Day after day and night after night they [the four living beings] keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”
Revelation 4:8
And they [24 elders] lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”
Revelation 4:10-11
And they [four living beings and the 24 elders] sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.”
Revelation 5:9-10
And they [thousands and millions of angels, the living beings and the elders] sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing.”
Revelation 5:12
And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honour and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.”
Revelation 5:13
The thought struck me as I sat down to write this Gem, the significance of the moment when Jesus Christ rose from the dead is encapsulated in these songs of Revelation 5. Just look for a moment at the opening song of worship ‘recorded’ by John. (Revelation 5:9-10 laid out for you above.) It’s Easter Weekend, the time each year we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection. What an incredible moment when Jesus ransomed people for God from every tribe, language, people and nation. Now you have wider perspective of the significance of that statement. By listing all four categories of human kind as we have seen, God’s Word covers every aspect important to Him related to His love for mankind. No human division or category is omitted:
- the tribes of the world, universal, past, present and future,
- the languages of the world, universal, past, present and future,
- the people groups of the world, universal, past, present and future,
- every nation of the world, universal, past, present and future.
No one is excluded. Don’t misunderstand me here. I am not embracing universalism – ‘every one whoever lived on earth will be saved.’ i.e. no one will suffer exclusion. No, the exclusive nature of Christ, seen in Acts 4:12 and many other places in Scripture, still stands.
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12
In fact this passage in Revelation strengths the specific nature of the call. “Christ’s blood ransoms people for God from (out of) every tribe, language, people and nation.” No tribe, language, people group or nation is too small.
Not the smallest tribe [Benjamin, the half tribe of Manasseh, the Binamarien (110 people)].
Not the smallest language, or any language considered insignificant [Binamarien, Matigsalug, Limolang].
Not the smallest people group [comprised of common people, the taxi drivers of Chennai, the gang members of the KillerBeez in Auckland].
Not the smallest nation, monarchy, country or city state [Samaritan, Ethiopian, Thyatiran, Kiribati, Eswatini, Lesotho].
All such people are represented by the Four Living Beings – men and women who run the race and don’t grow weary, soar like eagles on the winds of the Spirit of God and are prepared to take Christ’s yoke upon themselves and learn of Him. Those prepared to suffer persecution and martyrdom for the sake of Christ from among the nations of the world, down through the ages and remain followers of Christ without flinching. Such precious saints are welcomed into their eternal rest because they remained faithful to the Lamb of God and persevered to the end. Just like all those who clung to their faith down through the centuries since that glorious moment when Christ rose from among the dead for those who remain alive forever more, because they have trusted in Christ to save them. The Resurrection changes everything!
The Saviour, who rose from the dead 2024 years ago AD1, is none other than Jesus Christ, Messiah, the Lamb of God, spoken of in this passage of Revelation. The One and Only Unique Son of God who died for you and me if we will only accept His sacrifice for us. That is why the redeemed in heaven sing, “You alone are worthy to take the scroll and break the seals.”
1 Read these two Gems for more detail:
- Bible Gem 1145 – The 70 Weeks of Daniel (Dan 9:25-26 / Luke 19:42 and 44)
- Bible Gem 1146 – The Perfect Timing of Our Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious God (Luke 19:28-42)
Have you noticed the expanding congregation among the hosts of heaven? Isn’t it fitting that the 24 elders and the four living beings are the ones to begin the worship? After all they represent the redeemed. After which the singers expand exponentially, as the Redeemed from the Ages are added. All those saints from the Old Testament, those listed in Hebrew 11 as examples and all others like them who were saved through time, including all those across the centuries since Christ’s resurrection. The great cloud of witnesses is gathered together.
With the second song (Revelation 5:12), the thousands and millions of angels join in, represented at first by the living beings and the elders. Are they still representing the redeemed? Notice the numbers ‘four’ and ’24’ have now been removed. I don’t know for sure; I am still pondering that fact. I have coloured them pink to represent the Redeemed. You will get the symbolism I am sure.
I want to address one more thought related to this passage found in the last verse. It is not a new thought. It is something that struck me as I was gemming Philippians 2:10 in Gem 1938. It was a new thought for me at that time. Have a read from the fourth to last paragraph of Gem 1938 which begins: Now let me introduce you to the new thought that hit me when I contemplated these thoughts.
Now look at the words of Revelation 5:13 which begin, “And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honour and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” Here we have a very similar construction to the expression in Philippians 2:10:
that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth
Philippians 2:10
Every creature (created being) in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea will sing, “Blessing and honour and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” I believe we can apply the same approach here as I did for the Philippians verse and interpret this to mean every creature across the universe will sing this refrain. I think it is similar to the interpretation related to the knees bowed: Christian knees and non-Christian knees. I think the same is true in this instance depicted in Revelation 5:13. Can you imagine being in that throng of worshippers and refusing to worship? What do you think? Imagine you are there now. Would you pause to say aloud or in your heart, “Well Jesus I am not even sure yet if I believe in you. I am not sure if you are real or not. I am still wondering if you are really the Messiah, the Lamb of God, the Saviour of the World who died for all sinners.”
No, I think if I were still an atheist at that moment or at the very least not yet fully convinced that Jesus was all the Bible claims Him to be, I would be falling on my knees begging for forgiveness that I missed my chance. Wouldn’t you? How arrogant of you and me if we were to maintain our wilful state when confronted with the truth of every creature in the universe bowing their knees and singing His praise.
But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
Romans 8:20-23
Heart of Worship
by Matt Redman
Verse 1
- When the music fades all is stripped away
- And I simply come
- Longing just to bring something that’s of worth
- That will bless Your heart
(Pre-Chorus)
- I’ll bring You more than a song
- For a song in itself is not what You have required
- You search much deeper within
- Through the way things appear
- You’re looking into my heart
Chorus 1
- I’m coming back to the heart of worship
- And it’s all about You all about You Jesus
- I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it
- When it’s all about You all about You Jesus
Verse 2
- King of endless worth no one could express
- How much You deserve
- Though I’m weak and poor all I have is Yours
- Ev’ry single breath
(Pre-Chorus)
- I’ll bring You more than a song
- For a song in itself is not what You have required
- You search much deeper within
- Through the way things appear
- You’re looking into my heart
Chorus
- I’m coming back to the heart of worship
- And it’s all about You all about You Jesus
- I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it
- When it’s all about You all about You Jesus
Do you see the significance of Revelation 5:14?
And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.
Revelation 5:14
How fitting that the four living beings should represent us all and pronounce the final ‘Amen’, at which the 24 elders fall down and worshipped the Lamb. That is the reverse order of how this worship fest began. How appropriate!
Tell me, does this Gem make you want to burst forth in worship to the Lamb; especially this Resurrection Day?
Does it make you want to join in and sing aloud Matt Redman’s song “Heart of Worship”? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Zp586pvZg
Ian
Or does it make you want to debate whether Jesus Christ is the only way to God?
Ian
Or debate whether every knee will bow or if every being will sing this new song of Revelation 5:9-10?
Ian
Your answers to these four questions will reveal where your heart is. If you are a true worshipper.
Ian
But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.
John 4:23
Or whether you are a vicarious worshipper who can only join in half-heartedly when others are singing or whether you are just an observer?
Ian
Your answers will tell you where you are at.
Ian