Of significance is the fact that in this heavenly throne-room we do not yet see the Lamb (the glorified Christ) standing in the midst of it. That scene is unveiled in chapter 5, where he alone can take the seven-sealed book out of the hand of the one sitting on that throne, resulting in all those before the throne worshiping him who sits on the throne, and the Lamb (Rev. 5:7-13). But in chapter 4 the focus is on "the one who created all things". He is proclaimed to be thrice Holy, Lord God Almighty, "which was, and is, and is to come" (4:8).
This is significant. Chapter 4 depicts the throne of glory. It is not the throne of judgment. That appears in Rev. 20:11-12. This is the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. And the worship given him depicts his absolute and sovereign right to rule heaven and earth. As this exposition on the Book of the Revelation states:
It is a view of the Creator... so that we are in the context in which
the rights and claims of the Creator to the Creation are seen never to
have been relinquished. The vision shows in allegorical and mystical
form that the Creator asserts his rights to the Creation...
"The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof"; crown rights are
claimed; the Maker's rights, absolute rights, the ownership rights of
Almighty God, pertains to all Creation and absolute creature worship,
throughout every ticking second, every passing minute, every chimed
hour, every falling month, every recorded year, and every historical
era, ever since the beginning of the world to the end of time." (The
Revelation of Jesus Christ" p 108-109 & 113, John Metcalfe)
That is what the never-ending adoration of the living creatures and the twenty-four crowned elders is all about. The living creatures "rest not day or night" in giving glory to the Almighty, and whenever they give glory, the twenty-four elders respond with their praise (4:8). Therefore, the twenty-four elders have a continuous round of declaring praise and casting their crowns before God, which seems to indicate replacing the crowns on their heads in order to again declare God's praise and cast their crowns down as the living creatures follow on with giving God more glory. It matters not if secular kings had subordinate kings, princes or rulers cast their crowns before him after being conquered. There is no parallel here in heaven with those whom God has elevated to his throne-room, crowning them himself. Back to heaven; here's another note:
"They adore three holies in this one God, the Holy Father, the Holy
Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these are one infinitely holy and
eternal Being, who sits upon the throne and who lives for ever and
ever...
The acts of adoration - They fell down before him that sat on the throne; they discovered the most profound humility, reverence, and
godly fear. They cast their crowns before the throne; they gave God
the glory of the holiness wherewith he had crowned their souls on
earth and the honour and happiness with which he crowns them in
heaven. They owe all their graces and all their glories to him, and
acknowledge that his crown is infinitely more glorious than theirs,
and that it is their glory to be glorifying God...
Observe - They do not say, 'We give thee glory, and honour and
power'... but they say, Thou art worthy to receive glory. In this
they tacitly acknowledge that God is exalted far above all blessing
and praise. He was worthy to receive glory, but they were not worthy
to praise, nor able to do it according to his infinite excellences...
He is the final cause of all things: For thy pleasure they are and
were created. It was his will and pleasure to create all things; he
was not put upon it by the will of another; there is no such thing as
a subordinate creator that acts under and by the will and power of
another; and, if there were, he ought not to be worshipped. As God
made all things at his pleasure, so he made them for his pleasure, to
deal with them as he pleases and to glorify himself by them one way or
other... 'The Lord hath made all things for himself' Prov. 16:4. Now if
these be true and sufficient grounds for religious worship, as they
are proper to God alone, Christ must needs be God, one with the Father
and Spirit, and be worshipped as such; for we find the same causality
ascribed to him. Col. 1:16,17, 'All things were created by him and
for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things
consist.' (Matthew Henry's Commentary, p 1988, first column)
This leads us into chapter 5, where the glorified Christ alone can unseal God's sealed book, which causes all heaven to worship him who sits on the throne, and the Lamb at the center of that throne. And, as the seven-fold Spirit of God surrounds that throne of glory (4:5), Father, Son and Holy Spirit are being worshipped without ceasing; the thrice holy, Almighty, Sovereign Lord.
