On 6 February 2022, I had the honor and joy of proclaiming God’s word from Rev 15 at Faith Presbyterian Church of Olney in Olney, MD, where I am a member. It is in the presbytery in which I currently hold a “license to preach.”

This sermon is the fourth of four on the biblical songs associated with Moses:

1. Exodus 15.1–18, which has been traditionally called שירת הים, the “Song of/at the Sea”;
2. Deuteronomy 32.1–43, which is usually called the “Song of Moses” in the English-speaking traditions (cf. 31.19-22, 30; 32.44) but שירת האזינו, the “Song of ‘Listen Up’” (from the first word of the song), in Hebrew-speaking traditions;
3. Psalm 90, which has the superscription תפלה למשה איש האלהים, “A Prayer of Moses, the Man of God,” and is the only canonical psalm ascribed explicitly to Moses; and
4. Revelation 15.3–4, which v. 3 introduces as τὴν ᾠδὴν Μωϋσέως τοῦ δούλου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν ᾠδὴν τοῦ ἀρνίου, “the Song of Moses, the Slave of God, and the Song of the Lamb.”

Audio Recording

You can hear the sermon on Rev 15 here:

If you would like a manuscript, please contact me.

Order of Worship

Below is an order of worship that provides some liturgical context for the sermon:

Bibliography

Sources Directly Contributing to the Content and Form of the Sermon

• Beale, G. K. The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text. NIGTC. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999.
• Beale, G. K. and Sean M. McDonough. “Revelation.” Pages 1081–1161 in Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Edited by G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.
• Beasley-Murray, George R. “Revelation.” Pages 1420–54 in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. Edited by D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, and G. J. Wenham. 4th ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVasrity, 1994.
• Blount, Brian K. Revelation: A Commentary. NTL. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2009.
• Bower, John R. The Confession of Faith: A Critical Text and Introduction. Principle Documents of the Westminster Assembly. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage, 2020.
• Hamilton, James M. Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012.
• Hill, Charles E. “Revelation.” Pages 517–54 in A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament: The Gospel Realized. Edited by Michael J. Kruger. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016.
• Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. 2nd ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2014.
• Poythress, Vern Sheridan. The Returning King: A Guide to the Book of Revelation. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 2000.

Sources Indirectly Contributing to My Preparation

• Bower, John R. The Larger Catechism: A Critical Text and Introduction. Principle Documents of the Westminster Assembly. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage, 2010.
• Comfort, Philip W. New Testament Text and Translation Commentary: Commentary on the Variant Readings of the Ancient New Testament Manuscripts and How They Relate to the Major English Translations. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2008.
• Danker, Frederick W., Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2000.
• Metzger, Bruce M. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament. 2nd ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1994.
• Mohr, Philip Thomas. “God’s Vengeance and Christian Virtue: On Deuteronomy 32.1–43, Focusing on Verses 36–43.” Sermon, Faith Presbyterian Church, Olney, MD, 18 July 2021. https://youtu.be/5t69yvK6hV4.
• Mohr, Philip Thomas. “The Lord, Our Victorious Warrior-Shepherd: On Exodus 14.30–15.21.” Sermon delivered at Faith Presbyterian Church, Olney, MD, 4 July 2021. https://youtu.be/ANNSMrknAvM.
• Mohr, Philip Thomas. “Wisdom to Take Refuge in God: On Psalm 90.” Sermon, Faith Presbyterian Church, Olney, MD, 22 August 2021. https://youtu.be/eiRdq3wnQgs.
• Turretin, Francis. Institutes of Elenctic Theology. 3 vols. Edited by James T. Dennison Jr. Translated by George Musgrave Giger. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1992–1997.

Recommended Resources

Introductions. Profoundly influential for me has been Poythress’s simple and straightforward introduction The Returning King, with which I became acquainted when I studied Revelation under Poythress at Westminster. (A version of the book is free on his website.) I consider myself a student of Poythress’s multiperspectival approach, which is on full display in his presentation of the various views for interpreting Revelation’s symbolism. His material on demonic counterfeiting as a major theme in the book is especially illuminating. Hill’s introduction to Revelation in the Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament is excellent, and I highly recommend it to anyone thinking of preaching on even one passage in Revelation.

Commentaries. The two main technical commentaries consulted were those of Beale and Blount, cited above. With Beale I find myself in great agreement about the doctrinal implications of Revelation as a whole, especially his “eclectic” approach to the historical referents of the symbols and visions. That commentary in the NIGTC series is very thorough in certain aspects, especially literary analysis and OT backgrounds. (Beale has a newer and shorter version of the commentary—still 552 pages!—that I’m sure is good, but I haven’t used it myself.) With Blount I take issue at several points—too many to recommend the commentary generally—though I still appreciate his treatment of the details of the text.