Saturday, April 5, 2025
Scripture Readings
- Primary Reading: Revelation 4
- Secondary Reading: Psalms 40
Key Verse
Revelation 4:6 — “And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.”
Devotional Thought
John, exiled on the rocky island of Patmos for the testimony of Jesus, has just finished writing letters to seven real congregations in Asia Minor—Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. Then, in Revelation 4, the scene shifts. A door opens in heaven, and a voice like a trumpet calls him up. What John sees next is a throne—not a vision of political power or earthly majesty, but the sovereign seat of the universe. Around it: twenty-four elders in white robes and golden crowns, four living creatures like a lion, a calf, a man, and a flying eagle, and a sea of glass like crystal. Lightnings and thunderings proceed from the throne. This is not a safe, comfortable scene. It is awe-full, unsettling, and utterly holy. The four beasts never stop saying, “Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” And the elders cast their crowns before the throne, declaring, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things.”
Now consider Psalm 40, where David cries out from “an horrible pit” and “miry clay.” He waits patiently for the LORD, and God hears him, lifts him up, sets his feet upon a rock, and puts a new song in his mouth. David knows what it is to be poor and needy, to be surrounded by innumerable evils, to feel his own iniquities taking hold of him. Yet he also knows the God who thinks upon him. And here is the bridge between these two passages: the God who lifts David from the pit is the same God who sits upon the throne in Revelation 4. The One who hears the cry of a shepherd-king in ancient Israel is the One before whom the twenty-four elders fall down in worship. The throne is not distant or detached—it is the throne of a God who inclines His ear to His people.
We are in the season of Lent, a time of repentance and reflection leading to Easter. It is a season that reminds us we are dust, and that our iniquities are more than the hairs of our head. But Lent is not despair. It is the path to resurrection. The throne of Revelation 4 is not the final word—it is the throne from which redemption flows. The Lamb who was slain stands in the midst of that throne, and because of Him, we can approach with boldness. The same God who called John up to see heavenly things is the God who hears our cry from the miry clay.
So today, whether you feel like John—caught up in a vision of glory—or like David—sinking in the pit—know this: the throne is occupied. The elders are casting their crowns. The living creatures are crying “Holy.” And the God who created all things for His pleasure has not forgotten you. He thinks upon you. He is your help and your deliverer. Do not make Him tarry in your heart. Worship Him now, for He is worthy.
Reflection
- When you consider the throne room of Revelation 4—the lightnings, the sea of glass, the ceaseless “Holy, holy, holy”—does your daily worship reflect the awe and reverence that scene demands, or have you grown comfortable with a God who is less than the One John saw?
- David waited patiently for the LORD and was lifted from the pit. In what area of your life are you still in the miry clay, and what would it look like to trust the God who sits on the throne to set your feet upon the rock?
Prayer
O Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come, we bow before Your throne. You are holy, holy, holy, and we are poor and needy. Yet You incline Your ear to us. You lifted David from the horrible pit and set his feet upon a rock. Lift us also, we pray. Put a new song in our mouths, even praise unto our God. Forgive us for the times we have treated Your throne lightly or doubted Your care. Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve us, and let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You. We magnify You, O LORD. Make no tarrying, O our God. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Psalm Verse
Psalms 40:1 — “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”