The late overcomers will have harps of God. They will not have any earthly musical instruments. God will prepare these harps for them that they might praise Him.
Verse 3 says that the late overcomers “sing the song of Moses, the slave of God, and the song of the Lamb.” The song of Moses recorded in Exodus 15:1-19 praises God for victory over the forces of Pharaoh by His triumphant deliverance through the judging waters of the Red Sea. Moses and the children of Israel sang that song on the shore of the Red Sea. Now these late overcomers sing this song again on the glassy sea, indicating that they are victorious over the power of Antichrist, who is judged by God with the fire of the glassy sea (19:20). The song of Moses indicates God’s triumphant judgment over the enemy of His people, whereas the song of the Lamb indicates Christ’s redemption experienced by God’s people in the presence of their enemy. Thus, the song of Moses praises God for His judgment negatively, and the song of the Lamb praises Him for Christ’s redemption positively. The late overcomers are positioned to stand on the glassy sea because of God’s judgment over the enemy and because of Christ’s redemption of His people. In their praises to God, the late overcomers will declare to the whole universe that they are above God’s judgment on His enemies and that they have participated in the redemption of Christ. Their experience of these two things will become two kinds of songs.
As the late overcomers sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, they will say, “Great and wonderful are Your works, Lord God the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; for all the nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been made manifest” (vv. 3-4). Here we see that the late overcomers will praise God’s works and His ways.
Many are not able to differentiate God’s works from God’s ways. God’s works are His acts, which are great in manifestation and wonderful in nature. God’s works here mainly refer to His judgment upon Antichrist. All those judgments will be great in manifestation and wonderful in nature.
God’s works are His acts, whereas God’s ways are His governing principles. Moses knew God’s ways, but the children of Israel knew only His acts (Psa. 103:7). God’s ways are righteous in His principles and true in His promises. If you know God’s ways, you do not need to wait to see His works. Although His works have not yet come, you know that they will come because you know the governing principles by which God does things. We have pointed out that God’s ways are righteous according to God’s principles. As these martyrs undergo suffering and persecution, they will know that God is righteous and that according to His governing principle of righteousness, He will intervene one day to judge Antichrist and to avenge their blood. Although this judgment has not yet come, the martyrs know God’s principle and praise Him for His ways, for His governing principles in dealing with people. These principles are also true in God’s promises. God promises His people that He will judge the evildoers, vindicate His way, and avenge the blood of His people. Because the overcomers know God’s ways, they are assured that He will do what He has promised.
In verse 4 the overcomers praise God, saying, “For You alone are holy.” The Greek word rendered holy in this verse refers to the sum of the qualities which suit the divine character and form it. Hence, “holy” refers to God’s nature, whereas “righteous” refers to His principles.
The late overcomers in Revelation 15 will be included among those who will live and reign with Christ a thousand years (20:4). Revelation 20:6 further indicates that the late overcomers will be with those who have “part in the first resurrection,” those who “shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” The late overcomers will be blessed and holy, and the second death will have no authority over them (20:6). They will be priests of God and of Christ and co-kings with Christ, reigning with Him over the nations in the coming kingdom.
In Revelation 14 and 15 we see God’s wisdom in dealing with various peoples and in caring for His people in different ways. The dead overcomers will be the man-child, the living overcomers will be the firstfruit, and those who are martyred during the great tribulation will be the late overcomers. Most of the believers who pass through the greater part of the great tribulation will be included in the harvest. After the rapture of the harvest, the Lord will still need to gather the gleanings, those who ripen after the harvest and who need more sunshine to burn them into ripeness. Finally, we have seen that the Lord will gather the grapes, the evildoers, into the winepress at the end of the great tribulation and will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God.