I love stepping through the door with John. Leaving, in comparison, the “grey tones” of earth and entering the color filled world of heaven. What was it like to be John on that Lord’s Day when, “in the Spirit”, He had a one-on-one with the risen, glorified, magnified, Son of Man? To have been His “secretary” capturing the Lord of the Churches’ words to His people would have been a pretty amazing experience in and of itself. But then “after these things” John beholds “a door standing open in heaven.” He then hears a voice speak to him, resonating like a trumpet, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which much take place after this.” (Rev. 4:1) And did John ever get shown!!!

The first thing that grabs John’s attention is a throne . . . and not so much the throne but the One who sat on the throne . . . and the colors of His glory emanating from the throne. Also proceeding from the throne was lightning and thunder and voices. He then notices that before the throne are seven lamps of flaming fire . . . the Spirit revealing to Him, “Hey, that’s Me . . . the seven-fold Spirit of God.” (4:2-5)

And as John’s eyes adjust to the light of heaven and his ears adjust to the roaring sound . . . as he gets attuned, somewhat, to the sensory overload of God’s dwelling place, he sees circling the throne twenty-four other thrones . . . and on them twenty-four elders, clothed in white robes and wearing crowns of gold on their head. He then notices the four living creatures . . . creatures whose description kind of defies my imagination . . . save to understand that they are magnificent and awe-invoking to behold. (4:6-7)

The sights . . . the sounds . . . all really beyond any full comprehension . . . so beyond my experience . . . so unattached to any frame of reference I have. But then John notices something that I get. He records activity which I can relate to . . . he says that in heaven there is no rest for the worshiping.

“The four living creatures, . . . do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!’ Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne . . . ” (Rev. 4:8-10)

Day and night, it says . . . no resting . . . no ceasing . . . never stopping . . . these beings, which sound a lot like the seraphim of Isaiah 6, proclaim the holy name of God. “Holy, holy, holy,” seems to be the chorus of a great song . . . and then it seems like they’ll break into a “verse or two” of “glory and honor and thanks to Him on the throne” . . . and when that happens the twenty four elders go face down worshiping Him who lives forever and ever, casting their crowns before the throne of Him who alone is worthy of all exaltation. I don’t know how you read this without sensing that worship is kind of a big part of heaven . . . day and night . . . 24/7 . . . (though I don’t think there is a 24/7 in heaven).

And I don’t fully get how, around the clock (though I don’t think there are clocks in heaven either), worship can happen with all the other stuff that’ll be going on in that place Jesus is preparing for all who love and seek His appearing. But hey, who am I to try and fit heaven into my pea-brain of understanding? I read this and I just don’t think there’s any rest from worship in heaven. It will be part the atmosphere in that place . . . no matter what’s going on . . . or what we’re doing, I don’t think an awareness of the throne and the glory of the One upon it will be very far from our awareness. I sense that spontaneously, throughout the days of eternity, we’ll be going facedown, again and again, to give Him thanks for our salvation . . . to give Him glory for bringing us home . . . to extol Him for the wonders of His magnificent heaven.

And while I can’t fully imagine what worship in heaven will be like, I can relate, in some measure, to heaven-based worship. I have some context for understanding how a heart is moved to want to express to Him appreciation and adoration which is beyond my ability to put into words. I know something of the gravitational pull of wanting to go facedown before Him in awe-inspired worship. O’ that I would know it more . . . that I would be a fluent worshiper in truth and spirit . . . that there would be no rest for the worshiping . . . amen.