March 30 - Hallelujah! (pt. 1)

March 30 – Hallelujah! (pt. 1)
Revelation 19:1-5

Just at the point of complete exhaustion because of all of the terrible things we have experienced in the last chapters of Revelation, we arrive at a new point.

The great multitude has returned in its worship of God. What John hears is a ‘great roar!’ The word that he hears them sing, ‘Hallelujah,’ has never before been heard since the ‘Hallel’ Psalms of the Old Testament. In fact, even in those Psalms, the word is generally translated as ‘Praise the Lord.’

As I think about this word and the fact that it is used for the first time here in Revelation, I think about Handel writing that glorious ‘Hallelujah Chorus.’ The passion and excitement that were his as he was writing “The Messiah” had to have just exploded as he wrote that piece of music. As I’m writing these lessons, I come to this passage and feel a surge of joy and thanksgiving.

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!” (Rev. 19:1)

I would like to stop right there, but the next few verses describe the righteous act of vengeance and judgment on Babylon.

Rev. 19:2 tells us that “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.”

Only God’s judgment is true and just. Ours are simply acts of retribution. God never calls us to sit in judgment of another, no matter what they have done to us or someone we love. Never. We call ourselves to be judges, but that is not part of God’s plan for our lives.

After many verses and chapters, we return to the throne room along with the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures. They fall down and worship God, crying out, “Amen, Hallelujah!”

So be it. Praise God.