The beauty of praise

The scene is set in Heaven right now.  It establishes a precedent for the promise of the new Heaven to come.  The example we find teaches us valuable praise.  I am referring to the fourth and fifth chapter of The Revelation of Jesus Christ that was given to John on the Isle of Patmos.  These two chapters and the last three are my personal favorite found in this book.   Chapters four and five teach us about the beauty of praise: the glory of God, the victorious atmosphere, and the spontaneous responses.

The Glory of God (Rev. 4:1-7)

In John’s vision of the throne set in Heaven, he see’s one who is arrayed in glory.  The beauty that is described is given to the Lord of all.  There is power demonstrated by the lightning, thunder, and voices in verse five.  Nothing compares to the splendor that we find in God.  What we learn about praise is that God is worthy of our praise.  God’s  very nature draws out our praises.  The Lord is our Creator, Sustainer, and Provider.  We find all we need in Him.

The Victorious Atmosphere (Rev. 5:1-7)

Many people shudder at the thought of the book of Revelation.  The challenging nature of its symbols and the fear of end-time prophecies add to this pull-back when dealing with Revelation.  However, in my readings, I have come to the understanding that God is never nervous about the outcome.  No matter what is happening in the realm of man and spiritual wickedness, God is never wringing His hands or having a knee-jerk reaction.  Revelation 5:1-7 shows this clearly.  We can praise God, for when we are worried about situations in life (vs. 4), Jesus shows up on time to bring victory (vs.5-7).  Thank you, Lord!

The Spontaneous Responses (Rev. 4:8-11; 5:8-13)

Our praise to God should not require us to work it up.  Instead, it should be an automatic and spontaneous response to God.  Beautiful praise is not forced or fake.  The pattern of praise we find in Heaven can be seen as the default activity of inhabitants before the throne (Rev. 4:8-11).  They are continuously centered around the Throne of God for worship.  It is their primary concern.  We also see praise as a response to the great things He has done (Rev. 5:8-13).  Thousands upon thousands freely join in the worship of the Lord when they see what He is able to do.