This chapter is about praise, glorifying, and worship for
God who is the just judge, has righteous character and a perfect plan. Then it is the return of the King of kings
and the Lord of lords. This is it. The earthly “city” is judged with all her
entrapments. Those who follow this
worldly system of values will fall with her.
All of us are in a constant battle to fight to love only the One true
God and to keep our eyes on His Son Jesus.
He alone will win this war. We
cannot defeat the Babylonian influence in our lives without Him. And so, it is imperative that we praise God
and lift up our Savior, Jesus, for saving us!
Everyone who recognizes the despair that they came from is always quick
to praise God and to tell what He did for them.
In verses 1, 3, 4, and 6 the word “Alleluia” or “Hallelujah”
is used depending upon your version of Bible.
It is not used anywhere else in the New Testament. Around the world, it was or still might be in
some traditional to stand at the beginning of Handel’s Messiah most famous oration “Hallelujah Chorus”. However, in heaven we are going to see a
different reaction. Everyone will fall
down and worship.
There has been a lot of intense scenery and overall
destruction described in this book so far.
It gets overwhelming to read and read about the destruction of people,
the world system, and the earth. It is
depressing to know that the world will regress further and further and that we
Christians will become targeted, that the world will be against us
specifically. All of it is just not very
uplifting. However, we are about to read
where that changes because the Good News is ready to arrive. If you have ever longed for that time of no
pain, dwelling in your heavenly Father’s house with Him and with all the
brothers and sisters who know Him, and of being a part of a heavenly worship,
that time is now.
1 After these things I heard a loud voice
of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and
honor and power belong to
the Lord our God! 2 For true and
righteous are His
judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with
her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again
they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And
the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped
God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then
a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and
those who fear Him, both small and great!”
“After” verse 1 tells us, this is after the judgment of
Babylon, the world system. “Hallelujah”
means “praise Yahweh” and heaven is not like many churches today, they aren’t
partly singing this or going through the motions, this is a loud shout! They praise God for salvation, glory, honor,
power, His true and righteous judgments, judging the world system, and avenging
the blood of His servants. The multitude
follows with a 2nd shout over the permanent death of the world.
We should note that this isn’t a judgment made of
vindication. This praise is not because
Satan has lost. This is not a football
game. God wants every person to have
every chance to choose Him. We have seen
this over and over throughout Revelation.
But once all hearts are decided and those who will follow Him, come what
may, and those who will never follow are established, He will remove all that
opposes Him. John Piper said in his
sermon “Worship God!” (desiringgod.com),
“If God turned a deaf ear to sin and evil and injustice and suffering in the world. He would not be true, and He would certainly not be just. God here is rightfully and wholeheartedly praised for His justice.”
These are shouts of praise for salvation and the restoration
of all things. Paul spoke of this time
in Romans 8:18-23. “18 For I consider that
the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in
us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation
eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For
the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who
subjected it in
hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be
delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the
children of God. 22 For we know that the whole
creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not
only that, but we
also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” All of creation is awaiting this day,
persevering in patience for this glorious appointed time. My sons now tell me that I make “old man
noises” because I groan sometimes when I have to move certain ways. Groaning is scriptural, and we all groan with
the earth awaiting the new day.
In verses 4 and 5 we see where all in heaven, the elders,
the four creatures, and this immense heavenly chorus are all praising and
worshiping together. Everyone is
praising together with a shout, with all of their heavenly being from heaven to
the glory of God.
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