‘The New Song’
The most popular, and most quoted reference utilizing ‘new song ‘ is found in Psalm 40:3 where David describes one of the results of the Lord’s working in his life after he was delivered from the depths of sin when he was saved:
‘I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined unto me and heard my cry. 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. 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.’
(Psalm 40:1-3).
Six more ‘new song’ occurrences are found in the Psalms with the first Bible occurrence in Psalm 33:3-’Sing unto Him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.’ Here the righteous are commanded to not only sing a new song and play skillfully unto the Lord, but in the previous verses three other commands to worship are also given: ‘Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto Him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. (v.1, 2)
However, this Psalm also includes the harp, which is the national instrument of Israel, and the instrument of choice in the New Testament worship/songbook of the Revelation where the Day of the Lord is vividly described in chapters 8, 9, 16-20. And as we will see later in this article, the new song is also a key term in the book of the Revelation.
The purpose for these commands to worship is found in (v.4)-‘For the Word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in truth.’ This powerful call to worship the LORD is based in the Psalmist’s appreciation for the written Word of God.
Psalm 96:1 ‘O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth’ is the next new song reference and this command to worship is followed by a dozen more imperative calls to worship the LORD with the end of the Psalm indicating the ultimate reason for this panoply of praise:
‘For He comes, for He comes to judge the earth: He shall judge the world [Gentiles] with righteousness, and the people [Jews] with His truth. (v.13).
Here the Psalmist looks forward to the great and terrible Day of the Lord when God will indeed punish the Gentile and Jew alike which will also have a purifying effect on those Jews who will be saved as a nation in a day! Then, right close in proximity, Psalm 98:1 echoes the same refrain:
‘O sing unto the LORD a new song; for He has done marvelous things: His right hand, and His holy arm, has gotten Him the victory.’
The Psalm continues this victory theme underscoring His salvation, His righteousness and with a prophetic view looks to the day when ‘He comes to judge the earth; with righteousness shall He judge the world [Gentiles] and the people [Jews] with equity.’ Here again the harp is utilized in (v.5) showing the importance of this instrument in the worship of the Lord
In Psalm 144:9 David promises to utilize ‘a new song’ in order to praise God for His working in the midst of the battle against ‘strange children’ who were afflicting him. He also includes other musical instruments of worship, the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings to accompany this praiseful singing.
The last Psalm reference is in Psalm 149:1-
‘Praise ye the LORD, Sing unto the LORD a new song, and His praise in the congregation of saints.’ The first six verses ring with praise, with the closing verses focusing on a future time of judgment much like Psalm 96 & 98 which could well be an additional reference to the end of the age Day of the Lord also called the Wrath of God.
‘Sing unto the LORD a new song, and His praise from the end of the earth’ (Isaiah 42:10) is also in the midst of two prophetic passages the first (v.1-9) describing the ministry of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ during His Incarnation and the second (v.13-17) describes the Day of the Lord, God’s Wrath at the end of the age.
The two references in the New Testament carry with them prophetic significance also because they are both found in the book of the Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first is in chapter five, where the Lord Jesus is introduced.
He is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah the Root of David the One Who is able to open the scroll containing God’s Day of the Lord program for the end of the age, but, He appears in form as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
This brings forth the singing of a new song by the Four Beasts and the Twenty-Four Elders with these lyrics of praise to the Lamb:
‘Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof: for Thou was slain and hast redeemed men to God by Thy Blood out of every kindred, and tongue and people and nation: And hast made them unto our God kings and priests and they shall reign on the earth.’(Revelation 5:9,10)
The chapter concludes with one of the most powerful praise scenes in the Word of God with all of creation giving glory to the Father and to the Lamb!
But, the last reference using ‘a new song’ is also one of the most intense and glorious demonstrations of worship to the Lord and the Lamb because of the presence of this choice group of saints, the 144 Thousand Hebrew men who make up one half of this antiphonal choir singing the new song on earth and ‘the harpers’ in heaven making up the other half by resounding this majestic praise song to the Lamb:
‘And I heard a Voice from heaven, as the Voice of many waters, and as the Voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the Throne, and before the four beasts and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred forty four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.’(Revelation 14:2,3)
This scene depicts the LORD setting ‘His King [The Lord Jesus Christ/Lamb] upon My holy hill of Zion’ (Psalm 2:6). Yes, He is about to make:
‘Thy [The Lord Jesus Christ/Lamb] enemies Thy footstool’ (Psalm 110:1), and this magnificent music-filled worship scene with the choir of heavenly harpers and the earthly choir of these select sons of Israel has been organized to celebrate this long-awaited moment!
While we can not be dogmatic about the identity of these heavenly harpers it would seem likely that the redeemed saints of the Lord in heaven would be the ones supplying the heavenly music thereby teaching their earthly counterparts, to whom they have ‘Passed the Torch’ earlier just before the rapture, the lovely lyrics of this coronation song!
Although this ‘new song’ passage does not reveal it’s lyrics one might imagine the beauty of the multi-faceted harmonies that will be sung by this great multitude of harpers, as this united choir of perfection, representing the Old and New Covenant, will undoubtedly sing on that glorious day to come.
O worship the King all glorious above,
O gratefully sing His power and His love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise. [‘O Worship the King’-Robert Grant, c. 1779-1838]
That’s it…Yes…Well, it surely seems to fit the moment does it not? But, these words also match the occasion!
Lift up your heads O ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah. [Psalm 24:7-10-David, King of Israel]
However, there are some most significant words being proclaimed from heaven at this point in history:
‘And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever.’(Revelation 11:15)
The Seventh Trumpet has sounded ending the 70th Week of Daniel which is when the scene on Mt. Zion takes place in Revelation 14:1 for the Lord Jesus Christ, at this point in history, is literally being made King of Israel by the 12 tribes, and the kingdoms of this world become His at this very same time. Therefore, the words from these ‘great voices in heaven’ proclaiming this magnificent event may well be the words of this last ‘new song’ in the Word of God!
