Daily Devotional For April 27, 2025
And I heard every creature which is in heaven or on earth or under the earth or upon the sea and all that is in them, saying, “To the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and strength forever and ever.” And the four living creatures said, “Amen.” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped. Rev 5:13-14.
The Lamb has now joined the Father on the throne, an action that was anticipated in Rev 3:21. This is the last of a series of five hymns in Revelation 4-5.
1) In Rev 4:8 the four living creatures sing a song based on the “Holy, holy, holy” of Isaiah 6. This song is directed toward the “one sitting on the throne,” presumably the Father.
2) In Rev 4:11 the twenty four elders praise God on the basis of His acts in creation.
3) In Rev 5:9-10 the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders together praise the Lamb on account of His death on the cross.
4) In Rev 5:12 an innumerable host of angels join in the chorus of praise to the Lamb.
5) Finally, in our text above, the One on the throne and the Lamb are being praised together. The entire universe is one, single harmony of praise.
The last of these five hymns is the climax. The first two hymns are sung to the one on the throne, with a focus on creation. The next two hymns are sung to the Lamb, with a focus on salvation. The fifth of the five hymns praises both of them together. So there is a progression from the Father to Jesus and finally to both of them together.
There is also an amazing crescendo in the size of the groups that sing these hymns. The first hymn is sung by the four living creatures; the second, by the twenty-four elders. In the third hymn the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders join together in singing. In the fourth hymn, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders are joined by the massive angel choir; and, finally, the fifth hymn is sung by every creature in the entire universe.
The whole sequence of Revelation 4-5 is moving forward to the great climax in which the Lamb joins the Father on the throne. The major point of this passage is the exaltation of the Lamb to equal status with the Father. This is a status He clearly had before the cross.1 But after His death there is fresh praise to the glory of Jesus Christ. His mighty self-sacrifice on the cross raises the acclamation of heaven to new heights never before seen. Never again will God be praised without mention of Who the Lamb is, what He has done, and why He is accounted worthy. The joy and integrity of the universe is now centered in the worthiness of the Lamb.
Lord, I place Jesus on the throne of my life today. It is my purpose to obey Him in everything, for He is worthy.
1 In Revelation 1:12-18 Jesus is acclaimed in language drawn from texts referring to Yahweh in the Old Testament. See the readings for January 22 and 23.