Jennie Lee Riddle – Revelation Song

Now that we’re finished with Christmas music, how about something good to end the year?

After considering a few candidates, I settled on something we sang at church recently: Jennie Lee Riddle’s Revelation Song.

Her inspiration for this hit starts with a song that she heard when she gave her life to Jesus in 1988: I Hear Angels by Garrit Gustafson.  A decade later, in 1999, she sang this song to her fourth son during one of her tougher “mommy” days.  At this moment, the lyrics began to wash over her, the Holy Spirit stirring within, thrusting her desire to see and hear all creation worshipping Jesus.  So, putting down her baby to play with his toys, she picked up her barely-played guitar and allowed the Spirit to move. She meditated on Ezekiel 1:26-28 and Revelation 4.  Immersed with the Word of God, along with the Holy Spirit, she started playing and out came “Clothed in rainbows of living color, flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder.”  She sang it for weeks!  The rest, as they say, is history.

Though she does not have a studio release under her name, she is credited as the songwriter.  It has been recorded by several artists, including Gateway Worship, Kari Jobe, Phillips, Craig and Dean, and the Newsboys.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

It describes four aspects of end times events in the book of Revelation:

1. The twenty-four elders and four living creatures describing Christ’s worthiness, holiness, with a new song on their lips,
2. The Church joins in this melodious sonnet, praising Jesus and proclaiming our love for Him,
3. The physical condition of God’s throne, with its rainbow colors, combined with lightning and thunder, followed with more praise, and
4. The mystery of Christ’s name and power of His authority.

The structure of this song is straightforward, with each verse followed by the Chorus.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

All lyrics are scriptural and without issue.  Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

Worthy is the
Lamb who was slain

Directly quotes Revelation 5:9-12.  Revelation 5 describes a book sealed with seven seals.  Jesus, the lamb who was slain, is worthy to break the seals and open the contents of this book.  The seals are described in more detail in Revelation 6 and Revelation 8, with the seventh starting the seven trumpets and all the terrors that come with it.  The contents of this book are unknown to us.

Holy, holy is He

Combining Revelation 1:8 and Revelation 4:8, we can discern that the “Holy, Holy, Holy” reference points to Jesus.  The phrase “who was and is and is to come”,  appears in both passages, with Revelation 1:1-8 clearly pointing to Jesus.

Sing a new song
To Him who sits on
Heaven’s mercy seat

References Revelation 5:8–10, where the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures sing a new song to Jesus, who took the scroll.  If we go back and read Revelation 5:6-8, Jesus takes the book from “Him who sat on the throne” meaning that the twenty-four elders and four living creatures are, at this particular moment, are not singing the person sitting on the throne.

The “Mercy Seat” is the golden lid placed on top of the Ark of the Covenant, which existed behind the veil (Exodus 30:6), in the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:34). God’s Presence manifested there (Leviticus 16:2).  Under the Old Covenant, only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year (Leviticus 16:14-15) and would appease the wrath of God for that year.

According to Romans 3:25, the Koine Greek word for “propitiation” is “hilastērion” which means “the lid of the Ark”.  It is terminology that describes the removal of wrath through a gift offering.  It also shows up in Hebrews 9:5.  Romans 3:24-25 specifically describes our justification and redemption through Christ’s blood as a propitiation through faith.  That is, Christ’s sacrifice is a gift that removes the wrath of the Father.  The “sits on Heaven’s mercy seat”, then, describes Christ’s crucifixion that paid for the redemption of our sins.

[Chorus]

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord, God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come

An exact quote from Revelation 4:8.  See Verse 1, line 3 for further commentary.

With all creation I sing
Praise to the King of kings

A reference to Revelation 5:13 in regard to praise, joining along with all of creation.  As for King of kings, 1 Timothy 6:13-16, Revelation 17:14, and Revelation 19:11-16 explicitly points to Jesus.

You are my everything

The equivalent is John 15:5, which describes us as helpless apart from Jesus.

And I will adore You

That is, I will deeply love and respect God.  This “fear of the Lord” is the beginning of:

1. Wisdom (Job 28:28, Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10, Proverbs 15:33, and Isaiah 33:6)

2. Knowledge (Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 2:5, and Isaiah 33:6)

3. Prolonged life (Psalm 34:8-14, Proverbs 10:27, Proverbs 14:27, and Proverbs 19:23)

4. Salvation (Isaiah 33:6)

5. Confidence (Job 4:6 and Proverbs 14:26)

6. Blessing (Psalm 112:1 and Psalm 128:1-4)

7. Hatred of evil (Proverbs 8:13)

8. Cleansing from sin/Righteousness (Exodus 20:20, Psalm 19:9, Proverbs 14:2, and Proverbs 23:17)

9. Wonder (Psalm 33:8-9); and

10. Obedience (Deuteronomy 14:23 and Colossians 3:22)

[Verse 2]

Clothed in rainbows
Of living color

Describes John’s vision of God’s throne in Revelation 4:2-3 and Ezekiel’s in Ezekiel 1:26-28.  It is a rainbow around the throne, emerald in appearance.

Flashes of lightning
Rolls of thunder

John’s vision also describes flashes of lightning, combined with flashes and peals of thunder coming out of God’s throne in Revelation 4:5.

Blessing and honor, strength and
Glory and power be
To You, the only wise King

All of creation says this in Revelation 5:13.  The recipient of this praise is none other than the “lamb that was slain” whom we already discussed is the King of kings in the Chorus.

[Verse 3]

Filled with wonder
Awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your name

This is the most appropriate response to the name of Jesus.  This is the reaction of those who had seen Jesus heal a paralytic in Luke 5:17-26.

Jesus, Your name is power

One prominent example is the Apostle Paul, who invoked the name of Jesus to cast a demon out of a woman in Acts 16:16-18.  Contrasted are a group of Jewish exorcists in Acts 19:11-17, who also invoked the name of Jesus, but did not have the Holy Spirit as Paul did.  The demon-possessed man came after them, causing them to flee naked and wounded.

Breath and living water

Those who believe in Jesus, as John 7:37–39 teaches us, will receive living water.  This passage then goes on to explain that this living water is the promised Holy Spirit.

Such a marvelous mystery

It certainly is!

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

It’s hard to say how much an unbeliever will understand.  I would imagine that non-Christians will recognize this as a praise song to God, especially given the explicit references to God and Jesus.  They probably will not understand the intricate details riddled throughout these lyrics, which gives them an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about Jesus.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It calls for all creation to worship Jesus, recognizing His holiness, majesty, and of course, glory.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Jennie Lee Riddle’s Revelation Song deserves to be popular and sung at churches.  Its beautifully crafted lyrics ooze with Scriptural depth, bringing glory to Jesus and (hopefully) will cause unbelievers to inquire about its meaning.  To top it all off, I learned something interesting about propitiation and its relation to the mercy seat.  The author of Hebrews is right: the Old Covenant tabernacle does serve as a shadow of the heavenly things! (Hebrews 8:1-5)

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: Revelation Song (listen to the song)

Artist: Various (Jennie Lee Riddle is the author)

Album: N/A

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: Various (2004 is earliest)

Duration: N/A

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Copyright © 2004 Gateway Create Publishing (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.