A Song of Redemption (Revelation 5:8-14)                                                2010.02.14                                  Pastor Richard Yu 

        The image of Christ described by John in Rev. chapter 5 is the most amazing combination of a being – the triumphant Lion who is also the Lamb that was slain; who is utmost in power and utmost in self-giving. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. Thus God’s purposes of redemption and judgment can be brought to pass, which prompted the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders singing a new song – the worship and praise of heaven.

        It’s new as compared to the one sung earlier (4:11). There God is praised as the God of creation. Here it is new in that it is directed to the Lamb, and he is praised because of his work of redemption. This new song says four things about this redemption:

        First, it is a redemption through the blood of Christ. “. . . with your blood you purchased men for God.” In the New Testament when the blood is introduced, it signifies not simply life, but life violently and sacrificially ended. In other words, the blood is a way of representing the whole atoning self-sacrificial death of Christ. It is his life violently and sacrificially ended on our behalf.

        Second, it is a redemption for all people. “. . . you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” This is a great theme recurs many times in Revelation. God’s redemption is offered to all; His redeemed will come from every tribe, every tongue, every people and nation. In light of this, how can anyone despise another one whom the blood of the Lamb had bought?  

        Third, it is a redemption directed toward God. “. . . you purchased men for God.”  These people are redeemed to God. They’re not just sort of redeemed from sin; but they are redeemed from sin for God. There’s never s redemption from sin so that you can go on to do something else, or so that you can go about life your own way. Because the very nature of redemption is that you are redeemed for God. Worship is not for us to receive something from God, nor is it something we do to appease God.

        Fourth, it is a redemption for new identity and mission. “You have made them to be a kingdom and priest to serve our God and they will reign on the earth.” Thus the church is a priesthood. It does not have a priesthood. That’s the language also drawn from Exodus, and 1 Peter.

        Priests by definition are mediators. Under the terms of the New Covenant we don’t have a priesthood or mediators between us and God. The New Testament says there’s one mediator between God and man – Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior; on the other hand we all are priests in the sense that we take the message of the cross and the grace of God and mediate that to the world. Then we take the burdens, sins, guilt, shame and fears of the world, and bring them back in intercession before God. That how we function as priests, as mediators.

        Individually we are priests; but corporately God makes us a kingdom – his domain, which ultimately will embrace the whole universe as we shall see towards the end of the book. He makes us a kingdom. His is the ultimate King and we are to serve him now. And one day we shall reign with him on earth.

        The worship singing grew to include thousands upon thousands of angels, and all creatures on earth. The point is that this event is so significant that the whole universe joins in to praise God because his purposes of redemption, judgment and blessings are going to be brought to pass by the Lamb! There will be a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

        Sometimes I think we make too little of the cross, we understand too little of its central place in God’s redemptive purposes from now and until eternity. With the understanding of this heavenly worship and praise, I pray that the Spirit of God would help us grow not only in understanding, but in worship and obedience; as we join the chorus around the throne in everlasting worship to him who sits on it and to the Lamb.