Revelation 4:10–11 Do Our Lives Prompt Others to Honor God or Dishonor Him?

 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]}

 

6.    The Function of The Elders Who Surround the Throne (Re. Vv.10–11).[2]
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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,
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,
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]

 

KNOWING GOD

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? 

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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.