Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come

Revelation 4:1-11

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”  At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 

Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”

They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 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.”

The scene and the perspective shift from earth to heaven. The picture of the struggling churches fades before this sublime vision of the throne - the 'control center' of the universe ringed by an emerald rainbow. The One who is seated there defies description. John can only say that h seems to be shot with diamond light, to flow red as a ruby. Around him are the 'elders': possibly Israel's 12 patriarchs, plus the 12 apostles, all God's faithful people. Everything speaks of God's power and glory, his utter faithfulness, and purity. Lightning and thunder speak of his awesomeness. Four living creatures, all-seeing, represent the whole creation, ceaselessly singing in honor of the Almighty, the Holy One, 'who was, who is, who is to come'. The elders join them to worship the eternal Lord of life.

Why?

I was in the Spirit: All of these are revealed through the Spirit, so John was in the vision to see the feature of heaven.

The thunder, light, rainbow shows the glory and power, and honor of the Lord!

Four creatures: Lion: power and glory. Ox: trustworthy, man: wisdom, and flying eagle: Sovereign. Same vision as the prophet Ezekiel saw in Old Testament.

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神的寶座：似乎看到神，神看到神什麼樣子，只能用寶石來形容。神還是記得與挪亞立約的彩虹。閃電、聲音、雷轟，好像出埃及時摩西看到神的情形。我們敬拜、聚會時以什麼的心情來敬拜呢?七個星，代表神完全的靈。火燈代表聖靈，光照人心中的黑暗。人被聖靈光照看見自己的不義。光照也是指引我們前面的道路。光明海： 表示遠遠隔著他與神，顯出神的威容與分別。

敬拜神的人：

獅子：神的尊貴   牛：神不斷工作     人： 神的尊貴，神是為首的   鷹， 工作迅速。 整個受造物在神面前敬拜。 敬拜內容是聖潔、全能超越的屬性。

24位長老：代表完全將自己的權柄、榮耀交給神，而且是晝夜不停的敬拜。敬拜只有在聚會，可是時時刻刻。

天上的敬拜在地上七個教會的後面。聖靈在光照教會。敬拜不是一直唱詩歌，而是受造之物的榮耀獻給神，自己的冠冕也拿下來，降伏在神面前。

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How?

Give honor to the Lord, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.