Jesus’ appearance brought immediate response from the four living creatures and the elders. This devotional reading looks at what that response was.
Nuggets
- The Lamb that was slain deserves our worship.
- Music has always been an important part of worship.
- Our prayers are worship of Jesus.
Now that we have a little clearer understanding of music in worship, we can look at the worship service honoring the Lamb Who was slain.
At this point, the only inhabitants of Heaven that we have seen are the God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the elders and the living creatures. God and Jesus are the objects of worship. (We never hear of the Holy Spirit being worshiped.)
In this passage, the focus is on worshiping the Lamb. Let’s see what happens.
Let's Put It into Context
To read devotions in the On the Day of the Lord theme, click the button below.
Devotions in the Worshiping the Lamb Who Was Slain series
Fell Down before the Lamb
“And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Rev. 5: 8 ESV)
The Lamb that was slain deserves our worship.
Jesus had just received the scroll from God. Immediately, everyone we have met so far fall down and worship Him.
They didn’t fall down in fear. They didn’t lose their balance because they were trying to run away.
They worshiped in joy. They worshiped in humility.
Isn’t that how it should be? Jesus is the source of our joy because He is the source of our salvation. That should humble us!
Let’s look at it this way. If the elders are the sons of Israel and the Apostles, we are seeing the joy and humility of the Church. (Yes, if the sons of Israel are part of the elders, they are part of the Church. The Church has not replaced God’s chosen people.)
McCosh said something that I think is wonderful. He wrote,
“The faith that saves does not consist of a single glance; ‘looking unto Jesus’ is the habitual attitude of the believer’s soul. Led to love the Lamb of God when on earth, trained by the Spirit of God and by all the dispensations of God to love Him more and more, he finds when he has crossed the dark valley of the shadow of death that the first object that meets his eye, and the most conspicuous, is a Lamb as it had been slain.”
Resource
Yes, we are saved the minute we give our lives to Jesus. But we also know it isn’t a once-and-done thing.
We have to follow the instructions of the Holy Spirit as we navigate the Sanctification Road. It is only as we work out our salvation and are changed to imitate Him that our salvation takes on meaning.
McCosh talked about a habitual attitude. We can’t do a one-and-done prayer. We can’t not read God’s Word.
We have to have the mind of Christ – His attitude. We have to follow His example.
It is only as we step through the open door to Heaven that we find true salvation. It is then we see the Lamb and receive the bodies in which we will never sin again.
Holding a Harp
Music has always been an important part of worship.
What the elders used to worship the Lamb is reminiscent of what was used in the Temple. A couple of devotions ago, we talked about the belief of some that the elders were priests.
I personally think – and I may be right or wrong – that they are not Levitical priests just because they use the instruments and implements of the Temple.
I think that is the wrong way to look at it. I think the Temple was patterned off of the heavenly temple.
We are all to worship God. If the elders are the sons of Israel and the Apostles, then worship is for all believers.
I think there might be a little bit more to it than that. Every elder had a harp. Each of the four living creatures had a harp.
That is 28 instruments. They had to be in tune. They had to sound as one.
Yes, we all get to have our opinions in the church. We still have to be united. We have to worship as one.
Think about this. When the music director announces that the congregation will be learning a new song, most probably cringe. Some choose not to sing.
Not so with the living creatures and the elders. Every one of them sang. They already knew the song.
They sang it with joy and abandon.
When we get to Heaven, we will join in, too. Don’t sing here on earth? You will there.
Golden Bowls Full of Incense
Our prayers are worship of Jesus.
Let’s start at the back first. Some of us may question if the term saint applies to us.
Spurgeon said it does. He wrote,
“And who are the saints? They are men whom the Lord has made holy by the power of His Spirit, whose nature He has purified. Then, in the matter of intercession, one of the most important things is the character of the person. We must, by the Spirit’s power, maintain the saintly character; we must walk apart from worldliness and covetousness; we must put aside uncleanness, anger, wrath, and every evil thing, or else we shall not be able to present unto the Lord such sweet [odors] as His soul delighteth in.”
Resource
Incense is made of spices. There are some wonderful smelling spices!
Our prayers are like incense to God. “O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you! Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!” (Ps. 141: 1-2 ESV).
I can get that. The purpose of the sacrifices was so that God would smell the aromas and be pleasing.
We know God was so pleased with Noah’s sacrifice after he got off the ark, that He made a covenant to not flood the earth again. “And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done’” (Gen. 8: 21 ESV).
It kind of throws us for a loop when we read what Paul said. “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (II Cor. 2: 15 ESV).
Or does it? What if the aromas are brought on by our character?
In the golden bowls are more than one person’s prayers. “… which are the prayers of the saints” (Rev. 5: 8 ESV). Saints is plural.
That means our prayers are combined – or if we continue with the culinary reference, they are blended. That also pulls in the harmony of the harps.
Making the Connections #1
Did we see who all is around the throne? We have the elders and the living creatures. We know there is more.
Jesus is in their midst. He is having complete fellowship with them.
The object of their worship isn’t off in some unknown place (like we have right now in this life). He is right there.
They get to love on Jesus.
They also get to love on each other. Yes, worship can be private, but worship is also corporate.
I can’t wait to be included in the group. Can you?
Making the Connections #2
Spurgeon made a good observation. At the time that the worship service began, Jesus hadn’t touched any of the seals. He had just been handed the scroll from God.
Resource
The worship service wasn’t really about what Jesus did. It was about Who He was.
Heaven was worshiping Jesus because He was the pure Lamb. It was His character that was the focus. He was worthy.
Yes, Lamb is followed by that was slain – Jesus’ actions.
If Jesus had refused going to the cross, He would have sinned. He would no longer be pure and blameless. He would no longer be worthy.
The actions, in this instance, are important only because of the effect on Jesus’ character.
It is the same with us. Doing the do’s and not doing the don’ts is important because that is how we sin.
What is more important is that we do the do’s and not do the don’ts because that is how we have God’s character.
Making the Connections #3
I have to process something the Homilist said. In Elaine-speak: when we die, our need for some prayers stop. We will no longer have to ask for forgiveness because we will have new bodies that can no longer sin.
We won’t have to have deliverance from error. Ditto. Error is sin. Not going to be an option.
We won’t have to pray for victory over foes. We won’t have foes in Heaven.
But then the Homilist said we would still need the spirit of prayer. What in the world does that mean?
That means we will still have a dependence on God. He will still have to supply our needs. We won’t have to struggle through eternal life without Him.
So, prayer shows our dependence on God. It isn’t just our laundry list of God-do-this-for-me things. It is God-I-need-You every day.
How Do We Apply This?
- Be born again so that we can enter the kingdom of God and see Jesus face to face.
- Continually praise and honor God.
- Look to the Lamb for comfort in sorrows.
Resource
Father God. We need You. We will always need You. We want to always fall before You in worship and in praise. Amen.
What do you think?
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