Revelation 5:7-14 (NKJV)
“We will Sing a New Song”
March 30, 2025
Intro: This passage finds us in Heaven in the presence of God upon His throne. The church has been raptured, perfected and delivered home to Heaven as Jesus promised in John 14, “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” 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 because the Lion of Judah stands before the Throne as the Lamb of God! After the seven letters and written to the seven churches Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. We believe these churches are symbolic of all the believers in Christ. Chapter 4 opens with John in the Spirit, and he beheld, a glorious throne in heaven, with one seated on the throne. Around the throne were twenty-four smaller thrones and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. (We understood these to most likely be the 12 Tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles of Christ). John tells us that from the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and thunder… And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. They sound like the Cherubim that Ezekiel spoke of, “the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle.” They sound like the Seraphim that Isaiah spoke of, “Each had six wings: with two they covered their face, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew around the Throne of God singing, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!” And John says that the four living creatures, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to sing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" And every time they sang it, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they existed." Then in chapter 5 - John saw in the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And he saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" And no one in heaven or no one on earth or no one under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and John began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open it nor even to look into it. And one of the elders said to John, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that He can open the scroll and its seven seals." When John turned to see, he saw not a lion but a lamb! And then John said, “I saw a Lamb, with the scars of being slain, STANDING … and The Lamb of God went and took the scroll from the right hand of [the Father] who was seated on the throne.” Heaven is unable to contain itself and all the residents burst forth in rejoicing and praise to God and the Lamb. There is praising and singing and music. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song… We know what it is to have no hope and then to be given a “new song”, the Psalmist King David said, (40:1-3) He 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.
I. v. 9 IT IS A SONG OF PASSION And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood. Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation and have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." The song of God's people speaks of His passion! He was slain; we were redeemed with his blood; we were gathered from every nation for His Kingdom; He made us a Royal Priesthood and appointed us one day to reign on the earth! What kind of song was that? It is A Worship Hymn, “You are worthy!” It is A Gospel Hymn! “We were redeemed by Your blood.” It is A Missionary Hymn, “we were called out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” Finally, this song is A Prophetic Hymn, ONE DAY “We shall reign on the earth.” When Jesus Christ returns to earth, He will establish His righteous kingdom for 1,000 years; and we shall reign with Him (20:6). What are the Prayers of the Saints that the Elders were holding in the Golden Bowls? The prayer of the saints is, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven!” When we realize the glorious future that awaits us, we will find the strength to face our present difficulties.
II. v. 11 IT IS A SONG OF POWER Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" The elders were joined by the hosts of angels in heaven who added their words of praise in a loud voice. 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 and many thousands more! “ten thousands times ten thousand” is the Apostle’s way of calling them innumerable. In Heaven, every song will be about Jesus. Every song will glorify Him! “Worthy is the Lamb!” He is the only object of their praise. They lift up His Name because He is worthy to be praised. BUT KNOW THIS: Angels don’t sing redemption songs for themselves. For only we have been redeemed. The believer has a redemption song, and the angel has a song of His glory and of His power. When the angels chime in, they praise Him for Who He is. What a day when all of Heaven cannot contain itself and begins to praise the Lord Who redeemed us by His blood. They are not singing this new redemption song because they have been redeemed; they are rejoicing with us! Jesus said, “I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” They have never been given a song like this before! This is a new song!
III. v. 13 IT IS A SONG OF PRAISE 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, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!" After the angels begin their praise, all of creation joins in to honor the God of Creation. “Every creature,” All of creation praises God the Father and the Lamb of God! Who is the Lamb of God? Jesus is the Lamb of God! Paul says, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus is coming for the Church and He has already written us a new song! Jesus says, "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." And every believer should say, “Hallelujah and Amen!”
