8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come.”
In Isaiah 6, he describes these creatures as seraphim, each with six wings. And they call to one another (v3) saying:
“Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord Almighty;
The whole earth is full of His glory.”
These glimpses into heaven are very few but there are so many similarities in the writings where the authors are describing things they do not understand how to describe that it is striking to me at the common picture we are able to grasp.
It is important to realize that the message has changed that is being cast by the living creatures. The message for John is that the Lord “is to come”. This is very relevant in relation to all that he is about to witness. The same Lord who has always been and who is now, is the same Lord over what is to come and it is He who is going to come. We must be clear that Revelation is written about the living Lord and His Son Jesus.
The Lord is holy, holy, holy. That is, He is so separate and spotless that there is none like Him. He is not common, but set apart. He is so set apart that it is repeated three times so we can grasp the idea that He is beyond what we can conceive and He is not as we are.
A portion of the gospel hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy is written from this moment in Revelation. Verse 2 states,
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 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:
11 “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.”
As the four living creatures worship all the elders join in and worship also. Each cast their crowns or “good works” before the throne of God. There is a lot of wisdom in that one act. Anyone who tries to serve in ministry or witness to others, if they are spiritually conscious, realizes quickly that there is nothing that they can do that will really change the other person internally. The other person may appreciate clothes, food, shelter, or an ear to listen, but they will not be changed permanently. Something else must happen and it doesn’t involve our work, except to witness to who God is. The Spirit of God must be present and only from Him can someone be led to repent. It is the work of God. Any crown any of us might receive is not because of any work we have done, if our work could even be interpreted as good and not obstructive. It is because God moved. Therefore, the wisdom of the elders who sit at the throne of God as a representative for all those who follow God is that all of what we have done is unworthy of honor and all “glory and honor and power” is the Lords for He alone is worthy of it.
As much as this picture of heaven is a praise service honoring God for His hand as Creator of all that is, it is the acknowledgment and agreement, the completion of knowing, that there is one living God and He alone is “who was, and is, and is to come”.
A portion of the gospel hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy is written from this moment in Revelation. Verse 2 states,
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 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:
11 “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.”
As the four living creatures worship all the elders join in and worship also. Each cast their crowns or “good works” before the throne of God. There is a lot of wisdom in that one act. Anyone who tries to serve in ministry or witness to others, if they are spiritually conscious, realizes quickly that there is nothing that they can do that will really change the other person internally. The other person may appreciate clothes, food, shelter, or an ear to listen, but they will not be changed permanently. Something else must happen and it doesn’t involve our work, except to witness to who God is. The Spirit of God must be present and only from Him can someone be led to repent. It is the work of God. Any crown any of us might receive is not because of any work we have done, if our work could even be interpreted as good and not obstructive. It is because God moved. Therefore, the wisdom of the elders who sit at the throne of God as a representative for all those who follow God is that all of what we have done is unworthy of honor and all “glory and honor and power” is the Lords for He alone is worthy of it.
As much as this picture of heaven is a praise service honoring God for His hand as Creator of all that is, it is the acknowledgment and agreement, the completion of knowing, that there is one living God and He alone is “who was, and is, and is to come”.
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