“INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN WORSHIP” (REV. 5)

INTRODUCTION:

1. One of the more distinctive things about the church is vocal music.

2. We do not use organs, pianos, guitars and other manmade instruments in our worship.

3. This practice is frequently questioned.

I. IF WE SAID TO OTHERS: “THIS IS JUST OUR CHOICE, WE DO NOT WANT TO USE THEM,” MOST WOULD SAY, “OH”, AND DROP THE MATTER. IF WE REPLY, “THIS IS GOD’S WILL,” THE MATTER IS USUALLY NOT DROPPED.

A. People begin to raise objections.

B. One objection is often based upon the book of Revelation.

C. Those who are not members of the church have said:

(1) Instruments were used in the Old Testament;

(2) Instruments will be used in heaven according to the book of Revelation;

(3) How, therefore, could they be wrong in the church?

D. Tonight we deal with this question. Our first text is Rev. 5.

E. As you are turning to this chapter I wish to make this point.

F. Let’s assume for now that the instruments in Revelation are literal.

G. Using this assumption, we have the Bible …

(1) Commanding instruments under the OT. 2 Chron. 29:25

(2) Instruments are spoken of several times in Revelation.

(3) Where are the instruments in the NT?

(4) Instrumental music is conspicuously absent.

(5) We read about songs and singing.

(6) God even said to make melody.

(7) He said to make this melody in our hearts. Eph. 5:19

(8) All know that instruments existed in NT times.

(9) Yet the NT says God wants the fruit of our lips. Heb. 13:15

(10) Many want to give this and add a manmade instrument.

(11) Adding to God’s word (plan) is always wrong.

H. Now let’s look at Rev. 5:8-9. READ.

(1) Here we have singing (v. 9); worship was being offered.

(2) Part of this worship involved a harp.

(3) Good people have said, “Here! Look! Instruments are and will be in heaven.”

(4) Could we put v. 8A on hold for just a moment?

I. Look at 8B. The elders had harps AND golden bowls of incense.

(1) These bowls are identified as “prayers”.

(2) Were these elders literally carrying around prayers?

(3) How can a prayer be carried (held)?

(4) When Bible readers approach 8B they say, “This is figurative.”

(5) We agree. We must also say these elders were holding prayers AND HARPS.

(6) What justification is there for only the prayers to be figurative?

(7) Why is it understood only the harp to be literal?

(8) This becomes literal because people want to justify instrumental music; people have formed a belief and they want to defend it.

(9) Rev. 5:8-9 offers no justification.

J. If it could be established that these harps were literal, and this cannot be done, this would offer no

help to supporters of instrumental music in worship.

K. Where is this worship occurring? Heaven.

(1) If we are going to use Rev. as a basis for worship we have a problem.

(2) John saw horses. We will deal with these when we come to Rev. 6.

(3) One of these horses is in Rev. 6:2 – READ.

L. If it is right to come to Rev. 5 and say, “We can have or we need to have manmade instruments,”

what does Rev. 6:2 teach us?

M. Consistency would require that horses be in our assemblies.

N. It is not fair to take one thing and leave another.

O. This is the very tactic that is used when instrumental music is defended.

P. Rev. 14 is another passage that is often mentioned.

(1) Here again we find a lack of consistency.

(2) People will come to the text and say that things are figurative.

(3) When we get to the harps it is concluded that these are literal.

(4) This is not the way we treat literature, especially Rev. 14.

(5) READ – Rev. 4:1-4.

Q. No one wants to make “Mount Zion” literal.

(1) Not too many want to make the 144,000 literal.

(2) Not many want to literally put the name of God on their foreheads.

(3) Not too many want to insist on literal virginity (v. 4).

(4) However, they insist the harps must be literal.

R. In this passage John specifically says that the harps are not literal. Look at 2B – READ.

S. John did not see or hear creatures with literal harps.

T. John was drawing a comparison – this was “as, like, similar to”.

U. If I say a man looks like a bear, it does not mean he is a bear.

V. Instead of “playing” in heaven, there is singing – v. 3. READ.

W. Revelation 14 pictures worship as occurring in song.

X. What about other passages in Revelation and instrumental music?

(1) In the next chapter we again find harps mentioned. Rev. 15:2 – READ.

(2) Here again we come back to a lack of consistency.

(3) Men and women want to make these harps literal.

(4) In other parts of the passage, a figurative explanation is given.

(5) No one I know of believes that 2A is literal.

(6) John describes a sea of glass mingled with fire.

(7) The KJV says people were “standing” upon this sea.

(8) Can you imagine standing on glass that was on fire?

(9) What John wrote is understood to be figurative.

(10) This sea of glass is in the same verse as harps.

(11) Why make one item figurative and another literal?

Y. Continued reading of this chapter reveals other things that are not literal. Verse 8 – READ.

Z. We would be hard pressed to find someone who believes this smoke is literal.

A. A literal explanation makes heaven sound like it is polluted.

B. Two more references in heaven are used to justify instrumental music.

C. The next passage comes from Rev. 18.

(1) Towards the end of this chapter several instruments are mentioned.

(2) Trumpets, flutes, harps … all three of these are found.

(3) Verse 22 of Rev. 18 – READ.

(4) When this passage is used, it is a sign of desperation.

D. Rev. 18:22 has nothing at all to do with the people of God.

E. Look at the preceding verse – verse 21 – READ.

F. “Babylon” was going to fall.

G. What would the fall of Babylon involve? Verse 22.

H. Her harpers would be heard no more; her flute players would cease; the “minstrels” (people skilled in music) would pass away.

I. Babylon would have no more trumpet players or craftsmen.

(1) These verses deal with the wicked.

(2) The unrighteous would not enjoy what they had been enjoying.

(3) Coming to this verse to prove instrumental music in worship is a problem.

J. Some thoughtful people have seen this problem.

K. Some have realized these instruments are associated with the wicked.

(1) This realization has been used to develop a creative argument.

(2) There argument is as follows:

(3) “In heaven mechanical instruments are used/authorized. We see this in Rev. 5, 14 & 15.

(4) In Rev. 18 we find that wicked people had instruments taken away from them.

(5) Instruments are authorized for the righteous.”

L. This is a clever argument. Arguments may be clever but incorrect. Such is the case here.

(1) We have already established that Rev. 5, 14 & 15 do not give this information. They are

sufficient to respond to what some say about instrumental music.

(2) However, I want to add one more thought.

(3) If the instruments in V. 22 were for the righteous why are they not currently being used?

(4) Which religious groups use harps? Flutes? Trumpets?

(5) If, as some maintain, these instruments are for the saved, why on earth are religious groups NOT using them?

(6) If people use the argument I have laid out, they are obligated to use trumpets, flutes, harps and minstrels. None want to do that.

M. Rev. 18 is one more example of people trying to cling to a preconceived belief.

N. People want instrumental music in worship and they will use nearly any argument to try to justify

it.

O. The remaining faulty argument that is used comes from Rev. 22.

P. John says Jesus sent an angel to “testify” about some things.

Q. John had received a lot of information.

R. Some of this information is found in verses 18-19 in this final chapter. READ.

(1) Some have said, “Instrumental music is in the NT – Revelation.”

(2) “If you take instrumental music out of worship you have taken away from God’s word.”

(3) “This deletion puts us under a curse.”

S. What may be said about this?

(1) As has been previously said, Revelation pictures worship in heaven.

(2) Even if the harps were literal, and they are not, this book is not a pattern for worship on earth.

(3) We have seen that the instruments were not literal.

(4) Hence, we are not guilty of “deleting” something from worship.

(5) We do not want to violate the teaching in Rev. 22:18-19.

(6) This is why we DO NOT HAVE things like organs.

(7) Manmade instruments are an addition when used with singing.

(8) They add to what is in the NT; they go beyond what is written.

T. I find it interesting that people would refer us to Rev. 22:18-19.

(1) Is it not a bit unusual that a group would conclude harps in this book are literal; yet, in

worship these groups refuse to use harps?

(2) They “take away” this instrument.

(3) They “add” everything from pianos to orchestras.

(4) And then they come to us and say, “You have violated Rev. 22.”

(5) Who is doing the adding and deleting? It’s not us.

CONCLUSION:

1. I have said this before and I am going to say it again: “If instrumental music could be defended, I

would be the first in line.”

2. This cannot be supported by Revelation or any other part of the Bible.

3. We either obey these instructions or we do not.

4. This is not going to make us popular with some people.

5. The words of Rev. 22:18-19 apply to us as well as those in the first century.

6. We either stick with God’s plan or we do not.

7. Tonight we hope that God’s way is the one you want to follow.