Songs of Liberation: The Power of the Lamb and the Majesty of God
November 27, 2024 - Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Revelation 15:1-4
The most significant event in the Hebrew Bible is the exodus of God's people from Egypt. To force the king of Egypt into submission, the God of Israel, through the ministry of Moses and Aaron, used various natural calamities and a viral epidemic called plagues. Their number varies. The narrative of the liberation of the Israelites in the Book of Exodus lists ten plagues, but in Psalm 78, the number of plagues is seven (see Psalm 78:44-51). John also speaks about the seven last plagues that will execute judgment over the unrepentant world (see Rev. 15:1). John indicates that, similarly to the Exodus story, the plagues in the Book of Revelation will prepare the way for a new heaven and new earth, free of sin, evil, and death.
When the Israelites saw the Egyptian soldiers dead on the shore of the Red Sea, they broke into a song of jubilation. Seeing the approaching army of Pharaoh, they thought death was near. But God's intervention changed everything, and they expressed what happened in a song known as "the Song of Moses." Similarly, those redeemed by the Lamb, who overcame the "beast," are singing "the Song of the Lamb." Like the Israelites standing by the sea, they are also standing by a "sea." By mentioning this "sea," the author may have in mind "the vault" that, in biblical cosmology, separated the heavenly and earthly realms (see Gen. 1:7), or the "brazen sea" used in the temple built by Solomon for the ablution of the priests (see 1 Kings 7:23-26).
The song praises the "Lord God" for His awesome works. The original Greek word used by the author to describe God is "Pantocrator," which can be rendered as "Almighty," "All-powerful," or "Ruler of All." The Fathers of the Church applied this title to Christ, and the most famous and well-known icon of Christ is the "Christ Pantocrator" depicting our Lord as the supreme, majestic ruler, holding the Gospel in one hand and blessing with the other. Moreover, it seems that none of the pagan deities that dominated the religious environment of the Roman Empire during John's time were given such a title. By calling Christ the Pantocrator, the first Christians contrasted Jesus' all-encompassing divine power with the limited, earthly dominion of pagan gods or Roman emperors, thereby elevating Christ as the true sovereign of both heaven and earth.
Another title given to the "Lord God" is "the King" (Rev. 15:3), but the manuscripts differ in describing His subjects. Our liturgical translation states that He is "the King of the nations," but other ancient manuscripts ascribe to Him the kingship over the ages—"the King of the ages"—or over the saints—"the King of the saints." All of these attributes are true. Our Lord has dominion over the nations, the history of humanity, and the Church.
The song includes a rhetorical question: "Who will not fear you, Lord, or glorify your name? For you alone are holy" (Rev. 15:4). However, as in John's time, so today, many still do not fear God nor glorify His holy name. It is here that the testimony of God's people plays an important role. The first Christians conquered the "beast"—the powerful pagan Roman empire—not by violence, but by their obedience to Christ's new commandment: "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34). How about us, 21st-century Christians? Can we emulate our brothers and sisters in faith, and through our obedience to Christ's commandment of love, lead all people and nations to revere our Lord and glorify His holy name?