Revelation 4:1-11: a reflection

1After these things I looked and saw a door opened in heaven; and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, was one saying, “Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this.” 2Immediately I was in the Spirit. Behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting on the throne 3that looked like a jasper stone and a sardius. There was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald to look at. 4Around the throne were twenty-four thrones. On the thrones were twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white garments, with crowns of gold on their heads. 5Out of the throne proceed lightnings, sounds, and thunders. There were seven lamps of fire burning before his throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. In the middle of the throne, and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. 7The first creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf, the third creature had a face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!” 9When the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever, and throw their crowns before the throne, saying, 11“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed and were created!”

John is caught up into heaven and sees the throne at the center of everything, encircled by a rainbow, surrounded by living creatures who never stop crying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. And around the throne sit twenty-four elders, crowned in gold. Then comes a gesture worth watching: as the creatures give glory to the One on the throne, the elders fall down and cast their crowns before him.

Notice what they do with their crowns. Crowns are honors, marks of achievement and rank, things you win and wear with pride. And the elders take them off and throw them down before the throne, saying, worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor. Their own honors mean nothing next to his worth; the only fitting thing is to lay them at his feet.

That is a picture of what worship actually is: giving God his worth, and laying down our own. Whatever crowns you wear, your accomplishments, your reputation, the things you are proud to have earned, worship means taking them off and casting them before the One who alone is worthy. It is not that your crowns are worthless, but that they are nothing to boast of before him. Come to God today the way the elders do: fall down, lay your crowns before the throne, and say, worthy are you.

Lord God, holy and worthy, you alone deserve all glory. Whatever crowns I wear, my achievements and honors, teach me to lay them before your throne. Let my worship be the giving of your worth and the laying down of my own. Worthy are you.