Rev 19:5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. [Call to worship]
Rev 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. [Response] And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
So far in our study of the events that led to the worship of God in Heaven, the following highlights have been observed:
- The beginning of true worship is the revelation of God- as a Holy God, who is other than all His creations and the whole universe and separated from evil.
- God is worthy of worship by virtue of His redemptive work through His Son, Christ, the Lamb of God.
- The recipients of His salvation, the redeemed, throughout all nations of the world shall worship Him. God will ultimately receive the desire of His heart: to be worshipped in spirit and truth.
- Again, we see the Almighty God as King of kings, to whom all shall bow in worship for His might and wisdom.
- Lastly, we saw the ultimate victory over the spirit of the world, the mother of all abominations, Babylon- to whom all men had bowed in worship, now conquered, judged and eternally deposed to burn forever.
The focus of the worship of God oscillates between who He is and what He has done. In worship we bow in awe and reverence as we behold His glory and also, the glory of His works. May you see greater things than you have already seen and experienced of God, that you may go deeper in worship. Amen!
As we draw the curtain on this topic, the last scene of worship presents and reinforces the principle or basis of worship: God’s attributes and His purpose (works).
- The LORD God omnipotent
God, in the beginning of the book of Revelation, was revealed as Holy, here He is revealed as Omnipotent. Omnipotence describes Him as All Powerful. God’s omnipotence relates to His Sovereignty. His power to control all things that exist in the world and indeed the whole universe. God can do what He will not do but is possible to do. And the exercise of His power does not describe the limit of His power. He does things only according to the counsel of His will Eph 1:11. So, whatever Hie wills He has sufficient power to execute. The Psalmist said, “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God” Ps 62:11. It was God who spoke, he only re-echoed what God had said. Power belongs to God. His power cannot be quantified. His omnipotence is seen in creation and the preservation of all His creation Heb 1:3. But whatever we might know or may have experienced can be described in the words of Job, “Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?” Job 26:14. We are yet to see the thunder of His power-all we have seen are just the fringes or outskirt of His power! (For details of the fringes Job talked about please read the whole chapter.)
“He rules the world with his great power…” Ps 66:7. At last, it shall be declared, “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” The princes of this world and the god of this world may contend with His rulership but at last, He alone shall reign and rule the nations.
- The Marriage supper of the LAMB
Marriage was instituted to illustrate a plan in the heart of God to be revealed in due time. It symbolizes the union between Christ and His Church. It is a mystery as Paul described. All the works of God are geared toward this great event- the marriage supper of the Lamb. Since the fall, the Missio Dei- the scattering of the nations, the establishment of Israel as a nation, the redemptive work of the Messiah in His first coming, the descent of the Holy Spirit and the mission of the Church are all leading up to this one great event. It is a time when all the Saints will be gathered together unto the LORD. All whose names are written in the book of life will be raised up to be with Christ. Gathered from among all nations and tribes and tongues to feast with Christ and the Patriarchs. It is another climax in the work of God, the fulfilment of His mystery. This is another reason God received worship. From then on, God shall dwell with man eternally. The tabernacle of God shall dwell with men and He shall reign forever more. Alleluia!
Will you be there?
Worship is central in the book of Revelation. God is worthy of worship. You and I are created to worship Him and not another. The more we know God the better the worship we offer.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. –
Joh 4:23-24