Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Psalm 55 and Revelation 4-5

In Revelation 4-5 the Holy Spirit opens John’s spiritual eyes to a vision of the heavenly throne room. While here “below”, God’s people (in the seven churches and beyond) continue to pursue His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, there “above”, God rules and reigns over all creation from His position of absolute dominion and authority.

The key realization of chapter 4-5 is that, no matter what may be transpiring on the earth, the Lord God Almighty, beautiful in glory and perfect in power is worshiped day and night by the spiritual representatives of all God’s people everywhere (the 24 elders) and of all creation (the 4 living creatures), with eternal songs, echoing multiple Old Testament passages:

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’ (4:8)

‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.’ (4:11)

And then John sees the Lord Jesus, represented by a Lamb that had been sacrificed and yet was alive again. He was omnipotent (represented by the 7 horns) and omniscient (the 7 eyes). Empowered and enabled by the Holy Spirit (the 7-fold Spirit), He had overcome the power of sin and death (v.5-6), and so He was declared worthy and given the authority to administer the unfolding of God’s will for the establishment of His Eternal Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (symbolised by the 7-sealed scroll of God’s will).

Given this authority, the Lamb was immediately worshiped by all whom John had just seen worshiping the Lord Almighty. They fell down in worship before Jesus, the Lamb of God, offered Him the prayers of all God’s people and sang His eternal praises with one voice:

‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
    and honour and glory and praise!’ (5:12)

‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
    be praise and honour and glory and power,
for ever and ever!’ (5:13)

Life application: No matter what we may face today, the Lord Almighty remains firmly seated in absolute authority over all that is. The Almighty Father is worthy to be worshipped, the Lord Jesus is worthy to be worshipped, and the Holy Spirit is worthy to be trusted to empower us to live out the Kingdom of God to the glory of God. So, come what may, worship God today. Determine to take the songs of heaven on your lips and offer them to the Lord in moments of joy and moments of sorrow, in moments of delight and moments of pain. Through our lives today, may ‘praise and honour and glory and power, be given to Him, for ever and ever!’ Amen and amen!