Revelation 4 is kind of an odd chapter because it doesn’t
seem to have anything happen in it except the worship of God by twenty four
elders and four beasts.
So I started to ask myself what I could learn from it.
Then I realized that since all that worship was the most
notable thing in the chapter, that was probably where the lesson is.
8 And the
four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes
within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God
Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9 And
when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the
throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10 The
four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship
him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne,
saying,
11 Thou
art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast
created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation
4:8-11)
What does this tell us about what
heaven is like? It tells us that
the inhabitants closest to God are absolutely enthralled with Heavenly Father’s
holiness. Their gratitude and worship is insuppressible, and each time someone
starts into praising the Lord, the others can’t help but go into fresh
paroxysms of worship themselves.
I have thought these endless rounds of
worship excessive, but this time when I was reading it the thought came to me
that perhaps it is me who is out of step and that I need to learn much greater
humility and gratitude than I now have or have ever had before.
And there’s another factor to consider:
if we were to come into a court of a mortal ruler and it was full of people
praising the mortal king endlessly, we would think the place was full of
yes-men and flatterers. We would have doubts as to whether he fully deserved
all that praise.
But the elders in this chapter here say
to God “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power.” Heavenly Father really deserves all that praise and credit
anyone gives Him here and forever because He lives up to it. (When you think about it, just the way
He can get His work done with imperfect people such as us, all while allowing
us all our agency, is a miracle.)
If we are ever to achieve that heavenly
worship and gratitude, I think we’re going to have to become much better at
noticing and remembering what the Lord does for us.
It is so much easier to glorify God
when the things He has done for us are recent and when our memories stay
fresh. Now, I suppose the
inhabitants of heaven have improved memories, having a perfect knowledge of
their blessed and happy state, but we mortals need memory aids, so I suppose
that the personal journal is an important tool for achieving this heavenly
state of worship and gratitude.
Let’s see, wasn’t it Elder Eyring who
counseled us several years ago to try to write daily in a journal what the Lord
has done for us today?
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