Series: Songs of Christmas Text: Revelation 19:1-8 Message 4 of 4 Introduction 1. On rare occasions I repeat a message. This is one of those. I preached something similar in 1997 and I used parts of it when we were studying the Revelation. I know you remember that little song we used to sing in Sunday School and Awana and kids Bible clubs, "Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord." I never used to like it. I thought it dumb to sing. I like it better now after studying Revelation 19. 2. "Hallelujah" is a good word, It is only found in the last book of the Bible, and it occurs here in chapter 19 four times ... (just like the song)! The equivalent in the O.T. is "Praise ye the Lord." That is found 24 times in the Psalms. At the end of the age when the saints are gathered around the throne, this is their song! 3. Actually, if you know Jesus as your Savior, you will be gathered around the throne of God at the end of the age singing this song! I suggest that it would be good to rehearse our song before we get to heaven! 4. The redeemed of the ages are gathered before the Lord and are singing this grand song of adoration to our God and Savior! 5. Maybe for whatever reason the singing was lacking in some way, because there is a voice in heaven, presumably an angel calling for more. Like a heavenly director urging the choir to give their very best, this voice is heard to say, "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him both small and great." And the inhabitants of heaven respond to the challenge and a great multitude thunders their praise in the true Hallelujah chorus that presumably would make Handel’s masterpiece sound like a nursery school song in comparison! 6. So what will be this song? I think it is recorded here. There are four stanzas. Let's learn them. I. HALLELUJAH - HE'S JUST A. Praise of justice begins with praise for salvation 1. As soon as we start to think of the justice of God, we are in some trouble. The Bible is very clear that all have come short of the glory of God. We have missed the mark of God's standard of perfection. Because that is true, we are destined for judgment. 2. If we received what was just, we would all be condemned to an eternity separated from God, in a place of judgment. That's justice. 3. But you know the story. God remained just by offering a perfect sacrifice for sin - His own Son. Jesus paid the price. God's justice was satisfied. By accepting His gift, we may have salvation and God remains just toward sin. 4. Do you understand why the inhabitants of heaven begin with "Salvation and glory and power belong to our God"? God must be just, but we do not want His justice. We desperately need His mercy. And in His glory and power, He has extended to us His salvation. Do you understand why we will cry out in great joy, "Hallelujah”! B. Praise of justice acknowledges judgment for the enemy 1. Not all will know His salvation. Many (perhaps most) will know His judgment. That is not easy for some to accept. How could a loving God send people to eternal punishment? That is the wrong question. A better question would be "How can a just God save any?" The answer is, by His mercy. But His mercy only extends to those who trust Him. 2. We will affirm in heaven that the Lord's judgments are true and just. No one in hell will protest that it is undeserved punishment. Everyone in heaven will proclaim eternal gratitude that God extended His mercy to them. C. Praise of justice acknowledges vindication for the righteous 1. The world system - including the world religious system has been operating since the time of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11. It has always been an attempt by man to make a religion that would be a substitute for the true and living God. Finally in the last days, that system will be fully operational. And through that system, true believers will be unmercifully treated. 2. The two previous chapters of the book of Revelation tell of the fall of Babylon. The great enemy of believers will be destroyed. There will be a collective cheer that the evil counterfeit to God will be brought down! Finally since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, God will be ultimately vindicated - and all of us will rejoice in that vindication. Do you understand why we will cry out "Hallelujah”! He is just! II. HALLELUJAH - HE WINS A. Judgment is sure for the enemies of God 1. Just as there is the certainty of eternal life for those who have received God's mercy and grace, so there is the certainty of judgment for those who are the rejecters of God's mercy and grace. 2. I remember hearing sometime back from one of the Sunday shows (Meet the Press, or one of those) a former mayor of New York City was commenting on the moral decline of America. His basic premise was that religion had failed. It was up to government to restore the moral base. 3. I can say this. God has not failed. He will triumph. He wins! And those of us who know Him win with Him! His enemies will be forever separated from Him. And they will no longer bother us. B. Judgment is eternal for the enemies of God 1. The lake of fire is not reform school. It is a life sentence ... only the life of those who are condemned is eternal. Just as eternal life has no end, eternal separation has no end either. 2. I do not know that we are rejoicing that some are sentenced to an eternity in the lake of fire. I frankly doubt that. But we are rejoicing that He wins! We are rejoicing that a holy God has defeated the enemy and the enemy is destroyed. We are safe and secure from the enemy's attacks. Those who would thwart the plan and purpose of God are judged. We are zealous for God and He wins and we cry out, "Hallelujah!" III. HALLELUJAH - HE'S TRUE A. Judgment is affirmed 1. Whoever the 24 elders and the four living creatures are, they join in the heavenly chorus. They don't say much. They sing, "Amen, Hallelujah!" 2. As they listen to the song of the inhabitants of heaven, they say, "Amen!" That means "That’s it!" It means, "What you say is true." It means, "We agree!" It means, "He's right!" 3. When the heavenly population looks at the severe judgment of God on those who have rejected the Lord and persecuted His people, they will say of those judgments, "He's right." What He is doing is true and right and proper." 4. There will not be any protests of His severity or any negotiations to reconsider His plan. Heaven's inhabitants will say, "Amen!" They will also say, "Hallelujah!" B. Salvation is affirmed 1. That could have been me receiving eternal punishment. I certainly deserved it. That could have been me separated from God. But I will be in heaven with the rest of the saints...why? Was it because I was such a good guy? No. Was it because I was smart enough to figure out this salvation thing? No. 2. I will cry out, "Amen! Hallelujah!", because God in His mercy and grace brought me in. I will be the first to say that I do not deserve it. I will be the first to acknowledge my amazement that I would be included with Him...but I will also say of the Lord, "I don't know why He would have me, but I'm His. He is true and right in His ways. Amen! Hallelujah!" IV. HALLELUJAH - HE REIGNS (As I suggested in the introduction, the voice from the throne, probably an angel calls out, "Praise our God, all you His servants. You who fear him both great and small." And we do! A. We should rejoice and be glad - because He reigns! 1. Look at this slowly. Our Lord God ... relationship! God Almighty! ... power and glory! He reigns ... He is in charge. He is in control. My eternal destiny is in His hands. I am glad he is in control, aren't you? 2. That will be the constant chorus in heaven, but it ought to be on our hearts and lips now. I forget much of the time that He reigns. I crab and complain often about all kinds of stuff. I think nothing is going right. But He reigns. He is in control. To the extent that I understand that and live in light of that now, will have a direct affect on whether or not I am rejoicing in Him and glad in Him. B. We should give Him glory 1. I talked a little about this last week. To give God glory is to acknowledge who He is and what He has done. It is not only to state His attributes, but also to live in light of them. It is one thing to say to the Lord, "Praise you, for you are in control. You reign." That's okay. That's much better than not acknowledging that at all. But what if I live in light of the fact that He is in control? 2. I think that gives Him glory! It is a little difficult to understand the talk of the marriage supper of the Lamb, but I want to make a couple of observations. "His bride has made herself ready ... that is one side of the picture. But also stated is "Fine linen, bright and clean was given her to wear..." That's the other side. 3. There is no question as to the fact that the Lord is responsible for our salvation and as Paul stated in Ephesians 5, He is at work even now to present a glorious bride without spot or wrinkle. But it appears that how we live - righteous, conscious acts of bringing glory and praise to God, seem to enhance the beauty of the bride and in turn present to the groom an even more precious gift. 4. When we get to heaven, we will sing, "Hallelujah!" But if we start now in living and giving our best to Him, it may enhance our song. Perhaps it will increase our capacity to bring Him glory in heaven if we begin now to bring Him glory! Conclusion 1. "Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah, Praise Ye the Lord" is the song in heaven. And we won't have to encourage people to stand or wave their hands in participation. That will be our heart cry. No one will be able to hold us back...at least then. But what about now? 2. Hallelujah! He is just! Hallelujah! He has won! Hallelujah! He is true! Hallelujah! He reigns! That is the song of the redeemed. What is your song?
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