A NEW SONG IN HEAVEN

Intro: This passage finds us still in Heaven in the presence of God and of the Lamb. The church has been raptured, perfected and safely delivered home to Heaven. The landing has been safe! Revelation chapters 4 and 5 find us in Heaven’s courtroom. God is preparing to judge this world. But, before He does, there is a pause for praise in glory. It is that worship service that we have been looking at for the last few weeks.

In these verses, Heaven is unable to contain itself and all the residents of that fair land burst forth in rejoicing and praise to God and the Lamb. There is praising, singing and there is music. This the first mention of music in this book, but it will not be the last.

Music is a vital part of our lives. From the time the alarm clock sounds in the morning, we are surrounded with music. The radio and television are all about music. We have music in our cars, in our homes and at our places of business. Music is used to move the minds of people. When a restaurant is busy, for example, they might play fast music. When fast music is playing, people eat faster and clear the tables sooner. Music can set the scene in a film and let you know whether you should be afraid, sad or happy. Music is an important part of our lives.

It is also an important part of our walk with the Lord.

Ephesians 5:19 KJV 1900

19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Colossians 3:16 KJV 1900

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16 speak about the vital role music plays in our relationship with the Lord. Thank God for music that honors Him!

This passage seems to indicate that music will be one of the things that will follow us from earth to Heaven. The music in Heaven will but serve to make Heaven sweeter.

In these verses, John takes us into Heaven and gives us front row seats at the concert of the ages. Let’s go in, take our seats and listen to the hosts of Heaven as they lift their voices in praise and worship of God and the Lamb.

I. THE SINGERS OF HEAVEN’S NEW SONG-VS. 8

A. The Identity Of The Singers

– The four beasts and the twenty-four elders make up this heavenly choir. When the Lamb takes the book they begin to praise His name.

Remember, these four beasts represent all of created life.

The twenty-four elders represent every one of God’s redeemed ones.

They picture all the saints of God, in His presence, singing His praises. (Ill. These twenty-four elders are us! What they are doing is what we will be doing on that day!)

B. The Involvement Of The Singers

– What are these redeemed ones doing? They are doing what they do every time we see them in the Revelation: they are on their face in the presence of their Redeemer, offering Him their love, their praise and their worship, Rev. 4:10; 5:8; 5:14; 7:11; 19:4.

Let there be no mistake about it, when we arrive home in Heaven, we will be busy praising the One Who died for our sins on the cross! We will all praise Him when we get to Heaven! (Ill.We ought to be doing it now – Heb. 13:15; Psa. 107:21.)

Hebrews 13:15 KJV 1900

15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Psalm 107:21 KJV 1900

21 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men!

C. The Instruments Of The Singers

– We are told that these worshippers have certain items in their possession. They use these items in their worship of the Lord.

1. Instruments Of Praise

– The harp was used to accompany the people of the Lord as they praised God and sang His psalms, 2 Sam. 6:5; Psalm 92:1-4; Psalm 150:3.

2 Samuel 6:5 KJV 1900

5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

Psalm 92:1–4 KJV 1900

1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, And to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, And thy faithfulness every night, 3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; Upon the harp with a solemn sound. 4 For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.

Psalm 150:3 KJV 1900

3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: Praise him with the psaltery and harp.

It appears that instruments will accompany the singing and the worship in that land. I thank God for the ones who play the music in our services. What a blessing they are! Some of the rest of us will be able to make beautiful music to the glory of God when we arrive home.

2. Instruments Of Prophecy

The harp was also associated with prophecy, (Saul and the prophets) 1 Sam. 10:5.

Elisha prophesied while a man played on a harp, 2 Kings 3:15.

The harp is also tied to prophecy in 1 Chron. 25:1.

The worshippers in Heaven are praising God because He is about finish the fulfillment of all His prophecies. They worship Him because He has promised it and He is about to bring it all to pass.

3. Instruments Of Prayer

– The “golden vials full of odours” are said to be full of “the prayers of the saints.” These worshippers come before the Lord with all the prayers of the redeemed through the ages. These prayers have ascended into God’s presence with a sweet aroma. These prayers that were offered in faith are about to be answered in power.

Ill.Jesus told His people to pray this prayer: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,” Matt. 6:9-10. God’s children have prayed that prayer for at least two thousand years. And, for two thousand years evil has reigned in this world. God has been hearing those prayers and He had not forgotten a single on of them. They are about to be answered in a demonstration of His power.

That is why Heaven praises God! He is a God Who hears and answers the prayers of His children! Not a single prayer that is/was prayed within the scope of His will ever falls to the ground unheard and unanswered, 1 John 5:13-14; James 4:2-3. But, every one will be answered in His time and in His way.

1 John 5:13–14 KJV 1900

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

I. The Singers Of Heaven’s New Songs

II. THE SUBJECT OF HEAVEN’S NEW SONG-VS. 9-10

(Ill. Down here, people sing about everything under the sun! If you listen to secular music, you know they make up songs about everything! The church is just about as bad. I heard a song one time that has a line that goes like this: “We are bound together in all we do by the Holy Spirit and Elmer’s Glue.” That is silly! Church folks will sing songs about mama and her Bible; daddy and his hands; ; angels holding up ladder, etc.

While some of the songs that are sung in church are less than spiritual, there are others that are helpful to our hearts.

But, isn’t it true that most of the songs we sing are less about glorifying the Lord than they are about encouraging our own hearts?

In Heaven every song will have the same theme. In Heaven, every song will be about Jesus. Every song will glorify Him: Who He is and what He has done. Let’s examine this “new song” that they are singing in Heaven.)

A. They Sing About The Person Of The Lamb-vs. 9

– They lift their voices and sing “Thou art worthy!” The song of Heaven declares the worth of the Lamb of God. He is the focus of the song. He is the object of their praise. They lift up His Name because He is worthy to be praised.

By the way, Jesus is just as worthy of praise today as He will be when we arrive home in Heaven! He is still Lord. He is still God. He is still our Redeemer. He is worthy of every Amen!”; “Hallelujah!”; and “Glory to God!” He receives. He is still worthy of every saint who stands to say, “I love Jesus and I thank Him for saving my soul!” He is worthy!

Our problem here is that our praise is diluted by the twin problems of pride and evil. We don’t praise Him because we are afraid of what someone else might think. And, we don’t praise Him because we are usually not in a position to feel the touch of His Spirit.

If we could just lose our pride and deal with our sins, the Lord would come close to us and remind us of the worth of the Lamb and we would offer up His praises. Whether we ever grasp it or not down here, Jesus is worthy to be praised.

B. They Sing About The Passion Of The Lamb-vs. 9

– They sing because the Lamb was “slain”. That word means “to slay or slaughter”. It brings to mind the brutality of the death Jesus endured for you and me, Isa. 52:14; Isa. 53:4-6.

Isaiah 52:14 KJV 1900

14 As many were astonied at thee; His visage was so marred more than any man, And his form more than the sons of men:

Isaiah 53:4–6 KJV 1900

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Heaven praises Jesus because He went to the cross and bore the sins of the guilty so they we might be saved. Heaven praises Him because He died for them!

That is a worthy refrain for us to pick us here on earth! I can’t think of a better thing to sing about than the death of Jesus! I love those old songs about the Lamb and the blood! Praise God, when I hear Heaven sing about the Lamb, I am tempted to join right in!

At The Cross-pg 121

Alas! and did my Savior bleed,

and did my Sovereign die!

Would he devote that sacred head

for such a worm as I?

Was it for crimes that I have done,

he groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity! Grace unknown!

And love beyond degree!

Chorus:

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away,

It was there by faith I received my sight,

And now I am happy all the day!

Glory to His name-pg.586

Down at the cross where my Savior died,

Down where for cleansing from sin I cried,

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His Name!

I am so wondrously saved from sin,

Jesus so sweetly abides within;

There at the cross where He took me in;

Glory to His Name!

Oh, precious fountain that saves from sin,

I am so glad I have entered in;

There Jesus saves me and keeps me clean;

Glory to His Name!

Come to this fountain so rich and sweet,

Cast thy poor soul at the Savior’s feet;

Plunge in today, and be made complete;

Glory to His Name!

Chorus

Glory to His Name, glory to His Name:

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His Name!

C. They Sing About The Purpose Of The Lamb-vs. 9-10

Heaven sings about the Lamb and about His redemption. Those in Heaven remember where they were when the Lamb redeemed them. They know what they have become because of the blood of the Lamb.

Exploring Revelation: An Expository Commentary 3. The Choice of God Is Praised throughout the Universe (5:8–14)

When in scenes of glory

I sing the new, new song;

’Twill be the same old story

That I have loved so long.

They remember when they were lost sinners headed to a devil’s Hell. They remember the day Jesus died for their sins and rose again from the dead. They remember how He came to them in their sins and how He saved them by His grace. They remember how He redeemed them and took them into His family. They know what they were, and they know what they are now, because of Him!

They praise Him because the color of the skin didn’t matter. They praise Him because the depth of their sin was no issue to Him. They exalt Him because He has exalted them! They praise Him because He took a bunch of Hell-bound; Hell-deserving sinners, saved them by His grace and reconciled them to God. He has taken them to Heaven where they will reign with Him forever.

Heaven has the right perspective when it comes to praise and worship! We could use a little more of that down here. Look at all He has done for us! Look where He is taking us! Look at how He blesses us! Praise His Name; He is worthy to be exalted and glorified!

(Ill. Stop for a minute and think about what you were, where you were headed and what you deserved. Now, think about what Jesus has done in your life! He has saved your soul; reconciled you to God; received you as a sinner and transformed you into a saint; lifted you out of your sins and made a king and a priest; and He is going to let you reign with Him one day soon. Praise His Name, He is worthy of all the love, adoration and worship we can muster. And, He is worthy of it all right now.)

I. The Singers Of Heaven’s New Song

II. The Subject Of Heaven’s New Song

III. THE SCOPE OF HEAVEN’S NEW SONG-VS. 11-14

SCOPE=THE WHOLE EXTENT OR SPACE; THE ENTIRETY OF IT’S LIMITS

A. Celestial Beings Praise The Lamb - vs. 11-12

John tries to tell us how many angels begin to praise the Lord, but the number was too great for him to fathom. John says it is as many as you can imagine times that many again and many thousands more besides that.

What are these angels doing? They are praising their Creator. Did you notice that it says the redeemed ones “sung” v. 9; but the angels “say” v. 12? I cannot think of a single verse in the Bible that says that angels can sing. Every time they praise the Lord, they say. Even at the birth of Jesus, the angelic host said what was on their minds, Luke 2:8-14. The only verse that even comes close to saying they sing in Job 38:7; and the word “sang” in that verse means “to shout out, or to give a ringing cry.”

What’s the point? Well, music is made up of two kinds of chords. There are minor chords and there are major chords. Minor chords make up the music of sorrow, pain, suffering and bereavement. Minor chords express suffering, heartache and misery. Many of the sounds of nature are in the minor chords keys. Then, there are the major chords. These are the chords of victory, exaltation, triumph and praise.

We humans know about the struggles of life. We know about the touch of the Master’s hand. We know what it is to be redeemed by His grace lifted out of sin and its prison. We know what it is to have no hope and then to be given a “new song”, Psa. 40:1-3.

Psalm 40:1–3 KJV 1900

1 I waited patiently for the Lord; And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

The angels, on the other hand, have never had our experience with sin and redemption. All they know is glory, triumph and victory. They have never been given a song, but we have, praise the Lord. But, what they say they get exactly right! They also declare the worth of the Lamb! They praise Him for Who He is.

B. Created Beings Praise The Lamb-vs. 13

Here is an amazing verse. While Heaven is consumed with the praises of the Lord, the earth is busy ignoring God and continuing its slide into the flames of Hell.

When this worship service breaks out in Heaven, every creature in the universe joins in to praise the Lamb. Think about it! Every lost sinner, every devil of Hell, even Satan himself will lift their voices together and give their praise to the risen Lamb of God! They will not be able to help themselves, but will bend their knees and lift their voices in praise!

The Bible said that it would happen, Rom. 14:12; Phil 2:9-11, and it will! What a day that will be when a God-denying; Christ-rejecting world will praise the Lord Jesus Christ.

You will notice that they do not praise Him for redemption. They cannot for they have never experienced it. They praise Him for Who He is.

What a day when all of creation cannot contain itself and begins to praise the Lord Who made it and Who redeemed it.

C. Converted Beings Praise The Lamb-vs. 14

– When all of this takes place, the four beasts says “Amen!” They say, “So it is and let it be so!” When they join in, the twenty-four elders cannot contain themselves and they fall down before the Lamb in spontaneous, open worship.

Conc: I don’t know about you, but I think we ought to sing today! Let’s get a hymnal and stand and sing “All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name!”

It may be that you just want to come and praise Him for Who He is and for all that He has done. It may be that you want to be saved or to confess some sin and get things right with Him. Whatever the need, you mind Him today!

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