Hymns of Praise and Worship in Revelation:

Revelation gives us many examples of hymns of praise and worship, which have inspired hymn writers down the centuries. Revelation shows us heavenly worship, while Psalms shows us the earthly worship of a man after God's own heart. In Revelation there are eight outbursts of praise to God or the Lamb, the first is on the earth (1:5), the other seven are in heaven. The heavenly worship is to be contrasted with the idolatry of the earth dwellers who curse God (16:9, 11, 21) and the beast who blasphemes God's name (13:6). Revelation is punctuated by outbursts of praise and worship. Usually from those in heaven who say (4:8), sing (5:9), cry out in a loud voice (7:10) or shout (19:1) praises to God and the Lamb. Heaven is a place of singing and worship, and even shouting (19:1 ff). In 5:9 the elders sing a new song, because the Lamb has redeemed men for God, and in 14:3 the redeemed themselves sing a new song that only they can sing.

What is quite clear is that the elders and the living creatures are both involved in heavenly worship. There are seven scenes of heavenly worship in the book:

a. John on earth glorifies Jesus:

Rev 1:5b To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

b. We find the living creatures in heaven glorifying God for his holiness, and the twenty-four elders worship God as Creator, they say these words.

Rev 4:8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

Rev 4:9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honour and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

c. Now the Lamb is worshipped the four living creatures, the twenty four elders, the angels and every creature in heaven and the earth singing to the Lamb as redeemer.

Rev 5:8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!"

Rev 5:13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and hon honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

d. Now the great multitude cry out the praise of the Lamb for their salvation. The angels, the elders and the four living creatures worship God.

Rev 7:9 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 and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

Rev 7.11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

e. When the seventh trumpet is sounded. The twenty-four elder worship God. The time of eschatological fulfilment has come.

(Rev 11:15-18 NIV) The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."

{16} And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, {17} saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. {18} The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth."

f. The 144,000 sing a new song before the throne and the four living creatures and the elders.

14:1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

g. Those victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:

Rev 15:2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:

"Great and marvellous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. 4 Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

h. The Great Hallelujah chorus that is shouted by a great multitude in heaven. This includes the saints, the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures. Strangely this is the last mention of worship in heaven by the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders and even of the saints.

Rev 19:1 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for true and just are his judgements. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants." 3 And again they shouted: "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever."

4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!"

5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!" 6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

"Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear."

Worship is not mentioned in Rev 21-22, which is strange as we would expect it here. However , Rev 22:3 says "and his servants will serve him.". The Greek word for 'serve' is latreuo, which means "to minister (to God), i.e. render religious homage:--serve, do the service, worship (-per)". See its use in Rev 7:15