Worship in Heaven Explained | Dr. David Jeremiah on Revelation 4
This summary explores the profound reality of worship in heaven, drawing insights from Revelation Chapter 4 and connecting eternal truth to practical Christian living. The core message emphasizes that God remains on His throne despite earthly chaos, and true worship provides believers with the essential perspective needed to navigate life with endurance.
1. The Throne is Occupied: God’s Sovereignty Amidst Chaos
The pivotal theme of worship in heaven is the assurance of God’s sovereignty. The Book of Revelation provides a powerful picture of what worship looks like in heaven.
The Center of Worship
The key word in Revelation Chapter 4 is “throne”. This word serves as an automatic reminder of the sovereignty of God.
- God is in Control: The throne in heaven is occupied; it is neither empty nor vacant. While events on Earth may seem chaotic and out of control, God has them in control.
- A Glimpse of True Reality: The Apostle John, isolated and worried about persecution, was given this vision to encourage his heart. Worship lifted him from his discouragement into the “control room of the universe” where he could see God and His plan. Jesus essentially told John, “things are not like they seem; step into the throne room and I will show you true reality”.
Describing the Divine Presence
John immediately witnessed a throne set in heaven and “one sat on the throne”. Since “no one has ever seen God and lived,” John used symbolic terms to describe the vision of God’s majesty and beauty:
- The appearance was like a jasper (diamond) and a sardius (ruby) stone, displaying brilliance.
- A rainbow, appearing like an emerald, encircled the throne.
2. The Context and Participants of Heavenly Worship
John’s vision began with an open door in heaven and a voice “like a trumpet” commanding him: “Come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this”.
The Role of the Church (The Elders)
Around the throne, John saw 24 other thrones occupied by 24 elders dressed in white and wearing golden crowns. These elders represent the Church, specifically the redeemed people of God.
The elders participate actively in worship:
- They fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship Him.
- They cast their crowns before the throne.
- They are seen holding harps and golden bowls full of incense, which are identified as the prayers of the saints.
The Focus: The Creator and the Redeemer
The lyrics of the heavenly worship center entirely on God’s inherent worthiness and actions:
- Creator: The elders sing, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created”.
- Redeemer (The Lamb): The creatures and elders also worship the Lamb, singing, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals; for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation”. This redemption has made them kings and priests who “shall reign on the earth”.
The angels and the Church join together, lifting up endless praise to the God of heaven.
3. The Crescendo of Praise and Eternal Perspective
Heavenly worship is characterized by a growing intensity of praise, demonstrating an increasing acknowledgment of God’s worthiness as history progresses.
The Escalating Doxology
The worship songs in Revelation feature an obvious crescendo—starting small and ending big. This escalation is shown through the increasing number of attributes ascribed to God:
- Two-fold Doxology (Revelation 1:6): Glory and dominion.
- Three-fold Doxology (Revelation 4:11): Glory, honor, and power.
- Four-fold Doxology (Revelation 5:13): Blessing, honor, glory, and power.
- Seven-fold Doxology (Revelation 7:12): Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might.
The escalation of worship is suggested to accord with God’s timeline: the farther along humanity moves toward the consummation of history and the coming again of the Lord, the more wonderful and prominent the worship becomes. This suggests that the crescendo of praise currently being experienced is a sign that “we’re getting close” to the Lord’s return.
Worship: Shifting Focus from Time to Eternity
True worship is fundamentally about shifting focus away from present circumstances to eternal realities:
- Worship is not about us; it’s about Him: Worship must center on Christ, seeing Him “high and lifted up” as holy, almighty, eternal, and worthy. When the focus shifts to the styles or presentation of worship, the core value is missed.
- Worship is not about here; it’s about there: A main purpose of worship is to lift minds off the things of the Earth and onto the things in heaven. Paul challenged believers to “set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth”.
- Worship is not about now; it’s about then: The “light affliction” of the present is temporary (“but for a moment”), while the promised “far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” is forever. Worship serves as the corridor that leads us from decay and discouragement to renewal and glory, leveraging the promise of the future against the struggles of the present.
4. The Mandate for Corporate Worship
The biblical vision of heaven strongly reinforces the need for corporate worship.
- Scriptural Requirement: The Bible instructs believers not to “forsake the assembling of ourselves together,” especially as the Lord’s appearing draws near.
- Heaven’s Reality: In Revelation, there are five examples of massive corporate worship for every one time an individual is seen worshiping. Heaven is filled with great gatherings of worshippers. The number of worshippers is vast: 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands of thousands.
- The Power of Togetherness: The idea that one can fully worship the Lord alone at home is not scriptural or biblical in context. Isolated Christianity is not a concept found in the Bible, as the word “saints” is always used in the plural. Corporate worship is not only important but provides a “glimpse of heaven”.
A historical example of the transition from earthly worship to heavenly reality is seen in Dr. Ray Edmund, who collapsed and died while preaching a sermon on worship. Having spent so much time worshiping God, his immediate transition to standing “face to face with the Lord” was described as one of the smoothest transitions imaginable.
Analogy: True, focused worship is like using a powerful telescope on a dark night. While the immediate foreground is obscured by noise and pollution (earthly discouragement and chaos), looking through the lens provides a clear, stunning view of an immense, perfectly ordered galaxy (God’s sovereign control and the glory of heaven). This eternal perspective changes how one handles the small, temporary struggles below.