The Hallelujah Chorus of Revelation

Revelation 4:1-19:9

James R. Davis

As one reads through the book of Revelation from 4:1-19:9 one is caught up into John's vision. After each vision John sees there is a heavenly chorus sung by the heavenly host. These Hallelujah choruses give us insight to what the book of Revelation is all about. The significance of each chorus is tied to the scene that John has just seen. They furnish in a poetic language the message each preceding scene is intended to convey.

I have taken all the choruses and put them together leaving out the scene that precedes each. To me this gives much insight to what Revelation is all about.

When we have done this then we will go back in future lessons and look at each scene that precedes each chorus.

Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.
So shall it be! Amen. (1:7)

`He will rule them with an iron scepter;
he will dash them to pieces like pottery'--(2:27)

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come." (4:8:d)

"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being." (4:11)

"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be
a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth." (5:9-10)

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom
and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (5:12)

"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!" (5:13b)

"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (7:10)

"Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!" (7:12)

Therefore, "they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (7:15-17)

"The kingdom of the world has
become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign for ever and ever." (11:15)

"We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.
The nations were angry;
and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your saints and those who reverence your name,
both small and great--
and for destroying those who destroy the earth." (11:17-18)

"Now have come the salvation and
the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short." (12:10-12)

He who has an ear, let him hear.
If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he will be killed.(13:10)

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them." (14:13)

"Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the ages.
Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed." (15:3b-4)

"You are just in these judgments,
you who are and who were,
the Holy One,
because you have so judged;
for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets,
and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."(15:5b-6)

"Yes, Lord God Almighty,
true and just are your judgments." (16:7)

"Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!
She has become a home for demons
and a haunt for every evil spirit,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.
For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth
grew rich from her excessive luxuries." (18:2-3)

"Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back double for what she has done.
Mix her a double portion from her own cup.
Give her as much torture and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
'I sit as queen; I am not a widow,
and I will never mourn.'
Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. (18:4b-8)

"'Woe! Woe, O great city,
O Babylon, city of power!
In one hour your doom has come!' (18:10b)

"'Woe! Woe, O great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold,
precious stones and pearls!
In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!' " (18:19:b)

"'Woe! Woe, O great city,
where all who had ships on the sea
became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!
Rejoice over her, O heaven!
Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets!
God has judged her for the way she treated you.'"
"With such violence
the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,
never to be found again.
The music of harpists and musicians,
flute players and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.
No workman of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.
The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world's great men.
By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints,
and of all who have been killed on the earth." (18:21b-24)

"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."
And again they shouted: "Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever." (19:1b-3)

"Amen, Hallelujah!" (19:4d)

"Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
both small and great!"(19:5:b)

"Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear."
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints. (19:6c-8)

"These are the true words of God." (19:9d)

When you finish with the Hallelujah chorus then read chapters 20-22. In these chapters John describes the judgement of Satan (20), the New Jerusalem (21) and the glory of heaven (22). The book leaves no doubt as to our victory through the victory of the Lamb.

Conclusion:

God is on his throne and in full control. This is the basic message that John is endeavoring to convey in Revelation. Now in the lessons ahead, Lord willing, we can study each scene and each series of scenes and know beforehand the basic message each is endeavoring to convey.