The Manner of Worship According to the Book of Revelation

By Mazie Nakhro

[Mazie Nakhro is national director of Care Facilitators International, Pune, India.]

In the Book of Revelation worship is a frequent theme. God is worshiped primarily for who He is (e.g., Rev. 4:8; 5:12–13),[1] but He is also worshiped for five other specific reasons. The reasons the twenty-four elders, angels, and saints in heaven worship God convey why believers today should worship Him. Having these in one’s mind and heart makes worship more meaningful and spiritually significant. In addition Revelation reveals the manner or mode of worship.

The Reasons for Worship

Worship for God’s Creative Works

The twenty-four elders in heaven ascribe “worthship” to God because He created everything there is (Rev. 4:11). The causal conjunction ὅτι points to the reason why God is worthy “to receive glory and honor and power.” He is “worthy of receiving the ascription of praise and power because of his finished creative work.”[2] Creation was carried out by Him, but also all things were created and have their being according to His will (4:11; cf. 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16). As Mounce observes, the unusual Greek construction διὰ θέλημά σου ἦσαν καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν (“because of Thy will they existed, and were created”) suggests that all things first potentially existed in the eternal will of God and then came into actual being at His appointed time.3 Or the two verbs (ἦσαν and ἐκτίσθησαν) could be synonymous, emphasizing the fact that God created “all things.” Because God is the Creator of all things, He has the right to expect worship from them (Rev. 14:7; cf. Acts 4:24; 14:15–17). So the appropriate response of every creature is to worship its Creator and Sustainer (Ps. 136:1–9; Rom. 1:20–21).

Worship for Christ’s Redemptive Activity [4]

In Revelation 5:9 another causal ὅτι appears to show that the twenty-four elders magnify the worth of the Lamb for four reasons: He was slain; by His death (“with Your blood”) He provided redemption for people from every kindred, tongue, people, and nation; redemption resulted in their being “a kingdom and priests”; and the redeemed will reign with Him in the millennial kingdom (5:10).[5]

Revelation 7:14–15 also states that the redeemed multitude offer worship before the throne of God in His temple “because” (διὰ τοῦτὸ) they “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” This agrees with other New Testament teaching that redemption is to lead to worship (Eph. 1:3–14; 1 Pet. 2:9).

Worship for God’s Realized Design

When the Tribulation will end, the heavenly hosts will shout in praise to God for His ruling over what is rightfully His—the reclamation of this world (Rev. 11:15). The world, once dominated by satanic rule (John 12:31; Eph. 2:2), will pass into the hands of its true owner. Although this event is yet future,[6] God’s replacement of the kingdom of this world is so certain that this event is spoken of as an accomplished fact. The certainty of this hope inspires the twenty-four elders to prostrate themselves before God and the Lamb (Rev. 11:16). Following the praise of the heavenly host, the elders also say, “We give Thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign” (11:17, italics added).

The aorist verb ἐβασίλευσας (“hast begun to reign”) is both inceptive as well as proleptic;[7] it looks forward to the visible establishment of God’s reign depicted in chapter 20, but it also recognizes that His reign will have begun in the present manifestation of His great power against the enraged nations (11:18).[8] Thus the vanquishing of the nations’ power along with the certainty of God’s theocratic rule provide reasons for rejoicing and worship in heaven. In another similar instance the heavenly host shout, “Hallelujah! For [ὅτι] the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns” (19:6).

Worship for God’s Righteous Judgment

The ὅτι clauses in Revelation 14:7; 15:4; 16:5; and 19:2 are all causal, linking worship to God’s judgments.[9] God’s true and righteous judgment against the wicked is associated with His holy character in the various contexts where the conjunction ὅτι occurs. For instance the clause “because the hour of His judgment has come [ὅτι ἦλθεν ἡ ὥρα τῆς χρίσεως αὐτοῦ]” in 14:7 states why God is to be feared and is to receive glory.[10]

Three causal clauses appear in 15:4. These follow the rhetorical question raised at the beginning of verse 4 and state reasons why God is to be feared and glory given to His name.[11] The reasons are three: He alone is holy,[12] He will be worshiped as the “King of the nations” (v. 3),[13] and His righteous acts have been revealed in the execution of His judgments.[14]

Two other ὅτι clauses occur in 16:5–6. The first clause in verse 5 indicates that the reason for calling God righteous and holy[15] is that He has judged the wicked by polluting their drinking water with blood (v. 4). The second ὅτι clause (v. 6) could be explanatory of the first, but it seems preferable to render it too as a causal conjunction.[16] Thus the two verses could be translated this way: “You are just, you who are and who were, O Holy One, because you have delivered this judgment. Because they poured out the blood of God’s dedicated ones and of the prophets, you have given them blood to drink. They well deserved it” (16:5–6, italics added).

With blood, God vindicates the blood of the martyrs. Earlier the martyred souls prayed for the avenging of their blood (6:9–11), and now their prayers are answered (16:4–6). This of course is another reason why the martyred souls worship God as they thankfully acknowledge, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments” (11:7).

Revelation 19:2 states that another reason for worshiping God is His execution of judgment on Babylon, the great harlot (17:1, 5), in which He will avenge her because of her having martyred many saints in the Tribulation (17:6; 18:24).[17]

Worship for Consummated Union

A fifth reason for worship in heaven is the marriage of the Lamb with His bride (19:7–9). The thought of Yahweh as the Bridegroom and Husband of Israel goes back to the Old Testament (Isa. 54:5; Jer. 3:1–14; Ezek. 16:8–14; Hos. 2:19–20). But in the New Testament Christ is called the Bridegroom of the church (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:21–33; cf. Matt. 9:15; Mark 2:19–20; Luke 5:34–35; John 3:29). Since the Groom in Revelation is the Lamb, it is more consistent to assume that the bride in Revelation 19 is the church.[18] But whatever the identity of the bride may be in 19:7, the point in this passage is that the marriage between Christ and His people is another reason for the heavenly multitude to rejoice and worship God.

The Manner of Worship

The worship of God in heaven is expressed through praise and thanksgiving, songs, prayers, gifts, response to God’s revelation, anticipatory silence for divine intervention, and festive celebration of God’s goodness.

Offering of Praise

Praise is a prominent element in worship in the Apocalypse. Praise is offered to God for His eternality (4:6–8) as well as for His creative acts (vv. 9–11). The Lamb is praised because He alone is worthy to open the scroll and break its seven seals (5:1–10), and the Lamb is further exalted because He is worthy of worship (vv. 11–14).

The first ascription of praise in heaven comes from the living creatures who declare, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come” (4:8). This ascription of praise by these heavenly beings emphasizes the essence of God’s divine nature. His being is the foundation for all His deeds. So before declaring what He does, the living creatures praise Him for who He is.

God is also praised for His creative acts. The twenty-four elders lift up their hearts in praise, saying, “Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created” (4:11).

This response of the elders in praise affirms the incomparable worthiness of the Lord God. Only He is worthy because He created everything. Creation displays His glory. The psalmist recognized this when he wrote, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Ps. 19:1).

As Liesch says, when worshipers contemplate who the Object of their worship is and what is due Him, their praises are raised in a rhythmic and climactic manner.[19] For instance, God the Father is praised with a threefold ascription: “glory and honor and power” (4:11); the Lamb is praised with a sevenfold ascription: “power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (5:12); and both are praised with a fourfold ascription: “blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever” (5:13). Two other similar ascriptions of praise occur in 7:12 and 19:1 (cf. 7:10). In all these verses the ascriptions attributed to God are also assigned to the Lamb.

To Christ belongs “power” (δύναμις, 5:12), that is, He is omnipotent; He has unlimited ability to make anything happen. He can harness the wind, raise the dead, judge the world, and so forth.

To Him belong “riches.” This word πλοῦτος can refer to both spiritual and material wealth. All the resources and treasures of heaven and earth are Christ’s. His riches are infinite and unfathomable (Eph. 3:8; cf. 1 Cor. 3:21–23).

To Him belongs “wisdom.” The word σοφία is the discerning ability to know the highest ends and the best means to their attainment.[20] That Christ would sacrificially die on behalf of His enemies so they may be blessed with every spiritual blessing to the praise of His Father’s glory demonstrates true wisdom (1 Cor. 1:18; Eph. 1:3–14).

Also to Him belongs “might.” The word ἰσχύς denotes physical strength.[21] Sometimes the word conveys the idea of force or military power.[22] Christ, the King of kings and the Lion from the tribe of Judah, is stronger than all the forces of evil. He possesses not just “might” but the might of the “Almighty One” (παντοκράτωρ).[23] He can disarm any power and overthrow any enemy (Luke 11:22). And He will use His infinite might to subjugate all things under His feet (1 Cor. 15:24–28).

To Him belongs “honor” (τιμή). Jesus is worthy to receive honor, because, as God, He has the intrinsic eminence that excels all others and has earned the highest esteem of public distinction through His self-denial, even to the point of death on the cross (Phil. 2:5–8; Heb. 2:9). Therefore He has been given “the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9–11).

To Him belongs “glory” (δόξα), that is, divine splendor, heavenly radiance, and holy majesty. Ultimate glory belongs to God alone.[24] Thus to behold Christ is to see the Father Himself (John 1:14; 2:11; 17:22, 24; Heb. 2:9).

To Christ also belongs “blessing” (εὐλογία). The verb εὐλογέω means “to speak well of, praise, extol” or “to give thanks.”[25] The angelic host in heaven extol the Lion from the tribe of Judah because He alone is worthy to take the sealed scroll from the Father’s right hand. Angels give thanks to the Lamb of God because His sacrificial death has purchased redemption for humankind.[26]

Offering of Thanks

The response of thanksgiving to God from the twenty-four elders is mentioned in Revelation 11:17–18: “We give Thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and wast, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Thy wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to Thy bond-servants the prophets and the saints and to those who fear Thy name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

Thanksgiving is offered to God because He is the sovereign King: “Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign.” The verb εἴληφας (“Thou hast taken”) is in the perfect tense, indicating an action begun in the past and continuing into the future. With the verb ἐβασίλευσας (“hast begun to reign”) it emphasizes the decisive nature of God’s rule. Together these phrases speak of the permanence and certainty of God’s rule.[27] From the perspective of the twenty-four elders, God has already taken to Himself His great power and has begun to reign (cf. vv. 15–16).

The twenty-four elders also express thanksgiving because the wicked are judged and the righteous are rewarded (v. 18). Thanking God for the bestowal of rewards to the righteous is understandably appropriate. But one may wonder why the elders would praise God for a day of judgment. Certainly God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But as Coleman explains, an “understanding of their joy, then, lies not in the punishment of the ungodly, but in the triumph of their Lord. The judgment furnishes a worthy display of His invincible power, vindicating truth and justice and the honor of His Son. This is the delight of heaven that finds expression in ceaseless praise.”[28]

Singing of Songs

Believers who worship sing.[29] This is especially true in heaven, as seen by John in His vision, in that songs break out in heaven a number of times as the events recorded in Revelation 4–19 unfold.[30] Everyone before God’s throne sings in one way or another.[31]

Several factors about the songs in heaven may be noted. First, the heavenly songs in Revelation are all songs of praise or thanksgiving to God and the Lamb. They are also rich in theological content. Most of the songs are praise hymns to God for who He is (4:8, 11; 7:10, 12; 11:17; 16:5–7; 19:2) and for what He has done in creation (4:11; 14:7) or will do in bringing about justice and righteousness (11:18; 12:10–12; 15:3–5; 16:5–7; 19:2–3). Others are Christological hymns of praise and thanksgiving to the Lamb, especially for His work of redemption (5:9–12; 7:10; 11:15; 12:10–12; 19:7; cf. 14:3; 15:3).

Second, the songs are personal and direct in nature. This is evident in the repeated use of the first and second personal pronouns in the songs (e.g., “we,” “us,” “our God,” “Thee,” “Thou”). The only hymn that may be somewhat impersonal is recorded in 5:9–10. Unlike the translation adopted in the King James Version, many manuscripts omit “us” in verse 9 and read “them” and “men,” and “they” instead of “us” and “we” in verse 10. Although the “them”/ “they” rendering may be more accurate, the reason for this less personal expression could be the fact that the four living creatures are included in the singing about the redemption of others. Or they could be singing of their own redemption in either the first or third person.

Third, the singing in heaven includes both old and new songs. In Revelation 5:9 John noted that the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders “sang a new song” (ᾄδουσιν ᾠδὴν καινὴν). The new song here is not necessarily new in time, as if it were something previously nonexistent and unknown in any form whatsoever. The term καινός means newness in the sense of something marvelous in nature and unprecedented in quality.[32] This is a new song of redemption in that what Christ has accomplished for sinful humanity is qualitatively different from the Mosaic sacrificial system and thus superior to the Old Covenant. Through His sacrificial death, which proved His worthiness in carrying out the Father’s divine purpose, He has redeemed believing sinners from their sin. Thus the death of Christ becomes the basis for praise. It is at the heart of true worship.

Another “new song” (ᾠδὴν καινὴν) is sung before the throne (14:3). The content of the song is not mentioned, probably because it is a new song that no one could learn except the 144,000 redeemed Jews. But like the song in 5:9–10, this song may relate to redemption.

In 15:3–4 John mentioned a heavenly multitude singing an old song, which is revised, as it were, with new meaning and a new tune. This is “the song of Moses … and the song of the Lamb,” as John put it. The song of Moses is a song celebrating the victory of God and His people in defeating Pharaoh and his army (Exod. 15:1–18). The song of the Lamb, on the other hand, may be the one mentioned in Revelation 5:9–10. It seems, however, that these two songs are sung together as one by the martyred saints (15:3–4).[33]

Fourth, the songs in heaven are sung responsively or antiphonally. For instance the initial anthem of praise in chapter 4 is rendered by the throne guardians, the living creatures (v. 8), and this praise is followed by response from the twenty-four elders, who offer their own anthem of praise (vv. 10–11).

Chapter 5 presents three antiphonal praises: the first hymn comes from the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders (5:9–10); the second hymn is from the angelic hosts in heaven (v. 12), and the third is a response from every creature in the entire cosmos (v. 13).

Also the praise from a redeemed multitude in 7:10 is followed by a sevenfold doxology by another choir of angels that begins and ends with “amen” (v. 12). Similarly a response from the heavenly altar—“Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments” (16:7)—follows an angel’s praise of God for His righteous judgment (vv. 5–6). Another example of antiphonal praise comes in the form of four hallelujah choruses (19:1–2; v. 3; vv. 4–5; and vv. 6–7). The first celebrates the fact that salvation and victory belong to God, and it also affirms that His judgments are true and righteous (vv. 1–2). The second hallelujah is a responsive exclamation to affirm the truth of the first chorus. These first two choruses are uttered by a great heavenly multitude (vv. 1, 3). The third hallelujah is expressed by the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders (v. 4). This is an endorsement (“Amen”) of the affirmations made by the multitude. Then a voice from the throne calls everyone to worship God (v. 5). In response a great multitude joins in a concluding hallelujah, which glorifies the reign of the Almighty God and announces the wedding of the Lamb (vv. 6–7).

Fifth, the singing in heaven is in unison. The fact that some of the hymns are heard as a single “voice” (5:12; 7:10; 19:1) indicates that the performances of the heavenly choirs are in harmony as they corporately lift their songs in antiphonal praises.

Sixth, the songs are distinctively clear. According to 5:13, John heard the praise of God from “every created thing” in the universe. Although this certainly does not mean that John could make out the voice of each creature, it could suggest that John was able to hear the words of the hymns clearly. Or perhaps it means that John was able to hear a multilingual praise “from every tongue [ἐκ παντὸς … γλωσσῶν]”[34] and from “every nation and all tribes and peoples” (7:9–10). After all, Christ’s redemptive grace, which transcends all racial, cultural, linguistic, and national boundaries, will have saved people “from every tribe, nation, kindred, and tongue” (5:9–10).

These songs of praise and thanksgiving in heaven are appropriate, for singing is a beautiful expression of worship.[35]

Offering of Prayers

Prayer is one of the ways in which the residents of heaven express themselves to God. According to 5:8, the golden bowls[36] are full of “incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (θυμιαμάτων, αἵ εἰσιν αἱ προσευχαὶ τῶν ἁγίων). The fact that the relative clause beginning withαἵ has θυμιαμάτων as its antecedent[37] indicates that the incense symbolizes the prayers of the saints. The association of incense with prayer has its precedent in the Old Testament (e.g., Ps. 141:2). Despised on earth, the prayers of the saints are now brought in golden bowls by the twenty-four elders to offer them to the Lamb.

In Revelation 6:10 the martyred souls of the Tribulation period are said to ask God to justify “the testimony which they had maintained” (v. 9) by executing His righteous and holy judgment on those who dwell on the earth. “The guilty parties are God’s enemies, who in turn become the objects of the martyrs’ petitions.”[38] Their prayers are answered later (16:5–7; 19:2).

In 8:3–5 an angel brings incense in a golden censer so that “he might add it to the prayers of all the saints.” The incense and the prayers of the saints are distinguished here, although they ascend together before God (vv. 4–5).[39] Just as incense under the Old Covenant signified God’s acceptance of the worship of His people (Gen. 8:21; Deut. 33:10, ASV marg.; Ps. 141:2), so the offering of the incense in Revelation 8:3–4 speaks of acceptable prayers.[40] This means that the prayers of believers can be considered as acts of sacrifice when they are offered to God.[41]

The angel’s involvement in the prayers of God’s people in the above passage does not suggest that angels intercede for the saints;[42] it simply means that angels pray along with the saints and speedily carry out God’s answers to the saints’ prayers (vv. 5–6; cf. Dan. 10:10–21; Acts 12:1–17).

Offerings of Gifts

In recognition of God’s sovereignty the twenty-four elders take their crowns from their heads and cast them down at His feet (Rev. 4:10). These golden crowns typify the honor God conferred on them for their faithful service.[43] Yet these elders realize that even their rewards have come through no merit of their own; they are all ultimately God’s gifts. Thus in recognition of His worthiness, and in total submission to His will, they willingly remove their symbols of honor and voluntarily lay them at the feet of their Lord as an act of worship. In offering themselves and their crowns to God, these white-clad elders set an example of worship that is completely unselfish and wholeheartedly devoted to the one sovereign Lord. The kings of the earth will also make pilgrimage to the new heavenly Jerusalem and will honor the King of kings (21:24, 26).

Response to God’s Revelation

God’s Word is revealed in the scrolls (5:1–5) by the One whose name is “the Word” (19:13). The scroll is the Word of God opened in heaven.[44] This does not mean that the scroll here stands for the Old or New Testaments. It seems preferable to see this as another divine writing that gives an additional revelation of His will.

When the Lamb of God is found worthy to open the sealed scroll, all heaven responds in worship of Him (5:8–14). When the first four seals are broken, the four living creatures respond by saying “Come” (6:1, 3, 5, 7). In the breaking of the fifth and seventh seals worship again will occur in heaven (vv. 9–11; 8:3–5).

Another scroll is mentioned in 10:1–11, and John was asked to symbolize his appropriation of its revelation by eating it (vv. 8–11).

Anticipatory Silence for God’s Intervention

The mention of “silence in heaven for about half an hour” (8:1) should not be seen as an unwelcome cessation of a failed program or a lack of communication in heaven. Instead it should be interpreted in contrast to the many verses in Revelation that allude to voices and sounds in heaven. The “silence in heaven” seems to be contrasted with the audible praises of 7:10, the trumpeting sounds of 8:2, 6–7, and the thunderous noises of 8:5. Thus the “silence” (σιγὴ) mentioned in verse 1 is obviously an intended pause for complete quietness all over heaven.

What exactly is the significance of this half hour following the opening of the seventh seal? According to 2 Esdras 7:30 there will be a seven-day period of silence between this age and the age to come. Thus some see an allusion to the primeval silence that preceded creation and that now will precede the new creation.[45] However, this explanation has no basis in Revelation 8. Some, on the other hand, argue that 8:1 is not to be taken as referring to a literal silence because of the continuing heavenly songs; they suggest that it denotes a brief suspension of judgment.[46] Again the problem with this view is that the context gives no hint of a temporary release from judgment. According to another view the silence in heaven was a temporary cessation of revelation granted to John.[47]

A more defensible view is that the “silence” is a dramatic pause symbolizing the awe and dread with which the heavenly host will await the events about to happen.[48] This interpretation has some contextual support, especially as it relates to the seventh seal judgment that will be poured on earth. The silence in the context of judgment is also reminiscent of the prophetic injunction, “The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him” (Hab. 2:20; cf. Zeph. 1:7–8, 15–18; Zech. 2:13).[49]

A slight variation of this view is the interpretation that the silence is a dramatic pause in the heavenly praises so that the temple liturgy in heaven may be completed and God may answer the martyrs’ prayers in judging their enemies.[50] This view is preferable for several reasons. First, “about half an hour” (ὡς ἡμίωριον) is estimated to be the length of time needed for the priest to perform the offering of incense required by the Law (Lev. 16:13–14; Luke 1:10, 21) and for the heavenly ritual in Revelation 8:3–5 to be performed.[51] Bauckham says, “Probably it is better to think of liturgical time, such as the context of worship in the heavenly temple suggests. It is plausible to suppose the offering of incense in the morning ritual in the temple at Jerusalem (as described in m. Tam. 6) took about half an hour. Revelation 8:1 refers to the heavenly equivalent.”[52] If then the “half an hour” is a liturgical time, the “silence in heaven” in 8:1 may be liturgical as well. Second, this view is well supported by both the preceding and following contexts that have to do with heavenly worship (7:9–15; 8:3–5) and by the presence of the Lamb who will break the seventh seal judgment (7:17–8:1; cf. 5:5).

The silence in heaven is likely not a result of the opening of the seventh seal as such, as if heaven’s inhabitants were taken by surprise that God punished the wicked. It is more likely for the purpose of giving the saints opportunity to pray, as they anticipate the seventh seal judgment, which contains the judgments of the seven trumpets.[53] “Apparently the angelic activity of verses 2–5 takes place during this interval of silence. Trumpets are given to the seven angels before the throne. An angel standing over the altar mingles incense with the prayers of the saints, and taking fire from the golden altar fills his censer and casts it upon the earth. The intensity of the scene is incredibly heightened by the complete absence of any sound.”[54]

The idea that silence is required in heaven so that the prayers of God’s people can be heard is attested in the Talmud (b. Hag. 12b; b. ‘Abod. Zar. 3b).[55] There it is said that God silences the angels so that He may hear the prayers of Israel and show them His lovingkindness. “Psalm 65:1–2 may be a partial basis both for this Jewish tradition and Rev. 8:1: ‘there will be silence before you, [even] praise in Zion … you who hear prayer.’ ”[56] The Testament of Adam 1:11–12 says that angels become silent when incense is burned by heavenly priests so that human prayers may be heard in heaven (cf. Midr. Rab. Gen. 65:21; 4Q405 20-22.7-9).[57] The Targum on the Canticles also reports that “when Joshua fought against Gibeon and asked for the sun and moon (metaphors for heavenly beings) ‘to be silent,’ they ‘ceased reciting [their] song,’ apparently so that Joshua’s request could be heard (1:1; cf. Josh. 10:12–14).”[58]

The fact that there is a period of absolute silence all over heaven implies that even all the heavenly choirs are quiet as the prayers of God’s people ascend to heaven. D’Aragon calls the silence “a striking contrast between the hymns that go before and the crash that follows.”[59] The sudden standstill of all heaven’s actions and the complete quietness of any noise throughout heaven would produce a profound effect among the heavenly host as they anticipate an immediate intervention by God in answer to the saints’ prayers. The silence, then, may be considered as an anticipation of divine intervention so that justice and peace may prevail on earth as they do in heaven.

Festive Celebration of God’s Goodness

Worship in the Book of Revelation also includes a celebrative element. In 7:9 John wrote that he saw the redeemed multitude in heaven carrying “palm branches” as was the custom for the procession in the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:40). The redeemed in heaven will celebrate their deliverance and victory over the beast and his mark. This ritual in heaven is accompanied by a shout, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Rev. 7:10). This recalls Psalm 118 with its famous “Hosanna” in verse 25, which was read during the Feast of Tabernacles. It also recalls the joyful shout of the multitude at the Lord’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:8–11). Just as the Israelites rested from labor when they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, so the Tribulation saints will rest (“neither shall the sun beat down on them, nor any heat,” Rev. 7:16). Also they will eat from God’s bountiful provision (“they shall hunger no more,” v. 16), drink the water of life (“neither thirst anymore,” v. 16), and rejoice (“God shall wipe every tear from their eyes,” v. 17). These worshipful acts in heaven express the saints’ celebration of God in worship. Indeed, nothing else would seem more appropriate in heaven than such celebrative worship in the form of serving, resting, rejoicing, eating, and drinking in the presence of God and His Lamb.

The celebrative aspect of worship is also seen in God’s three invitations for His own to rejoice. First, “For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them” (12:12). Second, “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her” (18:20). Third, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready” (19:7).

The singing of songs by the redeemed in heaven, mentioned at various places in the book, also speaks of the celebrative character of worship (4:8, 11; 5:9–10, 12–13; 7:10, 12; 11:15, 17–18; 12:10–12; 14:7; 15:3–4; 16:5–7; 19:1–3, 5–7).

Summary

Believers on earth can learn much about worship in heaven and by following the pattern of the redeemed whose worship includes acclamations of praise and thanks, songs, prayers, gifts, response to God’s revelation, silence in anticipation of God’s intervention, and celebration of God’s goodness. This is genuine worship—worship that exalts the sovereign God “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).

Notes

1. See Mazie Nakhro, “The Meaning of Worship according to the Book of Revelation,” Bibliotheca Sacra 158 (January-March 2001): 75-85.
2. G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), 335.
3. Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), 127. So also Henry Barclay Swete, Commentary on Revelation (reprint, Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1977), 75.
4. Christ’s redemptive work on the cross is mentioned often in Revelation (1:5; 5:12; 7:14; 12:11; 13:8; 14:3–4).
5. Charles C. Ryrie, Revelation, Everyman’s Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 1998), 50; cf. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 135.
6. The aorist verb ἐγένετο (“has become,” Rev. 11:15) is proleptic (Friedrich Düsterdieck, Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the Revelation of John, trans. and ed. Henry Jacobs [New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1887], 328–39; A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament [Nashville: Broadman, 1933], 6:384; and Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8–22: An Exegetical Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 1995], 106).
7. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, 6:385; M. Kiddle and M. K. Ross, The Revelation of St. John, Moffatt New Testament Commentary (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1940), 208; J. B. Smith, A Revelation of Jesus Christ (Scottdale, PA: Herald, 1961), 178; Thomas, Revelation 8–22, 109; and Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 226–27.
8. Thomas, Revelation 8–22, 109; and Alan Johnson, “Revelation,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, 12 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981), 509.
9. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, 6:421, 447.
10. Thomas, Revelation 8–22, 204.
11. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 287–88, n. 14. By not translating the second ὅτι, the New English Bible, the New International Version, and the Revised Standard Version make the second causal clause a declarative statement. But there is no reason why the second ὅτι in verse 4 should not be translated as in the King James Version and the New American Standard Version
12. Isbon T. Beckwith notes that the holiness of God here refers not to His sinlessness, but to His unapproachable majesty and power (The Apocalypse of John [New York: Macmillan, 1922], 675). Similarly J. Sweet says that God’s holiness in Revelation 15:4 is used in the sense of His unapproachable greatness (Revelation, Pelican Commentaries [London: SCM, 1979], 240).
13. The universal recognition of the Lord as the one true God is a common expectation in the prophetic Scriptures (Ps. 86:9; Isa. 45:23; Mal. 1:11; Rev. 21:24–26).
14. R. H. Charles, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Revelation of St. John, International Critical Commentary (Edinburgh: Clark, 1920), 2:36; and Leon Morris, The Revelation of St. John, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, rev. ed. (Grand Rapid: Eerdmans, 1987), 184.
15. Thomas, Revelation 8–22, 253.
16. William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: Westminister, 1976), 123; cf. Swete, Commentary on Revelation, 203.
17. Swete, Commentary on Revelation, 242–43; and Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, 6:421–47.
18. For other arguments in support of this interpretation, see Swete, Commentary on Revelation, 246–47; W. A. Criswell, Expository Sermons on Revelation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1962), 5:28–36; John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Chicago: Moody, 1966), 270–73; Thomas, Revelation 8–22, 365–67; and Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 347–48.
19. Barry Liesch, People in the Presence of God, ed. Joseph Comanda and Michael G. Smith (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988), 254–55.
20. Robert E. Coleman, Songs of Heaven (Old Tappan, NJ: Revell, 1980), 57.
21. Walter Grundmann, “ἰσχύς,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, trans. and ed. Goeffrey W. Bromiley, 3 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965), 357–402.
22. Ibid.
23. This word occurs in the New Testament only in Revelation, where this title is used nine times (Rev. 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:6, 15; 21:22).
24. Barclay, The Revelation of John, 1:180.
25. Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2d ed., rev. F. Wilbur Gingrich and Frederick W. Danker (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979), 322.
26. As Coleman says, inherent in the word εὐλογέω is “the awareness that everything—of which mankind’s redemption is the most personal—is rightfully His, and thus it calls forth grateful acknowledgment by all His subjects” (Songs of Heaven, 57).
27. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, 6:385.
28. Coleman, Songs of Heaven, 110.
29. Songs by believers are recorded throughout the Scriptures, including Moses, Deborah, David, Mary, angels (e.g., Job 38:7), Jesus and His disciples, and Paul and Silas.
30. For extrabiblical references to the hymns sung in heaven, see Apocalypse of Abraham 14; 1 Enoch 39:12ff.; 2 Enoch 21:1; 3 Enoch 1:12; 20:2; 39:2; 40:1–2; 48:2; and 4QShirShabba.
31. The phrase ᾄδουσιν ᾠδὴν (“to sing songs”) appears only in Revelation 5:9; 14:3; and 15:3. But whenever ᾄδουσιν is mentioned, the word is modified by the word λέγοντες (e.g., 5:9; 15:3). This same language appears in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. This construction may suggest that the hymnlike contents that are introduced by λέγοντες may be hymnic passages (Heinrich Schlier, “ᾀδὴ,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 1 [1964], 163–64). A different viewpoint is the explanation that most of what is regarded as singing can be more appropriately rendered as speaking, especially when angelic beings are referred to (Morris, The Revelation of St. John, 100).
32. For example the word καινός is used in reference to the “new testament” of Christ’s blood (1 Cor. 11:25), the “new creature” through the redemptive work of Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), the “new heaven and the new earth” (Rev. 21:1), and the “new Jerusalem” (v. 2).
33. Johnson, “Revelation,” 12:546. Though neither of these songs, as recorded in Exodus 15 and Revelation 5, contains the precise ascriptions cited in Revelation 15:3–4, the theological meaning in these passages is perfectly consistent.
34. Perhaps this may imply that the singing comes in the form of a multilingual shouting of praises as with one voice (Swete, Commentary on Revelation: The Greek Text [reprint, Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1977], 101).
35. For the influence of Revelation on Christian hymns, see C. Rossetti, The Face of the Deep: A Devotional Commentary on the Apocalypse (London: S.P.C.K., 1892).
36. The word φιάλη refers to a flat, shallow bowl for drinking or for offering a libation (Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon [New York: Harper & Brothers, 1940], 1930; cf. Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews 3.6.6) and was a vessel used in the tabernacle and the temple (Exod. 27:3; Num. 4:14; 2 Chron. 4:21–22; Zech. 14:20).
37. “Though in gender the relative pronoun hai (‘which’) agrees with philias (‘bowels’) it has thymiamaton as antecedent. This is the natural sense dictated by the context.” Also “the feminine gender of the pronoun hai is explained by its attraction to the gender of the feminine predicate nominative of the relative clause hai proseuchai (‘the prayers’)” (Thomas, Revelation 1–7, 397).
38. Robert L. Thomas, “The Imprecatory Prayers of the Apocalypse,” Bibliotheca Sacra 126 (April-June 1969): 127.
39. Thomas, Revelation 8–22, 10.
40. Ibid.
41. Barclay, The Revelation of John, 1:40–41.
42. The mediatorial role of angels—that they bring human beings’ prayers to God—is prevalent in Jewish apocalyptic literature (Tob. 12:12, 15; 1 Enoch 9:3; 47:1–2; 99:3; 3 Bar. 11–16; Testament of Levi 3:7; 8:3–5) but it is not in the New Testament. The angel of Revelation 8:3–5 assists only in presenting the prayers of the saints before God.
43. Στεφάνος, the word for “crown,” means a prize given for victory, achievement, or personal merit, as distinguished from the word διάδημα, a king’s crown. See Walter Grundmann, “στεφάνος,” in Theological Dictionary of the NewTestament, ed. Gerhard Friedrich 7 (1971), 615–36. Crowns of honor are promised to God’s people for their faithful service (1 Cor. 9:25; 2 Tim. 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Pet. 5:4; Rev. 2:10).
44. “Scroll” to the first-century Christians would often mean Scripture. The scrolls with which they were most familiar were the scrolls of the Scriptures which they highly valued and regularly listened to in their Christian assemblies.
45. M. Rissi, Time and History: A Study on the Revelation, trans. G. C. Winsor (Richmond, VA: John Knox, 1966), 3–6; and Sweet, Revelation, 159.
46. E.g., Walter Scott, Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Swengel, PA: Bible Truth Depot, n.d.), 168–69.
47. Swete, The Apocalypse of St. John, 106–7.
48. J. A. Seiss, The Apocalypse (New York: Charles C. Cook, 1909), 2:17; Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John, 550; John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Chicago: Moody, 1971), 150; and Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 178–79.
49. James Moffatt, “The Revelation of St. John the Divine,” in The Expositor’s Greek Testament, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, n.d.), 5:401; J. Massyngberde Ford, Revelation: Introduction, Translation and Commentary, Anchor Bible (New York: Doubleday, 1975), 13; and Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation, 149–51.
50. Charles, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Revelation of St. John, 1:223; Richard Bauckham, The Climax of Prophecy: Studies on the Book of Revelation (Edinburgh: Clark, 1993), 70–82; and Beale, The Book of Revelation, 451–52.
51. Lee, The Revelation of St. John, 4:595; David Chilton, The Day of Vengeance (Fort Worth: Dominion, 1987), 229–30; and Thomas, Revelation 8–22, 2–3.
52. Bauckham, The Climax of Prophecy, 83.
53. Thomas, however, suggests that the silence in heaven comes after the prayers of the saints, not during them (Revelation 8–22, 3).
54. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 179.
55. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 451.
56. Ibid.
57. Ibid.
58. Ibid.
59. J. L. D’Aragon, The Apocalypse, Jerome Biblical Commentary (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1968), 12:478.