“And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the Earth.'”
– Revelation 5:9–10
Yes, like this is the picture toward which everything in the world and all of eternity is headed, toward Jesus at the center of worship, in a song being sung to him, saying worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, there’s a ton we could talk about there but this is basically worthy are you to bring about the consummation of God’s kingdom on the Earth.
Why are you worthy? Because you were slain, because you, by your blood, ransomed people for God, purchased people for God, paid the price for sinners, for God, from every tribe, every language, every people, and every nation on the Earth. Four different words to describe every group of people on the Earth, every people group represented around the throne on that day, made a kingdom and priests to our God, who will reign on the Earth in a new heaven and a new Earth.
Revelation 5:9–10 Leads Us to Pray for Unreached People
Like just let Revelation 5:9–10 soak in. First and foremost in your life, Jesus was slain to purchase you for God. He gave his life on a cross to ransom you for God, that you might belong to God, that you might be in the family of God today. And not just you or me, but for people from every tribe and language and people and nation.
This is why we pray all the time on this podcast for unreached people groups because this is the purpose of God in history. This is why we say over and over again. The mission of God is not for a select few out there. Oh this is the purpose of God in history and all of us are called by God to live for this purpose, to see Jesus known and exalted and enjoyed among people from every tribe and language and nation.
This Verse Leads Us to Pray for God’s Work in Ghana
So let’s pray for Revelation 5:9–10 today. Let’s use our resources toward this end. Let’s spend our lives and our families and our churches toward this end. God, we pray, use us to make the good news of Jesus known. Pray that He would be known among all the tribes and all the languages. Even all the peoples and all the nations. God, use us to make the good news of his ransom known among every people group on the Earth.
Even our praying right now and the way we pray on this podcast, God today, for the Mamprusi people of Northern Ghana and Southern Togo. They’re in West Africa, who are worshiping Islam. They combine it together with a variety of different animistic spirits and folk religion from the past. Jesus, you deserve all their glory. You are the only one who can save them from their sin. We pray for the spread of the gospel to the Mamprusi people of Northern Ghana and the thousands of other people groups like them today.
This Verse Leads Us to Use Our Resources for the Spread of the Gospel
Oh God, please, use our prayers right now, our intercession for them. Use our resources that you’ve given to us, we pray that you would use the opportunities that we have, every one of us, in unique ways, in our lives, in our families, in our churches, for the spread of the glory of Jesus. The slain savior of the nations.
God, we pray Revelation 5:9–10. Spend our lives making his glory known among every tribe and language and people we pray. As we look forward to the day when we along with all of them. Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly and use us to hasten your coming. And may you return soon. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
