THE 144,000 " . . . and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps." -- Tomorrow:
Devotion 13 of 26
Some poor souls could never express the joy of converted beings in such language – "harping on their harps." Other versions read "playing their harps" (NKJV), and "playing on their harps" (NASB). The notion of "harpists" being with the Lamb jars the soul of many a professing Christian. They have been taught that instrumental music is not lawful for the person in Christ. Yet, in our text we are confronted with a people who are "with the Lamb." They have harps, and they are playing on them. The sound of those harps does not aggravate "the Lamb." John, who was still on earth was not offended by the sound – and he did hear the sound of these harpers "playing on their harps." The Lord even told to write down what he saw and heard, so that the rest of the church could know about it (Rev 1:19).
This is the language employed by the Spirit of God, and we do well to take it into our thinking. It is by no means a Divine trait to take unlawful things and use them as containers to depict heavenly joy and adoration.
Since the Babylonian captivity, the Jews have not been a singing people. The shroud of spiritual melancholy and gloom hangs over their hearts to this day. There is a most poignant portrayal of this condition in the 137th Psalm. There, the ancient people are characterized as sitting by the rivers of Babylon and weeping when they "remembered Zion" (Verse 1). With great sorrow, they confess, "We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it" (Verse 2). Known as a singing people, those who had carried them away captive asked for a happy song from them, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" (Verse 3). Alas, it was too difficult for them to do it. Pining away they said, "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?"(Verse 4). Their recollections of former blessing only wrenched their hearts and cause rivers to flow from their eyes.
Oh, in past times, in the time of David, when they had reached their apex as a nation, it was different. Then, "David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals" (2 Sam 6:5). But that time was brought to a grinding halt. Their singing subsided, as a whole, until this very day.
SOMETHING NEW AND FRESH
But our text declares something new and fresh has happened. The harps of Israel are no longer hanging upon the trees of a captivating nation. Nor, indeed, are their enemies chiding them by requesting mirth from them in a time of unparalleled sorrow. No! John hears "the sound of harpists playing on their harps" and it is no sad sound that he hears. Here the 108th Psalm is brought to fulfillment. "Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds" (Verses 2-4).
Notice how the harpers and their harps are blended into one: "the voice of harpists playing on their harps." The phrase indicates a dexterity proceeding from regeneration. It is the sort of thing David spoke of when he wrote, "I will open my dark saying upon the harp" (Psa 49:4). Their whole person, and all they possess, have been blended together for the glory of God.
What a marvelous portrayal of regeneration. It is another way of saying, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor 5:17). In our text, this is on a national scale, which is even more wonderful. It is something for which we pray.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for a salvation that puts a new song in the heart, and brings the ability to happily express it.