Thine The Kingdom, Thine The Prize

In earlier chapters of Revelation we have heard about and seen great conflicts between the forces of Christ and the dark powers of the devil, the beast and this dark world. As we move now into the next chapter The Revelation pauses once more to assure us of victory. Those on Mt. Zion with the Lamb are singing for joy as angels proclaim that Babylon the great is fallen and the worshippers of the beast and its image will drink the wine of God's wrath.

Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!" - Rev 14:12-13 ESV

As I write this post the funeral celebration of a sainted pastor whose funeral celebration I attended just yesterday is fresh in my memory.  And though stories of war, starvation, suffering and countless thousands dying or exiled across the world still fill the media, we could celebrate and look forward in hope. The final victory is not yet, but we know it is coming. So we all enter another year of worship, believing that the King who once came in humility as a newborn Child to Bethlehem is coming again as the victorious Lamb to set His people free.

In the words of one of my favorite hymns, on that great Day all the saints of OT times and those of NT times (symbolized by the 12 tribes of Israel x 12 apostles x the perfect number 10 cubed = 144,000), all of them will join in the great celebration. So the hymn writer Herbert F Brokering teaches us to sing with the words of  his great hymn, Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise (Lutheran Service Book, 680):

Thine the kingdom, Thine the prize, Thine the wonderful surprise, 

Thine the banquet then the praise Then the justice of Thy ways, 

Thine the glory, Thine the story, Then the welcome to the least, 

Then the wonder all increasing at Thy feast, at Thy feast. 

Thine the glory in the night, No more dying, only light, 

Thine the river, Thine the tree, Then the Lamb eternally. 

Then the holy, holy, holy Celebration jubilee.

Thine the splendor, Thine the brightness, only Thee, only Thee.  Amen!