Revelation 15:1-8: a reflection

1I saw another great and marvelous sign in the sky: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them God’s wrath is finished. 2I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who overcame the beast, his image, and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 3They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God, the Almighty! Righteous and true are your ways, you King of the nations. 4Who wouldn’t fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you only are holy. For all the nations will come and worship before you. For your righteous acts have been revealed.” 5After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. 6The seven angels who had the seven plagues came out, clothed with pure, bright linen, and wearing golden sashes around their chests. 7One of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. 8The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power. No one was able to enter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels would be finished.

John sees those who have come through great trial, who overcame the beast, standing beside a sea of glass, holding harps, and they sing. Their song, the song of Moses and of the Lamb, is not about themselves or their victory, but entirely about God: Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God; just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear you and glorify your name? For you alone are holy, and all nations will come and worship before you.

Notice what the redeemed sing about, especially the line just and true are your ways. Having come through suffering and trial, they do not sing complaints or questions; they declare that God's ways are just and true. This is worship that trusts God's justice and truth even in view of all they have endured, that looks at the whole story and says, your ways are right. They have seen enough to be sure that God's dealings, however hard, are just and true.

That is a note worth learning to sing now, before we see the whole. So much of God's dealing with us is hard to understand in the moment; his ways can seem anything but clear. The song of the redeemed is a settled confidence that, in the end, his ways will be seen to be just and true, and worthy of worship. When God's ways are hard to understand, you can begin to sing this song by faith: just and true are your ways. Trust that his justice and truth run through the whole story, even where you cannot yet see it, and join the song that all the nations will one day sing.

Lord, the redeemed who came through great trial sang not of themselves but of you: just and true are your ways. When your dealings with me are hard to understand, teach me to sing that song by faith, trusting that your justice and truth run through the whole story, even where I cannot yet see it. You alone are holy; your ways are right. Help me worship you, and one day sing with all the nations.