The
first lesson of this new song is that it is not the first new song in the
Scriptures. In fact, as is the case with everything else we have been learning
in this last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation consistently reminds us
of things the Scriptures have already taught. So, while a Ping cannot contain
all the Scriptures the Revelation is reminiscing, I would like to focus on the
wonder of how the message of Revelation echoes in grand crescendo the wonders
already made clear throughout Scripture.
When
I typed “new song” into my online concordance,[2] I
discovered a number of passages from the Psalms and Prophets that called God’s
people to “sing to him a new song”.[3] As
I read the context of these verses, I was impressed by the similarity of themes
between these Psalms and the book of Revelation. It settled into my heart that
the Revelations is the grand concluding Psalm of Scripture, speaking of the
deliverance of God’s children, and the defeat of God’s enemies, just as the
Psalms and prophets had announced hundreds of years earlier.
Part
of the reason Revelation 5 introduces us to a new song is because of its focus
on a new event. In this case, the new focus is, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals…”[4] After
the heavenly realm felt the sorrowful weight of no one found worthy to open the
scroll and break the seven seals, the revelation that, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so
that he can open the scroll and its seven seals,”[5]
returned the heavenly mood to joy.
Now
watch the focus move from the announcement of the one who could open the
scroll, to the revelation of the Lamb standing before the throne, to the action
of this Lamb taking the scroll from the right hand of God Almighty. Reverence, awe,
and wonder, overtake the scene, and all the representatives of creation and the
church fall down before Jesus Christ in worship. And, what is a new experience
of knowing Jesus Christ without a new song to honor the occasion?
With
that introduction, I look forward to continuing my meditation on God’s word in
the morning. What the Spirit has given through the Scriptures today, promises
that the Spirit and the word will continue to uplift the hearts of those who enter
it, however often they do so. As the book has promised, so it has already
fulfilled, “Blessed is
the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who
hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”[6]
From my heart,
Monte
© 2013 Monte Vigh ~
Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise
noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)
[1] “9 And they sang a new song,
saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were
slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and
language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests
to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’” (Revelation 5)
[3] Psalm 33:3; 40:3;
96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isaiah 42:10
[4] Revelation 5:9
[5] Revelation 5:5
[6] Revelation 1:3
No comments:
Post a Comment