What are the ‘conquerors’ singing? The song of Moses!1 And the parallel is thus drawn between the saint’s experiences during the end times with the Exodus from Egypt of the Israelites through the Red Sea.2 The people rescued from Pharaoh (a type of the anti-Christ) sang the song of Moses on the shore of the Red Sea. In this way ‘Israel’, the ‘Israel of God’3 is standing, on the shores of salvation, of the ‘sea of glass like crystal’, and that means that God’s people have now passed through the ‘great tribulation’. The ‘waters and rivers’ have not been able to drown them and the ‘scorching fire’ has not been able to ‘’hem, because God loved them.4 As always, Israel is once again serving as a role-model. The ‘dragon’ referred to Egypt for the Old Testament prophets. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, was referred to as ‘you great monster’!5 The persecution of the ‘child’6 reminds us of the children of Israel who were drowned in the Nile of Egypt.7 The ‘dragon’ hunts them down,8 as Pharaoh hunted the people of Israel down at the Red Sea. The ‘torrent of water’ from his mouth9 is like the ‘terror of the sea’ before which the people stood, but through which the Lord made a way for His redeemed.10 The ‘torrents from his mouth’ also remind us of the enemy armies that Pharaoh sent after Israel, but that died a miserable death perishing in the waves of the Red Sea. The woman flees into the desert,11 just like Israel, and is looked after wonderfully, fed with ‘manna’, and ‘water from the rock’, carried on eagle’s wings.12 The ‘victors’ have harps just like the Israelites had, and this points out remarkably that even God’s judgments have their place in the Heavenly liturgy, as well as with Israel on earth, singing about God’s rescue and salvation.13
They sing the ‘song of Moses’ and the ‘song of the Lamb’. Just like the perseverance of the saints was seen in the ‘keeping of God’s Commandments’ and retention of their ‘faith in Jesus’.14 The Law of Moses forbids the worship of carved images of idols.15 They have not worshipped the ‘image of the beast’, Revelation 13:15. The ‘song of Moses’ can also remind us of Deuteronomy 32:1–47, a song Moses bound upon the hearts of Israel, just before he died,16 so that Israel would only seek its strength in the Lord.17 There are actually two songs of Moses. One in Exodus 15, and one in Deuteronomy 32.This song in Revelation 15:3-4 could that ‘song of the Lamb’, but this song is therefore also imbedded completely in Old Testament terminology and does not speak of ‘personal redemption’ by the blood of the Lamb. Instead it sings of the Lamb’s victory over His enemies. For the Lamb unrolls the ‘scroll’18 and leads history to its end. “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in Heaven, saying “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”19
God’s works (to which the Law of Moses belongs) are great and wonderful. His ways are just and true. His ways to which the finished work of the Lamb belongs, and the grace that God gives, and the inner strength by the Holy Spirit through the new life of the new birth, enabled the victors to resist the ‘dragon’, the ‘beast’ and his image’. In short: Law and Grace! Thou, King of the nations! That is the Lamb, the Son, Psalm 2 says; that is also the Lord, Psalm 110 says. Psalm 33:10-11 says “The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation.” And Psalm 32:10-11 “Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord, loving-kindness shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.” This is how the ‘victors’ were kept assured in their hearts during the ‘tribulation’, and they now praise the Eternal One for His ‘works and ways’, and judgments.
• There are things that are very difficult to understand in the life of every individual. ‘Why does this have to happen to me?’ we sigh sometimes. Looking back, however, many are also able to say with the psalmist: “It was good for me to be afflicted.”20 It is touching that the ‘conquerors’, after all they have gone through, are able to sing this song in this way.
• There is not a single complaint against God concerning all the suffering they have experienced.
Bible References:
1.Exodus 15:1–21 2.Exodus 14:8–15 :21 3.Galatians 6:16 4.Isaiah 43:2–3 5.Ezekiel 29:3, 32:2 6.Revelation 12:4 7.Exodus 1:15–22 8.Revelation 12:13 9.Revelation 12:15–16 10.Isaiah 51:9–10 11.Revelation 12:14 12.Exodus19 :4; Deuteronomy 32 :11 13.Isaiah 30:29–33 14.Revelation 14:12 15.Exodus 20:4–6 16.Deuteronomy 31:14–30 17.Deuteronomy 32:39–43 ; Psalm 44:1-8 18.Revelation 5:7 19.Revelation 11:15 20.Psalm 119:71,75
