Revelation 7:9-17 NASB
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,
"Salvation 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 answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. "They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."
My thoughts -
Revelation is a scary book. That was my view until a few years ago. In high school when I read the whole Bible I stopped short at Revelation. It was a dangerous place. It was filled with dangerous things. It was dark. It was mysterious. It had deep impenetrable secrets. It was no place to go. It was the place on the medieval map marked "here there be dragons".
Imagine my surprise then when I read Ray Summers' book on Revelation, Worthy is the Lamb, a few years later. Sure, there are frightening images and some pretty terrifying events depicted in Revelation. There are dragons and horsemen and beasts and death and famine and disease and all kinds of horrible, horrible things. But Revelation is a book of comfort. Revelation is a book of worship. Quite frankly that had never really occurred to me before then. But what could be more comforting than today's passage?
Here we have a people who have suffered. They have been oppressed, beaten, and killed for their beliefs. This is a grim, grisly thing. I don't think most of us can understand what it was like for early believers. Our faith has been so ingrained in our culture it can sometimes be difficult to separate the two. We consider it persecution if we are not the dominant voice in the conversation about God.
It would never be a part of our reality that we could be killed by the state for our beliefs. In my world at least that's something that only happens in other places and in other times. Sure, some nut might take offense but where I am we are pretty much the majority. If oppression happens it comes from us, not to us.
But here we see the ones that have come from the great tribulation. They have been oppressed. They have been beaten. They have been killed. They have been burned and crucified. They have suffered things unimaginable to me. And yet here are words of comfort, written to those who live in a time and place where suffering and death for following Jesus was a live option.
What could be better for those who would serve Jesus in this life to the point of death? That which you would die for the opportunity to do you get to do for eternity. Nothing, not even death, can separate you from Jesus.
They will find rest and comfort in Jesus. Nothing in this world can bother them any more. They are at peace, led by a Good Shepperd to the springs of the water of life. No hunger, no thirst, no suffering, no pain, no more tears. Nothing else can harm them.
This is something those who suffer greatly for their faith could especially look forward to. But this is also a homecoming we can all look forward to. Peace, comfort, and rest in Christ.
Can you find anything more comforting than this?
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,
"Salvation 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 answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. "They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."
My thoughts -
Revelation is a scary book. That was my view until a few years ago. In high school when I read the whole Bible I stopped short at Revelation. It was a dangerous place. It was filled with dangerous things. It was dark. It was mysterious. It had deep impenetrable secrets. It was no place to go. It was the place on the medieval map marked "here there be dragons".
Imagine my surprise then when I read Ray Summers' book on Revelation, Worthy is the Lamb, a few years later. Sure, there are frightening images and some pretty terrifying events depicted in Revelation. There are dragons and horsemen and beasts and death and famine and disease and all kinds of horrible, horrible things. But Revelation is a book of comfort. Revelation is a book of worship. Quite frankly that had never really occurred to me before then. But what could be more comforting than today's passage?
Here we have a people who have suffered. They have been oppressed, beaten, and killed for their beliefs. This is a grim, grisly thing. I don't think most of us can understand what it was like for early believers. Our faith has been so ingrained in our culture it can sometimes be difficult to separate the two. We consider it persecution if we are not the dominant voice in the conversation about God.
It would never be a part of our reality that we could be killed by the state for our beliefs. In my world at least that's something that only happens in other places and in other times. Sure, some nut might take offense but where I am we are pretty much the majority. If oppression happens it comes from us, not to us.
But here we see the ones that have come from the great tribulation. They have been oppressed. They have been beaten. They have been killed. They have been burned and crucified. They have suffered things unimaginable to me. And yet here are words of comfort, written to those who live in a time and place where suffering and death for following Jesus was a live option.
They serve Him day and night in his temple.
What could be better for those who would serve Jesus in this life to the point of death? That which you would die for the opportunity to do you get to do for eternity. Nothing, not even death, can separate you from Jesus.
They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.
They will find rest and comfort in Jesus. Nothing in this world can bother them any more. They are at peace, led by a Good Shepperd to the springs of the water of life. No hunger, no thirst, no suffering, no pain, no more tears. Nothing else can harm them.
This is something those who suffer greatly for their faith could especially look forward to. But this is also a homecoming we can all look forward to. Peace, comfort, and rest in Christ.
Can you find anything more comforting than this?
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