A New Song
By Anthony Casperson
1-10-26

During my customary two-week break for Christmas and New Years, I played some of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. While I’m not going to get into specific spoilers, there’s an aspect of the game that I wanted to talk about for this week’s blog.

Much praise has been lauded for the game’s music—which, itself, can be full of spoilers for any who understand French. One of these songs, Une vie a t’aimer (translated as A Life to Love You or A Lifetime Spent Loving You), weaves itself throughout the game. The song’s melody and motifs can be heard all the way from the game’s prologue to the later parts of the game.

The song itself takes center stage during a particular narrative moment nearing the end of Act 2. However, there is a revelation of truth that redefines the game’s entire world shortly afterwards. And during another narrative beat just after that redefinition, the song picks up again.

However at this moment, there’s a change to the lyrics. The feminine solo it had been transforms to male/female duet. And as the words shift to encapsulate the narrative revelation, it’s almost like a new song springs out of the old.

A building crescendo that belts out what has been revealed, despite the fact it has been true all along.

From that moment forward, the world is forever changed. The old version’s words never return. Nothing can bring them back. This shift is permanent. The change remains.

The game’s entire universe can never be looked at the same again. By the characters, or the player. And the song innately carries the truth of that permanent transformation.

During the same days I was playing that part of the game, I came across another song while reading for my morning devotional time. I was going through the book of Revelation and came across a song that the four living creatures around the Father’s throne sang. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come” (Rev. 4:8, ESV).

That song was familiar to me. A number of hymns and praise choruses sung in church use those lyrics. I’ve heard its melody and motifs for most of my life.

And because I’ve read the chapter before, I’d also heard the addition that the twenty-four elders around the throne add to the creatures’ song. “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Rev. 4:11).

They add up to a song of praise that has played on repeat in heaven since the creation’s beginning. Revelation 4:8 tells us that the creatures never cease proclaiming their words. Ceaseless. Restless. Endless.

Their melody and motifs weave through creation. Appearing to be as eternal as the holiness of the God whom they praise.

When I’ve read this part of the book before, it left me with a reminder of praise and God’s holiness. But this time, something took me by surprise.

Because I’d let the chapter division distract me.

In Revelation 5, we see the One who sits on the throne hold out a scroll that had been written on both sides. And sealed with seven seals. Then, an angel cries out, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”

Silence builds to fear. None seem able to perform this task. It appears that no one is worthy. Until one of the elders announces the Lion of the tribe of Judah who prevailed. The Root of David. He is worthy.

In the midst of the elders, between the four living creatures and the throne, stands a Lamb. Wounded and bleeding. But truly victorious.

And when he takes the scroll from the One who sat on the throne, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fall down before him. And they sing a new song. “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:9-10).

But did you see what I finally noticed this time?

The song that had run throughout history, the eternal song of the living creatures, ceased. Shifted, really. This event in the narrative of the world forever changed the song of the living creatures.

Jesus’ death on the cross isn’t just the way of salvation for human beings. It’s not merely a change for humanity. Jesus sacrifice is of such narrative weight for the entirety of his creation that the eternal song changed.

His holiness isn’t just shown in his act of creating all things. Now we witness it in his act of restoring all things through his righteousness.

Whether our view of the end times causes us to read Revelation 5 as happening just after the resurrection, at some future moment nearer to the end times, or in some sort of both/and manner, the truth is that the cross and resurrection are of such cosmic scale that creation changes because of it. And that is even though God designed all of this from the foundation of his creation.

I hope to impress upon us the immensity of this moment recorded in Revelation 5. I’m not talking about mental assent. This is more than, “Jesus’ sacrifice was really important.”

The entire universe can never be looked at the same again. By any one of us. And the song innately carries the truth of that permanent transformation.

It crescendos in praise, calling us to join the countless voices that now sing.

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Rev. 5:12). And, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever” (Rev. 5:13).

Verse 13 tells us that every creature in heaven and in earth and under the earth will sing forth those last words of the chorus. Every single created thing will one day sing that last line. Thundering forth, regardless of their allegiance to the Lamb.

So, let’s start practicing now. Sing it loud. Proclaim the praise of the Lamb that changed the song forever.

Join in the new song that shouts forth his holiness, proven by his sacrifice for every tribe, language, people, and nation. Our Savior who makes us a kingdom and priests to our God. Our King who calls us to reign with him over his creation.

This new song may spoil the ending. But its promise has been woven throughout history.