Revelation 5 - Steve Wiggins Daily Devotional

“When He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you redeemed people for G_d by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom, and priests to our G_d, and they will reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:8-10

As a musician, I am overjoyed by the fact that there are instruments in Heaven…’cause like, I’ll have a job. I love music, and how it resounds with us, emotionally. Alongside prayer, music is a natural human conduit for worship. When people feel happy, they sing. When they are sad, they sing. When they are celebrating victory, mourning a loss, or in the heat of competition, people look to music to facilitate the experience.

As a songwriter, I am also glad to know there is songwriting in Heaven. The apostle John describes a “new song” being sung in the Heavens, as G_d’s prophecy unfolds. It makes sense, because if singing is a natural form of worship, then each time G_d reveals something new about Himself, we respond with a “new song”.

I used to live under the assumption that, once people enter Heaven, they are somehow immediately fully aware of everything about G_d. I don’t know why, but I believed everyone would be eternally frozen in a perpetual state of worshipful awe. Obviously they aren’t, because John describes some varied activities that he witnessed going on in Heaven.

Perhaps, that is a glimpse of what our time in Heaven will be like. Instead of standing in a circle, frozen in worship, maybe eternity with the L_rd will be more…kinetic, with G_d revealing facets of His infinite greatness to us. I would assume that in response, we would be continually singing a new song. Either way, we’ll know when we get there, and we’re sure that we’ll get there if our faith is in Yeshua’s atoning righteousness!

In a sense, the experience of G_d’s revelation happens to us, already. Paul said that before Love and Spiritual Gifts, we should seek to Prophesy. (1 Corinthians 14:1) That is to say that we should seek that G_d would reveal Himself to us through His Word, the Bible, in such a way that we could worship Him deeper and share Him with others.

Just when we think we have G_d figured out, and we’ve fathomed the depths of the Bible, He reveals something new about Himself. Then we’re blown-away all over again! Now, there is something new to sing about. (Which is good, because I’m in the habit of writing songs!!)

Blessings,
~Steve Wiggins, Associate Leader, Worship Leader
Shuvah Yisrael
Daily Devotional, Wednesday, December 18, 2013