Devotions
Rev Gav
Vista
Revelation 4
I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! And the one seated there looks like jasper and cornelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.
Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. 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.’
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing,
‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.’
Reflect
Sometimes you just need to take in the spectacle and not dissect it! Imagine standing on a mountain-top and feeling the awesome sense of grandeur at the vista spread out before you, and a geologist (I have nothing against geologists) starts banging on about glaciers and rock formations. Talk about spoiling the moment!
Well, it’s a bit like that with the book of Revelation here in Chapter 4. Us theologians could bang on about how the twenty-four elders, washed in white robes represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles, and how the living creatures represent the four corners of earth’s creation, and so on, but to do so would be to spoil the moment! Ooops!
The point of John’s Revelation is to describe to a persecuted church, using wonderful metaphors, what is going on in the spiritual world in the present — literally and literary painting a picture of God’s sovereignty and how everything in heaven and on earth exists and has its being, meaning, and purpose under the light of God’s authority, power, and majesty. And because there are not enough words in any language to describe this, we rely on artists to visualise and paint music and pictures that no words can convey, and this is what Revelation 4 is all about.
It is no wonder that Christian musicians have taken the spectacle of Revelation 4 and conveyed the words (sung by those before God’s throne) in music. If you have been in the Christian church for some time, and read the words, you will instantly recognise phrases used in famous hymns and songs of praise — too many to list here.
We live in world of information, where our understanding comes from breaking things down into constituent parts, and analysing them, but we must not forget to simply allow art and music to move us, because through them, artists communicate something of God that words never can.
Pray
Holy, holy, holy,
God the Almighty,
you are my Sovereign,
who was and is and is to come.
You are worthy to receive
glory and honour and power
for you created all things
and by your will
they existed and were created.
To you be all the praise
this day and forever.
and then