Rev.# 26~7:11-17 TRIBULATION SAINTS #2 10-10-09
Today we’ll continue to talk about the people that are saved in the Tribulation, Let me remind us that all these that are saved in the Tribulation period will be people that never heard the truth to do with Christ and their need of salvation before the rapture, it’s true that all these were left behind and remained on the earth when the True Church was raptured away in 4:1-2.
The people that heard the truth before the rapture had refused to receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour can never be saved at any other time, their doomed and damned, they will receive the MARK OF THE BEAST.—its very important that people understand this.
2 Thessalonians 2: 8-12 And then shall that Wicked **be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Jesus said in John 14:6-- I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me
John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water
Lets realize that having religion will not save you, Nicodemas of John 3: had religion and Jesus told him that he must be born again.
Listen; as I don’t want some that are listening to think that they’ll just wait and be saved after the rapture, people that hear the gospel of grace today, on this side of the rapture and reject it can never be saved after the rapture, these that are redeemed here in chapter 7: never heard the truth until now and they gladly receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
This great company that we’re about to read about heard the good news of the gospel of the kingdom for the first time through the preaching of the redeemed children of Israel.-
144000-all Israelites, 12000 from each of the 12 Tribes of Israel. Verses 3-8 that we’ve already read and talked about last time.
There are untold millions of people the world over that have never heard the truth about Jesus, that He is the only Way to be saved, most have been exposed to various kinds of religion but have never heard the truth to do with Jesus.
I talked to a man where I used to work about the rapture and he didn’t have any idea what I was talking about, I mean right here in Pickens county, here in the so called Bible belt.
We learned from the first eight verses of chapter 7: that there will be souls saved during the tribulation, and that the first group will be 144000 Jews.
And in our text verses, 9-17 we’re told of another great multitude, and these are all Gentiles that will hear the preaching of these Jewish missionaries.
Ø Listen as I read verses 9-10
9After this* I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
These “white robes” remind us not only of the covering righteousness of Jesus, but also of priestly service, as these would be serving Him in His Millennial Temple.—
The palm branches remind us of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (John 12:12-16), where Jesus was also praised as Savior and King. The word Hosanna there means "save now!"
Palm branches were emblems of victory. It shows this great multitude celebrates a great victory, as they are saved in the Tribulation.
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Here in verse 10 the Tribulation saints are praising God for their salvation.
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
They are celebrating the triumph of having been brought through that awful period of tribulation. Not one of them is silent.
--- Salvation to our God - means salvation belongs to God. He alone is the source and means of salvation.
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And then when the Angels hear this great praise and adoration it causes the angelic hosts of Heaven to fall on their faces and worship God. –Lets remember that this is the same Throne that we read about in chapters 4-5.
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11-12 and all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders*{church} and the four beasts,*{4 living creatures of chapters 4-5 and they are continually saying,” HOLY HOLY HOLY LORD GOD ALMIGHTY”} and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 saying, Amen:*{that is true, we agree} Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.**
The angels begin their adoration with “AMEN” and conclude with “AMEN”-totally in agreement.
We see 7 shouts of adoration from the angels, “7 “ being the number of completion and perfection; God deserves the complete and perfect worship of all His creation.
These are not fallen angels, they have never sinned against God, and therefore they have no need of redemption.
13And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
The words, “and one of the elders answered,” indicates John had been puzzled over the identity of this group, if they had been the Church John would have recognized them, if they had been the O.T. saints he would have recognized them, but these John didn’t know who they were, and because God, who knows our thoughts, answers John’s question. The answer comes first through a question.
-- What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
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14And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat,
17For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
Ø Let me point out that these are not the tribulation Martyrs, because the tribulation Martyrs will not have to endure hunger, thirst and all the other terrible things in the tribulation because they are not physically alive, their crying out from under the Altar for vengeance in 6:9-11, its true they suffered these things until they were caught.
Only people that lived through these horrible things can suffer these terrible things that we’re reading about here.
Also lets notice that Salvation is the same in the tribulation as it is today or at any other time. It is given as a gift to all those who simply trust in the blood of the Lamb.
--have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
“For this reason,” and this reason only, these saints are in heaven before the throne.
Ø What does this multitude do before the throne? John is told that they “serve Him day and night in His temple” (7:15b).
This is a reference to a future worship because the tribulation has only begun in chapter 6, so chapter 7 has in view future events. As mentioned earlier, chapter 7 serves as a parenthesis between the events of chapters 6 and 8 where the 7th seal is opened.
The Lamb is the Shepherd graciously providing for their every need, and He also does the same for us today, we may not always get our “wants”, but He always supplies our need.
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
If He should gives all our “wants” some of us would be in a mess, He knows what is best for us.—some of us may not have very much right now, but just wait until we get to Heaven, every thing that belongs to Him will one day be ours.
1 Peter 1:4-5 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5Who are kept by the power of God --
This is a not what these Tribulation saints received at the hand of the Antichrist during the tribulation, and let’s not forget, if these had been caught by the so called police of the antichrist they would have been beheaded according to chapter 20:4.
Under the Antichrist food distribution is all under his control, and the rivers become blood under the vial judgments (Revelation 16:4), and the sun scorches the earth with a great heat (Revelation 16:8-9).
Those saved in the tribulation and manage to some how survive it will be witnesses of untold suffering and hardship.
Jesus said in Matt.24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. {the end of the tribulation}
But under the guiding hand of the Lamb every provision will be available to His people. The springs of life with their fountains of living water shall not cease to flow.
God had given the prophet Isaiah a similar vision more than seven hundred years before John’s time. Isaiah 49:10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by springs of water shall He guide them. This Old Testament prophecy finds its perfect fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ.
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes (7:17).
These dear tribulation saints will experience such pain and suffering that you and I really cannot even imagine. Perhaps the holocaust was something similar as far as pain and anguish is concerned.
These will have witnessed many loved ones killed right before their very eyes.
But now they are comforted as God wipes the tears from every eye.
Sorrow shall not always have the upper hand. The day is coming on earth when God will have removed every semblance of the cause of tears. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes (7:17).
