Perpetual Praise

May 8, 2011

Background Scripture: Revelation 4
Lesson Passage: Revelation 4

The book of Revelation is the New Testament’s book of prophecy. It is filled with promises, warnings, and activity interspersed with a heavy use of symbolism. John is the writer. At the beginning of Chapter 4, John is invited up to Heaven to receive a preview of future events. He is given an immediate transition from earth to heaven. (Futurists view this as symbolic of the rapture of the church from earth to heaven when Jesus returns.) The heavenly scene is the throne room of God. The thought of the throne room of God is interesting in light of the omnipresent attribute of God. Since man is finite and cannot fully comprehend the omnipresence of God, we can view the Throne Room of Heaven as the place where God’s glory is fully manifested without measure at a point in time. John observed the Lord sitting upon the throne. The throne was surrounded by twenty four elders and four living creatures. The four living creatures were observed continuously praising the Lord and the elders responding by worshiping him. The description of the four living creatures is very much like the four living creatures that Ezekiel described in his vision. They appear as symbolic expressions of the gospel presentations. Note the order in which each creature is described in comparison to the order of the Gospels in the Bible. Matthew presented Jesus as being born King of the Jews descended through the line of David. Matthew is symbolically a lion. Mark presented Jesus as the Servant of mankind. Mark symbolically is that of a beast of burden. Luke presented Jesus as the Son of Man both literally and symbolically. John presented Jesus as God—who speaks symbolically of himself as an eagle. Through separate images, each writer presents the gospel from a different perspective and yet they tell a single story of redemption. They each present Jesus as God in human flesh redeeming mankind back to him. Much like the gospel presentations, all four living creatures—though they are different—agree in their assessment of the Lord. They declare that the Lord is Holy and eternal. Both attributes are truly worthy of praise. He created everything for his own pleasure. He is to be praised.

The twenty four elders, who many view as representing the raptured church, are presented as sitting around the throne of God. Their white robes are indicative of redemption and the crowns of rewards. The twenty four elders descriptively sound like the church of Jesus Christ as they are described in Chapter 5. There they are said to have come from every kindred, language, race, and nationality. They were redeemed by the blood.

Even as the living creatures praise the Lord continuously, the redeemed of the Lord who have been rewarded and glorified shall praise Him in the presence of His holiness. What is done on earth is not to be compared to the perpetual praise and worship that will exist throughout eternity in heaven.

Robert C. Hudson
April 30, 2011