The worthiness of Jesus is incredible, particularly as I reflect on it against the backdrop of the descriptions of God on his throne. Chapter four in Revelation is a wild and intense scene to see / imagine. I kept pausing to ask myself, “What am I actually imagining here?”

(I also love how this part begins with John seeing a door opened in the sky.)

I read somewhere recently that none of us see colour the same as anyone else. What we have defined and labeled as ‘red’, for example, while it has a specific value, is perceived differently from person to person, even if subtly. I had that in mind the other day when I read, “And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” (4:3 ESV)

I had to look up jasper and carnelian, but I basically imagined a green rainbow in this scene—a rainbow over a throne that was just tinted green. Apparently, I have a basic and boring imagination. A few nights ago at dinner with some friends, I randomly brought up this verse and asked everyone what they naturally imagined. Five people described five different scenes, and none of them were like mine.

It is all hard to imagine: emerald rainbows, 24 elders with gold crowns, lightning and thunder, a sea of crystal, creatures covered with wings and eyes… And everything and everyone focused on God on the throne, continually in awe, worship, honor, and praise of him. It’s surreal, magnificent, and immeasurable in glory and worthiness. While we may have differences in the visual details in our minds, the magnitude of the nature and majesty of God is presented as being unmatched and beyond all there is.

Then we get to chapter five where we’re told that God is holding a scroll, and a simple question is asked, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” (5:2b) It’s almost rhetorical, and of course, no one is able to open it. John breaks down and wails, but one of the elders there tells him to stop.

In contrast to the incredible scene with God on his throne with rainbows and crystal seas and worshiping elders and strange creatures… there is only a slain lamb. The lamb walks up to the throne and takes the scroll from God. There is no one else anywhere and ever that is worthy. That is even more incredible than the surreal scene just before. All paths lead to Jesus and all life comes only through Jesus. The singular worthiness of Jesus is really too much for me to process. The weight of his glory is too much for me to understand.

And suddenly, as I write this, I realize my need to repent, daily even, of how my heart tends to wander off and forget. The world I live in makes it very convenient to drift off and just forget how wonderful and wondrous Jesus is.