Whose Crown Is It Anyways?

Recently I was able to take a few minutes to share with everyone from our church that is involved in our Worship Arts Ministry. I read to them from Revelation 4 in which John is taken up to heaven in a vision and sees the very throne of God standing in heaven which represents the sovereign reign and rule of God. The fact that His throne is seen as “standing” shows that His rule and reign is fixed and unshakable.

John sees God sitting on this throne and describes his glimpse of the eternal God as being like jasper and sardius stones. These were the first and last stones that were on the breastplate of the High Priest in the Old Testament. A jasper stone was like a crystal clear diamond symbolizing the very glory of God. The sardius stone was a fiery blood red ruby which symbolized the wrath of God. John saw and heard lightning and thunder around the throne representing the majesty and power of God. He also saw a green rainbow above the throne signifying the faithfulness of a God who cannot lie. And to top it all off, John describes a pavement of glass coming out of the throne that was like sparkling crystal. What a sight that was for John. What a sight that will one day be for us!

Around the throne were 24 elders also on thrones. Are they angles or humans? Angels are never seen on thrones in Scripture nor are they ever seen as ruling. The title, “Elder” is never used to refer to angels, nor are crowns ever promised to angels in the Bible. However, humans in Scripture are called Elders and they are promised crowns for faithful service. Why only 24? The number “24” represents a whole in Scripture (see 1 Chronicles 24:4-18). Because at this time in prophecy, Old Testament and Tribulation Saints have yet to be resurrected, these are best taken to be representative of the church.

Along with these 24 Elders, there are also 4 living creatures present. These are special angels associated with God’s holiness. These angels fly around the throne and say, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who as and is and is to come.” As they do, it is amazing to watch the response of the 24 Elders (the church). Remember that worship is a Spirit led response to a truth about God. As the church focuses on this truth about the holiness of God their response is to fall down on their knees before He who sits on the throne, worship Him, cast their crowns at His feet, and join these angelic creatures in the verbal declaration of the worthiness of God.

Here is what sticks with me. I believe that the crowns these 24 elders have are the crowns given to them by God at the Bema Judgment for their faithful service on earth. But when they focus on the holiness of God, they take those very crowns that they earned on earth and cast them at God’s feet realizing that only He is worthy of any recognition. I encouraged all who are part of our Worship Arts Ministry here at Grace to remember that being part of our Sunday worship isn’t about who gets to be on stage or where their placement is on stage. Unfortunately, we in our flesh focus too much on that aspect. The goal of every participant on Sunday morning is simply this…to focus all attention and to give all recognition to the only One who deserves it…the One who sits on the throne.