Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.
The first three chapters in the Book of Revelation focus on Jesus’ messages to seven churches on earth. Now, in Revelation 4, a door opens in heaven and John is waved into a throne room where thunder rumbles and lightning flashes.
Try picturing what John saw. In the middle of the room: a throne surrounded by a rainbow. A brightly lit person on the throne.
In the same room: 24 more thrones, occupied by 24 elders. Four weird creatures guard the central throne. One is like a 6-winged lion; the others like a 6-winged ox, man, and eagle. This isn’t a picture I expect in the Bible. Sounds more like a movie about the Marvel Universe (or is it now a Multiverse), where weird supernatural creatures have weird supernatural powers.
In Revelation, these creatures say “Holy, holy, holy,” and the 24 elders put their crowns on the ground and say, “You are worthy, Lord God, because you created everything.”
John’s vision of heaven, his Marvel Universe, is rumbling and flashing, as he introduces us to the Biblical adventurers: God who reigns on his throne; the council of 24 elders who exercise power from their thrones; the winged creatures who stand on guard.
The good guys in this adventure worship God, announcing the whole earth belongs to him, because he created it and its people. The rumbling from the throne suggests that some mighty action is coming. Are there bad guys in this story? What will happen next?
Let’s pray.
Our father, the seven churches in Asia had serious problems. Jesus rebuked six for their sins and told them to make improvements.
But in heaven, things are more focused and better organized. Winged creatures and kingly elders worship the God who rules earth and heaven.
We join them in worship. You created our marvelous universe. Billions of galaxies and trillions of stars in cold, dark, empty space. Our vanishingly small planet, powered by an inconspicuous star, inhabited by plants and animals and humans who share the goodness you designed.
We are members of those messy churches Jesus rebuked. But we go with John into heaven’s throne room to see who is really in charge. Here we worship you and renew our faith.
You, O God, reign over all forever. All praise to you!
Amen
I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.
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