31. Holy, Holy, Holy!
What I love about these creatures is that, having seen everything that God has done, they unanimously cry out, “Holy, Holy, Holy!” Their response to seeing all that He has done is to affirm that He has always done what is right!
Revelation 4:2 (ESV) At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
I love chapter four of the book of Revelation. There is so much in the book that is hard to understand, and theologians have long debated the best way to interpret it. Still, this chapter always stirs my heart, as it describes the throne room of God.
The focus is on the One who is sitting on the throne. This is the Father, who exerts total sovereignty over all creation. Over the throne is a rainbow, the colour of emerald and around the throne are twenty-four elders, each clothed in white garments and wearing golden crowns. From the throne proceed flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. And around the throne, there is a sea of glass like crystal. This is truly an awesome place. I love to picture this scene in my mind, visualise the colours and imagine the sounds.
This chapter lays a foundation for the whole book. The following chapters describe the cosmic battle between good and evil. But here we see the Father is in control, and His authority is absolute. There is never a moment when His rule is seriously challenged. From this throne, He sovereignly governs the entire universe and the affairs of mankind.
Amid this remarkable scene, there are four prominent creatures who are closest to Him. They are difficult to imagine. The first is like a lion, the second like an ox, the third has the face of a man, and the fourth is like an eagle in flight. Each has six wings. Their most unusual feature, however, is that they have eyes all around and within. Even under their wings. I can’t picture what they look like. They are truly unique and beyond our ability to understand. One thing we know, however, about these creatures is that, with all these eyes, they see everything. Nothing escapes their attention.
They are the closest beings to the throne of God, which says they have observed everything God has ever done. There is nothing He has done that they have not seen. Ponder this for a moment. They have witnessed His actions throughout all of history. Every decision He has made. All He has allowed. Everything He has done concerning you and me.
What I love about these creatures is that, having observed everything God has done, they unanimously cry out, “Holy, Holy, Holy!” With these words, they affirm He has never made a mistake and has never mistreated anyone. He has always done what is right!
Let me say, I love these creatures. I don’t understand them, but I love them. Sometimes we can think God has let us down. He has not answered our prayers in the way we wanted them to be. We or those we love have suffered, and there seems to be no sense or reason a loving Father would allow these things to happen.
Life has its unanswered questions, but it is at these times that we need to remind ourselves of these four creatures. They are right next to the throne of God. They have seen all that He has done, and with this perfect knowledge, they affirm that He has always done what is right!
Their testimony reminds us we can trust our heavenly Father. He is good and loves us more than we can imagine, and His every dealing with us is based on His love and His desire to work out good in our lives.
Further reading: Rev 4
Spend a few moments right now thinking about the testimony of these four creatures.
What are the unanswered questions you have about the Father’s dealings with you, and how can their testimony give you comfort, strength and hope to continue to trust Him with these situations?
This is an extract from my free book Knowing God as Father, which is available for download at Knowing God as Father.