Last 5 Days
Great Scene of Hope
9 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, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 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, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 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.
15 “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. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 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.”
After John saw the 144,000 Israelites (v1-8), he now sees a great multitude of people and the bible says they are from all tribes and peoples and languages. This multitude of people was so great that no one could count how many there were.
The elders had told John that these people are the ones coming out of the great tribulation and they had been persecuted because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They were previously hungry and thirsty, and scorched under the striking sun, all pointing to pain in the midst of their persecution.
From their persecution, they entered into a victorious scene of worship! These multitudes of people were in white robes, palm branches were in their hands, and they were worshipping God together with the other heavenly beings in the vision. White robes and the palm branches were both signs of victory and triumph! White robes were often worn by Roman generals who paraded themselves into the city whenever they won a battle. The palms were also signs of victory. When, under the might of the Maccabees, Jerusalem was freed from the pollutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, the people entered in with branches and fair boughs, and palms and psalms
This scene is the scene of how the world will ultimately be at the end of time where those who had followed Jesus will have the final victory. It must have been such an encouraging scene for John and for those who were enduring suffering to see. God, who sits on the throne, is all knowing and ever in sovereign control, and will deliver His faithful. One day, there will be no pain, no suffering. They will hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Barclay says that God is our deliverer and the deliverance He gives “is not the deliverance of escape but the deliverance of conquest. It is not a deliverance which saves a man from trouble but one which brings him triumphantly through trouble. It does not make life easy, but it makes life great.”
Dear brothers and sisters, do you look forward to that day when our works on earth are done and we finally worship God in the ranks of angels and the saints. We might not know when that day will come, but the bible promised us that the day WILL come. Some of our works in Christ might feel like it is in vain now, but do not lose heart, because all things will ultimately work for those who love God. Stay firm, stay faithful!
