Hymns in the Book of Revelation

Hymns in the Book of Revelation

CHAN Yue Yan Grace

Worship and hymns in Revelation have become a major interest in recent decades. Scholars generally agree that hymns play a significant role in Revelation as John uses them to convey and deliver important message to the audience. This article explores the role and purpose of the hymns in Revelation in order to understand the message and its underlying meaning for the audience.

Revelation is full of heavenly worship scenes with doxologies and hymns, focusing on the worship of God and the Lamb. From a narrative perspective, the hymns not only can be used as a meaningful commentary within the dramatic acts of Revelation but also provide a context for all the eschatological actions. Just as worship celebrations make present the kingdom of God, so the hymns powerfully evoke and make present the victory of God and His followers! As the faithful join the heavenly chorus celebrating God's victory, they participate and share the victory already won by God and the Lamb. By affirming the reality of divine sovereignty and kingship, the hymns inspire confidence, faith and eschatological hope. Therefore the hymns serve an important function of motivating and challenging the audience to endure and bear faithful witness in circumstances of religious and political oppression.