3. THE WORSHIP Revelation 4:8-11 8b and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.--Already these creatures have been described as being "full of eyes"; here they are said to be sleepless, having no rest day or night. Their praise and worship of God goes on unceasingly. The thrice used word holy in their song of praise indicates perfect sacredness of God as a supreme and faultless Being to be worshiped by all intelligent creatures. The fact that these creatures spake their praise of God shows they were intelligent beings, not animals, though three of them appeared to have faces of animals. Compare the note on verse 7. Being called the "Almighty" shows that God has abundant power to bring to pass all the future events that were to be revealed to John. On the expression who was, is, and is to come, see the note on 1:4. Past, present, and future indicate the everlasting or unending existence of God. This shows that, however long he might be in bringing to pass the things to be revealed to John, his words would be verified, for neither his existence nor power could cease. 9 And when the living creatures shall give glory and honor and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne, to him that liveth for ever and ever,--Since verse 8 shows that the living creatures give glory to God continually, the expression "when" they shall give glory must mean they repeated their praises again and again. God is so perfect in being and acts that the heavenly intelligences were continually repeating their thanksgiving because of his glory--ascribing to him all honor. "Liveth for ever and ever" is an explanation of what is meant by "who was and who is and who is to come." 10 the four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that sitteth on the throne, and shall worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne,--Whatever caused the living creatures to give glory and honor to God also caused the twenty-four elders to fall before him and do the same. The elders wearing crowns show that in some sense they were rulers. Casting their crowns before God evidently indicates that they recognized that all their success came from God, and that their garlands of victory were as nothing in comparison with worshiping God. Jhn's seeing them cast their crowns down most impressively shows that fact. saying, 11 Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were created.--This song of praise is practically the same as that of the living creatures, adding the word "power" and declaring God to be the Creator of all things. The power indicates that he has strength to do all he has promised, and being Creator he has the right to do as his infinite wisdom and justice may direct. Even if the living creatures and elders do not represent anything on earth, two important facts are apparent: (1) The vision shows that all heavenly intelligences render strict obedience to God. This implies that all responsible human beings on earth should obey him. (2) The display in the vision of God's power, majesty, and eternal existence proves that he will bring to pass the things which he revealed to John in the following visions. These are the essential lessons in the visions of this section. LESSON 10 THE THRONE IN HEAVEN Read Rev. 4 1. After this what did John see? Ans. Revelation 4:1. 2. How did the first voice sound which John heard? Ans. Revelation 4:1. 3. What did the voice say John would be shown? Ans. Revelation 4:1. 4. Then what did he see? Ans. Revelation 4:2. 5. Describe the throne and him that sat upon it. Ans. Revelation 4:3 6. This throne was encircled by how many thrones? Ans. Revelation 4:4. 7. Describe the twenty-four elders who sat on these seats or thrones. Ans. Revelation 4:4. 8. What proceeded out of the throne? Ans. Revelation 4:5. 9. When and where was there a similar manifestation of the divine presence? Ans. Exodus 19:16-18; Hebrews 12:18-21. 10. What do the seven lamps of fire represent? Ans. Revelation 4:5. 11. What was before the throne? In the midst and round about the throne? Ans. Revelation 4:6. 12. Describe each of the four living creatures. Ans. Revelation 4:6-8. 13. What were they saying continuously? Ans. Revelation 4:8. 14. Name three things which the living creatures give to him who sat on the throne. Ans. Revelation 4:9. 15. Then what was done by the twenty-four elders? Ans. Revelation 4:10. 16. What did they say? Ans. Revelation 4:11. 17. Who else had had "visions of God"? Ans. Ezekiel 1:1. 18. Where was Ezekiel when he had these visions? Ans. Ezekiel 1:1; Ezekiel 10:15; Ezekiel 22:19. Describe the four living creatures that Ezekiel saw. Ans. Ezekiel 1:5-14. 20. How did the living creatures that Ezekiel saw differ from the four living creatures that John saw? Ans. Ezekiel 1:5-14; Revelation 4:6-8. 21. Tell of Micah's vision of the throne. Ans. 1 Kings 22:19. 22. Describe the throne as Isaiah saw it. Ans. Isaiah 6:1-4. 23. Tell of Daniel's vision of the throne. Ans. Daniel 7:9-10. 24. What was Stephen permitted to see? Ans. Acts 7:55-56. 25. What do the twenty-four elders, the sea of glass, and the four living creatures of John's vision represent? Ans. No one knows, because God has not revealed what these things mean. Man should not go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6).