≡ Index

WORSHIP IN REVELATION

— BIBLE STUDIES —

Daniel Nilsen

Introduction

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.”

Psalm 9:1 is a good summary of the worship we find in Revelation. There we get a glimpse of all creatures worshipping God by recounting His wonderful deeds of creation, and His sustaining and redeeming the world.

There are several things worth noting: The worship is liturgical in form with responsive praise. It includes all of creation in all times, both seen and unseen, in heaven and on earth. The worship is marked by reverence, joy, and humility, and there is celebration, honour, and praise of God, who is holy and Lord of all. The content is clear and its focus is on Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

Challenge

How do you worship? What is the form and content of the liturgy you participate in, or the hymns or worship songs you sing? Do they have the same qualities we find in Revelation?

Comfort

In one way or another, we are all guilty of false worship. We do not naturally know how to worship God, because we do not naturally fear, love, or trust in Him above all things. Yet, God, in His love and grace, calls us to repentance and faith through His Word, and He sanctifies us and teaches us what true and pure worship is. The worship we find in Revelation carries the assurance that Jesus Christ is Lord of all — He reigns now, and He loves us and sustains us, and He will come again to save us.

Worship in Revelation

(Refrain or constant praise:)
Holy, holy, holy, is YHWH God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!

Worthy are You, YHWH our God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for You created all things,
and by Your will they exist and were created.

Holy, holy, holy, is YHWH God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!

Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals,
for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom
and might and honour and glory and blessing!

To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever!

Amen!

Holy, holy, holy, is YHWH God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!

Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!

Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.

Holy, holy, holy, is YHWH God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!

We give thanks to You, O YHWH God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for You have taken Your great power
and begun to reign.
The nations raged,
but Your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding Your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear Your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.

Holy, holy, holy, is YHWH God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!

Great and amazing are Your deeds,
O YHWH God the Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O YHWH,
and glorify Your name?
for You alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship You,
for Your righteous acts have been revealed.

Holy, holy, holy, is YHWH God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!

Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
for His judgements are true and just;
for He has judged the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
and has avenged on her the blood of His servants.

Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.

Amen. Hallelujah!

(Call to worship:)
Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, small and great.

Hallelujah!
For YHWH our God the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure.

Holy, holy, holy, is YHWH God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!

(The Church militant calls:)
Come, Lord Jesus.

Holy, holy, holy, is YHWH God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!

Study

Refrain

Revelation 4:8

“Holy, holy, holy, is YHWH God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Worshipper

The four living creatures around the heavenly throne. Likely Cherubim or Seraphim.

The refrain is repeated throughout.

Cross-references

  • Exodus 3:14
  • Exodus 25:18-22
  • Ezekiel 1:4-28
  • Ezekiel 10:1-22
  • Isaiah 6:2-3
  • Hebrews 9:5
  • Psalm 99
  • Genesis 21:33
  • Isaiah 9:6
  • John 8:58

Stanza 1

Revelation 4:11

“Worthy are You, YHWH our God, to receive glory and honour and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”

Worshipper

The twenty-four elders around the heavenly throne. They may represent God’s people in the OT and the NT.

Cross-references

  • 2 Samuel 22:4
  • Deuteronomy 32:4
  • Psalm 96:7
  • Genesis 1:1-3
  • John 1:1-3
  • Colossians 1:13-16
  • Exodus 20:3
  • Revelation 21:10-14

Stanza 2

Revelation 5:9-10

“Worthy are You to take the scroll
and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Worshipper

The twenty-four elders around the heavenly throne, likely also the four living creatures.

Cross-references

  • Psalm 33:3
  • Psalm 96:1
  • Psalm 89:1
  • Matthew 20:28
  • Matthew 26:28
  • Acts 20:28
  • Romans 3:23-26
  • Exodus 19:6
  • 1 Peter 2:4-9
  • Galatians 3:23-29

Stanza 3

Revelation 5:12

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!”

Worshipper

The heavenly host.

Cross-references

  • Exodus 12:21-27
  • John 1:29
  • 1 Corinthians 5:7
  • Matthew 28:18
  • John 3:35-36

Stanza 4

Revelation 5:13

“To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever!”

Worshipper

All of creation.

Cross-references

  • Acts 7:55-56
  • Psalm 96:11-13
  • Philippians 2:9-11
  • 1 Chronicles 29:11
  • Ephesians 3:21
  • Jude 25

Conclusion

Revelation 5:13

“Amen!”

Worshipper

The four living creatures.

Cross-references

  • 1 Timothy 1:17
  • 2 Timothy 4:18
  • Psalm 72:19

Stanza 5

Revelation 7:10

“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Worshipper

The Church triumphant.

Cross-references

  • Daniel 9:9
  • Psalm 68:19-20
  • Isaiah 43:11
  • Acts 4:10-12
  • Ephesians 2:8

Stanza 6

Revelation 7:12

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Worshipper

The heavenly host.

Cross-references

  • Psalm 89:52
  • Psalm 106:48
  • Jude 25
  • Psalm 100:4
  • John 2:9
  • Colossians 3:16-17

Stanza 7

Revelation 11:17-18

“We give thanks to You, O YHWH God Almighty, who is and who was, for You have taken Your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but Your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding Your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear Your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”

Worshipper

The twenty-four elders around the heavenly throne.

Cross-references

  • Exodus 3:14
  • John 1:1
  • Luke 1:32-33
  • Matthew 28:18
  • John 10:30
  • Daniel 7:9-10
  • Hebrews 1:2-4
  • 1 Peter 3:21-22
  • 2 Timothy 2:12
  • Psalms 2:1-3
  • Isaiah 34:1-10
  • Matthew 25:31-32
  • Mark 16:16

Song of Moses and of the Lamb

Revelation 15:3-4

“Great and amazing are Your deeds, O YHWH God the Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O YHWH, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Worshipper

The Church militant.

Cross-references

  • Exodus 15:1-18
  • Deuteronomy 31:30
  • Deuteronomy 34:5
  • John 1:17
  • Psalm 96
  • Psalm 22:23
  • Psalm 117
  • Psalm 89:1-8
  • Romans 1:16-18
  • 1 Peter 3:18
  • Hebrews 10:19-23

Hallelujah 1-2

Revelation 19:1-3

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for His judgements are true and just; for He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of His servants. Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”

Worshipper

The great multitude in heaven.

Cross-references

  • Psalm 106:1
  • Psalm 111
  • Psalm 149
  • Psalm 150
  • 1 Chronicles 29:11
  • Jonah 2:9
  • John 3:18
  • Psalm 9:6-12
  • Genesis 19:28
  • Jude 5-7
  • Matthew 25:31-41

Hallelujah 3

Revelation 19:4

“Amen. Hallelujah!”

Worshipper

The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures.

Cross-references

  • Psalm 150
  • 1 Timothy 1:17

Call to worship

Revelation 19:5

“Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, small and great.”

Voice

The voice from the throne calls the whole heavenly host, with all believers, including us now, to praise God.

Cross-references

  • Psalm 106:48
  • Psalm 148
  • Psalm 113

The great hallelujah

Revelation 19:6-8

“Hallelujah! For YHWH our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure.”

Worshipper

The great multitude in heaven (at the culmination of the event) and us now (clinging to the prophecy and promise of our Lord).

Cross-references

  • Psalm 148
  • Psalm 95
  • Psalm 100
  • Isaiah 62:5
  • Hosea 2:19-20
  • Matthew 22:1-14
  • 2 Corinthians 11:2
  • Genesis 2:24
  • Ephesians 5:25-32
  • Isaiah 1:18
  • Revelation 7:13-14
  • Hebrews 10:19-23
  • Romans 5:6-11

The hope in Christ

Revelation 22:17

“Come, Lord Jesus!”

Worshipper

The Spirit and the Bride. The Church militant; us now.

Cross-references

  • John 14:1-3
  • Acts 1:6-11
  • 2 Peter 3:9
  • Revelation 22:20