Nature’s Call to Worship
Currently I’m teaching a study on the Book of Revelation at the church I serve. This week the focus is on chapter four where John is given a glimpse of the worship going on in heaven. John records what he saw and among the things he glimpsed were “four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes.” (v. 6) He goes on to say “The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.” (v. 7) These four creatures, we are told, offered God worship day and night, continually saying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” (v. 8)
Several scholars believe the four creatures John saw stand for the four parts of the animal kingdom. The lion represented wild beasts, the ox represented domesticated animals, the human face represented humans and the eagle represented birds. The lion’s nobility, the ox’s strength, the human’s wisdom and the eagle’s swiftness likely played a role in their selection. Each creature has preeminence in its own particular sphere and yet each give preeminence and worship to God, their Maker. Here we find a reminder that all of Creation was made to worship God. It is not humans alone that worship God; all that God has made joins together in offering the Creator praise.
In the verses that follow we learn that when the four creatures give glory, honor and thanks to God that others gathered around God’s throne fall down before God and join them in offering their own worship. Specifically, twenty-four elders are mentioned and they too sing a hymn of praise to God: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (v. 11)
I would not be so bold as to say I understand all the particulars of worship in heaven but I do find a parallel here with my own experience. It is noteworthy that the twenty-four elders offer their praise after watching the four living creatures offer theirs. The actions of the creatures somehow move the elders to join in the worship. I have experienced that pattern myself. As I have watched various creatures do what God created them to do, and thus offer God praise, I have found myself moved to offer praise to the Creator as well. It was as though the creatures I was observing led or called me into worship. Watching an eagle soar has done this for me. So has observing a grizzly bear forage and a mountain goat climb rocks. Hearing a bull elk bugle in the fall has served as a call to worship for me on more than one occasion. Even spending time with comical prairie dogs has lifted my spirits and moved me to offer God worship. So maybe all of Creation was not just made to worship God but also to lead the rest of us to do the same. The question is, are we following in their steps as the twenty-four elders do in heaven. I hope the answer is Yes.
–Chuck
(I took the elk and mountain goat pictures on my recent trip to South Dakota. I took the grizzly image several years ago in Alaska.)