Revelation 7:9-17

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”  Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”  I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The work of the 144,000 missionaries who were sealed in the previous passage appears to be astoundingly successful.  When Jesus commissioned His disciples, He told them to make disciples of all nations.  This passage lets us know that the commission will be completed.  There will be a great multitude worshiping our Lord in heaven.

THE MULTITUDE’S ENORMITY: John looks over what could only be described as a sea of people who are gathered around the throne of our Lord.  He does not attempt to give any numbers in contrast to the specific numbers he gave in the previous passage.  He calls it a multitude that no one could number.  However, size is not the only distinguishing factor of the crowd.  These is also an enormous diversity represented in this group as there are representatives from every nation, tribe, people, and language.  There are about 200 nations in the world today but there are multiple tribes, and people groups that speak over 7,000 languages living withing those nations.  Imagine the richness of culture and expression represented in this multitude.

THE MULTITUDE’S ACTIVITY: In a word, the primary activity surrounding the throne can be summarized in one word: worship.  The scene is reminiscent of the triumphal entre of Christ in Jerusalem only on an immanently larger scale.  The multitude waves palm branches declare that Jesus is the one to whom their salvation belongs.  In response, all the angels and the four living creatures that surround the throne sing out that all blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to the Lord for eternity.  This responsive worship between human and angelic beings has got to be awesome.  What a glorious hope we have that our Lord will be unanimously worshiped forever.  All idolatry in every form will be extinguished, and we get to be a part of this amazing anthem of praise to our Lord.  

THE MULTITUDE’S IDENTITY: In the vision, one of the elders asks John who this multitude is and John simply responds by saying something like: “you tell me.”  The elder then informs John that this multitude are those who have been purified by the blood of the Lord Jesus and are coming out of the great tribulation.  This seems to be the fruit of the labor of the 144,000 who were sealed in the previous passage.  They and those they lead to Christ will spark an unprecedented world-wide revival right in the middle of one of the darkest periods of the history of the world.  Antichrist will be in power and persecuting any who follow Christ.  God will be judging the earth with plagues and disasters like never seen since the time of the flood.  And in the middle of all that a massive movement of people repenting of their sin and turning to Christ.

THE MULTITUDE’S REALITY: This multitude of believers will be entering the presence of God.  They are standing before the throne.  The reality of heaven is that we will serve the Lord, both day and night.  There will be endless worship, and the saints will rule and reign with Christ.  He will be our eternal protection.  All the suffering and hardship that took place on this fallen earth.  All the sin and brokenness of our own hearts will be washed away and redeemed through Christ.  Satan and all those who rebelled against and rejected Christ will be vanquished.  Pain, sorrow, and death will be no more.  The tears caused by all the hardship in our lives on earth will be wiped away.  We will be under our Lord’s care, and He will provide us with everlasting peace and joy in His presence.

APPLICATION: God’s mission on earth is going to happen so it should be our joy to be participants in it today.  The Lord is worthy of our worship so we should live our lives today as an offering of worship to Him.  Never lose hope no matter how broken and difficult life on this sin-cursed earth becomes.  We have an eternal hope that is amazing and God is sovereignly working through the brokenness of this world to bring it to pass.