Revelation 5:9, 12-14 And they sung a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for you were slain… In these sublime chapters these doxologies stand out prominently. Note concerning them - I. WHAT IS COMMON TO THEM ALL. They are all ascribed to the Lamb. Exclusively in the first two; united with "him that sitteth on the throne," in the third; but in all the Lamb is prominent. From this we learn: 1. We cannot render too much honour to Christ. He is seen "in the midst of the throne," and the Centre of all that heavenly circle, and the Object of their united adoration. We therefore cannot exceed in our worship of him. We scarce know how, we need not know how, to distinguish between him that sitteth on the throne and between him that is in the midst of the throne. The worship of one is the worship of the other, and of the other of the one. Christ is everything to us - "all and in all," as St. Paul affirms, and as this vision shows. The fact is, we cannot worship God without worshipping Christ. No man cometh or can come to the Father but by him. The very thoughts and ideas that we have of God we gain through him. Those varied human expressions concerning God which we find in the Old Testament are but anticipations of the confirmation they were to receive through him who, coming from the Father, should take our nature and so reveal the Father to us. 2. Nor can we think too much of the cross of Christ. It is to him as to the Lamb, the Lamb slain and who hath redeemed us by his blood, that this adoration is given. It is the cross of Christ that speaks peace to the contrite heart, that assures of perfect sympathy the sad and distressed mind, that gives new strength and resolve to the tempted soul. Well does Watts sing - "Oh, the sweet wonders of that cross On which my Saviour groaned and died! Her noblest life my spirit draws From his dear wounds and bleeding side." II. WHAT IS PECULIAR TO EACH. 1. The first doxology. (1) Offered by: (a) The four living ones. Representative (see previous homily) of perfectly redeemed humanity - the condition in which man shall be when Christ has drawn all men unto him; when he shalt have put all enemies under his feet. They are represented as "four," to signify the worldwide scope of Christ's redemption: "They shall come from the north and from the south, from the east and from the west." (b) The twenty-four elders. These represent the Church of God. They are twenty-four because of the twenty-four courses of priests (1 Chronicles 24:3-19). They are the instruments by which mankind at large shall be won for God. The manifold wisdom of God is to be made known through, the Church. (2) By means of: (a) The outward homage of the body: "they fell down." The attitude of the body not merely symbolizes, but often assists, the worship of the mind. The posture of reverence is helpful to the feeling of reverence, and therefore is not to be regarded as unimportant. (b) Music and song. They had "harps," and they "sung a new song." Music alone of all the arts is to be perpetuated m heaven. We read not of painting or sculpture, but music and song are there. For music is the utterance of thoughts too deep for words. Much is given to us besides language, to express our thoughts - tones, looks, tears, cries, and music also. Moreover, music is symbolical of the life of heaven. As in music so there, there is no self will. Music is only possible by absolute obedience to the laws of harmony. Obedience is its life. And how glorious is that music which is consecrated to God's praise! (c) Intercessions for those on earth. This seems to me the significance of the incense-laden censers, the "vials full of odours," which are spoken of. How can the Lord of love be more truly worshipped than by sympathies, thoughts, and deeds of love? Is it to be imagined that the blessed in heaven cease to care for their poor troubled brethren on earth? - that the love they had for them is all gone, evaporated? God forbid! And here it is shown that as here on earth they loved to pray for and with them, so in heaven they do the same (cf. Revelation 6:10; cf. also Luke 1:10; Exodus 30:36-38). In such intercession Christ sees the fruit of the Spirit he has given them. (3) On the ground of: (a) The worthiness of Christ. (b) The redemption he has wrought - so real, so universal, so costly. (c) The results of it: "made us kings," etc. (ver. 10). Such is the first doxology; it is the praise of the redeemed for their redemption. We do not now seem to value it so highly; many other things seem to us more precious - wealth, friends, success, pleasure. But when we see things as they really are, then this gift of gifts, all gifts in one, our redemption, will be prized and praised as now it too seldom is. 2. The second doxology. This, though joined in - as how could it be otherwise? - by those who sang the first, is more especially that of the angels. In myriads upon myriads they gather round and cry, "Worthy is the Lamb." Unto these "principalities and powers in the heavenlies" is made known, "by means of the Church," the manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10). These "things" they "desire to look into" (1 Peter 1:12). How, then, can they, who rejoice over one sinner brought to repentance (Luke 15.), fail to be filled with rapture when they behold that which the Lamb slain has done? Therefore to him to whom all this is due they render praise, affirming the certain truth that all the power, the riches of grace, the wisdom, and might, which were conspicuous in man's redemption, and the honour and glory on account thereof, are to be ascribed to the Lamb. "By grace are ye saved, not of yourselves" - such is the reminder the angels give. We are slow to recognize this, and too ready to attribute overmuch to ourselves. 3. The third doxology. (Ver. 13.) The Church, the angels, have uttered theirs; and now creation, in all her forms - man living and dead not excluded, for" those under the earth" (cf. Job 10:21, 22; Isaiah 14:9), those who have departed this life and are now in the realm of the shadow of death - are named, and they all unite in this praise (cf. Philippians 2:10). St. Paul seems to teach (Romans 8:19-23, and especially ver. 21), that there shall be a redemption for it also - a deliverance "from the bondage of corruption." When we think of the sorrows and sufferings of those creatures of God who have no sins of their own to answer for, being incapable of sin, though not of suffering, it is a blessed revelation that in some form or other unknown to us they shall share in the blessings Christ hath brought. The psalms are full of invocations to creation in its various forms - the seas, the trees, "everything that hath breath," "all creatures" - to "praise the Name of the Lord." And here in this vision we behold creation, along with angels and redeemed men, uniting in this praise. Who that has heard the marvellous echo of shout or horn amid the Alps does not remember how the sound spreads and travels on further and further, till height and crag and soaring summit seem to hear, and at once give back the sound? So with the adoration of the Lamb, the doxologies of which this chapter tells. They begin, they should, with the redeemed Church and saved man; they are caught up by the myriads of angels, they are heard and repeated by the whole creation of God. How is the reflection forced upon us of the relation in which we stand to this all-glorious redemption. In the fibre of this universal praise dare we reject or trifle with it? What madness! Shall we not embrace it with our whole heart, and seek to know the joy and every blessedness of it more and more, so that at the last, with all the saved, we may fall "down and worship him that liveth forever and ever"? And if we are trusting in Christ, let there be in our lives and on our lips more of praise. Let us not be forever wailing our litanies, but let us learn more of the language of praise. We have been too remiss in this. But whenever we have caught the blessed spirit of these doxologies, how good it has been for us! The devil is eager enough to dishonour Christ: all the more let us be eager to praise. - S.C. Parallel Verses KJV: 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; |
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