Scripture Reading: Revelation 4:1-11
In Revelation 4, the entire focus of the book changes … from the churches that existed during John's day, to the events which will take place in the future, indeed, at the end of human history.
Before John writes about what will take place at the end of time, he describes for us the glory of God in heaven, as he saw the throne of the Almighty in his vision. Revelation 4 describes the glory of God the Father and chapter 5 describes the glory of God the Son.
What is revealed in Revelation 4 is the worship that is going on in heaven … performed by angels and saints in heaven. They declare the wonders of God in specific statements and with profound humility and great passion. We learn something of the importance of worship from this passage. God is central in heaven in a way that He is not central in the events of earthly life and human history.
A brief definition of worship might be "savoring the supremacy of God." To consider who God is, is to come to the conclusion that He is supreme in all the universe, in every way. His power is supreme, His majesty indescribable, His goodness unimpeachable, His mercy everlasting, His wisdom unsearchable, His truth pure and reliable, His sovereignty mysterious and all-encompassing. Savoring all that God is … reveling in Him, enjoying Him, taking pleasure in Him, prizing Him … is worship.
Worship is something of an abbreviation of an old English word 'worthship.' To ascribe to God His worth is worship. Worship is not just the act of singing a song on Sunday morning or praying before you go to sleep at night. It is exulting in God, deep in our hearts, because of His value … worth … infinite worth.
