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Revelation 4:9-11, Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 

 “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.” 

We’ve moved from the concerns of the churches to the heavenly realm in chapter 4.  John describes heaven’s throne room with God on the throne. Human words fail John at this moment and he can only describe God as having the appearance of jasper and ruby.  I’ve tried to envision this.  Jasper is a beautiful stone that can be either a deep red or dark green.  Ruby is obviously a brilliant red.  So God, in John’s vision, includes the flashing radiance of reds and greens.  Take a moment, close your eyes, and try to imagine what John is seeing. 

The main throne is surrounded by twenty-four other thrones occupied by twenty-four elders. Scholars have debated for years as to who these elders might be but it probably isn’t all that relevant.  What is relevant is the majesty of it all.  From that central throne, there are flashes of lightning and the sounds of thunder.  There are seven blazing lamps around the throne, symbolizing the Holy Spirit.   

What is most interesting to me are the four creatures who surround the throne.  They seem to serve as guardians of some kind.  They are covered with eyes and they each have six wings.  They are similar to the fantastic beings described in Ezekiel (chapters 1 and 10).  And these beings never stop praising God.  All the time, never-ending praise: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’who was, and is, and is to come.”  When the four creatures give praise, the twenty-four elders do as well, falling down and worshiping God. 

Think of it – praise to God all the time; continuous, nonstop worship and praise.  In heaven, God is being worshiped constantly without breaks or pauses.  Why?  Because he is God.  Because he is creator, because he is sustainer, because he is Savior and Lord of all.  Ceaseless praise. 

How much time do we spend praising God in our lives on earth?  Be honest.  What’s your praise level?  How might we begin to worship and praise God on a continuous (or at least daily) basis?  How might this change how we view God?  How might this change how we view the world? 

Let’s pray…Holy, holy, holy are you, Lord Almighty.  You are the one who was, who is, and who is to come.  We give you all the glory and praise.  We worship and praise your holy and precious name.  In Jesus’ Powerful Name, Amen.