The Majesty of God
The Majesty of God
Revelation 4
“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created.”
Throughout history, only five people have seen the throne of God: Isaiah, Ezekiel, Stephen, Paul, and John. However, only Isaiah, Ezekiel, and John give us a vivid description of what they saw. All three of them struggle to describe the vision, for the throne room of God defies any earthly comparison. The one thing consistently described in all three visions is the celebration of the glory and holiness of God. The glory of God is manifested by the presence of indescribable angelic beings who spend eternity celebrating and rejoicing in the majesty of God. John gives us the most complete description of the scene when he describes the lightning and peals of thunder that resound through the heavens in a vivid testimony of the glory and power of God. John compares the throne room to a sea of glass, like crystal, which surrounds the throne upon which God sits.
As we try to imagine the unimaginable scene, what should capture our attention is the anthem of praise that is continually proclaimed every moment of every day from eternity past to eternity future. The first anthem of praise focuses on the holiness of God. Both John and Isaiah speak of the angelic beings proclaiming the unparalleled holiness of God. The repeated refrain, “Holy, holy, holy,” points us to the reality that the holiness of God is so great that it cannot be captured in any human language. The holiness of God is the one quality that captures the totality of God’s character. Holiness highlights His absolute purity and separation from any taint of sin. So pure and unadulterated is His holiness that any hint of the presence of sin invites instant and total judgment and annihilation. When Isaiah stood in the presence of a Holy God, his response was immediate terror, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips.” The word “woe” expresses despair because of the threat of coming judgment. This is further emphasized by the word “ruined,” which means to be destroyed or to perish. For a sinful man to stand before a holy God is to face certain judgment.
The second anthem highlights the supremacy of God’s reign and authority over all the earth. God is worthy of all praise and authority. There is none higher than Him in the universe and no one to whom God must give an account. He is the final cause and the final judge of all. He has this right because He created all things, and He is the one who sustains all things. We are not the product of chance, nor are we the determiner of our own destiny. We were created by God and for Him, and He has authority over all. This declaration establishes God's authority and right to execute judgment on the world. He alone is worthy to judge the world because He not only created us, but He is the only one whose judgment is just, for he alone is untainted by sin. The Book of Revelation, with its pronouncements of judgment upon sin and upon those who embrace it, is a book of praise, for it reminds us of the holiness of God and His absolute aversion to sin. But it also reminds us of His grace, for by His grace, He gives salvation to those who seek Him. The real paradox of God is not “How can a loving God judge sin?” The real paradox is, “How can a holy God accept sinners?” The wonder of His grace can only be fully realized with the backdrop of His holiness. Only but realizing how unworthy we are can we fully appreciate and respond to how gracious God is. If the holiness of God leads the angels to praise God and affirm His authority over all, how much more should his grace lead us to praise and submit to Him?
Revelation 4
“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created.”
Throughout history, only five people have seen the throne of God: Isaiah, Ezekiel, Stephen, Paul, and John. However, only Isaiah, Ezekiel, and John give us a vivid description of what they saw. All three of them struggle to describe the vision, for the throne room of God defies any earthly comparison. The one thing consistently described in all three visions is the celebration of the glory and holiness of God. The glory of God is manifested by the presence of indescribable angelic beings who spend eternity celebrating and rejoicing in the majesty of God. John gives us the most complete description of the scene when he describes the lightning and peals of thunder that resound through the heavens in a vivid testimony of the glory and power of God. John compares the throne room to a sea of glass, like crystal, which surrounds the throne upon which God sits.
As we try to imagine the unimaginable scene, what should capture our attention is the anthem of praise that is continually proclaimed every moment of every day from eternity past to eternity future. The first anthem of praise focuses on the holiness of God. Both John and Isaiah speak of the angelic beings proclaiming the unparalleled holiness of God. The repeated refrain, “Holy, holy, holy,” points us to the reality that the holiness of God is so great that it cannot be captured in any human language. The holiness of God is the one quality that captures the totality of God’s character. Holiness highlights His absolute purity and separation from any taint of sin. So pure and unadulterated is His holiness that any hint of the presence of sin invites instant and total judgment and annihilation. When Isaiah stood in the presence of a Holy God, his response was immediate terror, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips.” The word “woe” expresses despair because of the threat of coming judgment. This is further emphasized by the word “ruined,” which means to be destroyed or to perish. For a sinful man to stand before a holy God is to face certain judgment.
The second anthem highlights the supremacy of God’s reign and authority over all the earth. God is worthy of all praise and authority. There is none higher than Him in the universe and no one to whom God must give an account. He is the final cause and the final judge of all. He has this right because He created all things, and He is the one who sustains all things. We are not the product of chance, nor are we the determiner of our own destiny. We were created by God and for Him, and He has authority over all. This declaration establishes God's authority and right to execute judgment on the world. He alone is worthy to judge the world because He not only created us, but He is the only one whose judgment is just, for he alone is untainted by sin. The Book of Revelation, with its pronouncements of judgment upon sin and upon those who embrace it, is a book of praise, for it reminds us of the holiness of God and His absolute aversion to sin. But it also reminds us of His grace, for by His grace, He gives salvation to those who seek Him. The real paradox of God is not “How can a loving God judge sin?” The real paradox is, “How can a holy God accept sinners?” The wonder of His grace can only be fully realized with the backdrop of His holiness. Only but realizing how unworthy we are can we fully appreciate and respond to how gracious God is. If the holiness of God leads the angels to praise God and affirm His authority over all, how much more should his grace lead us to praise and submit to Him?
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