Worshiping God

How will we worship God in Heaven?

Worship, as defined by the Apostle Paul, is to give all we have to God and not live by the ways of the world but by the ways of God(Rom. 12:1-2). After all, God seeks worshippers(John 4:23). We'll spend most of our time in Heaven worshiping the Lord, but just how will we do it?

Although there will be no church or temple in the Heavenly city of New Jerusalem(Rev. 21:22), a temple is mentioned in the present-day Heaven outside the city in scripture. God is described as being on a Heavenly throne in the temple in Heaven(Psa. 11:4; Hab. 2:20). The Apostle John sees Angels come out of a temple in his vision(Rev. 15:5-6). Moses built the tabernacle that is a reflection of the one in Heaven(Heb. 8:5). This temple may be in present Heaven but not in the eternal Heaven as God will be the temple there.

The Bible gives numerous examples of those in Heaven praising the Lord. Everyone will sing praises to God that are spontaneous(Rev. 5:13-14). Cherubim, a high-level class of angels, sit around the throne of God and never cease to say

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come”

(Rev. 4:6-8). They say the word holy not once and not twice but three times to emphasize God's holiness.

When the Cherubim praise God, 24 elders sitting around the throne bow down, worship God and lay their crowns before the throne(Rev. 4:9-10). They then say their own praise to God. Who are these 24 elders? They are likely representatives of the church, 12 for the 12 tribes of Israel and 12 for the 12 main disciples of Jesus.

Will worshiping ever get boring after a while?

Some think of worshiping in Heaven as an eternal church service that will be boring. First, we must realize we won't be worshiping in terms of being bowed down and singing praises all the time as we will also be eating, drinking and travelling in and out of New Jerusalem. Worship is about more than just singing and listening to someone say how great God is. Unlike a church service here on Earth, we will have direct access to God(Rev. 21:3). No longer will any curse separate us from the Lord(Rev. 22:3).

Most importantly, if we truly understood who we will be worshiping, we won't have to worry about being bored. Interest in anything on Earth will wane after a while if we are always engaged with it and never take a break. To us, worshiping God might get boring after a while. To the Cherubim and others in Heaven, nothing could be further from the truth. God is not like anyone or anything in this world. Everything we know of in this world is tainted by the fall of man, and we have never seen anything that isn't. To know God would mean it would never be boring. God is infinite, and no one can measure the depths of His knowledge(Isa. 40:28). God knows the hairs on your head(Matt. 10:30). Once we're in God's presence we'll wonder how we'll ever leave.

We keep thinking in terms of this world and its idols, but God is the only one truly worthy of worship. Some people worship celebrities. However, celebrities are all fallen human beings who will disappoint us in some way or another. They suffer from the same curse as the rest of us since Adam and Eve sinned.

Summary

God will never be far from your mind in Heaven. All you see and experience there will remind you of the Lord, and you won't be able to help but worship. No reminders or encouragement for worship will be necessary.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Last updated 12/18/2010