Revelation 4:8, commentary and pictures

Before John was opened the throne in the inner courts of the celestial temple, where sinless living creatures and angels bow in perfect reverence and serve with joyful song without rest day and night.
Their unceasing threefold cry proclaims God as holy, almighty and eternal, who was and is and is to come, whose holiness is glorious and worthy of all reverence, honor, love and glory.
The same praise is heard again when Christ returns, as the cloudy chariot bearing the raised and changed saints rolls upward to the holy city with its wings and wheels and encircling angels proclaiming Him holy, almighty and eternal while the redeemed shout glory and alleluia.
Repeating those same words of praise day and night is not empty repetition but glorifies God, showing remembrance, gratitude, humility and mindfulness of His goodness and mercy.
Believers on earth may even now join that heavenly song in mind and heart, magnifying Jesus by telling again and again the story of Calvary and God's gift of His Son, and as they assemble for prayer and praise they draw near to the worshipers above.

Heaven's Unceasing Worship

The throne of God and the glories and anthems of the heavenly courts were opened before John in vision, with songs of joy resounding through heaven and revealing God's plan for future ages. This was given about half a century after Jesus had ascended to present His church before God and to prepare mansions for His faithful ones, showing that He still loved His people. Beholding that description awakens longing to stand with the redeemed in the presence of God.

Those surrounding the throne are sinless living creatures and angels in the courts above, where all is purity and perfection. They bow in adoration with perfect reverence for God and His holiness, continually praising Him. Their service is without ceasing day and night, offering prayer and praise before the throne with joyful songs.

Without rest day and night they proclaim threefold holiness and declare the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. In this they declare His holiness, His almightiness, and His eternal being and existence. His holiness is glorious, and holiness is the crowning glory of Christ's character. Such praise shows Him worthy of reverence and honor and love and glory.

Echoed at Christ's Return

The same unceasing praise is heard again when Jesus returns and ascends with His people. The sleeping saints are raised in glorious immortality and the living saints are changed in a moment and caught up together with them. Then the great white cloud bearing the Son of man becomes a glorious cloudy chariot rolling upward to the holy city, with wings on either side and wheels beneath.

As that chariot rolls upward carrying the resurrected and transformed redeemed toward the holy city and New Jerusalem, its wings as they move cry holy and its wheels cry holy. Its living wheels, its wings, and the retinue of holy angels around the cloud together proclaim God as holy and as Lord God Almighty, holy, almighty and eternal, in the unceasing threefold cry. The angels around the cloud cry holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. While they do so the saints in the cloud join the ascent with shouts of glory and alleluia.

Joined by Believers on Earth

Believers on earth can join that heavenly song of praise in mind and heart, catching as through an open door the sound of the choristers who day and night declare the holiness and eternal being of the Lord God Almighty. That verse points to heaven as the coming home, where the redeemed take their place with angels and elders in thanksgiving for God's goodness and the perfection of His attributes in language that science knows nothing about, casting their crowns before Him who sits on the throne and worshiping Him who lives forever and ever. Continually repeating the same words of praise day and night glorifies God rather than being vain repetition, for it honors Him and shows remembrance and mindfulness of Him and gratitude for His goodness and mercy, and simplicity and humility in it please Him.

Saints should therefore not sit still and waste precious time saying nothing because they have nothing new to say, but should magnify and extol Jesus by talking of His glory and power. They are to tell over and over the story of His hanging on Calvary's cross for sins, the condescension of God in giving His Son as a sacrifice, and the sufferings and anguish of Jesus to make a way of escape so guilty man might receive pardon and live, and blessings from God will rest upon them for doing so. Repeating the same testimony of God's goodness and mercy in this way honors God and shows gratitude rather than reflecting pride.

When believers assemble together as active workers in meetings for prayer and praise they come near to the worshipers above who continually offer prayer and praise without rest day and night around the throne. By study, meditation, and prayer they receive spiritual eyesight to discern the opened temple of God in the inner courts of the celestial temple, whose threshold is flushed with glory for every church that will love God and keep His commandments, and to catch its themes of song and thanksgiving. When Zion shall arise and shine the assembly of the saints on earth will sing those precious songs of praise and thanksgiving, and murmurings, complainings, and lamentations will be lost sight of.

Correct ideas of true worship and true reverence must be impressed upon people now, because heaven's courts above are all purity and perfection where every being has perfect reverence for God and His holiness. Those who place the sacred and eternal on a level with common things keep uncultivated ideas, cannot appreciate a pure and holy heaven, and cannot be prepared to join with those heavenly worshipers. Beholding Christ and seeking Him in faith and prayer leads people to become like Him, for His holiness is glorious and the crowning glory of His character. Those in positions of trust who feel they have no time for religious services and absent themselves from meetings lay off their spiritual life and fail to come near to that heavenly worship, failing to keep their lamps trimmed and burning and therefore reflecting only feebly the light and glory of God.