Verse 9: “There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language.”
Turning to Revelation today we get a beautiful picture of heaven and worship. To be it is beautiful for two reasons. The first beauty I read of is the kaleidescope of people: “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language.” Because the count is beyond anyone’s ability to record, I am reminded of the vastness of God’s love. I choose to believe the word “every.”
The second beauty I read of in today’s passage is the worship that happens in heaven. All there – the great multitude, the angels, the elders, the four living creatures – they all fall down and worship God. I cannot imagine the power in that praise choir’s songs. The most powerful worship we’ve ever experienced will hardly compare! The praise and adoration of God will be amazing.
Imagine for a moment what that will be like. Imagine being one of a countless choir worshipping the Lord our God. What a glorious day it will be. Tomorrow, as we gather to worship God, may we remember this heavenly worship and may we worship the Lord our God in this way too!
Prayer: Lord God, all power and glory and might and honor are yours! You reign forever and ever! Amen!
Verse 14: “He has raised up for his people a horn”.
As we begin the week leading into Christmas, we begin with a beautiful Psalm that calls all of creation to praise the Lord. The psalmist begins by inviting the heavens – angels and the rest of the heavenly host – to praise the Lord. From there he invites the sun, moon, and stars to join the chorus of praise. And then the writer adds the “waters above the skies” into the choir. All are invited to praise the Lord because “he commanded and they were created”.
Beginning in verse seven the psalmist turns to the things of the earth itself. First, he invites the creatures of “all ocean depths” and then calls the lightning, hail, snow, clouds, and wind to join in. Continuing on with the created world the psalmist invites the mountains and hills, the plants, animals, and birds to add their voices to the chorus of praise to the Lord. All of the choir is now assembled, save one. Beginning in verse eleven the psalmist calls for all of humanity to sing out their praises to the Lord. From kings and princes to young men and maidens to old men and children, the psalmist declares, “let them praise the name of the Lord”. All of humanity joins all of creation in praising the Lord “for his name alone is exalted”.
In verse fourteen we get to the culminating point. The world and universe created by the Lord has been assembled. Because all has been created by the Lord, all are connected to the Lord. This very connection calls forth our praise. Yet in the earthly, created sense all of this is temporary. Even the stars and mountains, those things that seem timeless to us, even these will fall from the sky and will fall into the sea. In verse fourteen the psalmist writes, “He has raised up for his people a horn”. The horn is the horn of salvation. The horn connects you and me and all of creation to the eternity of God. The horn of salvation is Jesus Christ the Lord and he alone offers salvation. Jesus offers us salvation from the chains of both sin and death. Freed from all that binds, we are made brothers and sisters in Christ, freed to raise our voices to the one who saves. Freed and created, we will one day raise our voices as we gather around the throne. One day we will offer our praise to the Lord face to face with glory itself. Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Lord, what a way to begin the week we celebrate the birth of your son, the horn of salvation! All praise to you, the Lord of all. May all I do and say today bring you the glory! Amen.
Verse 16: Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.
Tonight is a “scary” night. People of all ages dress up in fun costumes and go out to collect candy. The reality is that the “trick” has largely left the “trick or treat” aspect of the night and it is largely about dressing up (which is fun) and collecting candy (which is yummy). For the vast majority who will be going door to door, trunk to trunk, or table to table, Halloween is just a fun night.
Although the “darkness” of Halloween is largely gone, the world we live in still has plenty of darkness. The world brings each person their share of hurt and pain in life. It is part of the otherwise beautiful and loving world. As Christians we can better face the forces of evil and the times of pain and suffering because we know the end of the story. Today, in Revelation 7, we get a peak into the end of the story. We see praise and worship around the throne. We see those that have gone through the great tribulation – they have been redeemed and their robes are white as snow. They join the elders and the angels in worshipping God and the Lamb. It is a wonderful and beautiful image of the end of life as we know it here on earth.
Through the victory of Jesus Christ we know that “never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst”. It will be a time of light and love as we dwell with God and the Lamb. All will be amazing as we join the heavenly choir singing our praises to the Lord our God. The Lamb will lead us by springs of living water and God will wipe away every tear. This is the vision, the hope, the promise that we hold onto as we dwell in this time and place. Thanks be to God for the victory won by Jesus Christ!
Reading of the worship around the throne in heaven makes me think of times of worship that have been powerful and amazing. The first that comes to mind was the choir and orchestra that led worship at a big conference I attended in a Kansas City suburb. There were hundreds on the platform and thousands in the congregation who joined together to praise our God. Next my mind went to any number of Promise Keepers events where almost twenty thousand men would lift our voices as one and fill the stadium or arena. The power and majesty and presence of God was real.
Of course both of these events pale in comparison to John’s description of the thousands upon thousands – literally millions – of voices gathered to praise the Lamb who was slain. John goes on to include every being born since the creation story. It will be quite the choir! If we expand our ‘grandest’ worship experience hundreds on hundreds of times over, it may get us close to what John saw in his vision.
The thousands or even millions lifted in one voice, bringing praise and glory to God, surely pleases Him. There is an undeniable power felt when a large number gather for worship. This experience occurs at large events throughout the year and at churches across the world on days like Christmas Eve.
Yet I believe God is also greatly pleased with the worship of one. We all experience times of worship where we are the only ones there and we definitely feel the presence of God. Maybe it is during a walk along the beach or maybe it happens sitting alone on the deck at sunrise. Maybe it occurs during a hymn when you too have felt tears streaming down your cheeks. In our times of worship, whether alone or with a handful or with hundreds, He is every bit as pleased as with millions upon millions in worship. Praise be to the Lamb! Praise to our God who is pleased when we bow and worship His Holy name! All honor and glory is His, both now and forever!
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