“Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”
My Notes
What Does Revelation 15:4 Mean?
The victorious in Revelation ask a rhetorical question: who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? The expected answer is no one — universal fear and glory directed at God is the inevitable outcome.
The reason: thou only art holy. Holiness belongs exclusively to God. Every other holiness is derived, borrowed, gifted. His is original. And the recognition of that exclusive holiness will eventually be universal.
"All nations shall come and worship before thee" — the scope is total. Not some nations. All. The worship is not forced but inevitable — when God's judgments are manifest, the response of every nation is worship.
"For thy judgments are made manifest" — the worship follows revelation. When God's judgments are visible — when the hidden becomes manifest — the only rational response is reverent worship. The fear and glorification are evidence-based, not blind.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does 'thou only art holy' mean for everything and everyone else we call holy?
- 2.How does visible justice produce worship rather than fear?
- 3.What would it take for you to worship with the certainty this verse describes?
- 4.How does the promise that 'all nations shall worship' shape your view of the future?
Devotional
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? The question expects the answer: no one. Everyone will. Every nation. Every tongue. Every knee.
Thou only art holy. Only. Exclusively. No one else qualifies. Every saint, every angel, every creature that has ever been called holy derives that holiness from him. His holiness is original. Everything else is reflection.
All nations shall come and worship before thee. The universal worship that Isaiah prophesied, that the psalms anticipated, that Jesus commissioned — it arrives. Not partially. Completely. All nations.
For thy judgments are made manifest. The worship follows the revealing. When people finally see God's judgments clearly — when the fog of earthly confusion lifts and divine justice is fully visible — worship is the only rational response.
The fear is not terror. It is the holy recognition that the one before you is utterly unlike anything else in existence. And the glory is not performance. It is the overflow of seeing clearly for the first time.
One day you will see clearly. And when you do, the worship will not be commanded. It will be the most natural thing you have ever done.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord,.... At this time the people of the Jews shall seek after Christ, and fear him and his…
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord - Reverence and adore thee; for the word “fear,” in the Scriptures, is commonly used in…
Who shall not fear thee - That is, All should fear and worship this true God, because he is just and true and holy; and…
Here we have the preparation of matters for the pouring out of the seven vials, which was committed to seven angels; and…
holy Not the same word as is applied to God in Rev 4:8 &c., but ordinarily used of human piety or holiness and in that…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture