Today’s scene before the Lamb enhances a theme begun in yesterday’s passage. Let’s go back and explore it in more depth. The angelic beings proclaim the worthiness of the Lamb to open the scroll of God’s future for creation. In their praise, they declare, “[B]y your blood, you ransomed people for God from every tribe . . . and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10). 

 

This harks back to one of the LORD’s original purposes for his people. Uniquely gifted with consciousness, speech, reflection and capacity to relate to our Creator, we were made to give voice to all creation in praise. When the world fell, humanity’s intimacy with God was severed. We lost our deep connection with each other and with all creation over which we had been placed. Each person became imprisoned in the loneliness of self. God’s long-term plan of salvation, however, included calling one particular people to be a light in the dark for all people. We hear this in Exodus when the LORD speaks to his people after the blood of the lamb saved them from the angel of death and his mighty power led them through the Red Sea:

 

You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Exodus19:4-6) 

 

God’s people are set apart as a community that reflects the harmony and justice of his design for human flourishing. We who belong to the LORD have always had a priestly function. We represent to the world the one true God who has revealed himself in mighty acts of salvation recorded in his Scripture. We speak and show the truth of the triune God. We also represent humanity to God. We intercede for the lost, taking their side as we ask God to send his Spirit into their hearts. We strive against the darkness as we pray for peace, goodwill, right ordering and true justice to prevail. 

 

Above all, we are worship leaders. We put into words the praise of the one who sits on the throne and the Lamb who has redeemed us by his blood. 

 

In today’s passage we see a vast multitude called out from every ethnicity standing before the Lamb in worship. Though their native languages are many, they speak in one worship voice: “Salvation belongs to our God!” 

 

All these people of various tribes share striking similarities. They are each dressed in dazzling robes and holding palm branches that represent both victory and the peace that follows. These are the witnesses to the truth of who Jesus is and what he has accomplished, both in them and in the world. The same Greek word underlies not only “witnesses” but also “martyrs.” This multitude includes the martyrs who lost their lives under persecution. They have discovered that though we die, yet shall we live. 

 

Curiously, their dazzling robes have been made white by the blood of the Lamb! Nothing stains quite so stubbornly as blood. But the Lamb’s blood is so strong in its atoning power, it washes away all that is dull, soiled, muted or compromised in us. Covered in the blood of the Lamb, we shine in a glory that is not our own yet makes us most truly who we were made to be.

It’s crucial to note the communal nature of this scene. We are often very individualistic in our faith. We can mistakenly think that all that matters is my personal, private response to Christ. But a true reply of faith to Jesus means being united to him. United to the body that is his person, but also, and just as truly, united to his body that is his bride, the church. Yes, we were redeemed for communion with the triune God. But we were redeemed just as surely for communion with the worshipping community of saints. We are not monads, a word that means solitary, self-contained, self-fulfilling creatures. That isolation leads to idolatry of my wishes and way. And so leads to the loneliness of hell! Rather, we are members of a body, a body with myriad members of all types and functions yet united by the praise of the Lamb. 

 

When we reach up and out from ourselves to worship the Lamb who alone is worthy, the heavenly beings make a reply! Our hesitant songs and feeble croaks evoke a symphony of angelic music. Seeing and hearing us praise as redeemed creatures, the immortal spiritual beings fall before the wisdom of God who could work such a mighty redemption. They take up the strands of our worship and magnify them in celestial worship.

 

Moreover, we discover that there is no more unifying act than raising hearts and voices in praise. Do you ever feel that in worship as you glance around at the people whose stories you know, as you marvel at the work of love done in their lives? Sometimes when I am singing to the Lamb, I have held in my mind’s eye people, even loved ones, who have hurt me. I have imagined those who have wounded me singing praise next to me, all of us discovering the power of the Lamb’s blood to atone. In Christ, we enter communion with God and one another.