Worthy is the Lord God the Almighty

Revelation 4:6b-11

Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and back: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing,

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

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing,

11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

The worship in heaven continues in the presence of the One who sits on the throne.

Notice that God is praised in vs. 8 for being God forever – “who was and is and is to come.” From before time began through the present and on into the future God is. God is worthy of praise for simply being God. God is not praised here for anything that God has done, but simply because God is God. The focus, the attention, is on God, not human beings. The center of the action is God – the focus of the praise is God – and who God is. This challenges the way we often think of our thanks to God – we praise God for the things God has done for us, instead in the praise of heaven God is praised simply because God is God.

There is a slight shift in the praise from the 24 elders (vs. 9 and following). God is worthy of praise for God’s work in creation. God made all things in the creation – all that exists in creation exists because God made it. To be its creator is to be above it – the creation is not greater than the creator. For the creation owes its being to the creator. The creator is praised for their creation – the artist is praised for the painting – the carpenter for the cabinetry. The creation points to the creator.

Again God as creator is at the center of the praise and glory, the creator’s power is also to be seen in the creation. For the creator is supreme over all the powers and forces of nature – for they too are the work of the creator’s hands. The creation bears witness to God who alone is worthy of glory and honour and power. Only God is worthy of such glory and honour and power, no human being, no pretender to power, is worthy, God alone.        

PRAYER:

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. In Jesus’ name. Amen.