This is a sevenfold song of praise, offered by myriads of myriads—ten thousand times ten thousand times thousands times thousands—100,000,000,000,000 (a hundred thousand billion). By way of comparison our sun is simply a star, which, together with a hundred billion stars, make up the Milky Way. The nearest galaxy is Andromeda which also contains some hundred billion stars. Although all the galaxies in the universe do not contain the same number of stars, a hundred billion stars per galaxy is an acceptable average. And on the basis of what astronomers are able to see at the present time, there are estimated to be around ten billion galaxies—1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (a billion trillion) stars! This is incredible! And among these myriads He has also me in His focus, according to an Old Dutch Christmas carol.
All the Heavenly beings are now worshipping the Lamb. They are amazed and rejoice at the plan of salvation God has for creation and mankind. Christ has brought about a new, redeemed humanity, through the shedding of His blood on the cross. His completed work of redemption must contain the establishment of God’s Kingdom and the redeemed must inherit that Kingdom. His atoning and redemptive work is not complete, not finished, as long as the earth is not redeemed and God does not live among the people. Look, God’s dwelling place is now among the people, says Revelation 21:3.
The text points back to the Tabernacle Moses had to make according to the Heavenly model, exactly like the one he had seen it in Heaven. Perhaps ‘the structure of Heaven’ itself was the model. Moses went into the cloud, the encapsulation of God’s Glory, the cloud that enveloped the Shekinah Glory as a cloud in the daytime and a fire at night, and he stayed there for forty days and nights. The collection among the Israelites for the materials for the construction of the Tabernacle1 took place immediately after that. The Tabernacle was to be a little piece of Heaven on earth, where God was to live among His people, Israel. From Tabernacle to Temple, from the spiritual house which is the Church2 to the Holy City without a Temple which will descend from Heaven, so that the throne of God and of the Lamb is among the people. That is where the redeemed are heading for. Then they will reign with Christ. Although one can also translate here: they do reign! Already now! Because they have already been made alive in Christ, and have a place in Christ in the Heavenly realms.3
Next this will soon be shown to everyone on earth – the riches of His grace, according to His mercy upon us in Christ Jesus.4 “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marvelled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.“5
Where else in Scripture does such an incredible worship take place? Who is worthy? The Lamb is worthy. Does our heart agree and join in with this worship?
• The moment is approaching when the Everlasting Ancient of Days’, the Eternal Ancient of Days, the Eternal One, is going to give justice to the saints of the Most High God. The time is drawing ever closer when the saints will be given possession of Kingship.6
• How often have Christianity and theology in history not tried to apply this Kingship to the times in which the Church was living. The Church has not understood the realm and the timing of this kingship.
• There must be no discrimination in the Church of Jesus Christ—neither on the basis of race, nor on the basis of colour of skin, gender, income, level of intellect, adult or child, etc.
• The Church became an institute of power, with a doctrine of two swords—one spiritual, the other worldly. It wielded the spiritual sword itself; it lent the worldly one to worldly rulers. The Pope crowned the kings and the Emperors.
• Only the Lamb has the privilege to rule—and, soon, the saints with Him. Only then will the suffering Church become the triumphant Church, and then as ever will the Lamb receive all honour.
Bible References:
1. Exodus 24:9–25:9 2.1 Corinthians 3:16–17, 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:21–22; 1 Peter 2:4–10 3.Ephesians 2:5–6 4.Ephesians 2:7 5.2 Thessalonians 1:6–10 6. Daniel 7:22,27
