11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” Revelation 4:11 (NASB)
Everything we see around us, above us and below us was created by the will of Almighty God. We can debate how He brought the universe about or how long He took to do it, but the fact is, He did it. Scripture tells us that it did not happen as the result of an accident or through lucky chance – He created it all, including us, for our enjoyment and for His good pleasure.
Beyond the physical wonders that are uncovered more and more each day through technical advancement, there is a spiritual world that we have only scratched the surface of seeing and understanding. The Bible introduces some of God’s more exotic creations in this realm, heavenly beings that can only be seen when we look beyond the spiritual curtain through the door of heaven.
God first revealed these spiritual wonders to a small group of prophets selected throughout the centuries, both before and after the birth of Christ. Among these wonders are visions of four angelic creatures which worship the Lord and serve Him without ceasing about His throne. These beings are first introduced in the Old Testament books of Isaiah and Ezekiel and are seen again later in the New Testament book of Revelation, the final book in the Bible.
The apostle John wrote of these creatures that he observed in a divine vision, beginning in Revelation chapter 4:
6 and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf, the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” Revelation 4:6-8 (NASB)
Although there are slight differences in their descriptions, both the apostle John and the prophet Ezekiel saw and wrote of these four remarkable beings. The four have attributes relatable to a lion (power and authority), a calf or ox (strength), a person (wisdom and intelligence), and an eagle (speed of flight). They are covered with eyes looking both forward and backward, implying that they have complete vision and awareness of the affairs, history, and actions of humans. Their role is to both lead the heavenly worship of the Lord and as suggested by their attributes, to assist with the fulfillment of God’s holy will throughout creation. These four are created beings, separate from God, but in service to Him alongside the Holy Spirit and the rest of God’s faithful angels. Every action they take is consistent with the perfect will of God.
Like these four awesome heavenly beings, whenever we surrender to God’s will, all sorts of remarkable things happen in our lives.
My friend June told me recently that she was sick a few weeks ago, and being confined to a nursing home, she was feeling quite down about her situation, sitting alone and unwell in her darkened room. Finally, she prayed to God, surrendering her remaining life to Him, saying that whatever His will was for her, she accepted it. Suddenly her room was bathed in the gentlest of light, and her heart was comforted and filled with an incomparable peace. She said that it had been quite a while since she had last had a spiritual experience.
As much as we may have been privileged to experience in this remarkable world, there is so much more that lies beyond what we can sense in the physical realm. God has given us a glimpse of the spiritual through His scriptures, and occasionally, He may reveal more of Himself directly to us when we need it the most.
We serve an awesome God, so filled with a tender love for each one of us. May we all take a step closer to walking in His will today.
Reflection
Am I living within my understanding of God’s will for me? Where am I clearly living outside of it?
Lord, thank You for your remarkable love for me. Forgive me for the times I have strayed outside of Your holy will and help me to accept and live within the boundaries of what I know you want me to do. Help me to do the next right things in Your eyes. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Daily Meditations from the Genealogy of Jesus 