Throne Room to War and Trophy Room

John sees several wonders, several signs in heaven. We are seeing the throne room of God turned into a war room and a trophy room in this passage. He sees in Vs. 1 The Sign of the Seven Avenging Angels carrying the last seven plagues that will complete God’s wrath, then in vss 2-6 he sees Saints Standing On A Sea of Glass and Singing, finally in vss. 6-8 he sees the temple of God opened and the seven avenging Angels sent out with bowls filled with the wrath of God.

First John seems to catch just a glimpse of the seven angels before his attention is caught by something he has not seen until now.  He comes back to the angels in vs 5. But first he describes this amazing sight. Revelation 15:2 a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. Now you don’t see that everyday.

What does this symbolism it mean, what does it tell us and the future saints?

The clue is in the songs they sing, the song of moses and the song of the lamb. In Exodus 15 we find the Song of Moses as it was sung by the Hebrew children after they had passed through the Red Sea and saw Pharoah’s army drowned.

The Song of Moses Exodus 15:1-2 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying,
I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously:
the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and song,
and he is become my salvation:
he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.

They had passed through the sea led by a pillar of fire and now John sees the tribulation saints standing on a sea of glass mingled with fire, lifted above the flood and the flame of persecution.  The also sing the song of the lamb, telling us that these are not just Jewish believers, but are also saints of all nations, tribe and tongues who also were harvest home in the last chapter by the lamb, the son of man himself. And so in voices of Victory, they sing both songs standing on that glassy, fiery sea that can no longer harm them.

I can’t help but wonder what the song of the lamb might be. There is a song that only the 144,000 can sing, but this song is not that song. This is a song of the ages, this is the song of the redeemed, this is the victors voices lifted in glorious sound that will out sing even the songs of the angels.

These are the last of the God’s saints coming home. They refused to bow to the Beast, the refused to worship the image of the false prophet, they refused the mark of damnation. It will cost them everything, it will cost them their families, their friends, their jobs, their very existence and subsistence on this earth. In the end at that great homecoming harvest it will cost them their lives. Will it be worth such loss and pain and sorrow? Will it?

Look there with John’s eyes and find the answer, “Revelation 15:2-4 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.” They sing, they sing not in sorrow or loss but they sing in victory, they sing in joy, they sing in triumph.

I wish we could hear the song, listen to the cresending notes of such a pure, flawless song empowered and inspired by all they have experience, endured and overcome. We can’t hear the tune, but we can hear the words for John recorded them.

The Song of the Lamb Vs. 3-4 “Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”

This will be the fulfillment, the climax of all the songs that have honored God and his majesty from the beginning of time. From the first song sung on the dawn of creation by the angels as the watch God speak the universe into existence, to all the Psalms from 1 to 150. It will incorporate into its melody and rhythm every hymn written down from the the first believers in the church of Jerusalem to every Isaac Watts, John Newton, Fanny J. Crosby, Ira Stanphill, John Peterson, Chris Tomlin and Keith Getty. It will be like singing from the Baptist, American, Heavenly Highways and Celebration Hymnals all at the same time. It will be “Great and marvelous”

Aren’t you glad that John didn’t add, “A song only they can sing?” I am because I believe that once they start that song, singing of Moses and the Lamb. They we will be able to join in. We will know ever word and the melody will be a part of our heart, our life, our soul. We will sing that song with voice of victory because we will be overcomers in our own right through the power and grace of the lamb of God.