Revelation 5:9-10
“Thou art worthy to take the book... for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
King James Version
The new song of heaven — the Lamb worthy because He was slain and redeemed people from every nation, making them kings and priests to reign on the earth.
Fulfillment References
Revelation 1:5-6 Exodus 19:6 Daniel 7:27 1 Peter 2:9
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalRedeemed 'by thy blood' from every nation — the one God's own blood (Acts 20:28) making a royal priesthood for Himself.
Jewish'Kings and priests' applies Exodus 19:6 (a kingdom of priests) to the redeemed of all nations.
CatholicThe Lamb's universal redemption and the royal priesthood of the saints.
ProtestantRedemption 'by thy blood' from every nation, making believers a kingdom of priests who 'shall reign on the earth.'
OrthodoxThe Lamb's worldwide redemption and the priestly people.
DispensationalThe redeemed who will reign with Christ on the earth in His kingdom.
Academic'Reign on the earth' (a textual variant reads 'they reign') and 'kings and priests' (Ex. 19:6) bear on the millennial question and the scope of redemption.
Scholarship & Sources
'Kings and priests' (or 'a kingdom, priests') applies Exodus 19:6 to the church; 'we shall reign on the earth' (with a variant 'they reign') is weighed in the millennial debate over the locus of the redeemed reign.
Open the full interactive entry →Cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, PhD · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.