Word of Encouragement (10/7/2021)
Let’s take another look at the prayer in Rev. 4:10-11: “...the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.’” Yesterday, we talked about the twenty-four angels falling down before God and worshipping Him. We see them worshipping God also by casting their crowns before God’s throne as they praise God.
Of course, this verse is the basis for the words of the hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty”: “Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee, / casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; / cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee, / who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.” The twenty-four elders casting their crowns before the throne of God is only a logical progression from stepping down from their respective thrones to fall down before God and worship Him. They dare not worship God with the crowns on their heads. Before the supreme, matchless glory of God, they cannot hold on to their crowns, however magnificent they may be and however precious they may be to them. Would a sergeant be able to berate a corporal for not saluting to him when a five-star general walks by? He would stop whatever he was doing and join the corporal in saluting the general with the greatest respect. His superiority to the corporal would be insignificant in the presence of a five-star general! So are the crowns of the twenty-four elders in the presence of God. If so, how about whatever we consider as our “crowns”?
But if the twenty-four elders cast down their crowns at the throne of God, it was not simply because their crowns were insignificant in comparison to God’s unrivaled glory. It was an act of worship to God, an act of glorifying God. On one hand, it glorified God as they humbly acknowledged the sheer insignificance of their crowns in the presence of God’s glory. By it, they were confessing that they would rather behold God’s glory and worship Him than keep their crowns on their heads. “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you [even if I have to give up my life” (Ps. 63:3).
On the other hand, their action glorified God as their crowns represented God’s great kindness to them. We don’t know the identity of these twenty-four elders. They may be the combination of the twelve Patriarchs of Israel and the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. By their title, “elders,” it seems that they may be prominent leaders among the people of God. If they are part of God’s redeemed people, they, too, were saved by God’s grace. Even if they received their crowns for their faithful service to the Lord, they would have to confess as Paul did, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). If they received the crowns, it was ultimately due to the generous measure of grace God apportioned to them according to His sovereign will. Casting their crowns before the throne of God was an act of testifying to that grace of God, by which they received these crowns.
This shows us why we should strive to lay up our treasures in heaven and receive great rewards on the last day. It is not to get a bigger “mansion” in heaven than others. It is not to have a bigger crown so we can boast to those who have smaller crowns. If we should strive for more treasures and greater rewards in heaven, it is not for our glory but for the glory of God’s grace toward us; not to keep them for ourselves but to cast them before the throne of God as a testament to His grace to us. This we will do with gladness and joy because we will have God as our Treasure and Reward, our great Inheritance!
What are the “crowns” you cherish? Are you ready to cast them before the throne of God? This will be impossible to do if you only look at your crowns, whatever they are. But if you lift your eyes and behold the matchless glory of God, you will be able to take your crowns off and present them to God with gladness and gratitude. When you do that, you will see your enjoyment of Him increase more and more!