Revelation 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
Just recently we voted in the Tennessee primary elections. I am thankful for those that we were able to vote for, but there have been times when I looked at the options on the ballot, even in the primaries, and thought, “Is this the best we can do?” Sometimes you look at the people who are running things and think, “Wow, we are in trouble.”
We spend so much time on this earth that it is hard to comprehend anything more than right here, right now, the people we vote into power or vote out of power. Yet, there is Someone Who rules in Heaven that we did not vote in, we cannot boot out, we cannot change, and to whom we ought to submit. There is only One Who sits on Heaven’s throne, and that is God.
John said, “A door was opened in heaven…I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” There was only One Who sat on that throne. Who is this and why is He alone worthy? We are told about this worthy One in the next two chapters.
In Revelation 4:11 there are those who say, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” God the Father is worthy and there is a reason that He is. The verse continues, “For thou hast created all things.” He is the Creator! That is why the eternality of this God is emphasized in verse 8 where it says of God, “Which was, and is, and is to come.” This God has a perspective that no one else has. He made this universe, He owns this universe, and He alone is eternal.
That is in stark contrast to a man who has never created anything out of nothing nor is Lord of the universe. Perhaps this man has raised a family, but he is not a Creator. He is not God. We tend to trust ourselves and those we can vote into office more than we trust God Who is untouchable as to His power, but Who hearkens to the prayers of the weakest person Who belongs to Him. So, God is worthy as Creator.
In Revelation 5 we again find that the Lamb, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, is worthy. In Heaven there was a book to be opened, and the question was asked, “Who is worthy to open the book?” There was consternation because there was no man found worthy, yet One came who “took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.”
Verse 9 says, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” It doesn’t matter where you live or who you vote for; there is a God Who transcends time, space, and nation. This God, God the Son, is worthy to open the book. Why? It is because He was slain, and He has redeemed us to God.
So, the Son is worthy as Redeemer. Over and again in this chapter the Bible says that He is worthy. Verse 12 says, “Worthy is the Lamb.” Verse 13 says, “Blessing, and honour, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”
Both the Father and the Son are worthy. The Holy Spirit is referenced in these chapters as well, but numerous times we are told that the One that sits on the throne and the One who can open the book are worthy.
The last words of Revelation 5 are “worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” How worthy do you consider Him? Is He worthy enough to trust? Do you trust His Word over the word of men, popular opinion, and modern thought and theology? The eternal, creating, redeeming God in all His triune Godhead is worthy, not just of our words, but of our lives.