Revelation 4:10–11 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…
Do Our Lives Prompt Others to Honor God or Dishonor Him?
“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. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 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, 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 4:10–11 (KJV) [1]
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6. The Function of
The Elders Who Surround the Throne (Re. Vv.10–11).[2] |
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VISION
TWO, Revelation 4:1–16:21 Revelation Chapter 4 III. The
Picture of Things Hereafter, Revelation 4:1–5:14 A. The
Throne of God: The Focal Point of History, Revelation 4:1–11
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1. John
was given the vision a. He saw an open door in heaven b. He heard a commanding voice c. He was called to “Come up here”: To see
things that must take place |
After
this I looked, and behold, a door was
opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said, Come up
hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. |
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d. He was in the Spirit e. He saw the astounding sight of God
sitting upon His throne |
2 And
immediately I was in the spirit: and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. |
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2. The
One on the throne a. His position: Was sitting as the
sovereign Majesty of the universe b. His description: Indescribable |
3 And
He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the
throne, in sight like unto an emerald. |
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3. The
24 elders a. Were seated upon thrones that surround
God’s throne b. Were clothed in white c. Wore crowns of gold |
4 And
round about the throne were four
and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting,
clothed in white raiment; and they had on their head’s crowns of gold. |
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4. The
majesty of God a. There was lightning & rumblings of thunder b. There were seven blazing lamps: The seven
spirits of God |
5 And
out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning
before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. |
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c. There was a sea of glass, like crystal 5. The
four living creatures surrounding the throne a. Their position: They are the beings
closest to God, guardians of His throne & holy presence b. Their description |
6 And
before the throne there was a sea
of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about
the throne, were four beasts full
of eyes before and behind. 7 And
the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the
third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 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. |
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c. Their function: To glorify &
honor God |
9 And
when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the
throne, who liveth for ever and ever, |
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6. The function of the elders who surround
the throne a. To
show total submission & subordination b. To
worship the Lord c. To
show the supreme worthiness of the Lord |
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, |
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d. To
praise the Lord |
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.[3] |
C. AGAIN, WE SEE THE PRAISE BY THE
CREATURES
AND THE PRAISE BY THE CHURCH
Revelation
4:8–11
The chapter
ends with everything around the throne giving praise to the One on the throne.
This is heaven! God is praised. Only on earth is God dishonored.
1. The Praise by the Creatures (Revelation
4:8–10)
The four living creatures spoke much
praise to God. They gave “glory … honour
… thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever” (Revelation 4:9).
• The purity in
the praise. “Holy,
holy, holy” (Revelation 4:8). The
holiness of God is emphasized in the praise given Him by the four living
creatures. Holiness is God’s fundamental attribute.
• The power in the
praise. “Lord
God Almighty” (Revelation 4:8). God is
supreme and Sovereign. He is omnipotent.
• The perpetuity
in the praise. “Which
was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8).
The eternality of God is recognized here. He is the great “I am” of Exodus 3.
• The permanence
of the praise. “They
rest not day and night, saying” (Revelation 4:8).
These four living creatures do not act like most church members who often quit
before the job is done. These living creatures simply “rest not day and night” but continue on permanently praising God.
• The prompting of
the praise. “And
when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the
throne, who liveth forever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down
before him that sat on the throne” (Revelation
4:9, 10). The praise given by the four living creatures prompted the
twenty-four elders to also give praise to God. Do our lives prompt others
to honor God or dishonor Him?
2. The Praise by the Church (Revelation
4:10, 11)
The twenty-four elders, who represent
the church, the redeemed ones, also give much praise. We note several things
about their praise as recorded here in our text.
• The prostration
in the praise. “The
four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne” (Revelation 4:10). The prostration was
acknowledgement of the greatness and glory of God and the smallness and
sinfulness of man.
• The piety in the
praise. “Worship
him” (Revelation 4:10). Honor, devotion,
respect, awe are all involved in worship.
• The position in
the praise. “Cast
their crowns before the throne” (Revelation
4:10). To cast their crowns before God, they must first take off their
crowns. Doing so acknowledges that when compared to God, man is nothing. Christ
is King of Kings and Lord
of Lords.
• The proclamation in the praise. “Saying” (Revelation 4:10). What the church said in praise to the Lord is instructive. First, the worthiness of God. “Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive glory and honor” (Revelation 4:11). The world gives many honors to people who are not worthy—Obama’s Nobel peace prize, as an example. But God is worthy of all sacred honors. Second, the work of God. “Thou hast created all things” (Revelation 4:11). As Lehman Strauss said, “There are not songs of evolution in Heaven, only of creation.” Third, the will of God. “For thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). The word translated “pleasure” means “to will” (Zodhiates). The statement says God created according to His will, as He wanted, as He planned, etc. God is Sovereign and will do as He Himself wills, not as others dictate.[4]
6 (Revelation 4:10–11) Elders of Revelation, Twenty-Four: there is the function of the twenty-four elders. Their function is fourfold.
1.
They Show Subjection and Subservience. They fall down before the
throne of God. They yield all they are and have to Him.
Thought 1. What
a lesson for us! How we must learn how great God is—that He dwells in
such glory and majesty, dominion, and power that we owe Him our lives and
our all.
V “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove
what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Ro. 12:1–2).
V “What? know ye not that your body is
the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are
not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your
body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Co.
6:19–20).
V “And God is able to make all grace
abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may
abound to every good work” (2 Co. 9:8).
V “What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” (Ps. 116:12).
2.
They Worship God as The Eternal God.
Thought 1. He
alone is our hope for living forever. If we fail to worship Him and to worship
Him in truth, then we shall miss eternal life.
V “O come, let us worship and bow down:
let us kneel before the Lord our maker” (Ps. 95:6).
V “O worship the Lord in the beauty of
holiness: fear before Him, all the earth” (Ps. 96:9).
V “Then saith Jesus unto him, get thee
hence, Satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him
only shalt thou serve” (Mt. 4:10).
V “God is a Spirit: and they that worship
Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (Jn.
4:24).
V “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God,
and give glory to Him; for the hour of his judgment is come and worship Him
that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (Re. 14:7).
V “Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren, the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God” (Re. 22:9).
3.
They Show the Supreme Worthiness of The Lord. They cast their crowns before
the Lord. The Lord has given the right to rule with Him by overseeing certain
domains throughout the universe. But in true humility and thankfulness, the
elders cast their crowns down before Him. Why? To show that He alone is worthy,
and they are acknowledging the truth forever and ever.
V “I will call on the Lord, who is worthy
to be praised: so, shall I be saved from mine enemies” (2 S. 22:4).
V “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” (Re. 4:11).
V “Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Re. 5:12).
4.
They Vocally Declare His Worthiness, And They Praise Him as The Lord God of The
Universe and of Creation. The Greek actually reads “Thou art
worthy, our Lord and our God” (ho kurios kai ho Theos hemon). This means that
God is supreme; He is the first Being of the universe. He is the glorious
Creator of all things. He is the One who created all things for His pleasure.
V “In the beginning God created the
heaven and the earth” (Ge. 1:1).
V “Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou
hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and
all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou
preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee” (Ne. 9:6).
V “He stretcheth out the north over the
empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing” (Jb.
26:7).
V “Of old hast thou laid the foundation
of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands” (Ps. 102:25).
V “And saying, Sirs, why do ye these
things? We also are men of like passions with you and preach unto you that ye
should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and
earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein” (Ac.
14:15).
V “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (He. 11:3).[5]
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KNOWING GOD |
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God cannot be known apart from His Holiness. The key to
God’s eternal reign is His Holiness. His glory is not only His strength but
also His perfect moral character. God will never do anything that is not
perfect. This reassures us that we can trust Him, yet it places a demand on
us. Our desire to be holy (dedicated to God and morally clean) is the only
suitable response. To be prepared for Christ’s return, we must renounce sin
and desire God’s holiness. |
Whenever
the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the
throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down
and worship the one who lives forever and ever. 4:9–10a (NLT)
The actions of these living beings’ picture complete
worship and submission to God. The one
who lives forever and ever emphasizes God’s eternality (Re. 5:14; 10:6; 15:7). God is far more worthy of
worship than any person because he lives forever (Psalms
45:6; 102:27). His throne
symbolizes his power and authority (Re. 4:2–3).
As the living beings (the four living
creatures) praise God, the twenty-four
elders fall down and worship. That they “fall down” refers to lying
prostrate in a position of submission and adoration. Their worship means giving
God all glory and honor and thanks.
And they
lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to
receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for
your pleasure that they exist and were created.” 4:10b–11 (NLT)
These verses are the second hymn sung in Revelation (Re. 4:8), a hymn of praise to God for His work in
creation. The point of this chapter is summed up in this verse: All creatures
in heaven and earth will praise and honor God because he is the Creator and
Sustainer of everything. No king or
emperor can make such a claim. No Roman emperor could ever be acknowledged for
creating heaven and earth. This role belongs to God alone (Re. 14:7; 21:5; Romans
8:18–25).
The phrase
“you are worthy” was used to herald the entrance of an emperor when he came in
his triumphal procession. Later, the emperor Domitian added the phrase “our
Lord and God” as a reference to himself, thereby promoting the cult of emperor
worship. Christians, however, are to acknowledge only one Lord and God.
Earthly honor and power is to be laid before the throne, just as the living creatures lay their crowns before the throne. This demonstrates that all authority and honor belong to God. He delegates his authority to others, but it belongs to him.[6]
Do Our Lives Prompt Others to Honor God or Dishonor Him?
Revelation 4:10–11 Do Our Lives Prompt Others to Honor God or Dishonor Him?
[1] The Holy Bible:
King James Version. 1995. Electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of
the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership
Ministries Worldwide.
[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[4] Butler, John G. 2010. Analytical Bible
Expositor: Revelation. Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.
[5] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership
Ministries Worldwide.
NLT
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All
rights reserved.
NLT
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All
rights reserved.
[6] Barton, Bruce B. 2000. Revelation.
Edited by Grant R. Osborne. Life Application Bible Commentary. Wheaton, IL:
Tyndale House Publishers.
