Revelation 5:13 Commentary and Bible Study

Beyond the great circle around the throne formed by the vast multitude of angels is the rest of creation. Now the sphere of creatures under consideration is extended to include regions beyond heaven. There is no creature in existence that fails to worship the Lamb. He is King of kings and Lord of lords and there can be no residual rebellion once he takes his power and authority to himself. The whole of creation is viewed here in a state of subjection, a posture which creation will only assume at the last day. All will bow down before Christ, as it is written, ‘For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God’ (Romans 14:11), and to the Philippians Paul writes, ‘-at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth’ (Philippians 2:10).Do all the people of the earth worship Christ? Not at the present time. But Paul speaks of what shall be when the kingdom of Christ has come, and John sees what shall be in eternity. Then, all will worship. Those who are redeemed will worship voluntarily, with irrepressible joy in their hearts and thanks to God for the new hearts he has given them. The rest will worship by compulsion and yet they too will be held in perfect subjection to the Lamb.The inanimate creation will also worship as will all of history for everything that is and has ever been will bear testimony to the wisdom and the power and the goodness of him who sits upon the throne and of the Lamb, for all things are from him and for him. So in a sense they all worship him even now. Although even the inanimate creation can be said to worship God, that worship is channelled through those creatures who are alone capable of intelligent worship. Every object that God has made will be reflected upon by men and angels and will become further fuel for their worship. In this way even the inanimate world can be said to worship God. Even hell, those under the earth, will praise the Lamb. They will be constrained to acknowledge their wickedness and rebellion, the justice of their punishment and the mercy of God which they might have taken hold of.‘Blessing and honour and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!’ Worship is directed to the Father seated on the throne and to the Lamb. The Father is worshipped as the member of the Trinity who planned all things and gave his only begotten Son. The Son is worshipped as the one who was willing to lay down his life for us, and to purchase us from the grave.