Many attempts have been made to justify the use of instruments of music in worship to God. Though we do not see any mention of instruments being used in the first century church or instructions regarding their use, some will turn to the book of Revelation and point out the instruments in heaven. The argument is that since there will be instruments in heaven, we can use instruments today in the church.
One fact that some brethren who use this argument seem to forget is that the book of Revelation contains very symbolic language. Yet they read of harps and believe they are literal. There are three verses in Revelation that mention harps in heaven. Notice each of these verses:
- “When He has taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Revelation 5:8). These harps and golden bowls are symbolic of something. This verse tells us what the golden bowls symbolize – “the prayers of the saints.” But what do the harps symbolize?
- “And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps” (Revelation 14:2). Notice in this verse that John did not say that he heard harps. He heard a voice that was “like the sound of…harps.” This verse also helps us answer the question from the last verse. What do the harps symbolize? The voice of those who “sang a new song before the throne” (Revelation 14:3). This is not talking about singing with instrumental accompaniment. It is describing the beautiful sound of those in heaven blending their voices together as they praise God in song.
- “And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God” (Revelation 15:2). Was there a literal “sea of glass mixed with fire”? No. So why would one assume the harps are literal? These ones with the harps “sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb” (Revelation 15:3). These harps were not being played. Again, they symbolize the beautiful sound of the song that was being sung.
To say there were harps in heaven is irrelevant to the discussion on whether instruments of music are acceptable in worship to God. The harps in heaven were symbolic. The claim that if something is in heaven then we can have it in the church is ridiculous (do we have golden bowls of incense, a sea of glass, etc.?). The fact is that we do not find authority in the New Testament to use instruments of music in our worship. Therefore, we must refrain from using them in order to “do all in the name of the Lord” (Colossians 3:17).
