This song obviously brings to mind Revelation 4 and 5, and Isaiah 6, passages that speak of God’s holiness and his being worthy of all praise, glory and honor. 

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”

And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,

“To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.”

And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

The holiness, the perfectness, the otherness, the worthiness of God is something we’ll sing about for eternity. What we know dimly now, we’ll know fully when he brings us to glory, and that will cause us to praise him with everything we are and have. But the thought that kept coming to mind this week is “If God is truly holy, we should be absolutely terrified to die.” God has clearly told us in his Word:

• • • We have all fallen short of the glory of God.
    • The wages of sin is death.
    • God hates the wicked.
    • The unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
      
      

Instead, we’re here on Lord’s Day singing praises to our holy and perfect God, which is a picture of what we’ll do for all eternity. Why is this? The answer to this question and all questions, as always, is found in sacred scripture. 

Therefore, since the children [believers in Christ] share in flesh and blood, He Himself [Jesus Christ] likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him [Satan] who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the seed of Abraham [believers in Christ]. Therefore, He had to be made like His brothers [believers in Christ] in all things, so that He might become a merciful [he never gets weary of pleading for us] and faithful [his pleading is always effective for us] high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation [satisfying the wrath of God] for the sins of the people. 

Hebrews 2:14-17 (emphasis added)

There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to what was His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:9-12

The word “right” in this text means privilege. Privilege is granted. It is something that is not true for everyone.

The reality is that there are people who should be terrified to die, and there are people who have no reason to fear death, because they are citizens of heaven.

Citizens of heaven were granted their citizenship; they didn’t inherit it or earn it. But even more than that, they were given the right to become children of God, not by their own will but by the will and action of God. You became a child of God because, as Hebrews says, God gave you to his Son, as a gift, that you might confess him as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. Children of God, those who have believed in the Son, have been perfected for all time in the Father’s eyes. He delights in them, just as he delights in his Son. 

• Belonging to Christ cures the fear of death.
• Belonging to Christ brings rejoicing where there was terror.
• Belonging to Christ reminds us that, as Christ rose, we will also rise.
• Belonging to Christ reminds us that where we fail, Christ redeems.
• Belonging to Christ reminds us that when we become weary, our faithful high priest and brother does not.
• Belonging to Christ has reframed our identity: we now have an affectionate, loving Father whom we can approach without fear.
• Belonging to Christ reminds us that death has lost its power and sting.
  
  

This is as close to hell as we’ll ever be. For these truths, we won’t stop singing, because we were made not to perish in our sins, but to bring glory to God, our Father and Redeemer.