The glory of Jesus is so great, so shining, that it is hard to even look upon Him. Jesus has the same glory as in His transfiguration, when His face shone like the sun.
The Christian doctrine of glorification is stunning, to say the least. Not only we will see Jesus in all his new-creation glory, but we will share with him in it. Saying that only God is ‘worthy’ of worship is a declaration that the emperor and pagan idols were not worthy.
Saying God is eternal and sovereign is a comfort to persecuted Christians, who, looking at their immediate situation, may have been tempted to lose sight of the long-term plans of God, who is sovereignly bringing those plans to pass.
Saying that God is holy would call up memories of many OT verses about his holiness and his intolerance of idolatry and immorality with which first century Christians were tempted.
Saying that God is the Creator emphasizes the obedience God is due by every creature, including those who opposed the churches. It also reminds us that humanity is only a small part of a much larger picture. In Revelation, we see the forces of creation reacting to sin and rescuing God’s people, and the redemption of the earth itself. The Creator will indeed restore the creation that “the dragon, that serpent of old” corrupted by leading humankind astray.
Saying that the Lamb who was slain is Redeemer would call to mind the exodus, where Israel was redeemed the day after the Passover lamb was slain. Powerful and idolatrous Egypt, also with a king who claimed to be God, was defeated, and God’s people were called out of her. John and his readers faced a very similar situation.
Saying he is Judge comforts persecuted Christians tempted to cave in to the status quo: if they remain faithful, God will reward them and judge those who tempt and persecute them.
There are numerous worship elements found in Revelation: amens, antiphonal singing, doxologies, gifts (crowns placed before the throne), hymns, incense, maranathas, palm branches, prayers, prostration, robes, sacred meals, shouts of celebration, silence, thanksgiving, trumpet-blowing, victory songs.
There is a sense of lingering mystery and distance involved in worship. We do not see a description of God himself, only of what is going on around his throne. This counteracts both the tendency to be too intellectual and the tendency to be overly familiar with God.
Revelation also connects worship with the themes of fear (Rev. 11.18, 14.7, 15.4) and service (Rev. 7.15, 22.3).
Until chapter 19, all the worship and singing in Revelation occurs in heaven, not on earth. There is no worship on earth, and the only singing found on earth are the laments for Babylon in chapters 17-18. But when the final victory is won, there is praise in both heaven and earth, which eventually become one. The goal of worship in Revelation is “on earth as it is in heaven.”