A Revelation Invitation

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. (Revelation 14:1-3 ESV)

Over the years I have enjoyed several visits to Niagara Falls. While waterfalls, no matter how large or small, are always beautiful and majestic, Niagara Falls stands out above any other that I’ve seen. All of the runoff from the Great Lakes eventually flows out by way of the Saint Lawrence River and over Niagara Falls. The sight is breathtaking. The sound is thunderous. The massive volume of water overwhelms. It shakes the earth. The Falls and its current cannot be resisted. This is how John described the singing of the people of God (“like the roar of many waters”).The voice of this heavenly chorus atop Mount Zion is thunderous, it shakes the earth, it overwhelms.

We witness a scene of celebration and of worship. In about half of our English translations verse 2 says John heard a sound from heaven; the other half say he heard a voice from heaven. He heard a voice (singular) sounding like rushing water, like thunder and like harpists. A voice of power and beauty. Then verse 3 says they sang a new song. He heard a voice … then they sang. Bad grammar, but great poetry and wonderful imagery. The people of God, this throng of 144,000, sang their new song with one voice. And they sang their new song from Mount Zion, the city of God. They sang their new song standing with the Lamb of God. They sang their new song before the throne of God.

What made their song new? And what had put this song in their mouths? It was not a new song because it had never been sung or heard before. Rather, it’s a song about being made new. John says that only the people of God sang this song. Why is that? Because only the people of God are those who had been redeemed from the earth. Because only God’s people have been made new. Only they follow the Lamb wherever he goes. Only they have been purchased from among humanity. They had something new to sing about and they filled heaven, overwhelmed heaven, with their song.

We, too, stand with the Lamb of God, on Mount Zion, before the throne of God to sing to him our new song because we have been made new by the Lamb of God. We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. God has purchased us from among mankind by the sacrifice of his son on the cross. The Lamb of God has given us a reason to worship. He has put a song in our hearts, a new song. Our song is heard powerfully and beautifully because it proclaims the life-changing, earth-shaking and beautifully majestic power of God in our lives.

Heavenly Father, as a single voice in the choir of your people, I praise you. With them I sing a new song. With them I thank you for having redeemed me from the earth, for having purchased me from among humankind. With them I thank you for giving me something so wonderful and new to sing about. You are a gracious, merciful God. Accept my gratitude and my worship this day. Amen.