When the Whole World Sings 世界齐心歌唱
Dexu Xia
They sang a new song, saying . . . with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. Revelation 5:9
A commercial jingle of the 1970s inspired a generation. Created as part of Coca Cola’s “The Real Thing” ad campaign, a British group called The New Seekers eventually sang it as a full-length song that climbed to the top of music charts around the world. But many will never forget the original television version sung by young people on a hilltop outside of Rome. Whimsical as it was, with visions of honeybees and fruit trees, we resonated with a songwriter’s desire to teach the world to sing with the heart and harmony of love.
The apostle John describes something like that idealized dream, only vastly greater. He envisioned a song sung by “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them” (Revelation 5:13). There’s nothing whimsical about this anthem. Nothing could be more realistic than the price paid by the One to whom this song is sung. Neither could there be anything more foreboding than the visions of war, death, and consequence that His sacrifice of love would have to overcome.
Yet this is what it took for the Lamb of God to bear our sin and defeat death, overcome our fear of death, and teach all heaven and earth to sing—in perfect harmony.
What gives you cause to sing? What happens to your heart and mind when you embrace John’s vision of every created being singing in united praise of the Lamb and His love?
Father in heaven, please help me to sense the wonder of what You’ve done to give me a song that can be sung in joy by everyone and every living creature
他们唱新歌，说：“祢⋯⋯用自己的血从各族、各方、各民、各国中买了人来，叫他们归于上帝。”—启示录5章9节
在1970年代，可口可乐公司为广告主题“真材实料”（The Real Thing）推出了一首广告短歌，后来由某英国乐团唱完整首歌曲，至今年长一辈可能都记忆犹新。尽管如此，很多人还是难忘原版的电视广告，数百名年轻人站在罗马郊外的山丘顶上一起唱着这首短歌。当中不同肤色、民族的人，都站在一起唱出：“我要教导世界歌唱，以完美和谐的声音⋯⋯我想看一看这个世界，所有的人都手拉手站在一起⋯⋯。”虽然歌词中那世界和谐的景象似乎是幻想，但作者渴望让全世界一起以爱心和谐歌唱的理想，引发了我们的共鸣。
使徒约翰也描述了类似的理想，但景象更为宏大。他预见了“天上、地上、地底下、沧海里和天地间一切所有被造之物”（启示录5章13节）同唱一首歌的伟大景象。这首歌颂上帝羔羊的歌并不是幻想。因为祂为了赎回我们所付上的代价是再真实不过的，而羔羊爱的牺牲所要胜过的，如战争、死亡等这些罪的后果，也是如此真实可怕。
然而，上帝的羔羊担当了我们的罪孽、战胜死亡，祂让我们胜过对死亡的恐惧。祂要教导天上地下一切的受造物，以完美和谐的声音，齐心歌唱来敬拜祂。
什么能使你歌唱？当你看到在约翰的异象中，一切受造物齐声歌颂上帝的羔羊与祂的爱，如何触动你的心？
天父，求祢帮助我领略祢一切奇妙的作为，好让我能与每个人、每个受造物一同歌颂赞美祢！