27th of the 5th month 2018/2019
Shalom all,
Tehillah/Psalm 95:1-3 “Come, let us sing to יהוה! Let us raise a shout to the Rock of our deliverance. 2 Let us come before His face with thanksgiving; Let us raise a shout to Him in song. 3 For יהוה is a great Ěl, And a great Sovereign above all mighty ones.”
This Psalm carries a clear call for us to come and worship יהוה, because of who He is!!! This is a call to raise a shout to the Rock of our deliverance – and do so with much joy and praise unto Him and Him alone, for He is our Great Sovereign and He is Ruler of all creation!!!
This, along with other psalms that follow (96-99), has been considered by many as an ‘enthronement psalm’, as it celebrates the sovereignty of יהוה over all creation and is believed to have been sung in worship during the Feasts of יהוה, especially during Sukkoth/Feast of Tabernacles, which celebrates the completed deliverance of our great King who sits enthroned on High!
I often wonder if most believers grasp the importance of the proper praise that is to be given unto יהוה, for when a true recognition of the significance of the much-needed praise that is to be brought to our Mighty Master, Saviour and Elohim is understood and rendered correctly, with a continued set-apart obedience in all we do, then the effect of His equipping joy, that strengthens us to stand, will be realised and lived out in the fullest measure of a true zealous life of abundant praise for our Great Deliverer and King!!!
In this message, called ‘REVELATION OF PRAISE!’ I want to take a closer look at the wonderful accounts of praise that is given unto יהוה our Saviour and King, as found in the Book of Ḥazon/Revelation!
The book of Ḥazon/Revelation is a book filled with praise and is often overlooked due to a lack of understanding, or rather a lack of the proper revelation of who our Master, Saviour and Elohim is, which this book clearly reveals to us!
The Greek word that is translated as ‘revelation’ is ἀποκάλυψις apokalupsis – Strong’s G602 which means, ‘an uncovering, revelation, revealed’, and comes from the root word ἀποκαλύπτω apokaluptō – Strong’s G601 which means, ‘to uncover, reveal’ and is constructed from two words:
1) ἀπό apo – Strong’s G575 which is a preposition and participle that means, ‘from, away from, at, in, to’ and
2) καλύπτω kaluptō – Strong’s G2572 which means, ‘to cover, concealed, veiled’.
This ‘revelation’ of Messiah is an ‘uncovering of the veil’, revealing His clear identity as our Elohim and Saviour, for He is Master of Masters and Sovereign of Sovereigns! Many today are still veiled in their understanding and recognition of who He is as the veil of deception remains over their eyes, simply because they refuse to turn to Him and walk in complete obedience to His Word and as a result lack the ability to understand the importance and application of praise that is due to Him, and Him alone!
Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians 3:16 “And when one turns to the Master, the veil is taken away.”
The Hebrew word חָזוֹן ḥazon – Strong’s H2377 which means, ‘revelation, vision’, is the word that is used for the Book of the Revelation of Messiah and comes from the primitive root verb חָזָה ḥazah – Strong’s H2372 which means, ‘to see, behold, have a vision, prophesy, perceive, to see by experience’. The book of Ḥazon/Revelation is a clear book of prophesy that reveals to us very clearly who our Saviour, Master and Elohim is!
Understanding this then, can certainly helps us understand that we ought to be able to see a revelation of the just and due praise that is to be given to Him.
As I have already mentioned, the book of Ḥazon/Revelation is a book filled with praise, yet it is also filled with a lot of warfare and wrath being unleashed upon the wicked and disobedient! What we are able to recognise, through many patterns or pictures that we find in Scripture, is that more often than not:
PRAISE PRECEDES WARFARE AND JUDGEMENT!
While there are many examples of this, where we see the Lěwites leading the charge into battles, with the sound of the shofar and a resounding shout of praise for יהוה El Shaddai, let me quickly remind you of Yeriḥo:
Yehoshua/Joshua 6:2-5 “And יהוה said to Yehoshua, “See! I have given Yeriḥo and its sovereign, mighty brave men, into your hand. 3 “And you shall go around the city, all the men of battle going around the city once. Do this for six days. 4 “And let seven priests bear seven shopharot of the yoḇelim before the ark, and on the seventh day go around the city seven times while the priests blow with the shopharot. 5 “And it shall be, when they make a long blast with the horn of a yoḇel, and when you hear the voice of the shophar, that all the people shout with a great sound. And the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
Yehoshua/Joshua 6:20 “And the people shouted when the priests blew the shopharot. And it came to be when the people heard the voice of the shophar, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. And the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city.”
We see in another account in Scripture, where Yehuḏah was being surrounded the children of Mo’aḇ and Ammon, that Yehoshaphat sought יהוה and proclaimed a fast in the land, and all came to inquire of יהוה.
יהוה gave them full assurance that it is He who fights for them and that they should not be afraid but stand still and see the deliverance of יהוה with them. The Lěwites then stood and told the people to be steadfast and trust in יהוה … and then we see the following:
Diḇre haYamim Bět/2 Chronicles 20:21-22 “And after consulting with the people, he appointed those who should sing to יהוה , and who should praise the splendour of set-apartness, as they went out before the army and were saying, “Give thanks to יהוה , for His loving-commitment is everlasting.” 22 And when they began singing and praising, יהוה set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Mo’aḇ, and Mount Sě‛ir, who had come against Yehuḏah, and they were smitten.”
Can you see from this passage the power of a proper praise, esteem and thanks being given unto יהוה?
Ok, while I could continue with many such examples, I simply wanted to highlight the power and effect of praise, in order for us to grasp the revelation of praise as we continue our exploration of abundant praise that is found in the Book of Ḥazon/Revelation. Let us now therefore expand on the praise that we find in this powerful book of the revelation of Messiah!
The first account of praise that I want us to take a look at, here in Ḥazon/Revelation, is in Chapter 4:
Ḥazon/Revelation 4:8-11 “And the four living creatures, each having six wings, were covered with eyes around and within. And they do not cease, day or night, saying, “Set-apart, set-apart, set-apart, יהוה Ěl Shaddai, who was, and who is, and who is coming!” 9 And when the living creatures give esteem and respect and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and bow before Him who lives forever and ever, and they cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “You are worthy, O יהוה , to receive esteem and respect and power, for You have created all, and because of Your desire they are, and were created.”
In this above passage we are able to see two sets of praise being given unto יהוה. Firstly, we have the 4 living creatures, that do not stop declaring the set-apartness of יהוה, giving Elohim ‘esteem, respect and thanks’!
ESTEEM:
Here we are able to see the heavenly host proclaiming continual praise and esteem unto Elohim and when seeing this I am reminded of the esteem that was given to Elohim when Messiah was born in the flesh:
Luqas/Luke 2:13-14 “And suddenly there was with the messenger a crowd of the heavenly host praising Elohim and saying, 14 “Esteem to Elohim in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased!”
The Greek word used here for ‘esteem’ in Ḥazon/Revelation 4 and Luqas/Luke 2 is δόξα doxa – Strong’s G1391 which means, ‘honour, esteem, splendour, majesty, praise’. Giving esteem to יהוה ascribes to Him His full recognition of who He is and the weight of His Mighty presence.
The equivalent Hebrew word that is translated as ‘esteem’, in the Tanak (O.T.), is the root word כָּבוֹד kaḇoḏ – Strong’s H3519 which means, ‘honour, esteem, reverence, splendid’, which comes from the root verb כָּבֵד kaḇeḏ – Strong’s H3513 which means, ‘to be heavy, weighty or burdensome, to give high esteem and respect and honour’.
Mal’aḵi/Malachi 1:6 “A son esteems his father, and a servant his master. And if I am the Father, where is My esteem? And if I am a Master, where is My fear? said יהוה of hosts to you priests who despise My Name. But you asked, ‘In what way have we despised Your Name?’”
יהוה was making a clear statement that the hearers would be able to identify with and not be able to deny its truth and then asks: “And if I am the Father, where is My esteem? And if I am a Master, where is My fear?”
The verb כָּבֵד kaḇeḏ – Strong’s H3513 is often translated as ‘praise’ that is to be given to יהוה and this word is used in the 10 Words (Commandments) where we are told to ‘respect’ our parents; and so what is, in effect, being told to us here is that we must carefully consider and ‘give weight to’ the Word of Elohim and guard the Truth in order that we may live long in the land which יהוה is giving us, and not be kept out or expelled as our forefathers were for disobedience and a lack of faith!
“If I am the Father then where is My esteem?”
This is a question of identity! The Hebrew word translated as ‘if’ is אִם im – Strong’s H518 which is a conditional participle or primary conjunction which renders, ‘if, though, either, neither, when, whenever’. The basic meaning is “if” and this meaning can be seen in most of its occurrences and is usually occurs in conditional clauses, which we are able to see very clearly here! If He is the Father… where then is His esteem? Many people want to be identified as being children of The Most-High yet they give no weight to His commands and cast aside the need to obey His Torah and instructions and in the process are unable to properly praise His Name!
Lots of people today will even recite the words that our Master and Elohim taught as a pattern of how we ought to pray yet their lawlessness and compromised lifestyles reveal that they are not sons or daughters of Elohim. Many will recite the following: Our Father who is in the heavens, let Your Name be set-apart – yet are not bringing esteem to His Name as they do not take Him serious enough and have no clue what His word teaches about set-apartness! Yisra’ĕl had no clue about how they were despising the Name of יהוה which is to be esteemed! They did not see their compromised and corrupt worship and festivals as wrong, simply because the priesthood had been corrupted and no proper Torah was being taught.
The 4 living creatures know who יהוה is and they bring Him the proper esteem that is due, giving weight to the full recognition of His Mighty Presence!
RESPECT
Not only do the 4 living creatures give esteem to יהוה, they give Him ‘respect’ and the Greek word that is translated as ‘respect’ is τιμή time – Strong’s G5092 which means, ‘(to value, honour), a valuing, price, honour, honourable use, mark of respect’. This root word carries the understanding of value or the value that is paid for something!
The first time that we see this root word being used in the Renewed Writings is in:
Mattithyahu/Matthew 27:6 “And the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not right to put them into the treasury, seeing they are the price of blood.”
Here in this verse the Greek word τιμή time – Strong’s G5092 is translated as ‘price’, where the 30 pieces of silver that Messiah was betrayed for, was reckoned as the price of blood! What is worth taking note of is that this price of 30 pieces of silver was the evaluation price of a female from 20 to 50 years old, when separating a vow unto יהוה, according to Wayyiqra/Leviticus 27:4.
What is a very powerful picture for us here, in understanding how we have been redeemed by Messiah, is that He paid the Bride Price for our redemption! 30 sheqels for a woman to be separated unto יהוה!
This was the price that the High Priest determined for the value of יהושע’s life on the night He was betrayed. The payment was given to the priest but not put into the temple treasury and יהושע remained silent! He freely paid our redemption price of sin and death according to יהוה’s will and governing principles.
Mattithyahu/Matthew 27:9 “Then was filled what was spoken by Yirmeyahu the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him who was pierced, on whom they of the children of Yisra’ĕl set a price.”
Zeḵaryah/Zechariah 11:12-13 “And I said to them, “If it is good in your eyes, give me my wages. And if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 And יהוה said to me, “Throw it to the potter,” the splendid price at which I was valued by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the House of יהוה for the potter.”
The most valued thing in all creation is the Blood of Messiah, for it is only by His Blood that we can be redeemed and cleansed and set-apart as a Bride unto Him forever!
With the 4 living creatures giving respect to יהוה we are able to see that they gave the proper value of Elohim, in praise – which is all!!! All esteem and respect (value) is given to The One who shed His blood for us, so that we could be redeemed! That is certainly something to give Him the just and due praise for!
THANKS
The Greek word that is translated as ‘thanks’ in Ḥazon/revelation 4:9 comes from the root word εὐχαριστία eucharistia – Strong’s G2169 which means, ‘thankfulness, giving of thanks, grateful, gratitude’, and comes from the root word εὐχάριστος eucharistos – Strong’s G2170 meaning, ‘thankful’ which is made up of two words:
1 – εὖ eu – Strong’s G2095 which is an adverb meaning, ‘good, well done’ and 2 – χαρίζομαι charizomai – Strong’s G5483 meaning, ‘forgive, deliver, to show favour, give freely’ from the primitive root word χάρις charis – Strong’s G5485 meaning, ‘grace, favour, kindness’.
Tas’loniqim Aleph/1 Thessalonians 5:18 “in all circumstances give thanks, for this is the desire of Elohim in Messiah יהושע for you.”
For more on giving thanks to יהוה, please see the notes of the following messages:
‘GIVE THANKS TO יהוה!’ which can be found on our site (https://atfotc.com) under the sermons 2016/2017 menu or by clicking on the following link:
https://atfotc.com/index.php/our-sermons/sermons-2016-2017/674-give-thanks-to-psalm-136
‘GIVING THANKS IN ALL IS MORE THAN JUST THE WORDS FROM OUR LIPS!’ which can be found on our site (https://atfotc.com) under the sermons 2016/2017 menu or by clicking on the following link:
https://atfotc.com/index.php/our-sermons/sermons-2016-2017/684-giving-thanks-in-all-is-more-than-just-the-words-from-our-lips-psalm-100
True thanks can only be given when the true and proper value of Elohim is understood, as well as the proper esteem being given unto Him. When a proper esteem and respect is had for Elohim, thanksgiving is found in abundance!
The second picture of praise that we see here in Ḥazon/Revelation 4, flows immediately after that which is brought by the 4 living creatures!
The 24 elders give יהוה praise immediately after the praise that is brought by the 4 living creatures. There is an extremely powerful picture that we can learn from this, and that is that true praise for Elohim inspires others to praise too! And it is contagious too!!! Praise is contagious, but guess what? So is grumbling, therefore be warned!
Give praise and do no grumble!
After Miryam had anointed the Master’s feet with costly perfume, much grumbling began, as we see in the following 3 accounts:
Mattithyahu/Matthew 26:8-9 “And when His taught ones saw it, they were much displeased saying, “To what purpose is this waste? 9 “For this perfume could have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
Marqos/Mark 14:4-5 “But there were some who were much displeased among themselves, and said, “Why was this perfume wasted? 5 “For it could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they were scolding her.”
Yoḥanan/John 12:3-6 “Then Miryam took a pound of costly perfume of nard, anointed the feet of יהושע, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 Then one of His taught ones, Yehuḏah from Qerioth, son of Shim‛on, who was about to deliver Him up, said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 And he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and he used to take what was put in it.”
As you will notice from these 3 accounts, in two of them we are told that there were some, or all, of the taught ones that were ‘much displeased’, possibly as the result of Yehuḏah’s grumbling over her praise! What we can learn from this is that even earnest praise for Elohim can cause others, whose hearts are far from Elohim, to grumble and complain and be contagious in doing so! The question that must be asked is this: ‘What are you spreading?’
Grumbling or praise!
What we are able to recognise is that whatever is spread grows and so too can we see how the 4 living creatures praise incited the 24 elders to praise and this continues as we go through Ḥazon/Revelation!
The 24 elders declare that יהוה is ‘worthy’ to receive ‘esteem and respect and power’!
They too give the declaration of the esteem and respect that is due to יהוה, along with the ‘power’ that is due to Him!
POWER
The Greek word that is translated here as ‘power’ is δύναμις dunamis – Strong’s G1411 which means, ‘power, might, strength, ability, miraculous power, wealth’, and comes from the root word δύναμαι – ‘dunamai’ Strong’s G1410 which means, ‘to have the capacity or ability, to be capable or have the power to’.
This is a clear recognition of the complete capability of Elohim – a miraculous capability that is endless and beyond any created being! All power belongs to Elohim and when we can recognise this, in our life of praise, then our ability to praise would be greatly enhanced as we put all our trust and hope in the All-Powerful One and are not afraid of the evil that surrounds us as we stand firm in Him whom we praise and give all power to!
WORTHY
The Greek word that is translated here as ‘worthy’ is ἀξιόω axioō – Strong’s G515 which means, ‘to deem worthy, consider, deserve, desire’ and this comes from the root word ἄξιος axios – Strong’s G514 which means, ‘worthy, due reward, befitting, deserving’
The 24 elders acknowledged and declare that it is only יהוה who is worthy to receive esteem, respect and power…there is no other worthy enough to receive these!!!
In our life of praise, when we recognise who it is that we are praising and that there no one other Elohim who is worthy to receive the just and due praise, then we will be joyfully equipped to render all praise to Him!
The recognition of the worthiness of Elohim is highlighted in the words that follow, as the 24 elders declare that יהוה created all because of His desire!!! All that exists is because יהוה desired it to be and therefore that which He desired He created! This in itself is a huge thing to recognise!
Yoḥanan/John 1:3 “All came to be through Him, and without Him not even one came to be that came to be.”
Qolasim/Colossians 1:16-17 “Because in Him were created all that are in the heavens and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or rulerships or principalities or authorities – all have been created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all, and in Him all hold together.”
Neḥemyah/Nehemiah 9:6 “You are יהוה, You alone. You have made the heavens, the heavens of the heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that are on it, the seas and all that are in them, and You give life to them all. And the host of the heavens are bowing themselves to You.”
Can you grasp the reality of the worthiness of יהוה? Because if you do, then you too, like the 24 elders with give Him the proper esteem, respect and power!
The next passage of praise that we see in Ḥazon/Revelation is seen in Chapter 5:
Ḥazon/Revelation 5:11-12 “And I looked, and I heard the voice of many messengers around the throne, and the living creatures, and the elders. And the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb having been slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and respect and esteem and blessing!”
What you will hopefully notice here is that as we go progressively through these passages in Ḥazon/Revelation is that praise multiplies! Now we have here the voice of many messengers, the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders collectively giving praise to יהוה. The number of this great multitude that were around the throne praising יהוה was ‘myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. A myriad is a term used to describe 10 thousand and can also signify and indefinite number!!! WOW – can you see the multiplication of praise? From 4 to 24 to an indefinite number!!!
Once again, we are able to see a bold declaration of praise for the One who is worthy!!! Worthy is the Lamb who was slain! The One who shed High highly valued Blood for all is worthy to receive ‘power, riches, wisdom, strength, respect, esteem and blessing!!!
In this phrase of praise, we are able to see a 7-fold praise being given to the Lamb who was slain, representing for us the completeness and totality of praise being given to our Master, Saviour and Elohim!
This praise given by an indefinite number highlights a powerful revelation of Messiah – for He, the Lamb that was slain – is Elohim – for He is יהוה our Saviour!!! And the indefinite number rendering this praise highlights the result of the complete revelation of Messiah!
As we consider the words of praise used here in Ḥazon/Revelation 5:12, we can see some more words being expressed in declaring the worthy praise that is given by all to The Lamb! We have already discussed power, respect, and esteem, and so let us take a look at the rest of the words used here:
RICHES
The Greek word that is translated here as ‘riches’ is πλοῦτος ploutos – Strong’s G4149 which means, ‘to flow or abound in wealth and riches’ and herein emphasises that our riches are in Messiah, the Lamb who was slain and His richness toward us can only but cause us to praise as we recognise that HE alone is worthy of all riches – for all is His! And so, just as the indefinite number that is praising here emphasises the limitless praise that is given to Elohim, so too do we recognise that nothing compares to the richness and riches of Elohim, as the depth of such is limitless and unsearchable!
Romiyim/Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of riches, and wisdom and knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways!”
Eph’siyim/Ephesians 1:7 “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of trespasses, according to the riches of His favour”
Pilipiyim/Philippians 4:19 “And my Elohim shall fill all your need according to His riches in esteem by Messiah יהושע.”
Can you see what is being declared here – we have all we need and all our needs will be met according to the riches of Messiah! According to His riches – this assures us that there is always sufficiency and that ought to give us the ability to not worry and express a joy-filled praise unto our Mighty Elohim!
WISDOM
The Greek word used for ‘wisdom’ is σοφία Sophia – Strong’s G4678 meaning, ‘wisdom, skill, cleverness, learning’, and comes from the root word σοφός Sophos – Strong’s G4680 meaning, ‘skilled, wise, wise men’.
Sha’ul tells us in Eph’siyim/Ephesians 1 that our Master has, by the riches of His favour, lavished on us every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Messiah in all wisdom and insight, leaving us no excuse to not have the inner rooms of our beings filled with the knowledge of Elohim, in order that we be the fragrance of Messiah in every place!
The Lamb is worthy to receive all wisdom, for the Lamb is wisdom personified, as Messiah came to teach us how to walk as wise and not be foolish and when we recognise that He is the only true source of wisdom then we will not be fooled by the wisdom of this world but seek out the wisdom that is from above!
Ya’aqoḇ/James 3:17 “But the wisdom from above is first clean, then peaceable, gentle, ready to obey, filled with compassion and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”
With the praise being given to The Lamb, declaring that He is worthy to receive wisdom, highlights a declaration of submission and obedience to the Wise Master and Elohim!
Yehuḏah/Jude 1:24-25 “And to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you blameless before the presence of His esteem with exceeding joy, 25 to the only wise Elohim, our Saviour, be esteem and greatness and might and authority, both now and forever. Aměn.”
STRENGTH
The Greek word that is translated here as ‘strength’ is ἰσχύς ischus – Strong’s G2479 which means, ‘strength, might, power, ability’.
Eph’siyim/Ephesians 6:10 “For the rest, my brothers, be strong in the Master and in the mightiness of His strength.”
In a psalm of praise, Dawiḏ declares:
Tehillah/Psalm 24:8 “Who is this Sovereign of esteem? יהוה strong and mighty, יהוה mighty in battle.”
Knowing that our Master is worthy to receive strength gives us the full assurance of His ability to fight for us and cause us to stand in victory! He is mighty in battle and there is none compared to Him!
BLESSING
The Greek word that is translated as ‘blessing’ is εὐλογία eulogia – Strong’s G2129 which means, ‘praise, blessing, flattering speech’. What is worth taking note of here is that with the Lamb being worthy to receive blessing then we best make sure that the words of our mouths are pleasing to Him and that in our blessing Him with our lips, our hearts are in sync with complete obedience!
Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 10:16 “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Messiah? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Messiah?”
I am highlighting this verse to emphasise our readiness to be completely obedient in both words and deeds, so that we become doers of the Word, blessing our Master with the set-apartness that He has called us to!
True praise encompasses a proper ability to give the blessing due to our Master by walking in the blessing of His riches and favour and compassion and not walking contrary to His Word!
Ḥazon/Revelation 5:13 “And every creature which is in the heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying, “To Him sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the respect and the esteem and the might, forever and ever!””
As we progress from the praise of the indefinite number we see how praise multiplies to every creature in the heavens, in earth and under the earth!!! This is a powerful progression that we see here, which highlights the clear fact that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that יהושע Messiah, The Lamb, is the One who sits on the Throne, for He is Master of all!!!
All blessing He is worthy to receive! Are you blessing our Master and Elohim at al times? If you have any compromise in your life then you are not! Many expect to be blessed by Him all the time yet they do not bless Him, as they walk in the stubbornness and pride of doing things as they fit in their own eyes!
Tehillah/Psalm 134:1-3 “Come, bless יהוה, all you servants of יהוה, who are standing in the House of יהוה by night! 2 Lift up your hands in the set-apart place, and bless יהוה. 3 יהוה, Maker of the heavens and earth, does bless you from Tsiyon!”
The title of this Tehillah/Psalm 134 is – שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת – ‘shiyr hama’alot’ – which is best translated as ‘A song of degrees’. Tehillim/Psalms 120-134 all have this title in the Hebrew text and is translated as ‘A song of degrees’ or ‘A song of ascents’ and these Tehillim/Psalms are believed by many scholars to have been songs that were sung by those who travelled to Yerushalayim each year to the Feasts of יהוה. The two root words are – שִׁיר shir – Strong’s H7892 which means, ‘song, music, musical’ and מַעֲלָה ma’alah – Strong’s H4609 which means, ‘what comes up, steps, high degree, ascends, stairway’, and comes from the primitive root verb עָלָה alah – Strong’s H5927 meaning, ‘to go up, ascend, climb, approach, go’; and when one also recognises how a derivative of this root verb is the word עֹלָה olah – Strong’s H5930 meaning, ‘whole burnt offering, ascent, staircase, stairway’, then we are able to understand why this collection of Tehillim/Psalms cold be sung by those who journeyed ‘up’ to the Feasts of יהוה. The ‘olah offering’ represents, ‘a giving totally of oneself to יהוה’, and these songs express the true worship of true worshippers of Elohim who confidently place their trust in Him, and offer up their entire lives as a living sacrifice, having the sound of continual songs of praise on their lips, declaring their steadfast trust in יהוה.
This short song of degrees issues a call for the servants of יהוה who re standing in the House of יהוה by night, to come and bless יהוה. This song was either spoken by the worshippers to the priests who were doing their duties or was a call given by the priests to all those who were present, with the full assurance given that יהוה blesses those who exalt Him and serve Him in Spirit and Truth!
The call to come is one that demands the attention those to whom it is given, as we take note that the Hebrew word that is translated as ‘come’ is הִנֵּה hinneh – Strong’s H2009 which means, ‘Lo! Behold! Look! See!’, which is the prolonged form of הֵן hen – Strong’s H2005, and is used as an interjection that demands attention and is mainly used to emphasise the information that follows.
This Tehillah/Psalm 134 is one that ought to catch our attention, reminding us that we are to be blessing יהוה in all we do and this is something that we all, as called out, set-apart and chosen servants of Elohim, ought to be doing every day. While this may be one of the shortest songs it is certainly packed with a huge reminder of what we are to be doing in our reasonable worship before Elohim. Sha’ul call us to remembrance of this too, as we see in:
Romiyim/Romans 12:1-2 “I call upon you, therefore, brothers, through the compassion of Elohim, to present your bodies a living offering – set-apart, well-pleasing to Elohim – your reasonable worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim.”
The Hebrew word that is translated in Tehillah/Psalm 134 as ‘bless’ is בָּרֲכוּ – baraḵu which comes from the primitive root verb בָּרַךְ baraḵ – Strong’s H1288 and means, ‘to abundantly bless’ and literally carries the meaning, ‘to kneel or bow down, to show respect, to bring a gift to another while kneeling out of respect’. It is written here in the ‘piel’ verb tense which usually expresses an intensive or intentional action. A life of praise is seen in the respect that we give unto our Elohim, and this word depicts the action of showing true reverence, implying a continual consciousness of the presence of our Master and Elohim, which results in a continual ‘bowing’ in obedience.
Dawiḏ said the following when he was driven from Aḇimeleḵ, after he changed his behaviour:
Tehillah/Psalm 34:1 “I bless יהוה at all times; His praise is continually in my mouth.”
No matter who might be against you, never stop living a life of praise unto our Master and Elohim, and bless Him at all times!
Back to Ḥazon/Revelation 5:
At this point I just want to remind you that praise is not silent matter! Praise is heard! In verse 12 we are told that the voice of the indefinite number said with a loud voice that the Lamb is worthy!!
When Yoḥanan was given these visions, he heard the powerful expression of praise being given unto Elohim!
Can your praise be heard? Are you joining in with the myriads and thousands? Are you joining in with the declaration of the heavenly host? Let your life of abundant praise be heard…not simply by the volume of your voice, but also in the manner in which you live! I am not saying that you must go and be an irritating gong, but let the true love for the Master be echoed in all creation, as your obedience resonates a sound of true praise! Use your voice too!!!
Let us now take a look at the next passage of praise that we see being given in Ḥazon/Revelation, which we find in Chapter 7:
Ḥazon/Revelation 7:9-12 “After this I looked and saw a great crowd which no one was able to count, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, and palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Deliverance belongs to our Elohim who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the messengers stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped Elohim, 12 saying, “Aměn! The blessing, and the esteem, and the wisdom, and the thanksgiving, and the respect, and the power, and the might, to our Elohim forever and ever. Aměn.”
Here, in this passage, there are two separate sets of praise. The first is that which is being given by an innumerable crowd – which are those who have been delivered from the distress and have been washed by the blood of the Lamb! Their declaration of praise is clear: Deliverance belong to Elohim who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!
This is not a declaration of praise being given to 2 different people but is rather an emphasis of the declaration of praise made by a people who have the revelation of Messiah made complete in the deliverance and their praise acknowledges that The Lamb is Elohim who sits on the Throne – for He is our deliverer!
The Lamb – יהושע Messiah – is our Master and Elohim – He is יהוה our Saviour/Deliverer!
the Greek word that is translated as ‘deliverance’ in Ḥazon/Revelation 7:10 is the word σωτηρία sōtēria – Strong’s G4991 which means, ‘deliverance, salvation’, and comes from the word σωτήρ sōtēr – Strong’s G4990 which means, ‘a saviour, deliverer’, which is from the word σῴζω sōzō – Strong’s G4982 which means, ‘to save, restore, make whole, heal’.
This word σωτηρία sōtēria – Strong’s G4991 is used in
Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 5:9 ““And having been perfected, He became the Causer of everlasting deliverance to all those obeying Him”
This verse is speaking of our Deliverer – יהושע Messiah, who became the ‘causer’ of everlasting deliverance – to who???
ALL THOSE OBEYING HIM!!!
This is a very important statement of truth being made here – it is only to those who are obeying Him, that He actually becomes the ‘causer of everlasting deliverance’ to!
In other words, we clearly see from the Greek, the one who obeys the Master, is one who is in subjection to the hearing of His commands, and diligently gives heed to obey and understand, by making sure his ears are open to hear the Master’s voice!
Yoḥanan/John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
The ‘Causer of Life and Deliverance’ has spoken, and His Word stands forever – the question that ought to be asked today, is whether the sheep are listening and obeying, or are they putting off what is being instructed, for another day!
The ‘Causer of deliverance’ is יהוה!
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 45:17 “Yisra’ěl shall be saved by יהוה with an everlasting deliverance. You are not to be ashamed nor hurt, forever and ever.”
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 63:7-8 “Let me recount the loving-commitments of יהוה and the praises of יהוה, according to all that יהוה has done for us, and the great goodness toward the house of Yisra’ěl, which He has done for them according to His compassion, and according to His many loving-commitments. 8 And He said, “They are My people, children who do not act falsely.” And He became their Saviour.”
Can you see the Good News being declared here? יהוה declares that He ‘became their Saviour’!
Messiah ‘became’ the ‘Causer of everlasting deliverance’ – to who? To those who obey and do not act falsely!!!
The Greek word translated as ‘became’ is γίνομαι ginomai – Strong’s G1096 which means, ‘to come into being, to happen, to become, accomplish, begin to be, come into existence’.
What we clearly recognise here is the wonderful prophetic language of Yeshayahu being fully proclaimed in the letter to the Hebrews, in clearly declaring who the ‘causer of salvation’ is. There is only ONE ‘Causer’ of Salvation/Deliverance!!!
After this declaration and praise for the causer of deliverance who sits on the throne, all the messengers stood around the throne, along with the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures, and they all fell on their faces and worshipped Elohim. The Greek word that is translated as ‘worshipped’ is προσκυνέω proskuneō – Strong’s G4352 means ‘to kneel down before as an act of reverence’ and comes from two words – πρός pros – Strong’s H4314 ‘to, at, toward, unto’ and κυνέω kuneō which means ‘to kiss’ and so, proskuneō literally means, to kiss toward someone, to throw a kiss in token of respect or homage. The idea or picture one gets from this root word is to kiss the hand; and the word ‘kuneō’ is thought to be a derivative of the word κύων ‘kuōn’, which means ‘dog’, and therefore carries the meaning ‘to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand’.
This really struck me, as we see the attempt that the enemy has done at gaining the worship of the masses – think about how so many are enslaved into having to bow before the ‘pope’s’ or any catholic priest’s extended hand and kiss (lick) the hand of their assumed ‘master’! Or how about the millions that ‘kiss’ the toe of the statue of ‘St. Peter’ which is in fact the pagan image of a pagan mighty one called Jupiter!
We are to worship only One – and that is יהוה! We are not to worship any man, woman, image or any other false mighty one! We are not to ‘kiss the hand’, so to speak, of another, in subjection to enslavement – but we are to humble ourselves and show respect and reverence toward יהושע our Master, as we are to worship Him Alone!
The appointment of Yosĕph as ruler in Mitsrayim is a picture of Messiah, whose hand we are to kiss!
Berěshith/Exodus 41:40 “Be over my house, you yourself, and at your mouth all my people shall kiss – only in the throne I am greater than you.”
The word translated as ‘kiss’ is נָשַׁק nashaq – Strong’s H5401 and means, ‘to kiss, do homage, show respect and affection for, acknowledge’ and this word can have the meaning of, ‘fastening together, be in array (dressed accordingly)’.
To ‘kiss’ here clearly speaks of that which we submit under and show respect to, as being the proper authority under which we walk and obey. In Hoshěa/Hosea 13 there is a clear rebuke for those who engage in idolatrous worship
Hoshěa/Hosea 13:2 “And now they sin more and more, and make for themselves moulded images from their silver, idols according to their skill, all of them the work of craftsmen. They say of them, “Let the men who slaughter kiss the calves!”
The rebuke given here in Hoshěa, saying that the men who slaughter must kiss the calves, is a very clear message to a rebellious and backsliding people – as the message is clear to those who will not trust in יהוה, but will rather walk in their own reasoning: they must go ahead and kiss their calves and see if that will help them!!!
We are not to ‘kiss the calves’ and be fastened together to abominable images or practices of false worship, but we are to ‘kiss the Son’ and pay homage and proper respect to our Redeemer and King, as we are dressed in His Torah, and find our refuge in Him.
Tehillim/Psalm 2:12 “Kiss the Son, lest He be enraged, and you perish in the way, for soon His wrath is to be kindled. Blessed are all those taking refuge in Him.”
The wrath of the Son is the wrath of the Father, and our refuge is in Elohim – who is ONE!
In Ḥazon/Revelation 7:11 we once again see a 7-fold praise being given to Elohim, as the messengers, elder and living creatures worshipped Elohim, saying: “Aměn! The blessing, and the esteem, and the wisdom, and the thanksgiving, and the respect, and the power, and the might, to our Elohim forever and ever. Aměn.”
What is worth taking note of here is the use of the word Aměn at the start and end of this 7-fold praise for Elohim!
This Greek word ἀμήν amēn – Strong’s G281 is transliterated from the Hebrew word adverb אָמֵן aměn– Strong’s H543 means, ‘truly, verily, truth, so be it’.
Aměn is also often translated as ‘trust’; and so, we see that to trust or believe implies an action and not just a thought; but rather in one’s acknowledgment of what has been written in the Word, the confirmation of one’s ‘aměn’ implies that there will be an active trust and belief in doing what the Word says!
Here in this worship and praise of Elohim, the messengers, elders and living creatures that are around the throne give the full acknowledgement of the true declaration that is made by the great crowd which no one was able to count, as they declare a clear and confident aměn to the fact that Deliverance belongs to Elohim!
They then proceed to give a 7-fold praise is saying what is also to be accredited to our Mighty Master, Elohim and Saviour: blessing, esteem, wisdom, thanksgiving, respect, power and might!
This affirming praise that is offered to Elohim declares a powerful completeness and totality of the praise that is due to, and must be continually accredited to, Elohim! This complete praise opens and closes with the ἀμήν amēn – Strong’s G281, establishing for us the clear and defined praise that is due to our Mighty Causer of Deliverance!
When I go through these passages like this, I cannot help but be stirred to worship our Master and give Him the just and reasonable worship we are to bring, which is our set-apartness, accompanied by much singing – aměn!
We have already taken a look at all of these 7 words of praise that is given to Elohim and what I once again want to highlight here is that the 7-fold praise that the Lamb is worthy to receive in Chapter 5 is a confirmation here in Chapter 7 that the Lamb is Elohim, unto which a 7-fold complete and total praise is due!
The praise given along with the heavenly host to the Deliverer, by all who have been delivered, is a victory declaration of praise for our Messiah, the Lamb, who has washed us in His own blood!
After this we see 11 chapters that describe the wrath of Elohim being poured out, before coming to the next passage of praise, which we find in Chapter 19. However, what we also take note of, before looking at the victory praise of deliverance in Chapter 19, is that in the midst of these 11 chapters (8-18), we are able to see some wonderful praise being given in Chapter 15, which we will look at first, as we journey through this wonderful revelation of praise:
Ḥazon/Revelation 15:1-4 “And I saw another sign in the heaven, great and marvellous: seven messengers having the seven last plagues, for the wrath of Elohim was ended in them. 2 And I saw like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those overcoming the beast and his image and his mark and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of Elohim. 3 And they sing the song of Mosheh the servant of Elohim, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvellous are Your works, יהוה Ěl Shaddai! Righteous and true are Your ways, O Sovereign of the set-apart ones! 4 “Who shall not fear You, O יהוה , and esteem Your Name? Because You alone are kind. Because all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your righteousnesses have been made manifest.”
This passage of praise is a very powerful passage, as we take note of this vision of praise that Yoḥanan was given in regards to those who were singing the ‘song of Mosheh’ and ‘the Song of the Lamb’! Just as He saw another sign in the heaven with the seven messengers who were about to pour out the seven last plagues as described in Chapter 16, he saw a vision of those overcoming the beast and his mark and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass singing the song of Mosheh and the song of the Lamb!
This is a clear picture of a people who hold fast to our Master and have overcome the onslaught of the enemy by guarding righteousness and not falling prey to the wicked deception of the beast.
What is worth taking note of is that the reference to the song of Mosheh reminds us of the song that Yisra’ĕl sang after they came through the Sea of Reeds and the Mitsrians had been destroyed, which can be found in Shemoth/Exodus 15:1-14 (Read)!
This is the first recorded account we see in Scripture of an assembly or body of believers singing a song of praise to יהוה, and the first account we see of a song being used to praise Him. I do believe that songs were sung unto Him in praise before this – but here we see Mosheh and the children of Yisra’ĕl singing together – this was the day of deliverance – a sure reason to sing!!!
A wonderful prophetic shadow picture of what will once again be sung by a delivered and redeemed people:
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 12: “And in that day you shall say, “I thank You יהוה, though You were enraged with me, Your displeasure has turned back, and You have comforted me. 2 “See, Ěl is my deliverance, I trust and am not afraid. For Yah, יהוה, is my strength and my song; and He has become my deliverance.” 3 And you shall draw water with joy from the fountains of deliverance. 4 And in that day you shall say, “Praise יהוה, call upon His Name; make known His deeds among the peoples, make mention that His Name is exalted. 5 “Sing to יהוה, For He has done excellently; this is known in all the earth. 6 “Cry aloud and shout, O inhabitant of Tsiyon, for great is the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl in your midst!”
“In that day” – when our deliverance is complete at His Second Coming! Those who fear יהוה and walk in obedience to His Torah will sing the Song of Mosheh! In essence we have been shown the end from the beginning and the vision that Yoḥanan was given in Ḥazon/Revelation 15 confirms this with it also being identified as the song of The Lamb – for our deliverance belongs to The Lamb and our praise and song of His deliverance echoes the deliverance song of Mosheh, who is a shadow picture of our Master and Elohim!
According to this account in Ḥazon/Revelation 15 – it will be those who overcome the beast and his image and his mark and the number of his name that will sing this song after the last plague – sung by a people who had returned to the True way of יהוה by keeping the very commands given through Mosheh as Mount Sinai!
The Hebrew root that is translated as ‘sang/sing’ is שִׁיר shiyr – Strong’s H7891 and simply means ‘sing’, but also carries the meaning, ‘to use one’s voice as an instrument to sing musical tones, rhythms, and often words’. Using our voice to sing to יהוה is an attribute of giving thanks or rather, that which should flow from giving thanks. So many people are too shy to sing, yet we should not worry what others may think of our voice, as we sing to the One who causes us to be – He loves to hear you sing! Singing to יהוה is a great implement or tool, not only for great celebration of His great loving-commitment, but as we know from Scripture, is a great tool for war!!!
This word שִׁיר shiyr – Strong’s H7891 is identical to the primitive root word שׁוּר shur – Strong’s H7788 meaning, ‘to travel, journey, carriers’. One lexicon describes this word as ‘strolling singer’, and figuratively shows us how Dawiḏ would sing wherever he went! Praise could not be withheld from his lips, no matter who looked on! How about you?
For more on the song of Mosheh, please see the Torah commentary notes from within the Torah portion from Shemoth/Exodus 13:17-17:16, which can be found on our site (https://atfotc.com) under the Torah portions menu or by clicking on the following link:
https://atfotc.com/index.php/torah-portions/shemoth/64-shemoth-exodus-13-17-17-16-beshalla-when-he-sent
Once again, from these accounts we are able to declare the song of the deliverance of Elohim, by the mighty working of His outstretched Arm and right Hand – יהושע Messiah!!! Our victory song is certainly in praise and esteem of יהוה our Elohim who has caused us to overcome the flesh and cause us to trust not in ourselves, but rather put our whole trust in Him.
It is those overcoming the beast and his image and the number of his name that are able to sing the song of deliverance of the Lamb. The Greek word for ‘overcomes’ is νικάω nikaō – Strong’s G3528 which means, ‘to conquer, prevail, overcome, victorious’.
As we stay in our Master and Elohim by guarding His commands and walking in set-apartness, we are equipped with courage to overcome!
The promises given to those who overcome in the messages given to the assemblies in Ḥazon/Revelation give us a boost of encouragement to hold fast to the Truth and endure!
To those in Ephesos:
Ḥazon/Revelation 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I shall give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of Elohim.””
To those in Smurna:
Ḥazon/Revelation 2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes shall by no means be harmed by the second death.”
To those in Pergamos:
Ḥazon/Revelation 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I shall give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I shall give him a white stone, and on the stone a renewed Name written which no one knows except him who receives it.””
To those in Thyatira:
Ḥazon/Revelation 2:26 “And he who overcomes, and guards My works until the end, to him I shall give authority over the nations”
To those in Sardis:
Ḥazon/Revelation 3:5 “He who overcomes shall be dressed in white robes, and I shall by no means blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I shall confess his name before My Father and before His messengers.”
To those in Philadelphia:
Ḥazon/Revelation 3:12 “He who overcomes, I shall make him a supporting post in the Dwelling Place of My Elohim, and he shall by no means go out. And I shall write on him the Name of My Elohim and the name of the city of My Elohim, the renewed Yerushalayim, which comes down out of the heaven from My Elohim, and My renewed Name.”
To those in Laodikeia:
Ḥazon/Revelation 3:21 “To him who overcomes I shall give to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
One can be greatly encouraged as we see the collective blessing of overcoming the pressures and trials that we face, for those who overcome will get to eat of the tree of life and the second death will have no power over them as they have access back to the tree of life! Overcomers get to eat of the hidden manna and authority over the nations will be given to them for they will be able to rightly rule with proper discernment! Overcomers shall be dressed in white robes and have assurance that their names will never be blotted out and will become supporting posts in the Dwelling Place of Elohim and be given to sit with the Master on His Throne!
This in itself ought to be sufficient encouragement to endure and overcome!
Romiyim/Romans 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 5:3-5 “For this is the love for Elohim, that we guard His commands, and His commands are not heavy, 4 because everyone having been born of Elohim overcomes the world. And this is the overcoming that has overcome the world: our belief. 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world but he who believes that יהושע is the Son of Elohim?”
The reason for me highlighting this picture of overcoming is to simply emphasise our need to be a people who are not hindered by the chaos of a corrupt and wicked world but are rather equipped in being able to reflect a proper stability that true standing and staying in the Master entails.
This image of overcomers standing on the sea of glass that I want us to also carefully consider here, as we are able to glean a great deal of encouragement in equipping us to keep standing firm in our Master and Elohim, יהושע Messiah, always being ready to offer up continual praise and esteem unto His Name, amidst a chaotic and crooked world! While the world is getting progressively worse, at an alarmingly rapid rate, and all we may see around us on a day to day basis is the chaos of lawlessness, we can be securely comforted in our ability to overcome the chaos as we continue to stand in the Master, armed in His Truth, and after having done all, keep standing!!!
The image of a sea of glass carries a couple of very significant pictures that can teach us a great deal of the work of deliverance from the chaos of sin that Elohim has brought to us.
The image given to us in Ḥazon/Revelation 15:2 of a sea of glass mixed with fire and those who have overcome the beast standing on the sea of glass in a picture of those who have been refined and cleansed through the Word of Elohim, as we know that fire is that which refines and water (as represented by the sea) cleanses.
The Greek word that is translated as ‘glass’ in Ḥazon/Revelation 15:2 comes from the root word ὑάλινος hualinos – Strong’s G5193 which means, ‘glass, glassy, transparent like glass, water or crystal’ and is only used 3 times in the Renewed Writings (N.T.) – twice in Ḥazon/Revelation 15:2 and once in:
Ḥazon/Revelation 4:6 “And before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and in back.”
This Greek word ὑάλινος hualinos – Strong’s G5193 comes from the root word ὕαλος hualos – Strong’s G5194 which means, ‘a clear transparent stone, like glass or ice or even crystal’. This Greek word is used once in the LXX (Septuagint – Greek translation of the Tanak – O.T.) in Iyoḇ/Job 28:17 where it is used to translate the word ‘crystal’, which is translated from the Hebrew word זָכָה zaḵah – Strong’s H2135 which means ‘to be clear, clean or pure, to be blameless, cleansed, make yourself clean and be kept pure’. This word is only used 8 times in Scripture and also gives us the meaning of being clear and pure and free from any foreign substances; being flawless and in a perfect state, being free of guilt and able to stand before the throne of Elohim which we can, by the blood of Messiah, come boldly to in order to find favour in time of need!
This image of the sea of glass, like crystal, which is also used to also describe that which is before the throne of Elohim, is a clear picture of stability and that which is established and firm forever and that which has no spot or blemish or any fragment of corruption, for it represents the perfection of the set-apartness of Elohim and that which is before His throne! The concept or picture of an established sea that is firm, upon which overcomers can stand before Elohim, helps us recognise the powerful work of redemption that Elohim has done for those who are in Messiah, for He has delivers us from sin and corruption and has drawn us out of the chaotic waters of the world, as pictured through a chaotic and raging sea!
Does your life reflect the stability of the Word or has the chaos of this world got you all tossed with storm? If chaos is evident in your life then let the Word wash you and cause you to stand in the Master and be delivered from chaos to stability in Him! We are to bring the continual praise and thanks that is due to our Elohim as we are armed daily with His Truth and walk in perfect love as we pursue set-apartness with our all and be overcomers that give abundant praise unto Elohim, sing the pure song of deliverance – the song of Mosheh and the song of the Lamb, which only overcomers can do!!!
As you reflect on the gift of deliverance that has drawn you out of the chaos of sin and lawlessness so that your feet can stand firm on the Rock, having a joy filled stability in the Master, give Him all praise and esteem and never stop!!!
After this powerful chapter of the praise brought by overcomers, we see another 3 chapters (16-18) describing the wrath of Elohim, before coming to Chapter 19, where we see a great resounding praise for deliverance being given:
Ḥazon/Revelation 19:1-7 “And after this I heard a loud voice of a great crowd in the heaven, saying, “Halleluyah! Deliverance and esteem and respect and power to יהוה our Elohim! 2 Because true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great whore who corrupted the earth with her whoring. And He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 And a second time they said, “Halleluyah! And her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped Elohim who sat on the throne, saying, “Aměn! Halleluyah!” 5 And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our Elohim, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” 6 And I heard as the voice of a great crowd, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunders, saying, “Halleluyah, for יהוה Ěl Shaddai reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him praise, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife prepared herself.”
WOW – what an awesome passage of resounding praise being given here!
After the wrath of Elohim has been poured out and His Bride’s deliverance has been made complete there is a loud voice that is heard in the heaven – a voice of a large crowd, saying, “Halleluyah! Deliverance and esteem and respect and power to יהוה our Elohim! Because true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great whore who corrupted the earth with her whoring. And He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.”
This is a praise for the Deliverance of Elohim being made complete for His called out and chosen Bride. This vision that Yoḥanan was given is a clear encouragement of a secure hope that we have in our Deliverer, ass we recognise our need to work out our deliverance with fear and trembling, holding fast the sure and promised hope of this being made complete when our Master comes for His ready Bride – a Bride that is praising Him continually! Our Master and Deliverer is coming with vengeance and when He comes, we who are in Him will join in the declaration of the large crowd that declares a resounding Halleluyah for His wonderful work or redemption!
The Greek word that is translated as ‘halleluyah’ is ἁλληλουϊά hallēlouia – Strong’s G239 which is a transliteration of the Hebrew root word הָלַל halal Strong’s H1984 which means, ‘to shine; to be boastful; to be clear; to make a show; to rave; be foolish; to celebrate; praise, cheer, brag or extol, i.e., extol the greatness or excellence of a person, object or event’.
This is a word that is frequently used for ‘praise’ and more specifically the praise and boasting we are to make in יהוה; and do so as we shine the light of His Truth in all we do, walking in His light and making our continual boast in Him! We are to be continually giving our praise to our Master and Elohim, our Deliverer and King, יהושע Messiah –– for He is יהוה our Saviour/Deliverer!
Yonah/Jonah 2:9-10 “But I slaughter to You with the voice of thanksgiving, I pay what I have vowed. Deliverance is of יהוה.” 10 Then יהוה spoke to the fish, and it vomited Yonah onto the dry land.”
The reason for me highlighting these two verses from the Book of Yonah/Jonah is to make clear the powerful lesson we can learn from Yonah. He praised יהוה from the belly of a fish and declared that deliverance is of יהוה, then יהוה delivered him! Our praise does not begin once our deliverance is made complete but rather it begins at the revelation of our Master who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light!
Kěpha Aleph/1 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a set-apart nation, a people for a possession, that you should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light, 10 who once were not a people, but now the people of Elohim; who had not obtained compassion, but now obtained compassion.”
Are your proclaiming the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness? What we can learn from Yonah is that no matter what we are going through, we can praise our Master, give Him thanks and bless Him for being our Deliverer – even in the darkest trials – in fact, we need to learn to give praise and thanks to our deliverer when facing the most intense battles and when surrounded by the darkest of troubles! Do you hear this?
Can you recognise the necessity of praise? Think about how awesome the collective praise will sound when all who have been praising Him, while working out their deliverance, come together as a large crowd to declare a resounding and unified Halleluyah!!! Praise has already begun – are you joining in and being contagious or has grumbling gripped you and you find praise too hard to give due to the leprosy of complaining and gripping about your troubles?
In Ḥazon/Revelation 19:4 the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures worshipped Elohim who sits on the throne, declaring a resounding aměn and halleluyah, confirming the boastful praise of our Master and Deliverer!!
Then in Ḥazon/Revelation 19:5 there is a call from the throne that is given, calling all to praise our Elohim!
The Greek word that is translated here as ‘praise’ is αἰνέω aineō – Strong’s G134 which means, ‘to sing praise’ and is used 9 times in the Renewed Writings (N.T.) and only in reference to praise being given to Elohim!
All are called to praise Elohim! Are you responding as you should?
In Ḥazon/Revelation 19:6 we then see the voice of a great crowd giving a huge cry of praise, declaring:
Halleluyah, for יהוה Ěl Shaddai reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him praise, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife prepared herself.
יהוה Ěl Shaddai reigns!!! Do you desire to be one of the great crowd that declare this mighty praise when the marriage of the Lamb has come? Then listen up – your praise needs to be happening now! That means there can be no grumbling, no complaining, no griping, no moaning…. only boasting, thanks and praise to Elohim, in all you do!
Let your life resound with the 7-fold complete praise for Elohim as this revelation of praise causes you to do so continually with a rejoicing heart!
For the purposes of stirring your hearts to praise our Elohim who reigns, please see Tehillah/Psalm 95, 97 and 99 – three powerful psalms of praise that declare that יהוה reigns!
As we sojourn here, let us abstain from fleshly lusts and throw off all that hinders a life of praise and do our utmost at echoing the complete and total praise that we are to be giving to our Master and Elohim!
Can you echo that which we see being described in this revelation of praise for our Messiah?
As we consider the complete praise that is due to Elohim, let us be bold in our declaration that:
The blessing and the esteem and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the respect and the power and the might be unto our Elohim forever and ever, aměn!
May this study and exposition on the praise that we find in Ḥazon/Revelation cause you to join in continually with the complete praise and declaration of deliverance to our Deliverer! This is a revelation of praise – can you hear?
In closing I encourage you to be a praising people who are boldly declaring who the causer of our deliverance is, making sure that you are blessing Him at all times, shrugging off all doubts, worries, complaints and gripes!
This is a revelation of praise – get praising all you servants of Elohim!!!
As you take time to consider the wonderful praise being declared in this book of the revelation of Messiah, assess yourself through the mirror of the Word in order to see if you are praising Him as you should!
In closing, in order to stir up your revelation of praise I would like to encourage you to take a listen to one of our newest songs, which is called, ‘HERE I AM’. This song was composed as a result of the words of a poem of praise that was sent to us from an inmate in Texas, asking if we could make a song from it. From words written in a prison to a song of praise being compiled, which contain some of the words we have looked at in Ḥazon/Revelation!
The sing can be listened to on our site (https://atfotc.com) under the music menu and new songs page or by using or clicking on the following link:
https://atfotc.com/index.php/music/29-worship-music/661-new-music
The words of the song, so you can sing along, are as follows:
HERE I AM!
THE BLESSING AND ESTEEM AND THE WISDOM
The THANKSGIVING AND RESPECT
THE POWER AND THE MIGHT TO OUR ELOHIM
FOREVER AND EVER AMEN
AND I WILL BOW DOWN ON MY KNEES TO WORSHIP YOU
AND I’LL RAISE UP MY HANDS TOWARD YOUR THRONE
AND I will lift UP MY VOICE TO GIVE YOU PRAISE
AND I SURRENDER I SURRENDER BEFORE YOUR FACE (x2)
HERE I AM TO SEEK YOUR FACE
HERE I AM TO GIVE YOU PRAISE
HERE I AM TO SEEK YOUR REIGN
HERE I AM TO ESTEEM YOUR NAME X 2
AND I WILL BOW DOWN….
HERE I AM….
AND I WILL BOW DOWN….
יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show favour to you; יהוה lift up His face to and give you shalom!