The book of Revelation gives us little snapshots of worship as it is in heaven. These heavenly scenes lead us into a deeper understanding and appreciation of worship since we see it in its perfect state. First of all, everyone is worshipping-there are no spectators. Also, Revelation shows worshippers using their voices and bodies to express their adoration to God. Furthermore, their worship is not only about God, it is directed to God as well. Lastly, worship serves to prepare believers to reign with God for eternity. Day and night, they never stop saying Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come, and whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship with their lives forever and ever, and they lay their crowns before the throne and say: 'You are worthy, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.' (Revelation 4:8)

I love these elders. Not only do they unceasingly cry out "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord," but they can't stay on their feet. Every time the glory of God is revealed...Bam! Down they go!

In Revelations 5:8 we see the same response again from the elders. "And when the Lamb had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb." They fell down because their worship drew them into the presence of God and Jesus; falling down in worship was automatic.

Revelation 7:9 says, "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands and they cried out in a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.'"

This is some picture! Imagine millions of people shouting at the top of their voices in worship of God. The text continues, "And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures and they fell down."

Here they go again. These elders can't stay on their feet before God when they're worshipping Him. This is the only natural response to an encounter with God. "They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshipped God saying, 'Amen, praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever.' " When they worship, evidently they must express it with both body and voice.

Do you get it? It isn't enough to simply get a little religion into your life. When we are consumed with adoration and worship for the Creator, we are becoming the men and women to whom God wants to entrust His Kingdom. God is stirring, stimulating, marking, touching, blessing, healing and calling a people to Himself, and He is forming and preparing them to be a kingdom of people who will worship and reign.

Excerpted from Witnesses For a Powerful Christ, VMI Publishing (1996). Used with permission.