Salvation Comes From The Lamb Series

SALVATION COMES FROM THE LAMB

REVELATION 7:9—17 MAY 11, 2003

REVELATION 7:9-17

9After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying:

"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?"

14I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

16Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them,

nor any scorching heat. 17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

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Dearest Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:

Today you and I stand alongside John and look right into the throne room of God once again. We have listened to our text and we have seen the angels and heard them proclaiming, ‘Praise and glory and honor and strength and might and wisdom be to the Lamb who is at the center of the throne!’ All of this worship belongs to the Lamb, because salvation comes from the Lamb of God. In the middle of our text, John writes those words, ‘Salvation belongs to God.’ It’s not that it is His, but it belongs to Him because it is ours as a free gift from God Himself. John realized that as he looked and saw all the praise that the Lamb of God deserved. He was reminded what Paul wrote to Timothy. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time"(1 TIMOTHY 2:5,6). You and I once again, have this testimony given in its proper time. Remember John was an exile on the island of Patmos because of his faith. Once again he was given the testimony of the Lamb of God in its proper time. Just like the early church when the Savior was born, and then crucified and then this too, the testimony given at its proper time. Today we look at what that means for us with the theme

SALVATION COMES FROM THE LAMB

I. Divine forgiveness

II. Heavenly blessings

I. Divine forgiveness

We look once again at the crowd that is gathered around. We find there are many. 9After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. Last week we heard how John saw the four living creatures, how he saw the elders and how he saw the angels. We picture his description with the throne in the center and the ever-increasing circle of those praising God. Now he says all the saints are there from all directions on the earth—from every tribe and nation and language. Again, that circle that is worshipping the Lamb is getting ever larger. No man can count them—almost beyond imagination. John describes them for us. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. White robes—the sign of purity, a sign of (as we are going to see) Christ’s righteousness. The palm branches were a sign of victory and royalty.

As they were standing around, they weren’t just idly talking or gossiping or chatting about the weather. Instead, we’re told, 10And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." They were there, not because of what they had done but because of what the Lamb of God had done. He had provided salvation for them. He had provided for them robes that covered up their sinfulness. They stood before the Lamb of God along with the living creatures and the angels and the elders covered up with the robe of Christ’s righteousness.