Revelation 4—5: Worship the Omnipotent Lamb
IN A PLAY by George Bernard Shaw, Don Juan says, "Heaven is all right, of course, but for meeting old friends and acquaintances you can't beat hell." There is a powerful truth in this facetious remark. While most people say they want to go to heaven, they might prefer hell if heaven is like the picture given in these two chapters. People concerned only about themselves would find the ceaseless praise of God and the Lamb intolerable. Worship on earth, a foretaste of heaven, is just as unpalatable. But worship is the deepest need of the seven churches just described. And it is our deepest need too, as this study will show.
Warming Up to God
What was the most significant worship experience you have ever had, and what made it so special?
Read Revelation 4—5. »
Discovering the Word
- Instead of trying to decode every part of the throne room of God, try to imagine what can be seen and heard. What are some of your initial impressions of God's glory as envisioned here (Rev 4)?
- How do the four creatures and the twenty-four elders respond to God's glory (vv. 8, 10-11)?
- How does their reaction help us define and practice worship?
- While John leaves us in suspense about the contents of the scroll and its seals, there is no doubt about the central figure in the unfolding drama. Why do you think he superimposes the image of the Lam on the image of the Lion (5:5-6)?
- The heavenly choir gets larger and larger as the scene unfolds (5:8, 11, 13). What do we see in this vision of heavenly worship that is timelessly relevant?
Applying the Word
- Worship is not an action but a reaction, a response evoked by a vision of God's glory. If we have difficulty worshiping God, what might we need to do?
- If earthly worship is to be modeled after heavenly, what is most lacking in your experience of worship?
Responding in Prayer
Take time now to worship the Lamb and the One who sits on the throne.
For Further Study
Revelation (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture) Edited by William C. Weinrich