Revelation 5:11, commentary and pictures

John in vision on Patmos saw and heard an immense, innumerable host of angels encircling the throne with the living creatures and the elders after the Lamb took the sealed book from Him who sat upon it. Their number declares a multitude beyond ordinary counting, gathered in the presence-chamber to carry out God's will and share in the work of redemption. With a loud voice they ascribe to the slain Lamb power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing, until every created thing joins in blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever to Him on the throne and to the Lamb. That same countless host ministers to those who will inherit salvation, attending the weakest trusting saint with mercy and power, with a guardian appointed to every follower of Christ, and will escort Him in power and great glory at His soon second coming as King and Judge. Those who would join that chorus must learn heaven's song of praise and thanksgiving now, turning from self and anxiety to trust Christ, reflect His light, and live in harmony with heaven.

Vision Setting and Wording

John in vision on the Isle of Patmos beheld and heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and the elders, numbering ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands. The immense company gathered around God's throne with the living creatures and the elders joins in loud proclamation that the slain Lamb is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. That praise swells until every created thing in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea ascribes blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, with Amen from the four living creatures and falling down and worship from the twenty-four elders. This heavenly rejoicing accompanies the joy of the redeemed and the reward of those who have faithfully won souls to Christ.

The scene comes after the Lamb takes the sealed book from the right hand of Him who sits on the throne, and those who see it are filled with awe. The book is unrolled with awe with no blanks and no space for more writing. The four living creatures and twenty-four elders first fall before the Lamb who took the book and sing the new song of redemption, then the countless angels proclaim the worthiness of the slain Lamb with a loud voice, and then every creature in heaven and on earth and in the sea joins in.

The book thus opened is the book of God's providences, containing the prophetic history of nations and the church. It is a theme worthy of study and contemplation in connection with Christ's life, character, and mediatorial work, holding large and comprehensive lessons that all the angelic host are now seeking to communicate. It reveals infinite wisdom, infinite love, infinite justice, and infinite mercy in the life and character and mediatorial work of Christ, with depths and heights and lengths and breadths that pass computation. It is a truth capable of constant expansion and new developments that increases in brightness as it is beheld and grows in height and depth as it is grasped, presented fresh and new to every mind through whom the Holy Spirit works, elevating to the standard of perfection and giving faith and trust in God and showing what Christ is to those who receive Him and what responsibilities are accepted in Him.

The number ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands means an immense, innumerable host beyond ordinary counting, depicting angels in great abundance around the throne. They are a vast heavenly choir surrounding the throne, the living creatures, and the elders, whose praise can be anticipated by singing songs of heaven on earth. They are a vast multitude attending in the presence of the King of kings, connected with God's government and serving as His messengers, and they accompany believers as they share the light God has given and prepare people for Christ's coming.

The chapter is to be studied with Ezekiel 9 and Ezekiel 2:1-10. Together they show that the Lord's eye is upon every transaction and His judgment will come upon those who do wrong. The name of the wrongdoer is written unless he repents.

Praise to the Lamb

The innumerable angels round about the throne proclaim with a loud voice that the slain Lamb is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Their number is ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, gathered with the living creatures and the elders. Their praise recognizes His power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing.

Every created thing in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea joins in ascribing blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. The living creatures answer Amen, and the elders fall down and worship Him who lives forever and ever. This follows the falling down of the living creatures and twenty-four elders before the Lamb who took the book and their singing of the new song of redemption.

Their praise celebrates Christ's triumph, the opening of salvation to the fallen race, and the promised redemption of the earth from sin's curse. It is the song of redemption which angels desire to study and which the redeemed will sing through eternity, giving Christ the glory and filling heaven with music because the Lamb was slain to bring them to God and heaven. God's people should learn that song now with heart and soul and voice so they may join the angels in worship.

As the Lamb slain seated on the throne, Christ dispenses the covenant blessings and righteousness His sacrifice purchased to every believer who believes. His death purchased redemption and remains fully effective through every age, pleading for the church in heaven on behalf of those He redeemed. The vision calls all to behold His love and saving work.

He will forever bear the marks of His earthly humiliation and death and of having been slain, as memorials of the sacrifice He made to give humanity immortal life. Together with the redeemed, the vast angelic host surrounding the throne honors and worships Him for that sacrifice on humanity's behalf.

The scene reveals infinite wisdom, infinite love, infinite justice, and infinite mercy in Christ's life and character and mediatorial work, with depths and heights and lengths and breadths that pass computation. It is a truth capable of constant expansion and new developments, increasing in brightness as it is beheld and growing in height and depth as it is grasped. It is presented fresh and new to every mind through whom the Holy Spirit works, elevating to the standard of perfection, giving faith and trust in God, and showing what Christ is to those who receive Him and what responsibilities are accepted in Him.

The melody of heaven is praise to God and the Lamb sounding forth from ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, and that heavenly chorus rebukes silence and dumbness in praising God. It calls for praise to flow from human lips, for standing under the shadow of the cross where the beams of the Sun of Righteousness shine, for talking less and exalting the Redeemer rather than exalting science. It points to the great plan of redemption and the matchless love that moved God to give His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life, about which He is ready to disclose more and more of His wonderful power and to open new lines of thought to His church.

Angels Number and Nature

The verse shows a vast multitude belonging to the presence-chamber of the King of kings, numbering ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands round about the throne. They are connected with God's government and share in the work of redemption, serving as His messengers who carry out His will and heed His word. Their great number, strength, and glory mark them as powerful heavenly beings distinct from human beings.

The host includes cherubim and seraphim, archangels, and angels that excel in strength, enlisted as invisible armies of light and power in ministering for fallen man. They move with dazzling brightness and great speed, attending the meek and lowly who believe and claim God's promises. They actively execute God's plans to bring man back from rebellion to reconciliation with God, cooperating with intense earnestness to bring moral efficiency so that in Christ he may be more than conqueror. All these armies serve the Prince of heaven under His commission to save to the uttermost all who look to Him and believe, exalting the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world and speeding on their mission in holy alliance and sublime unity of purpose to uphold God's honor and show forth the power, compassion, love, and glory of the crucified and risen Saviour. In this they illustrate what the church should be, as Christ works in the heavenly courts sending messengers to all parts of the globe to assist every suffering one who looks for relief and spiritual life and knowledge.

They are holy, happy beings gathered in peace and purity, living in joyful fellowship and praising God and the Lamb with voices in perfect harmony. They seek one another's happiness rather than doing one another wrong, and until disloyalty entered mutual love reigned with none indifferent to the rest. From highest to least each fills the position assigned to him in loyal service, with work joined to fellow workers without independence, ascribing glory to God as the great Center of the whole. This heavenly family is the sample of what the human family would have been had Adam remained true to his God. They remain active, awaiting God's commands and communicating with other worlds throughout His dominion.

The same host attends the judgment as ministers and witnesses around the throne. At the execution of judgment ten thousand times ten thousand are assembled before a great throne on which is seated a Person of majestic appearance, with before Him several books whose covers are marked in letters of gold like a burning flame of fire, the Ledger of Heaven. Martyrs are close around the throne, including faithful people lately in misery and hated and despised by the world. The loyal and true who will not worship the beast or his image and will not accept and revere an idol sabbath, though mocked as small, feeble, poor, and despised, will be among that number, lifted from abject misery to stand in triumph and vindication around the throne.

The multitude of angels, cherubim, and seraphim watched Christ's agony in Gethsemane, having watched His life and seeing Him apparently dying in battle to save the world, while heaven listened to His prayer in silent grief. That vast host around the throne — angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim — then sang a triumphant song that echoed and re-echoed through the worlds when Christ arose from the tomb enshrouded with a cloud of angels in wondrous power and glory as Deity and humanity combined. By giving His life He took in His grasp the world Satan claimed as his lawful territory and restored the whole race of men to favor with God.

Before creation the holy angels gathered when the King of the universe summoned all heaven to set forth the true position of His Son and His relation to all created beings. The Son shared the Father's throne with the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircling both, and about the throne stood a vast, unnumbered throng including the most exalted angels as ministers and subjects, rejoicing in the light from the presence of Deity. Before that assembled host the Father declared that none but Christ, the only begotten of God, could fully enter into His purposes and that to Christ was committed the execution of the mighty counsels of His will. Christ had wrought the Father's will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven and was still to exercise divine power in the creation of the earth and its inhabitants, homage and allegiance were due to Christ as well as to God, and in all this Christ would not seek power or exaltation for Himself contrary to God's plan but would exalt the Father's glory and execute His purposes of beneficence and love.

Christ's Work and Return

The number pictures the countless shining angels who will escort Christ at His soon second coming as heaven's King and Judge of all the earth. He comes not in the lowliness and suffering of His first coming but in power and great glory, filling the sky as He comes on the cloud, attended by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of glorious angels. At that coming every eye shall see Him. The righteous dead are raised to immortal life amid the shaking of earth and heavens, and the faithful are gathered at the sound of the last trump heard over the whole earth from the highest mountains to the deepest mines. This coming should often be talked about and be uppermost in mind.

Before that host His enemies will be unable to stand, for the appearance of one angel clothed with heavenly light and strength made the soldiers at the sepulcher fall as dead men with terror. Those who rejected, scourged, pierced, and crucified the Saviour will be raised from the dead to behold the One they mocked and despised as He appears attended by that multitude of angels in the clouds of heaven to gather those who have been faithful. At His ascension a vast heavenly host likewise awaited Him, and all heaven welcomed and worshiped Him as the victorious King and the Lamb who had been slain and now lives in glory.

In the future life in the city of God and the new earth the saved, washed in Christ's blood, behold the King in His beauty after He leads His redeemed through the pearly gates and presents to His Father a church without spot or wrinkle. Jesus' countenance lights up the glorious city as He looks upon the purchase of His blood and sees the travail of His soul and is satisfied, and the angels adore Him and join the praise of Christ and His grace and redemption. Christ places a crown of glory and life on each head, throws open the gates so that all the nations that kept the truth may enter in, and pronounces His blessing upon them as they enter into life eternal to go out no more, gained by faithful use of talents in humble, contrite simplicity. In response they cast their glittering crowns at His feet, harps are placed in their hands, they touch golden harps and fill all heaven with rich music and with songs to the Lamb, including the song of Moses and the Lamb resounding through heaven with thousands upon thousands joining in, crying with melodious voices, Glory, Alleluia. The little remnant who love God and keep His commandments and are faithful to the end will ever be in the presence of Jesus and sing with the holy angels, and as trophies of victory and witnesses that His sacrifice was not in vain they greet with Him the victorious King amid a song of triumph filling heaven, thanking those who helped them.

In eternity the redeemed's growing knowledge of God and Christ deepens their love, reverence, joy, and happiness. As the years of eternity roll God and Christ give richer and still more glorious revelations, and as knowledge is progressive love, reverence, and happiness increase. As Jesus opens before the ransomed the riches of redemption and the amazing achievements in the great controversy with Satan, their hearts thrill with more fervent devotion, and with more rapturous joy they sweep harps of gold and join the innumerable multitude to swell the chorus of praise. The praise of the Redeemer is the ceaseless work of the redeemed through eternity.

God's Active Care

God is enthroned amid ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy, happy beings, not in solitude, silence, inactivity or indifference, but in light unapproachable with all waiting to do His bidding and bear His messages. Through these messengers and through His Spirit He acts throughout His dominion and ministers to humanity, in active communication with every part of the universe through many channels and with other worlds. This little world is only an atom of His vast dominion, yet from His throne He leads His people from light to light, and connection with the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness makes all things possible and lets light penetrate all the highways and byways of life.

That Holy One stoops and bends from His high and holy place to earth, condescending from the highest to the lowliest, listening to every sound uttered, every word, groan and prayer. He observes the movements of every earthly power and every living being and every individual action, carefully marking each person's course, approving every deed of mercy and benevolence and condemning every act of oppression and every action developed. He records every transaction in His books and works through divine and human agencies to save, to lift up the oppressed, and to point every soul to the mansions above. The world and the people given to His Son to save are the focus of His care: He hears the oppressed and every cry of oppression, answers sincere prayer, is near to deliver in affliction, temptation and trial, sets His angels to work to relieve the oppressed, discouraged and suffering, sends His message of mercy to the tempted, and gives opportunities to acknowledge God, render Him glory, and learn to withstand evil in the world and in natural and acquired traits of character.

All heaven is in active communication with every part of the universe through a variety of channels, and with other worlds throughout God's dominion. The innumerable host beyond counting are sent as messengers on errands of mercy and love to minister to those who will inherit salvation, seeing where help is needed and bringing divine help in every place, sometimes before prayer is offered. They attend the weakest saint who trusts God and those wrestling for victory, giving power to overcome as was given to Christ so that no son or daughter of Adam need fall into sin, imparting divine power so none fight in finite strength but partake of the divine nature and are more than conquerors. Their work is at Christ's bidding and commission to save to the uttermost all who look to Him and believe, confederated in holy alliance and grand unity of purpose to uphold God's honor and show forth the power, compassion, love and glory of the crucified and risen Saviour, illustrating what the church should be.

In all ages these holy angels have ministered to God's people, to Abraham with promises of blessing, to the gates of Sodom to rescue Lot, to Elijah in the desert, to Elisha with chariots and horses of fire, to Daniel in the heathen court and in the lions' den, to Peter in Herod's dungeon, to the prisoners at Philippi, to Paul on the tempestuous sea, to Cornelius to open his mind to the gospel, and to Peter to carry salvation to the Gentile stranger. A guardian angel is appointed to every follower of Christ, and these heavenly watchers with constant access to the Father shield the righteous from the power of the wicked one, guard them from evil, and press back the powers of darkness seeking to destroy them. Christ sends them to earth to press back darkness at His command.

The thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand round about the throne are companions in working for perishing souls, cooperating with Christ and with human workers who seek and save the lost. They accompany believers as they share the light generously given and prepare a people for Christ's coming, with all angelic messengers at the service of humble believing ones, connecting the church below with the church in heaven. As the redeemed army below sings while rallying round the Redeemer's banner and winning new conquests, the choir above joins in thanksgiving to God and to Jesus the Son of God, and all heaven rejoices and praises God and the Lamb for mercy and loving-kindness when the lost are found and souls are converted. As soon as souls turn to the truth God rejoices over them with singing and the countless angels take up the song through the heavenly courts, breaking out anew when laborers win souls, until the overcomers receive the crown of life to cast at Jesus' feet, touch the golden harp, and fill heaven with rich music and songs to the Lamb. Their salvation brings praise and thanksgiving to heaven and glorifies the Redeemer.

All these heavenly intelligences, cherubim and seraphim and ten thousand times ten thousand angels, have one object above all others in which they are intensely interested: His church in a world of corruption, the only object on earth upon which Christ bestows His supreme regard. They watch the church on earth and marvel at what grace does, as those by nature children of wrath are converted, become lights amid the moral night, become laborers together with Christ in drawing souls to God, are prepared by Christ-like experience to suffer with their Lord and afterward partake of His glory, while the world as His workshop transforms character by grace through cooperation of human and divine agencies in those who yield to God. They express their joy over this transformation in songs of rapturous praise to God and to the Lamb, and their ready help teaches seeking God's help and guidance rather than turning to fallible human beings where God alone should be counselor.

These angels are engaged in helping restore the breach by supporting those who worship God on His holy Sabbath day instituted in Eden. They restrain earthly powers and hold back Satan's forces until God's people are sealed and the time comes for the battle of Armageddon.

Learning Heaven's Song

Music is part of worship in the courts above, where heavenly choirs in harmony round about the throne sing praise and thanksgiving and glory, flushed with the light of God. The vast multitude of angels around the throne joins in praise to the Lamb, and the ten thousand harps lift a bridal song of shared worship. Songs of praise on earth should approach that heavenly harmony as nearly as possible, and proper training of the voice is an important feature of education not to be neglected, for singing is as much an act of worship as prayer when the heart feels the spirit of the song. Its holy purpose is to lift thoughts to what is pure and noble and elevating and to awaken devotion and gratitude to God. As the Redeemer leads believers to the threshold of the Infinite they may catch the themes of that song.

When the echo of the angels' song is awakened in earthly homes and in religious service, hearts are drawn closer to the heavenly singers, heaven's communion begins on earth, and there its keynote of praise is learned. The countless angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders form a vast heavenly choir whose praise can be anticipated by singing the songs of heaven on earth. The songs of praise sung by humble believers on earth ascend to join that heavenly song. On the steep road to eternal life there are wellsprings of joy to refresh the weary, and those who walk in wisdom's ways are exceeding joyful even in tribulation because Jesus, whom the soul loves, walks invisible beside them, so that at each upward step they discern the touch of His hand more distinctly and brighter gleamings of glory from the Unseen fall upon their path, and their songs of praise reach ever a higher note as they join the angels. True believers are permitted to take part with the heavenly musicians in singing praise and honor and glory to God and to the Lamb. Those who through study and meditation and prayer gain spiritual sight can discern the heavenly temple and its choir of thanksgiving and praise around God's throne, with Christ as Advocate offering His merits.

Those who would join that angelic choir in heaven must learn on earth the song of heaven, whose keynote is praise and thanksgiving. Crowns are laid up for those who overcome, and the redeemed sing the exultant song of the Lamb slain who redeemed them to God, and believers should by faith look upon those crowns and listen to that song and regard the scene as real. Regarding crowns and the Lamb's song as real gives strength to resist temptation, to overcome peculiar faults, to sacrifice every idol, and to put away every darling sin. Accepting Christ is the first step toward true exaltation, linking finite humanity with God and fitting people to join the society of the heavenly angels in the kingdom of glory. Turning from self and worldliness and anxiety, trusting Christ's provision, setting the mind on heavenly things, talking of home, and reflecting light prepares for that society. The song of redemption, which angels desire to study and which the redeemed will sing through eternity, should be learned now and sung with heart and soul and voice, for all heaven is united in praising God and its song must be learned now to be sung when joining the shining ranks.

Joining that pure and holy harmony requires harmony with heaven and the ability to sing the song of the redeemed. Those whose sympathies and character are corrupt and debased, with darkened minds and untrained powers, are out of harmony and cannot unite in that praise, and would be unhappy and out of place and not at home there. The throng round the throne abides in a high and holy state of perfection as souls filled with love with joy beaming upon every countenance, singing high and melodious strains in honor of God and the Lamb, while ceaseless streams of light flow from the face of Him who sits upon the throne and from the Lamb upon the saints. Receiving and exercising the enjoyment of God increases capacity to bear more and to rise higher in eternal immortal enjoyment from ceaseless sources of glory and inexpressible bliss, with still higher and greater joy. Mingling with that heavenly throng, participating in their songs, and receiving the high purity and exalted transporting glory that emanates from God and the Lamb requires having trained the mind on earth to delight in spiritual exercises and having learned the language of heaven during probation, for one satisfied with a dwarfed and crippled position in divine things, if suddenly transported there, could not endure its sacred purity and transcendent glory.

Blending in the harmony of the redeemed round about the throne in the future immortal life in the kingdom requires previous training, and without it none will be prepared. Fitness for God's service in that life must begin in this life, so schools must make the knowledge essential to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God the all-important theme and serve as training schools for that kingdom. Heaven is full of joy and resounds with the praises of Christ for His wonderful sacrifice for the redemption of the human race, with many angels round about the throne joining in an anthem of praise. Therefore when difficulties try faith and patience the church on earth should be full of praise, facing hindrances bravely, looking on the bright side, going forward rejoicing in the Lord, and Christians should publish throughout the world the joy of serving Christ.