someone said going to church on Sunday is just like worship practice for heaven. When the four living creatures give glory to God, the twenty four elders follow suit by doing the same. Though we are promised a crown in heaven for our faithfulness here on earth, in this case the elders lay their crowns before the throne. 

The worship of the twenty-four elders is prompted by the cherubim. Since the cherubim worship God day and night, so do the elders.

The twenty-four elders worship (which means to credit worth or worthiness to) God. The elders credited God for their own work and reward, and they did this as they cast their crowns before the throne. They recognized that the worth, the worthiness belonged to God, not to themselves.

 Because they represent all the people of God, the worship, the crown, the robes, the heart of these twenty-four elders belongs to us also. “There is a throne in heaven that no one can occupy but you, and there is a crown in heaven that no other head can wear but yours, and there is a part in the eternal song that no voice can ever compass but yours, and there is a glory to God that would be wanting if you did not come to render it, and there is a part of infinite majesty and glory that would never be reflected unless you should be there to reflect it!” (Spurgeon)

How do these descriptions of heaven and what worship will look like help to inspire, inform, and illuminate our worship here on earth? Make sure you go to worship practice this Sunday!