He went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8. Abraham believed God. Romans 4:3.

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. Ephesians 6:14-15.

Our chapter, Revelation 4, shows what John saw, the throne of Creator God. Even reading it, we have trouble understanding. After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; 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. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 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.” And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “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.”

Reading the above I can’t imagine being John in that vision. When we stop to consider every created thing, it isn’t difficult to imagine flashes of lighting and sounds and peals of thunder because they represent power and energy not contained by us. And the beauty described of Creator God like a jasper stone and a sardius in beauty, a rainbow around the throne like an emerald in appearance which is pure light and color. I thought of our universe expanding outward. I thought of lakes, streams, oceans, mountains, woods of towering trees, and all the wonderful animals and sea creatures, cool breezes, and rain and snow and ice. And then I heard the simple beautiful song of a small bird outside. I see the warmth of the light of the new day shining into the window from a sun 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from us, one astronomical unit (AU). And He reminded me in prayer that He came that we could know Him. Revelation is symbols because no words can contain the glory of Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. He is Spirit and He is Truth and He is Love. He is Holy – and for that we can give thanks and awe and praise that He IS. All that He created and sustains is by His word and His power and His might and His wisdom. 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. We may not understand how but we can understand why. There is a reason and a purpose in all that Creator God does. Are we willing to learn from Him?