Revelation 7:9-10 Is there any hope or any way that people can be saved during this period of great tribulation? In v. 9 we see a numberless multitude. Who are they? They are people from every nation, tribe, people and tongue (Revelation 5:9). During the Great Tribulation there will be people who will turn to Jesus by the millions. As terrible the destruction and devastation will be it will stir people by the millions to come to faith. These people, as we shall see in a few moments, come out of the tribulation on earth. There will be people saved during those awful days. This means that God never shuts the door against anyone who wills to give his heart and life to His Son, even at the last moment.
There are four facts given about them:
1. They stand before the throne of God and before the Lamb, they have the privilege to be near God and His Messiah.
2. They are clothed with white robes, which speaks of them being made pure and free from the blemishes of sin and from the corruption of the world by the righteousness of Jesus.
3. They hold palm branches in their hands. The palms are symbols of celebration, triumph, victory, deliverance, and joy. They are celebrating their triumph over the tribulation and the sin, evil, death, and corruption of the world.
4. They shout praises for their salvation. Note – what they shout in Revelation 7:10. They praise God because He has saved and delivered them through the great trials upon earth because He has given them the power to believe and to endure to the end, because He has accepted them, because He has given them the glorious privilege of His presence and because God has completed their salvation. The deliverance God gives is not the deliverance of escape; it is the deliverance of conquest. It is not a deliverance that saves a man from trouble it is the deliverance that brings a man through trouble. It does not make life easy, but it makes life great.
Revelation 7:11-12 Here we see the companions of the multitude. The outer circle consists of the angels who encircle the throne. Next come the twenty four elders. Then there are the four living creatures who stand at the four corners of the throne. Finally there is the multitude of believers who stand face to face with the throne of God and the Lamb.
We see them just as they have begun to sing their praises to God for His great salvation. When they do the rest of the heavenly beings fall down before the throne on their faces and worship God.
1. They praise God for His blessing. Every good and perfect gift comes from God. These heavenly beings acknowledge that fact and bless God’s name for it.
2. They praise God for His glory. God is glorious, the most glorious Person in the entire universe. He is so glorious that His glory outshines the sun. It is the light of His glory that will provide the light of heaven. God is to be praised for the perfection of His glory. We see here that God shares His glory with His creatures. Every creature in heaven is perfected in glory. God is to be praised for the gift of His glory as well as for His own glory.
3. They praise God for His wisdom. God is the Supreme Intelligence of the universe. He is omniscient, possessing all and perfect intellegence. It is God who planned creation and who sustains it all, it is God who planned recreation, salvation and redemption through His Son, the Lord Jesus. It is God who has the knowledge to work all things out for good. He is to be praised for His wisdom.
4. They offer thanksgiving to God for creation, life, salvation, redemption, and for everything else. Again, they know that every good and perfect gift came from Him.
5. They praise God for His honor. God is faithful and true and never fails to keep His Word and promises nor to do what is best. He is the perfection of honor and truth and trustworthiness. Therefore, God’s honor is praised.
6. They praise God for His power, He is the Supreme Force of the universe. He is the Force that created the universe and that sustains and holds it together and that is moving it toward its destined end. In addition, God is the Supreme Force that works out the salvation and redemption of man and that works out all things for good to those who love Him. He is the Supreme Power who oversees our lives and delivers us from evil, death, and corruption. Therefore, God is praised for His power.
7. They praise God for His might and strength. He never tires or becomes weary. There is no weakness in Him whatever He is always able to help any of His creatures. Anyone can approach God anytime for strength and receive His help. God never fails; He possesses perfect strength and will possess it forever and ever. Therefore, God’s strength is praised. The praise of heavenly beings is an example for us we too are always to be thanking and praising God. (Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 2:9).
Revelation 7:13-15 The numberless multitude is identified here. John is stunned by the sight and praise of the heavenly scene. He just stands there amazed and one of the elders asks John if he knows who the multitudes are. The elder tells John what he is witnessing. Remember: this scene has not yet happened. God is giving John a vision of things that are to happen in the future. The day is coming when a numberless multitude, apparently millions, will stand before God having just entered heaven.
Two things are said about them:
1. They are believers out of the great tribulation a great multitude, which no man could number, millions of believers who will die in the great tribulation. They are in heaven, not on earth. This means that the antichrist has killed them. He has launched an all out attack against Yeshua and His disciples, attempting to wipe them off the face of the earth.
This is clearly described by Scripture. Daniel predicted this terrible time of trouble (Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21-22; Revelation 13:7, 15). In the great tribulation the government of the antichrist will launch an all out attack against Christ and His followers. The attack will also be against all people who have a strong religious faith, including Jews, Moslems, Hindus, and others. A believer will have to deny Christ or else be put to death. Millions, all those who are true believers will refuse because they love the Lord more than they love life (Revelation 12:11).
2. They are those who have washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. White stands for purity and perfection. It means that they have been fully cleansed and are pure from all defilement, sin and imperfection. While on earth they still were sinners but because of their faith in the Blood of the Lamb they were cleansed. They serve God continually, day and night and to serve Him is joy. The temple here is the very presence of God, the most holy place in all the universe, heaven itself. It means they have direct access into the presence of God anytime.
Believers will be perfected so that they never tire or become weary or need sleep. They will be able to serve and work continuously day and night so that they may serve God: they will be ruling and reigning throughout the universe overseeing the new heavens and earth for Messiah (Matthew 19:28;25:23; Luke 12:42-44; 19:17, 19; Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 6:2-3; Revelation 5:10).
Revelation 7:15b-17 In these verses we see that they will have the living presence of God with them forever. This is what is meant by description of the Tabernacle of God being spread over them. The Jewish wedding has an allusion to the in the canopy or Chuppah that is over the wedding couple. God will be dwelling, living, moving and dwelling with the believer in an unbroken communion and fellowship. They of course will have all their physical needs met just as Israel did in the wilderness when the pillar of fire by night and cloud by day led and covered Israel wherever they went.
Many of these beloved believers will suffer terribly. They will be placed in extermination camps by the antichrist and his government. They will be starved to death. Some will be forced to flee their homes and belongings. They will be protected, which speaks to the homeless who have to wander about exposed to the elements. Scorching heat and frigid cold will take the lives of many. But in heaven they will be protected from all enemies, even from the sun and heat. They will have all their spiritual needs met. The Lamb of God Himself shall shepherd the believers, He will feed them and meet all their needs. This refers to the needs of the soul for life, love, joy peace, security, completeness, fullness, assurance, and confidence (Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34).
They will have the leadership and direction of the Lord to guide them. There will never be another mistake or misstep taken. will assign the responsibilities and tell believers exactly what to oversee for Him, and they will joyfully do it and He will lead them to the fountain of living water. They will have all sorrows wiped away from their eyes. God Himself shall wipe all tears from their eyes. In heaven believers shall never again suffer, not even a single pain or hurt. They shall be perfected forever. (Isaiah 49:10; John 14:1-3, 2 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Peter 5:7; Revelation 21:4)
