John 16:1-11, Revelation 4, Job 30, Joel 2-3

Revelation 4:

We start to enter into parts of the Book of Revelation that are filled with mystery – and that use language, pictures and images of which we are unfamiliar. For an introduction to the Book of Revelation as a whole, and its style and genre, see the first post in this expositional devotional series on the Book of Revelation.

This chapter 4 is brilliant, awesome, terrifying, and filled with worship. “After this,” that is after the letters that are written to the seven churches of Asia, John “looked,” and what he saw was a door open in heaven. His mind and his eyes were opened to see right through the portal of heaven itself. He was “in the Spirit,” seeing beyond what normally he could see, in these special moments of revelation. And what he sees echoes with the language of Isaiah (see Isaiah chapter 6), with the emphasis on the holiness of God.

“‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”

With, in addition, now a call to worship God as worthy of all adoration based upon him being the creator and the purpose of all things:

“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.”

This last verse, verse 11, is worth learning by heart and being able to recite. It roots our adoration of God in the creation and sustenance of all things. God is worthy to receive all glory and honor and power because he “created all things” and “by your will they were created and have their being.” The very nature of all things is by his creation. But also the sustenance of all things is by his constant power and will.

Who could not bow in awe before such a Supreme Being? The more we learn about the universe, both its origin and its extent – its near infinite scale at the universal and microscopic levels both – leave us with no rational option other than worship.

Let these words of John call you to worship today. Say:

You are worthy, my 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.