When The Whole World Sings

[Walter and Deborah]

Thursday 7-28-22 5th. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Tammuz 28, 5782 38th. Summer Day

When the Whole World Sings

Read: Revelation 5:8–14 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 46–48; Acts 28

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They sang a new song, saying . . . with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. Revelation 5:9

A commercial jingle of the 1970s inspired a generation. Created as part of Coca Cola’s “The Real Thing” ad campaign, a British group called The New Seekers eventually sang it as a full-length song that climbed to the top of music charts around the world.

But many will never forget the original television version sung by young people on a hilltop outside of Rome. Whimsical as it was, with visions of honeybees and fruit trees, we resonated with a songwriter’s desire to teach the world to sing with the heart and harmony of love.

The apostle John describes something like that idealized dream, only vastly greater. He envisioned a song sung by “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them” (Revelation 5:13). There’s nothing whimsical about this anthem.

Nothing could be more realistic than the price paid by the One to whom this song is sung. Neither could there be anything more foreboding than the visions of war, death, and consequence that His sacrifice of love would have to overcome.
Yet this is what it took for the Lamb of God to bear our sin and defeat death, overcome our fear of death, and teach all heaven and earth to sing—in perfect harmony.

What gives you cause to sing? What happens to your heart and mind when you embrace John’s vision of every created being singing in united praise of the Lamb and His love?
Father in heaven, please help me to sense the wonder of what You’ve done to give me a song that can be sung in joy by everyone and every living creature.

INSIGHT

The central picture in Revelation 5 is the moving image of a slain yet living Lamb (v. 6) worshiped by all creation (v. 13). God’s people had long looked for the prophesied Messiah, the Lion of Judah (v. 5; Isaiah 11:1–9) to powerfully deliver them. Most assumed this Messiah, much like a lion, would conquer through force and vengeful violence.

Instead, the Messiah, the Lion of Judah, was revealed to be a gentle Lamb, willing to give everything, even His own life, for the salvation of others. It’s only that Lamb who is found worthy to establish God’s justice and bring history to its long-awaited goal.

By Mart DeHaan|July 28th, 2022

Worship Revelation 5:8-14

8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

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Love, Walter and Debbie