Title: Praise and Glory
Contents
2006' Lecture on Revelation from the pulpit of Kyunghyang (19)
"Praise and Glory"
Revelation 4:8-11
The glory of the throne of heaven is culminating in the praise of the four living creatures and the praise of the 24 elders.
I. What is the peculiarity of this praise?
1. It is a praise sung from the heavenly throne.
Revelation 4:9 says, “When the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and lives forever and ever.”
In Revelation 4:10, “the twenty-four elders fell down before him who sat on the throne and worshiped him who lives for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne” (Revelation 4:11).
In other words, it is a song sung in heaven. It is a new song (Revelation 14:3). It's a song with a better tune and better content. It is different from singing while being restricted in sin. A song of fresh taste, a song of glory, a song full of victory.
2. It is the praise of the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures (Revelation 4:8, 11).
It is a praise sung only by those who participate in the work of salvation and are blessed by the grace of salvation. In the church on earth, too many praises are sung without being able to participate in the true grace of salvation or the work of salvation. However, this hymn is sung by the pure crowd who experienced the true value of redemption in a state of perfect glorification.
3. It is a praise that does not stop day and night (Rev 4:8-10).
How can we sing non-stop praise day and night?
The first reason is that the God to be praised is the eternal God who lives for ever and ever (Rev 4:8, 9).
Therefore, we also praise the existence of the heavens and the earth, but we are more grateful for praising the God who created the heavens and the earth.
The second reason is that they who sing hymns are spiritual creatures and are the saints of eternal life.
Because they are the children and servants of the eternal inheritance.
The third reason is that the condition of praise is eternal.
This is because the subject of the hymn is the blood of the Lamb Jesus. The effect of that precious blood is eternal. As long as it lasts forever, those who have received the atoning grace of the blood will praise it forever. While the effect of satisfaction on the effectiveness of redemption will last forever, won't the praise of appreciation for recompense also last forever?
4) It is worship-centered humble praise (Rev 4:10).
It is a praise that is raised by bowing down and worshiping, and by throwing a crown. It is indeed a tribute to neo-capitalism. It is not praise for the satisfaction of one's feelings or selfishness, but praise that pleases only God. It is a praise centered on glory.
II. What is the content of this praise?
1. The content of the praise of the four living creatures is in the essence (attribute) of God (Rev 4:8-9).
It praised God's holiness first.
“Holy, holy, holy” (Revelation 4:8). It represents the perfect Triune God. ‘Holy’ here means that God is separated (disconnected) from creation. Therefore, God commanded the creatures to worship God in holy things (1 Chronicles 26:29), in holy garments (2 Chronicles 20:21), and in holiness (Hebrews 12:4). Therefore, we must always face up to ourselves as creatures and sinners.
Second, they praised God's omnipotence.
He said, “O Almighty” (Revelation 4:8). His omnipotence was manifested in creation, government, preservation, and providence. Therefore, we must always face up to being incompetent creatures.
Third, he praised God's eternity.
“He who was, is, and is to come,” he said. It shows that the ‘God who was before’ is the source of the existence of all things and the existence of the saints. This is the basis of our faith. That is why the psalmist said, “From ancient times God has been my King, and he has brought salvation to mankind” (Psalm 74:12).
“God who is” means that He is a living, personal God in a realistic relationship. Therefore, He promised, “He will always be with us to the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).
The psalmist said, “Blessed be the Lord, who carries our burdens daily, to God our salvation” (Psalm 68:19).
The God who is to come is the basis of our hope. Therefore, it is said that God is our hope.
The spirits praised God's eternity. He is “the One who lives forever and ever” (Revelation 1:18, 4:9), that is, “the One who lives forever” (Daniel 4:34). Therefore, the saints are not the nihilists of this world who sing the finite, but the people of the eternal kingdom who sing the infinite.
2. The twenty-four elders sang about God's creation (Revelation 4:11).
First, look at their attitude of praise.
They bowed down and praised the humility of worship. This is the attitude of the Magi (Matthew 2:11), a leper among ten who had received grace (Luke 17:11-16), and a Syrobonic woman who received the great grace of faith (Matthew 15). :28) is the humility seen in It is an attitude of praise of glory. Victory is not mine, only God's own. Man fights to make the glory after victory his own. However, the saints give glory after victory only to God. This is because the only source of victory is Jesus (Revelation 5:5, John 16:33). Therefore, while we take victory seriously, we move cautiously in dealing with the glory after victory.
Second, the content of their praise is that the Lord is the Creator of all things.
It is said that all things existed according to the will of the Lord, and that they were created. Therefore, it is said that it is only fitting that the Lord God be given all glory, honor, and power.
When does this confessional hymn come out?
First, it is when we are certain of the cause of existence.
They confessed, "Our Lord made all things." He said that the arche of the universe is God Himself.
Second, it is time to realize the purpose of existence.
They confessed, "All things were according to the will of the Lord." Being without purpose is unthinkable.
Third, it is when we immediately know the significance of the existence of creation.
They confessed, "You were created according to Your will."
There is nothing more disturbing and frustrating than not knowing the owner, not knowing the owner, or not knowing the owner. When you see things that are not owned by them, you are motivated to steal. There is no praise or thanksgiving.
Also, it is just as unsettling as not knowing the inside story of the object. There can be no thanks or praise.
Moreover, an ownerless object is either worthless filth, or horrendous waste thrown away. What thanks or praise is there?
Therefore, for the atheist, the agnostic, and the pantheist, there is only a god of fear, a god of anxiety, and a god of the mute. Therefore, can we not hear praise and thanks in their world?
Evolutionists are one of them. They said that in the end it will be all right because human nature is evolving to be good. These evolutionists' thinking eventually reduced human beings to objects rather than the image of God. Rousseau's naturalism is of this kind. When a human being is reduced to an image rather than a god, there is no way to hear true faith, worship, thanksgiving, and praise.
They also advocate for survival of the fittest. It is the principle of survival of the weak and the strong, in which the strong eats the weak. This will eventually lead mankind to the brink of destruction. It is a hotbed of terrifying dictatorship. Those who applied this principle to the principles of historical evolution, as tyrants of the century, carried out tyranny and tyranny. Hitler eventually became a descendant of evolutionists. The materialist theory of communism is also a product of evolution. This is Karl Marx's principle of human self-sufficiency. What trust, gratitude, and praise is there for this?
Moreover, evolutionists see humans as the product of chance and natural development. As a result, they turn away from human beings who are the image of God. Therefore, in the end, goodness, morality, spirituality, and religion cannot exist in humans, but are merely evolved physical properties.
In this way, they do not know the creation of man or all things. Belief in chance occurrence or evolution.
They do not know or deny that all things come from the Lord (the cause of existence), because of the Lord (the significance of being), and return to the Lord (the purpose of existence) (Romans 11:36). There can be no thanksgiving to these people.
However, the spirit creatures praised God's attributes (holiness + omnipotence + eternity).
The twenty-four elders praised God's creation (cause of existence + righteousness + purpose).