It would be fair for you to think that this is a really late Christmas post, but alas, it is only a little about Christmas. At some point in the holiday season, I heard that the traditional hymn Joy to the World! is actually about Revelation since its lyrics match closely with descriptions of the second coming of Christ.
For example, in the second verse, ALL creation is praising the Lord who is ruling: “Joy to the world, the Savior reigns; Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy repeat, repeat the sounding joy.”
I am also involved in a year-long Bible study of Revelation. Revelation is full of imagery, and early on there are numerous references to every tribe, tongue, and nation. As I serve, I obviously hear about every tribe, tongue, and nation frequently, but the images in Revelation of the multitudes are overwhelming. People from across time and every nation will be there rejoicing together in the presence of our Lord. This image has become more beautiful and more cemented in my mind’s eye with this study.
At some point during the study, I merged Joy to the World! and images of the multitude in my head. The picture of people from groups that are still unreached and from groups that were sending hundreds of years ago all singing “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” brings such hope to my heart. Serving where the unreached are is fraught with logistical challenges and unseen spiritual battle, but studying how there will be people from all tribes worshipping and being able to hum Joy to the World as I study (since I now know it isn’t just for December!), is such an encouragement to continue.