Heavenly Worship: Responding to the Spreading Goodness of God (Revelation 4-5)

Photo by Kayla Harris on Unsplash

Why do we worship God by offering songs and prayers of praise and thanksgiving? Let’s be honest. Is it primarily because we are told to do so—either as a suggestion or as a command—or is it out of the overflow of a heart that is being transformed by the love and glorious goodness of God? I know which one is more precious. Sadly, I can tell you that sometimes we offer up what we call worship only because we think it is expected. Along with “a sacrifice of praise,” do we view gratitude as a spiritual discipline to be developed? I contend that we cannot offer sincere gratitude to God if we haven’t somehow “seen”, or otherwise experienced his goodness. To put it in our current post-Christmas context, if we have not received a gift then why would we write a thank-you card?

Worship as a Response of the Heart 

The truth is that we have a God who is himself the gift that keeps on giving, not to get something in return but because spreading goodness is what he does. He delights to share His glory with us even though we may not recognize or acknowledge it. As children, we are quick to see the wonder of God at work around us, but we are trained to disregard such divine glimpses.

Our cultural climate goes to lengths to hide the goodness of God, only giving tongue-in-cheek blame for “acts of God” but rarely giving credit from reliable sources. “Miracles” are said to be due to science, doctors, and “good and generous people,” but not due to a real, present, and powerfully gracious, Triune God. We don’t hear his story enough. Even when we do read the Bible that speaks of his goodness, we get distracted looking for rules and laws, proof texts, and self-help tips. However, if we read with our eyes open to the love of God, we will begin to see it everywhere in Scripture—even in the hard places!

This love is not a marginal attribute of God in isolation, but the motivation of all his plans and purposes—from the beginning to the end—in redeeming and blessing us together in community. When we read to encounter a loving God, who acts in time and space, we will not be disappointed. However, we may be surprised by a rising faith that enters our lives when we put our trust in what the scriptures reveal about Jesus Christ, who in turn shows us the heart, will, plans, and works of God the Father. This faith is strengthened as we internalize what is revealed about God and his great love for us, and then respond with worship straight from the heart, resonating with that of the psalmist,

I have told the glad news of deliverance
          in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
                                                             as you know, O Lord.
I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    from the great congregation. (Psalm 40:9-10)

How Worship Reveals the Spreading Goodness of God

When we look at the great heavenly worship narrative that is found in Revelation Ch. 4-5, we can see the spreading goodness of God reflected, and responded to, in the praise that is offered. While there are topical differences in the five recorded expressions of praise found here, differences that could be arranged chronologically, it is possible that more is being communicated in this great vision than merely chronology. The sequence and scope of these praise anthems seem to suggest a spreading goodness flowing from the nature of God himself that elicits a response from increasingly larger and more “distant” groups of worshippers.

Let’s look at the four concentric rings of responsive worship resounding in this section of the Book of Revelation.

Worshipping the Lord God for Who He Is (4:8)

The four living creatures, those closest to the throne, representative of all of creation, model unending worship centered on the character and attributes of God…

“Holy, Holy, holy,                                                 

 is the Lord God Almighty                                   

 who was and is and is to come!”                       

Our Triune God was holy in the past, he is holy in the present, and he will always be holy in the future. He is a Holy Father, a Holy Son, and a Holy Spirit! Such goodness is communicated within the Godhead itself and is not dependent upon anything or anyone else. His Trinitarian holiness, his power, and his authority, as well as his abiding and eternal life, elicit the praise of those creatures closest to the thrown—the “four living creatures”.

Photo by Zhang Kaiyv on Unsplash

But the goodness that provoked such praise is neither contained nor accumulated, rather, as John records the heavenly revelation, his imagery suggests it expands and flows forth in ever-larger concentric circles of experienced blessing and the response of joyful worship. Historically, this goodness was first experienced by earthly creatures in how God’s goodness was expressed in creation.

Worshipping the Lord God for what He has done in Creation (4:11)

The second ring of heavenly worship shows how the 24 elders responded to the worship offered by the four living creatures with their own chorus:

“Worthy are you, 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.   

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

This chorus introduces the concept of the “worthiness” found in the Lord God “to receive glory and honor and power” not only because of who he is and what he is like but because of something he has done—he has created all things! His goodness was manifested as he created all things according to a divine plan and purpose. Nothing was in conflict. Everything had what it needed to thrive. At the creation, nothing was yet marred by sin and wickedness. Today, as we experience even the now sin-flawed creation, we still see aspects of God’s creativity, his aesthetic eye, loving care, and perhaps even humor. Yet, what is to be done about the man-made mess? Who would be able to open the seals on the scroll and bring God’s redemptive purposes to pass?

Worshipping the Lamb for What He Has Done in Redemption (5:9-10)

This third layer, or ring, of worship, shows the first two groups of worshippers (the four living creatures and the 24 elders) now combined in recognizing the worthiness of Christ, the Lamb of God, for ransoming a great multi-ethnic group of people for God. Together…

They sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.” (5:9-10)

This heavenly chorus to the Lamb then expands beyond the four and the 24 to include an innumerably vast group of angels—myriads of myriads—saying,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!” (5:12)

Did you notice how many different things (of which the Lamb is worthy) are listed? It is that number to which John’s inspired writing repeatedly returns, to emphasize completeness. Jesus Christ, the Lamb who was slain, is more than worthy of anything and everything good that we could offer. And everything good is only good as it shares what he has so abundantly given. If we even had a little awareness of all he has done for us, we would willingly offer everything we have to him in gratitude. However, we often deny the depth of our need and miss the significance of what he has provided and what he still wants to give to us (Rev. 3:17-18). This heavenly host, responds to the spreading goodness of God that came to earth as a virgin’s babe, lived a sinless life, healed and delivered all who asked, then died for a world that could not save itself from itself, and rose again in victory. This is the goodness that changes things from the inside out. He is worthy!

As wonderful as this heavenly worship is, it would be incomplete if it stopped there. It must allow all who have been transformed by God’s love-in-action to respond.

Worshipping the Father and the Son, Together, Forever (5:13-14)

The rippling waves of praise now spread out even further to include every creature in heaven and earth and under the earth,

“To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.       

While I could stop here with verse 14’s mighty “Amen!” this article would be incomplete without one last passage. 

In chapter seven, there is one more group that worships the Father and the Son, together. It is a subset of the “every creature” group mentioned above and has an important lesson for us today. It is the anthem of those who had not tried to save their own lives but lived faithfully as the redeemed people of God, a new race made up of “all tribes and peoples and languages”, despite the great tribulation of their circumstances. As it is written, 

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 

“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” (7:9-12)

Worship is shown to be a community practice and a practice that needs to continue forever. Why forever? Is it because God wants to hear us tell him how awesome he is over and over again? No, rather it is because he continues to share his amazing love with us, in surprisingly creative and wondrous ways, that we cannot keep silent before the fountain of gratitude that rises up in our transformed hearts.

God shares the goodness of his glorious love with us in all that he is, and all that he does. How can we help but respond, and then with enthusiasm pass it on to others?

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
    whom he has redeemed from trouble… (Psalm 107:1-2)