72,000 people crowded into Wembley Stadium on July 13th, 1985 to enjoy a charity concert. Due to satellite linkups and television broadcast an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion people from 150 nations watched the concert. Huge names like Led Zeplin, Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and Bono were scheduled to perform. But still, no one could know that the greatest moment in concert history was about to happen.
20 years earlier Farrokh Bulsara and his family fled from persecution in Africa to England. There Farrokh joined a band and began recording songs. Over the years the group produced a number of hit songs. One song in particular was a power ballad that in 2005 would be voted the world's favorite song. In 2011 a team of scientist studied the ballad and determined that it was indeed, scientifically speaking, the “catchiest song” of all time.
On July 13th, 1985 Farrokh Bulsara, or as you might better know him, Freddie Mercury performed the world’s favorite song on the world’s largest stage. He told the world, “I've taken my bows and my curtain calls. You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it I thank you all. But it's been no bed of roses, No pleasure cruise. I consider it a challenge before the whole human race and I ain't gonna lose. (And I need just go on and on, and on, and on) [because] …. We are the champions, my friends, and we'll keep on fighting 'til the end. We are the champions. We are the champions. No time for losers 'Cause we are the champions of the world.” The crowd erupted and began to sign the ballad word for word in unison. The sound of their singing filled the stadium and spilled out onto the airwaves. Some have said, it was the greatest moment in concert history; they say from that moment on music has never been the same.
I thought about asking you to join me in signing Freddie’s power ballad this morning, but since we are scattered over two services and several satellite locations due to the coronavirus, I didn’t think we could do the ballad justice. But admit it, as I was reciting the lyrics you wanted to sing. You were humming the melody in your head, weren’t you? I know you have sung this ballad: in the shower, in the car, in the fitness center.
Even though you have shown remarkable restraint this morning there will come a time when you will not be able to help yourself. There will come a time when you will stand in the midst of a great multitude and sing a power ballad that will make the 1985 Queen performance in Wembley Stadium look like a poetry reading at the public library. Our lesson for today, Revelation 19:1-9 tells us about that time.
Last Sunday Reverend Schlawin told us that we can be 100% certain that a day is coming when we will stand before the throne of God and, on the basis of the righteousness that is ours through faith in our Savior Jesus, we will be judged worthy of salvation. Today Jesus invites us to look beyond the judgement throne of God. Today we are invited to peak through the pearly gates and behold a great multitude that, by the grace of our God, has gathered for a concert, the likes of which has never before been seen.
In verses 1-3 we read, “1 I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” 3 And again they shouted: “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.” As I understand it, the first act to take the stage appears to be the heavenly hosts. I can’t help but wonder if this is the same great company of heavenly hosts who once preformed for a group of shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks in the fields near Bethlehem. Or maybe it is 10,000 times 10,000 angels who encircle the throne and the living creatures and the elders. I can almost see Michael the arch angel standing center stage belting out the vocals as the angel Gabriel sings backup alongside him and the cherubim and seraphim fill out the harmonies. Their amplifiers must have been turned up because John tells us they roared.
It makes sense that the angels would want to be the first ones to sing Hallelujah to heaven’s King. For thousands of years Michael and the angels have been locked in a battle for the souls of mankind; for centuries they have fought tirelessly to guard and protect those who will inherit salvation from the authorities and powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.[1] It makes sense that when the “great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries”; who led believers away from redemption given as a gift of grace to the accumulation of debt in a works based religion, who led believers away from the righteousness of Christ to the merits of men, who led believers away from salvation to damnation, it makes sense that when that great prostitute was condemned and cast into the eternal fires of hell for her unfaithful teachings that all the heavenly hosts would sing, Hallelujah!
But before the angelic choir has a chance to get into their second Hallelujah something rather remarkable happens. In verse 4 we read, “4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!” The concert goers begin to sing. The 24 elders are the 12 tribes of the Old Testament and the 12 apostles of the New Testament. They represent the church, that is all believers of all time from all places. They too are a great multitude that no one could count. They come from every nation, tribe, people, and language. Among them there are some familiar faces; grandpas and grandmas, mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors, all who died believing in Jesus as their Savior. From among our own congregation we have added to their number this year. I can almost see Stella singing and the Debster holding a cigarette lighter up in the air.
It is not at all surprising that the saints would echo the angelic Hallelujah. Take a look at verses 7-8 and you will understand why. “7 … For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” These saints, who once were separated from their God by sin have been reunited with Him by their Savior. They have been cleansed by the washing with water through the word. As a result they are without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish; they are holy and blameless. They have been given white robes of fine linen that are made bright and clean by the righteousness of God’s one and only Son, our Savior Jesus. Their rags that were made filthy by a lifetime of sin, have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. No sir, it is not at all surprising that these saints would join the angels in singing Hallelujah to heaven’s King.
As Hallelujahs of the concert goers begins to fill the heavenly hall, it seems for a moment the angelic choir gives way to the singing of the saints. But then in verse 5 we read, “5 … a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!” Whose voice is it? Is it the voice of one of the angels? Or is it the voice of He who has always been true God but out of love for mankind became also true man, Who once cried out, “my God my God why have you forsaken me?”, Who once told Mary Magdalene to, “Go and tell my brothers, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”?
I have my personal opinion Whose voice came from the throne, but regardless of Whose voice speaks, the command is readily and eagerly obeyed by saints and angels alike. In verses 6-7 we read, “6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!” Poor saint John seems to struggle as he tries to describe the scene. He compares the Hallelujah that the saints and angels sing to a tidal wave that washes over him; he compares the Hallelujah that the saints and angels sing to a rolling rumble that resonates all around him. Indeed verse 10 tells us the combined Hallelujah of the saints and the angels causes Saint John to fall to his knees. If the Hallelujah that the saints and angels sing is not the greatest moment in concert history, I don’t know what is.
But there is one more thing that you should know. Right before John falls to his knees one of the angels says something that I think will be of particular interest to you. In verse 9 the angel says, “‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” The angel speaks of an invitation. Apparently, the venue where this great concert takes place are not sold out. Invitations are still being sent out. This is an invitation to stand among the saints and angels who sing the heavenly Hallelujah. It is an invitation that was composed in the heart of the heavenly Father that so loved the world, it is an invitation that was written in the innocent blood the Son who sacrificed His life as payment for your sins, it is an invitation that the Holy Spirit extended to you through the waters of baptism, the sacrament of the Supper, and the pages of Scripture. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have gone to great lengths to make sure that you have received one of these invitations; to make sure that one day you will stand among your fellow believers and the host of heaven, to make sure that you will get to experience the greatest moment in concert history, to make sure that you too will get to sing Hallelujah to the heavenly King.
I mean no offense to Freddie Mercury fans but the greatest moment in concert history is happening right now in the halls of heaven and by the grace of God, you hold a ticket. Amen
[1] Ephesians 6:12