Of whom does this crowd, this multitude consist, and where is it? There are differing views. Are these the ‘celestial beings’—the angels and their princes and generals, the cherubim, and the seraphim—who are raising their voices, as they already did in the past when worshipping the triune holy God,1 the Creator of all things?2 Are these the ones who shouted at the opening of the scroll by the Lamb,3 the redemption of mankind,4 the sacrifice of the Lamb,5 the Father and the Son?6 Or is this the ‘great multitude no one can count’, among whom are the many martyrs?7 “Hallelujah” which means “Praise the Lord!”8 is resounding no less than four times. God is righteous! The threefold salvation, glory and power belongs to the triune God—our God! The ‘whore’ has been judged—she, who spoiled the earth, God’s splendid Creation. The blood has been avenged on her. The earth has been purified and cleansed. Heaven is rejoicing and this multitude in Heaven is rejoicing too, undoubtedly. But maybe on earth as well? Heaven and earth are rejoicing! There are also these righteous people living in ‘Babylon’; there are also people of God there.9 They do not make common cause with Babylon, but they do live there—in the world, although not of the world. That is why there are martyrs. The judgment of Babylon is not about culture as such, as if civilization—culture—is blasphemous or an enemy of God in itself. It is the abuse of God’s gifts of culture that leads to the terrible judgment of the world. None of the five areas of culture mentioned in chapter 18—music, art, artisanship, trade, culture, civilisation, marriage, family, sports, politics, etcetera (Philippians 4:8)—are sinful in themselves.
They are gifts from God, which He has given to mankind, including to those who do not want to have anything to do with Him. “For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”10 It is not doing business as such that is condemned, but doing business in and through the pernicious spirit of Babylon manifested in the practices of idolatry, blasphemy, adultery with the idols and with one another, elevating materialism, manipulation of everything and everyone, including politics, so that the business, the multinationals, the banks become the real rulers of the earth.11 In Babel, the princes of business, the captains of industry, are not only mighty, but they also constitute the great ‘power’ that also rules over the souls of the people. Isaiah says that Tyre bestows ‘crowns’.12 In the midst of all this live the ‘people of God’ however, and they also sing this song of praise. These are ‘people of God’ who have their ‘citizenship in Heaven’13 and who are, moreover, seated in Heavenly places with [or: ‘in’] Christ.14 God’s people can learn to sing during suffering, like Paul and Silas, who sang God’s praise in the dungeon.15 Jesus sang with His disciples on the night of trial.16
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance,” Psalm 42:5 says in the King James Version.17 The prophets testify to this too. God is there, no matter how difficult the circumstances are. A large section of the ‘singing multitude’ is still in the battle, as the suffering Church. They rejoice twice as much however, when they observe God’s judgment of Babylon. Heaven and earth rejoice – Hallelujah!18—particularly about salvation and redemption. The word salvation appears three times in Revelation.19 In all three texts the Church of the redeemed confesses in song that she has not saved herself, but that she has to thank God her salvation and her redemption. The Kingdom is about to dawn—finally! The world is going to be saved. Do you and yours belong to this happy crowd? You still can be among the saved—even today!
• ‘Hallelujah’ appears nowhere else in the New Testament. This again makes it clear to what extent this Book of Revelation is ‘Jewish’ through and through. The whole Bible, Old and New testament, reverberates in the Book of Revelation.
• God’s Kingdom cannot break through on earth as long as Babylon still exists. The prayer, “Thy Kingdom come”,20 will be finally fulfilled after the fall of Babylon. The desire “For Thine is the Kingdom”—is now in the hearts of many people, and will then be all over the world.
• The expression ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ means ‘Kingdom on earth, given by the Heavens’. Kingdom of God means Kingdom on earth given by God. That Kingdom cannot be reached or realized by left-wing or right-wing or middle-of- the-road political ideologies. Not by democracy or dictatorship. Not by military power. Not by humanistic ideals or by science and technology. All that is part of man’s building of the Kingdom of Man, of Babylon.
• The true Kingdom of Peace and Righteousness can only be given by God. That is why Jesus teaches us to pray: “Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in Heaven…” Matthew 6:9-10. We know: In Heaven Your will is being done. But we long for the day that Your will be done on earth as well!
Bible References:
1.Revelation 4:8 2.Revelation 4:11 3.Revelation 5:9 4.Revelation 5:9–10 5.Revelation 5:12 6.Revelation 5:13 7.Revelation 7:9–17 8.Revelation 19:1, 3, 4, 6 9.Revelation 18:4 10.Matthew 5:45 11.Revelation 17:18 12.Isaiah 23:8 13.Philippians 3:20 14.Ephesians 1:3 and 20, 2;6; Romans 6:8–11 15.Acts 16:22–25 16.Matthew 26:30 17.Psalm 42:6 and 12, 43:5, 116, 118, etc. 18.Psalm 103–107, 111, 113, 117–118, etc. 19.Revelation 7:10, 12:10, 19:1 20.Matthew 6:9–13
