One thing that stood out in my mind as I was teaching through the book of Revelation is the emphasis on worship. Worship is a dominant theme from beginning to end. The concept of worship gets confused in our disagreements over worship styles and preferences in the church today. Revelation cuts through all that. In Revelation we are confronted with the truth that it’s not so much about how we are conducting our worship but who are we worshiping.
Worship provides the main conflict of the book of Revelation, the contrast between those who worship God and those who worship the beast. God will not tolerate false worship, so the story revolves around the theme and is punctuated often by scenes of true worship. Every stage of God’s victory through chapters 7-19 is accompanied by worship in heaven.
God is a jealous God. His rightful desire and expectation is that His bride is genuinely and completely for Him. Worship in Revelation is about God’s people being completely and utterly sold out to Him. Revelation-style worship is worshiping in desperation for our Savior. It is the cry of a heart that adores God for all that He is as Redeemer, Creator, Judge. He is sovereign, holy, eternal. He is worthy.
I believe we need to practice this kind of worship now. The worship of God expressed throughout the book of Revelation in those heavenly scenes should be our expression today. Revelation-style worship can’t help but shake our world and alter what is normal in our lives.
