Christless Worship?

In a recent article, Loren Stuckenbruck makes this striking comment about the heavenly worship of Revelation 4: “John’s vision of a ‘Christ-less’ worship in chapter 4 is so different from chapter 5; indeed, it is different from the visions described in the rest of the book in which Jesus plays more of a central role” (237). He quotes Christopher Rowland in support: “This chapter shows no evidence what- soever of Christian influence, and . . . it is entirely Jewish in its inspiration. Indeed, the author obviously intends a deliberate contrast between the description of the divine court in Rev. 4 and the transformation which takes place as the result of exaltation of the slaughtered lamb” (238).

Why might that be? Stuckenbruck argues that despite the apparent absence of Christ, despite the “panic” at the beginning of chapter 5, Revelation 4 actually depicts a “Christian” or “Christological” perspective on worship. He argues that “a non-Christian Jew would not have been able to produce precisely this vision” (239). The vision of worship is both “essentially Jewish” and “essentially Christian,” and the two ought not to be disentangled.

He points out, first, that Jesus is the one who invites John into heaven in the first place. It is the trumpet voice that John first heard that calls him from earth through the door in the sky. He also points out that some of the elements of the liturgy of John 4 are picked up and applied to Jesus in the following chapter. Initially the seven Spirits are before the throne of God; when the Lamb appears those same Spirit become His eyes. Initially, John sees a lion-cherub; when the Lamb appears, He is introduced as the Lion of Judah. So Christ is not absent from the initial vision.

He concludes, “Revelation 4 and 5 should not be considered two separate or contrasting visions; instead, perhaps consider how they may be essentially one vision, that is, a drama that unfolds in two stages” (246).

It seems much more straightforward, however, to take the differences between Revelation 4 and 5 at face value. True, features of the throne anticipate the Lamb, but that is just the point: They anticipate the Lamb who is not yet present in heaven. The heavenly liturgy changes when and because the Lamb enters. Heaven’s liturgy too has a history.