What will it be like?

Rev 4:11 ""You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."

One more thing before we leave doors, look at the first verse: "And after these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven…'Come up here…'". How cool. We deal with closed doors so often. The door of our hearts is closed and God has to come and knock and ask us to open it. We feel like doors of opportunity are closed and we don't move, yet God has placed in front of us doors that no one can shut. And then this one, a door standing open in heaven and the invitation: "Come up here." John saw an open door and he was invited to come in and see what was going on in heaven. What an amazing thing. To walk through the door of heaven and see what God was doing.

And what did he see? Pretty astounding stuff. A throne and One who sat on the throne whose appearance was like jasper and sardius and twenty four elders around the throne with gold crowns and lightning and thunder and voices and lamps of fire and a sea of glass and four living creatures full of eyes with four different faces and wings . I would have to say that the things that John saw when he went through that open door were things that he had never seen or experienced or even thought of before. I am sure that John was not prepared to take in all that he saw. I am sure that we will not be prepared to take in all that we will see in heaven either. I really believe that there will be sights that are indescribable. John was doing his best to explain what he saw, but how do you explain four creatures full of eyes with four faces? How do you describe One who sits on the throne that looks like jewels?

And it wasn't only what he saw that captured his attention, but what he heard. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty who was and is and is to come." (v 8) These four creatures were echoing how God described Himself in chapter one. Was and is and is to come...this is God's eternality. This is God's faithfulness. It almost sounds like: "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday(was), today(is) and forever(is to come)." And the one characteristic that stuck out? Holiness. These creatures didn't just say: "Holy", or "Holy, Holy". They said: "Holy, holy, holy." This is big. This is huge. This is emphasized. This is who God is. Totally holy. Totally set apart. Totally unlike any of us. Just like John tried to describe what heaven was like, so too is trying to describe what God's holiness is like. We really can't. We really have no idea. We really are unable to grasp the depth of this concept. Sure we can say pure and righteous and just and perfect, but those words are inadequate. When we see it, however, we will know it and we will fall on our faces. And we too will say: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." Only God is worthy. Only God can receive glory. Only God can be honored. Only God has power.

It is kind of funny, but yesterday I was informed that I will be given an honor as an attorney in Ohio. Why is it funny? Because it is nothing. I am not worthy to receive spit when compared with who God is. Only He is worthy to get all the honor and credit and recognition. Why? He created it all and He sustains it all and He upholds it all by the word of His power...and He is holy. Just sitting here trying to grasp all of that is impossible. And some day those of us who know Christ will experience all of it. Wild.