Inspiration for Hymns
based on Revelation 5:11-14
by Rev. Randy Quinn
One of the ways I have read the book of Revelation is as an
extended metaphor for the life of a Christian. By that, I mean the book’s
images of destruction tell about the way God removes the sin from our lives and
makes room for Christ to dwell on the throne of our hearts.
One of my spiritual disciplines is to read a part of the
Bible every day, reading enough so that every year I read through the entire Old
Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice. I haven’t gotten to
Revelation yet this year, but the first time I read it through last year, I
tested out that theory as I was reading it. For the most part it works –
but there are places where the metaphor needs to be stretched quite a bit
(either that or my life doesn’t fit the mold very well).
For that reason I decided not to share this rather unique way
of reading it – although it may be worth your effort to try reading it from that
perspective at least once. I won’t say to read it that way is the
“correct” reading; but I don’t think it’s wrong either.
Now, if you are able, I invite you to stand in honor of the
Living Word, whose voice is heard in the written word:
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many
angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they
numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice,
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom
and might and honor and glory and blessing!" Then I heard every creature
in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in
them, singing, "To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and
honor and glory and might forever and ever!" And the four living creatures
said, "Amen!" And the elders fell down and worshiped.
Revelation 5:11-1
When I began to prepare for this sermon, I noticed that in
this short passage there are two different references to singing. In fact,
well over half of the references to singing in the New Testament are found in
the Book of Revelation. And that’s when I remembered several hymns that
draw their inspiration from this book – many of which we know and love.
Think about it with me.
·
Our opening hymn this morning, for example,
includes a clear reference to our text for today. ♫Crown him
with many crowns, the Lamb upon his throne♫ (Rev. 5:13).
·
What about that most well known of all hymns
inspired by the book of Revelation, quoting directly from chapter 4 ♫Holy,
Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty♫ (Rev. 4:8).
·
Then there is the more contemporary one our
kids know, ♫King of Kings and Lord of Lords, glory, alleluia,♫
a song which also draws its imagery from John’s revelation (Rev. 17:14).
·
Of course, who can forget the closing chorus to
Handel’s Messiah, ♫Worthy is the Lamb that was slain♫
(Rev. 5:12)?
The index in our hymnal includes 16 different songs that
quote or draw images from John’s revelation – and that doesn’t include The
Faith We Sing, nor any of several other places we draw our music from; I
also know of some hymns not mentioned in the index, including a couple we’ve
sung in the past few months.
Clearly the images in this book have inspired poets and song
writers. And while that may be because the images in the book are so
vivid, it’s those same images that have scared some people away from reading it.
Between the opening lines we read last week and today’s
lesson, there are a series of letters to seven churches. As I suggested
last week, I think they serve as a cover letter to the rest of the book.
Since 7 is a number that implies completion – as in 7 days in a week – we are to
infer that the letters are meant for the whole church, including us. Each
of them identifies specific strengths and weaknesses of the particular
congregation along with a warning of what will happen if those weaknesses are
not bolstered up. Also included in those letters are memorable images such
as Jesus standing at the door and knocking (Rev. 3:20).
After the letters, John describes a vision in which he is
taken through the doors of heaven and sees the throne of God. The images
take our breath away. Even John finds it hard to describe what he is
seeing, as well as what he is hearing.
What he hears is music. People join angels in singing
songs of praise, as well as creatures that seem familiar on the one hand and
incomprehensible on the other – I mean, what kind of a creature is “full of eyes
in front and behind” (Rev. 4:6b)?
Before we look further, let me tell you about an interesting
item I encountered in my reading several years ago. I was reading about
the apartheid system in South Africa. It was illegal to speak against the
system – part of the reason that Bishop Tutu and Nelson Mandela were imprisoned.
But it was not illegal to perform plays or to sing songs that offered veiled
critiques of the system.
Apparently art was exempt from the political censoring.
That is in many ways what I think John was doing as he wrote
from the Island of Patmos. He had been imprisoned because the state did
not agree with his position, so his letters and writings may have been
scrutinized for inflammatory rhetoric. But music and vivid imagery were
not evaluated as closely. So he could speak about the Roman Empire and
Caesar without fear of reprisal – as long as he kept them in veiled terms.
So he often substituted Babylon for Rome. He used a Beast to speak of
Caesar. He spoke of Jesus as a Lamb – a Lamb that had been slaughtered.
He also described creatures that reminded Christians of
images from their scriptures, what we now call the Old Testament. Those
images are told in terms that his audience recognized – but often seem strange
to us.
What John sees is when he enters heaven is a throne (Rev.
4:2). Rather than spending time telling us about or describing who is on
the throne, however, he describes what he sees and hears around the throne.
Around the throne are 24 other thrones, and the people on those thrones are
casting their crowns before the main throne. In addition, there are four
living creatures that might be more at home in a Harry Potter novel than in most
of our living rooms.
One of them has the face of a lion, another has the face of
an eagle; one has the face of a man, and the last one has the face of an ox
(Rev. 4:7). They each have six wings and eyes all around.
I don’t know what those images conjure up in your mind.
Early Christian scholars would later identify them as the symbolic
representations of the four gospels; but I’m not sure John knew there were four
gospels when he recorded his vision. So I believe his primary audience,
the 1st Century church, probably saw and heard something else.
I think they would recognize these as the wisest and the
strongest, the fastest and the most noble of all creatures.
For them, this was a way of saying all of creation was represented in the throne
room. As the Psalm says, “everything that has breath” was joining in the
hymns of praise (Ps. 150:6).
Curiously, John doesn’t spend much time describing who is on
the throne. Instead, he is recounting the actions and activities of those
around the throne. That will change as we read further in the book, but
for now, for today, John invites us to join him in that throne room.
In the military, there are guidelines and “rules” for being
in the presence of a General or an Admiral, as well as high ranking government
officials. I’ve participated in some of those ceremonies and traditions,
but I’ve never been in the presence of royalty. So I was intrigued when I
watched the 2006 Hollywood portrayal of Queen Elizabeth. Early in the
movie, The Queen, Tony Blair (who is played by Michael Sheen) is told how
to enter the room for his first introduction to Her Majesty. He was told, for
example, how to hold his hand out to her and to never to turn his back on her as
well as several other protocols he was to follow. Even though he is
portrayed as an anti-monarch politician, Blair follows the rules dutifully.
I think it would have been hard to react in any different manner.
I don’t know what the “rules” would be if we were to enter
the throne room of heaven. My guess is that we would follow the lead of
people like Isaiah who responded, “Woe is me!” (Is. 6:5).
But John invites us to enter God’s throne room, to stand in
awe before the maker of heaven and earth, the one who is and was and is to come.
And based on what he has described, I think the proper response is to offer
praise.
In fact, our purpose in worship this morning is to offer
praise before God. The word “worship” means to give to and recognize the
“worth” of God. It’s what the creatures are doing in the heavenly throne
room that John witnesses. So it seems to me that the most appropriate
response for us is to offer praise to God, as well.
That may be what Helen Lemmel had in her mind nearly 100
years ago when she wrote the hymn, The Heavenly Vision.
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!
Thro’ death into life everlasting
He pass’d, and we follow him there
Over us sin hath no more dominion
For more than conquer’rs we are!
His word shall not fail you – He promised:
Believe him and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell.
Of course we know the refrain much better.
Maybe you can sing it with me:
Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in his wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace.
Amen.
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