We have discussed the 6 main points in the heavenly worship in Revelation. We will now discuss the 7th.

Rev 5:6-10
Previously, we discussed the main point of the 4 living creature’s worship was the holiness, almightiness and second coming of God. While the 24 elders’ focus of worship was on the creation of God. Now the 4 living creatures and 24 elders praise the salvation of God. They fell down before the Lamb and said He was worthy to take the scroll for He was slain. Jesus is the Lamb of God. He offered Himself as the sin offering. He redeemed us with His own blood that we may be God’s people and priests. God gave His life for us to have lift. It is such a great salvation grace. How can we who are saved not praise Him?

Rev 5:11-12
Tens of thousands of angels were praising the Lamb who was worthy of the 7 aspects they praised Him of - power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing. The Lamb is worthy of these praises not because He is almighty, but because He was slain to save sinners. The praise of the angels tells us that we’re not worthy of praise in church just because we have status or made a name for ourselves. We’re only worthy of heavenly praise if we have the sacrificial love of the Lord. The angels don’t need the salvation grace of the Lord. Why do they praise the Lamb then? Peter said even the angels have carefully sought to understand the salvation of God. Angels saw that God didn’t simply use His almightiness to straightaway forgive the sins of men. Instead He came in the flesh to be the sacrificial Lamb to redeem the sins of mankind. The angels witnessed that such a glorious God was willing to suffer unto death for the sake of mankind. Because of that, all the angels were so touched, they praised God loudly with their voices. Even the angels who witnessed the salvation of God were touched, what about us who are the recipients of His salvation grace? How can we not praise the God who saved us?

Rev 5:13
Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth praised the Lamb who sits on the throne forever and ever. Creation doesn’t require the salvation grace of the Lamb either. Why do they praise Him then?

Rom 8:20-21
Paul tells us creation due to the salvation of Christ will also be delivered from the bondage of corruption. The liberty given to the children of God is also enjoyed by the creation of God, hence they rejoice. As children of God who enjoy liberty, ought we not to praise Him even more?

The target of praise of these 3 groups focused on the Lamb who was slain. It’s not a Lamb who was slain and remains dead, but a Lamb who was slain and resurrected. The resurrected Lamb rose to heaven and sat at the right hand of God. But the vision John saw in Revelation was that the Lamb was standing, not sitting. Because the Lamb needs to stand up to receive the scroll, and open the 7 seals. This means He is starting the judgement meted out by God in the Last Days. The Lamb then opens the first seal, then the second. When the seventh seal was open, there were 7 trumpets. Every time an angel sounded a trumpet, a great disaster happened. What happened when the 7th trumpet was blown?

Rev 11:15-18
When the 7th angel sounded the trumpet, four big things happened. Firstly, the kingdoms of this world became the kingdoms of our lord and of His Christ and He shall reign forever and ever. Secondly, it’s time to judge those who are dead. Thirdly, it’s also time to reward. Fourthly, the time of those who destroy the earth is up. As the Lamb opened the 7 seals, the 7 angels were in position. They all stood ready to sound the trumpet in a steady process. Everyone on earth was getting ready for the second coming for the Lord. Sadly, some believers are still asleep. Perhaps they are seeking after the status and enjoyments of this world. But the truth is: they’ve all heard the warnings of the servants of God. The problem is that they have probably grown numb to the warnings given by the servants of God. This is why they give no heed to the warnings and continue to seek their own joys and pleasures.

Rev 22:10-12
The tone of the Lord is different in these verses. Recall how the Lord spoke to the 7 churches. He told them they ought to repent. “He who has an ear, let him hear!” But now the Lord says, “He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He who is holy, let him be holy still.” The Lord now says to let them be for the time is now near. There’s not many days left. The door of salvation is going to shut. Judgement is going to begin. Will we continue to sleep? Will we continue in our old ways, doing as we like? Or is it time for us to seriously reflect?

We should reflect on two things:

1. Reflect whether we belong to God
   The Lord redeemed us to God using His own precious blood; redeemed us to God to be His people. To be God’s people means coming out from being people of this world. To be sanctified and separated from them; don’t touch any unclean thing. Doing so would mean we become His children and He our God. Since we belong to God, let’s stop chasing after the world and be children of this world. Since we are children of God, let’s not emulate children of this world. Since we call Him who judges everyone according to His words as Father, then we ought to live the remaining of our lives with a reverent heart. For the Lord has already said, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”

2. Reflect on whether we are the priests of God
   The Lord saved and redeemed us with His blood so we may be His priests to serve Him. There are many services the priests undertake, one of which is the burning of incense. The incense refers to the prayer of the saints. The incense is offered in the burner and offered up to God. This tells us our prayers are precious to God. But instead of offering incense in golden bowls, many believers do so in broken bowls. They don’t esteem prayers. They sometimes don’t even pray. They think prayers are not important and so don’t pray.

Rev 8:3-5
An angel had a golden censer. Much incense was given to the angel. The smoke of the incense together with the prayers of the saints ascended towards God. The angel took the censers, filled it with fire from the altar and threw it to the earth. There were noises, thunderings and an earthquake. This shows the fiery wrath of God was going to come to the earth. This vision tells us prayers are like the smoke that rises from the incense to God. Smoke rises slowly. As it rises high into the air, it fades. We may find our prayers are like smoke of the incense that doesn’t rise all the way up to God. We wish our prayers would be effective noises, thunderings and earthquakes, so that people of the earth would witness the fiery wrath of the judgement of God; so that they would grow a heart of reverent fear, repent and turn to God. Today many people no longer fear God, including our own believers. “I’ve prayed for many years but God remains silent!” This drives those who don’t fear the Lord to all the more not fear Him. The effect also causes those who initially fear God to not fear God anymore, to the point they doubt God’s existence and whether God listens to their prayers. The silence of God causes people on earth to grow disheartened; it even causes the spirits who died for God to cry out to God. What do they cry out about?

Rev 6:9-11
They cried out with a loud voice saying, “How long, O Lord, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” They were answered to rest a little while longer until both the number of their fellow servants and brethren who would be killed as they were was completed. “We are waiting bitterly. Turns out our God is just waiting in silence. We wait for God to avenge us. But God is waiting until the numbers who will be saved are completed.”

Let us not only think about our own needs - for God to avenge us. Let’s think about those awaiting salvation too. That’s why God said for them to rest a little while longer and wait for the timing of God. Wait for the number to be complete. We will be willing to wait patiently because we understand and obey the word of God. Let us hold fast to our faith, continue in our prayers and not grow disheartened. The incense of our prayers have already risen up to God. When the time is right, the angel will take the incense and pour it onto the earth. When that happens, we will see noises, thunderings and earthquakes when God meets His judgement out.

Rev 19:1-3
A great multitude in heaven all said “hallelujah” because God judged the great harlot that corrupted the earth. God finally avenged His people. The kingdom of God is complete. That’s when we see the great chorus of hallelujahs in heaven.

V4-5
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”

v6 tells us their voice was the sound of many waters and mighty thunderings. It was such a great sound, full of passion and emotions.

We say hallelujah too. But our hallelujah is of no energy, because of the many weaknesses we see in church. Our hearts are filled with worry and we find there’s nothing we can do. Our hallelujah that was once said with passion has now grown cold, because we see many bitter and sad things. Some of the sufferings borne by some we don’t know how to comfort. We don’t know how to encourage some who are downtrodden and disappointed. But God allows us to see what happens in the final judgement in the vision in Revelation. He allows us to see how glorious and joyous the praises will be in the end. If we believe the vision God has shown us is true, then our faith will be able to be elevated to the level of the great hallelujah praises; to praise God as heartily as them. Saying hallelujah is not simply from the mouth, but also from the heart. Only then will we have the strength and joy to sing hallelujah just like the heavenly worship.

Let us ask God to increase our faith, and with the faith He adds to us, be able to sing the hallelujahs like in heaven. On earth, many things cause us to be worried and to be sad. When John was out on the island of Patmos and heard about all the deterioration of the churches, of the sufferings of the believers; while he himself was persecuted and exiled, the situation was bleak where he couldn’t see the salvation of God, only His silence. That was the point of time God rebelled the visions we now read in Revelation. God allowed John to see the heavenly worship, the final judgement and great hallelujah singing in unison. His faith from rock bottom rose to the top. He wrote down the book of Revelation for us so we may also see what he witnessed; to allow us to hold fast to our faith just as he had.