A Revelation Invitation

Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. …

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

     “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
          to receive glory and honor and power,
     for you created all things,
          and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:4,9-11)

Our solar system consists of the sun and a collection of objects that orbit it. The largest of these heavenly bodies, the planets, are the most notable. However, lesser ones including moons, dwarf planets, comets and asteroids play their roles in a dynamic and awe-inspiring solar system. From the sun, light emanates reflecting off of the celestial bodies that revolve around it and making life thrive on earth. These objects are all bound by gravity to the sun at its center. Without the sun, the most massive body in the system, there would be no system; all the other objects would drift aimlessly and lifelessly through space.

The solar system reminds us of this scene in Revelation 4 where the throne, the creator’s throne, the throne of the one who lives for ever and ever, occupies the center. On each side of his throne are the four living creatures. Also, around the throne are twenty-four elders. These beings are drawn to the throne surrounding the one who sits on it. Without the throne there would be no “orbiting” bodies. Radiating from the throne is light and life, and these bodies reflect his light, his glory, his image.

The twenty-four elders represent the people of God given that there were twelve tribes of Israel and twelve apostles of the early church. Interestingly, they too sit on thrones signifying our role in ruling over the earth. That they are elders indicates that our stewardship over this realm should be administered with wisdom. The golden crowns are the laurels worn by victors in war and athletic games in ancient times symbolizing a triumphant church. Their white garments display their purity secured by the blood of Christ. Though their attributes are great, these qualities are actually derived not from within themselves but from the one who sits on the throne at the center. In fact the elders acknowledge this when they cast down their crowns before him who is seated on the throne.

This expression of humility is not what we experience in the world around us. Men who rise to prominence like Rome’s Caesar bask in the glory, honor and power they receive without acknowledging the one they owe their prominence to. When they act as if they are great in themselves, they abuse, exploit, oppress and persecute because they are unworthy parodies of the one who sits on heaven’s throne. Those who lust for power are unworthy of that power and of the glory and honor that come with it. But these twenty-four elders, like us, realize that all we have is due to the one on the throne and proclaim him as the one who is genuinely worthy to receive glory, honor and power.

Revelation asks us to put our trust in the one who sits on the throne when much that we see and experience seems to say that God has lost control. Strangely, we don’t need evidence that God is sovereign; we don’t need him to prove himself. We need to worship. We must descend from our thrones and gaze up at his. We need to cast down our crowns and acknowledge the victory he has already won through his son. We must lift our voices to declare his worthiness. We must extol his glory, honor and power. We must praise him who created all things. The world may appear chaotic and captive to the forces of evil, but God’s people should be comforted knowing that the one on the throne is truly the one who rules the world.

Worthy are you, my Lord God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things. Your rule extends over your creation. You are indeed sovereign over the nations. Watch over me. Allay my fears. Reveal yourself as the one who reigns over the affairs of men. I thank you for the victory you won through Jesus on the cross. Until his return I will wear my golden crown to remind me that my victory comes by way of his victory. Amen.