I was amused earlier this week when I read about a bus advertisement campaign that’s happening in London (England) right now. It’s a high-profile campaign paid for by various atheist and humanist groups, who’ve put the following message on 800 city buses: “There probably is no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”
I was even more amused when I read on the weekend that various Christian groups are countering with their own ads which will run on buses next week. One group is responding with “There definitely is a God.” The Russian Orthodox Church is responding with a better one: “There is a God. BELIEVE. Don’t worry and enjoy your life.” The best response though is an ad which quotes Psalm 53:1: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”
I’m not sure how effective a bus advertising campaign will be in terms of convincing people that there is a God; perhaps a better way to go about doing that is sharing with someone the contents of Revelation 4, because in this reading we get a glimpse of the magnificent glory of God, and the response that this vision leads to: it leads to praise and worship.
There is a God. He’s the God of creation. He created all things, and by him everything exists (4:11).
The chapter begins with John taken up into heaven “in the Spirit” (4:2), he’s given a vision of the heavenly realm by the Lord, who says to him: “Come up hither, and I will show you what must take place after this” (4:1).
And the first thing that he sees in heaven is One sitting on a throne (4:2). He’s referring to God here, but words escape him in describing God, because “there can be no immediate vision of God.”1
God’s majesty is just too unfathomable, words cannot describe the beauty of God, and so the best John can do is to convey an impression. God is like precious stones - jasper, carnelian, and emerald - jewels that radiate splendour (4:3).
And flashes of bright light radiate from God, and peals of thunder can be heard. And the dazzling light and sound are further amplified by a rainbow, a rainbow that reminds us of God’s mercy, God’s covenant with Noah, God’s covenant with all of us. John witnesses the magnificent presence of God in this vision.
Next, John describes what’s happening around the throne, and what’s “taking place” (4:2) there is one thing: adoration. All creation, all angels, all the saints are singing constantly. Everyone and everything is ascribing worth-ship, ascribing God worthiness of praise (4:6-11). It’s a wonderful picture.
Creation sings the praises of God (4:6-8). The four living creatures we read of - the lion, the ox, the face of a man, and the flying eagle - they are creation, all that lives and breathes, including angels, and men and women, the pinnacle of God’s creation, they all sing God’s praises; and not only living creatures, but inanimate things too: mountains, rivers, stars, all creation worships God.
The four living creatures are seated near the throne, or rather, God is near to the living creatures, God is near his creation. And so in response, all creation, all of us sing: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (4:8).
The communion of saints in heaven too praise God (4:4, 9-11). These are the twenty four elders we read of, dressed in white, and wearing a crown on their heads (4:4). These are our brothers and sisters, who have faithfully gone before us, they have shown us the way.
They are wearing white garments of victory, they are seated on thrones like kings or royal priests, wearing crowns: they fittingly represent the heavenly counterpart of the earthly Church.
These too join in the constant praises of God, whom they boldly call “our God” (4:10). They fall down before him, they cast down their crowns before the eternal God, singing: “Worthy art thou, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for thou didst create all things, and by thy will they existed and were created” (4:10-11).
God is indeed worthy to receive glory and honour and power. He is Holy, he is Lord, he is Almighty, and he is eternal. He is the God of creation. By him everything exists. So let us kneel down, along with creation, along with the saints, and let us cast our crowns before him and worship him.
Amen ✠
1 Wilfrid J Harrington, O. P. Revelation. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 16. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1993), 79.
I was even more amused when I read on the weekend that various Christian groups are countering with their own ads which will run on buses next week. One group is responding with “There definitely is a God.” The Russian Orthodox Church is responding with a better one: “There is a God. BELIEVE. Don’t worry and enjoy your life.” The best response though is an ad which quotes Psalm 53:1: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”
I’m not sure how effective a bus advertising campaign will be in terms of convincing people that there is a God; perhaps a better way to go about doing that is sharing with someone the contents of Revelation 4, because in this reading we get a glimpse of the magnificent glory of God, and the response that this vision leads to: it leads to praise and worship.
There is a God. He’s the God of creation. He created all things, and by him everything exists (4:11).
The chapter begins with John taken up into heaven “in the Spirit” (4:2), he’s given a vision of the heavenly realm by the Lord, who says to him: “Come up hither, and I will show you what must take place after this” (4:1).
And the first thing that he sees in heaven is One sitting on a throne (4:2). He’s referring to God here, but words escape him in describing God, because “there can be no immediate vision of God.”1
God’s majesty is just too unfathomable, words cannot describe the beauty of God, and so the best John can do is to convey an impression. God is like precious stones - jasper, carnelian, and emerald - jewels that radiate splendour (4:3).
And flashes of bright light radiate from God, and peals of thunder can be heard. And the dazzling light and sound are further amplified by a rainbow, a rainbow that reminds us of God’s mercy, God’s covenant with Noah, God’s covenant with all of us. John witnesses the magnificent presence of God in this vision.
Next, John describes what’s happening around the throne, and what’s “taking place” (4:2) there is one thing: adoration. All creation, all angels, all the saints are singing constantly. Everyone and everything is ascribing worth-ship, ascribing God worthiness of praise (4:6-11). It’s a wonderful picture.
Creation sings the praises of God (4:6-8). The four living creatures we read of - the lion, the ox, the face of a man, and the flying eagle - they are creation, all that lives and breathes, including angels, and men and women, the pinnacle of God’s creation, they all sing God’s praises; and not only living creatures, but inanimate things too: mountains, rivers, stars, all creation worships God.
The four living creatures are seated near the throne, or rather, God is near to the living creatures, God is near his creation. And so in response, all creation, all of us sing: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (4:8).
The communion of saints in heaven too praise God (4:4, 9-11). These are the twenty four elders we read of, dressed in white, and wearing a crown on their heads (4:4). These are our brothers and sisters, who have faithfully gone before us, they have shown us the way.
They are wearing white garments of victory, they are seated on thrones like kings or royal priests, wearing crowns: they fittingly represent the heavenly counterpart of the earthly Church.
These too join in the constant praises of God, whom they boldly call “our God” (4:10). They fall down before him, they cast down their crowns before the eternal God, singing: “Worthy art thou, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for thou didst create all things, and by thy will they existed and were created” (4:10-11).
God is indeed worthy to receive glory and honour and power. He is Holy, he is Lord, he is Almighty, and he is eternal. He is the God of creation. By him everything exists. So let us kneel down, along with creation, along with the saints, and let us cast our crowns before him and worship him.
Amen ✠
1 Wilfrid J Harrington, O. P. Revelation. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 16. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1993), 79.
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