By: Tom Lowe Date: 12/10/2015
Series: Verse By Verse Through Revelation--#21
Title: The Great Multitude in Heaven
Revelation 7:9-17 (KJV)
9 After 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;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And 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.
15 Therefore 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.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17 For 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.
Introduction
We learned from the first eight verses that there will be souls saved during the tribulation, and that the first contingent will be (144,000) Jews. Here we meet another great multitude, but they are Gentiles, “of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (v. 9). This sequence follows God’s plan, namely, “to the Jew first” (Romans 1:16), and then to the Gentile. This redeemed company, then, is neither Israel nor the Church. During this time of Gentile salvation, the Church is with the Lord, having been caught away by Him. She is seen “sitting” around the throne (4:4); these “stood before the throne, and before the Lamb” (v. 9). The number in this throng is beyond counting, as far as man is concerned. The exact number is known to God alone “. . . The Lord knows those who are his, . . .” (2 Timothy 2:19). They are the Gentile converts won to the Messiah as the result of Israel’s restoration, and of whom the Prophet Isaiah wrote (Isaiah 49:10-12; 16:1-3). This throng heard the good news of the gospel of the kingdom for the first time through the 144,000 redeemed children of Israel. [It is significant that this group, the 144,000, is only announced, not actually seen.]
This “great multitude” of Revelation 7:9-17 are the “sheep nations” of whom Christ spoke in Matthew 25:31-40. The 144,000 witnessing Israelites will be persecuted for their testimony. They will be hungry, thirsty, lonely, in need of clothing, and cast into prison. But those Gentiles who believe their message will stand with them and minister to them so that it is to them Jesus will say, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me” (Matthew 25:40). This throng will be preserved through the tribulation, not kept out of it as the Church will be— “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth” (Revelation 3:10). I know of no place else in Scripture where these are mentioned. They are an elect Gentile remnant in addition to the elect of the Church and of Israel.
Commentary
9 After 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;
Here we have the beginning of the vision of the future blessedness of the martyrs. There are five features of this blessedness, but first I should point out that the “great multitude” has come out of the great tribulation predicted in Daniel— “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered” (Daniel 12:1—they are those who have been martyred during the great tribulation period and those Christian Jews who have come through the tribulation without being martyred; all of God’s faithful followers throughout the generations. No true believer needs to worry about his or her final destination. God includes and protects each one, and all are guaranteed eternal life in His presence. Now, let’s look at those five features:
There is encouragement. There is coming upon the faithful a time of terror such as the world has never seen; and John is telling them that, if they can endure until the end, the glory will be worth all the suffering. He is informing them of how infinitely worthwhile it is in the long run to accept everything involved in the martyrdom which faithfulness must undergo. Every one of them, it seems, pays the price of martyrdom for their faith, yet they thank God for their salvation. They leave life through the terrifying gates of the most horrible deaths that Satan can devise. Beheading, beaten to death, hanging, torture, scalpel, fire, etc. are their means of exodus. But it is all over now! They are saved! They thank God for His grace.
The number of the martyrs is beyond all counting. He may have in mind, the promise that God made to Abraham that his descendents would one day be as numerous as the stars in the heavens (Genesis 15:5), and as the sand of the seashore (Genesis 32:12); at the last, the number of the true Israel (not the nation Israel, but born again believers) will be beyond counting. Someone is sure to say, “You mean to tell me that men couldn’t count that crowd?” What it says is that no one man could number these—and it doesn’t say anything about a computer. It says that no one man could number this crowd because it is such a large crowd. I wouldn’t dare to venture any guess whatsoever, but the size of this multitude is obviously astonishing. It is not a one-man job to number them.
The innumerable host is pictured as martyrs, but this does not mean that non martyrs are not there.
John uses a phrase of which he is very fond. He says that God’s faithful ones will come from “all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,” (5:9; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6; 17: 15) to become one people, the one flock of Jesus Christ. Any evangelist would feel his heart on fire to bring the message of Christ to this assorted crowd of people. Here is the promise that the day will come when all this motley crowd of many nations and many tongues will become the one flock of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is in victory that the faithful finally arrived in the presence of God and of the Lamb (i.e., God the Son). This is the same group mentioned in 6:9: “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained” (Revelation 6:9). Now that their number is complete, they no longer remain “under the alter” but stand in the “presence of God.” They do not appear, weary, battered and warn, but victorious. The white robes are the sign of victory; a Roman general celebrated his triumph clothed in white. The “white robes” symbolize the righteousness of Christ in which they are clothed. We cannot stand before God in our own righteousness because our own righteousness is like filthy rags, and I do not think you are going to wear filthy rags in the presence of God. The Palm branch is also a sign of victory. Palm branches were used on such occasions. They are celebrating the triumph of having been brought through that awful period of tribulation. This is a picturesque way of telling us that they are both victorious and virtuous. Together these facts add up to a resounding defeat of the devil at the hands of these magnificent martyrs of the faith, who were faithful until the end. So when it is all over, they are seen standing, highly exalted by God, and in a place near His throne. To be permitted to stand before His throne as do His redeemed ones is an honor not to be taken lightly. It is a privilege afforded to none but His own willing subjects. It means that they share in the honor of the Lamb.
The Lord Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse, speaking of this same period, Did they endure to the end because they gritted their teeth, clinched their fists, and pulled themselves up by their bootstraps?No, they didn’t do that at all—they were sealed by the Holy Spirit.
(The fifth feature belongs with verse 10)
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
The shout of the triumphant faithful ascribes salvation to God. It is God who has brought them through their trials and tribulations and distresses; and it is His glory which they now share. God is the great Savior, the great Deliver of His people. And the deliverance which 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. It is not part of the Christian hope to look for a life in which a man is saved from all trouble and distress; the Christian hope is that a man in Christ can endure any kind of trouble and distress, and remain erect all through them, and come out to glory on the other side.
They (the great multitude) were saved by trusting the Lord Jesus. In their psalm (song) they celebrate their salvation and attribute it to their God and to the Lamb, and they thanked God for His gift. “Salvation,” they say, “unto the Lamb.” These are Gentiles who will be saved during the Great Tribulation by trusting the Lord Jesus.
They are in heaven, not because they were willing to be martyred, not because they gave their bodies to be burned, not because they were counted as sheep for the slaughter, not because they endured to the end, not because they took joyfully the loss of their goods, not because they came through great tribulation, but because of the Lamb. And they know it!
“Salvation” from sin’s penalty can come only through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. Suffering, or even martyrdom, cannot save anyone. Have you had the guilt of sin removed in the only way possible? Turn to Christ for cleansing and forgiveness.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
The picture created here is of a series of great concentric circles of the inhabitants of heaven. On the outer ring stand all the angels. These are unfallen angels, therefore they had never known the joy of experiencing salvation; however, they always rejoice in the salvation of sinners on earth (see Luke 15:8-10). They add their “Amen” whenever a soul is saved. To say “amen” means to say, “may this be according to you, God.”
Near the throne are the twenty-four elders (who are unfallen); still nearer are the four living creatures (also unfallen); and before the throne are the white-robed martyrs—human beings who have been redeemed—the only ones who could sing of the salvation they had received. The martyrs have just sung their shout of praise to God and the angels take that song of praise and make it their own. “So let it be,” say the angels; they say “Amen” to the martyrs’ praises. Then they sing their own song of praise and every word in it is meaningful.
Please notice here that all praise, honor, worship and adoration is directed to the Lamb “because He is worthy.”
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
This verse is loaded! Not a member of that redeemed host is silent. Their struggles and trials are over. Those worshipping around the throne of God, praise Him for seven characteristics of His:
They ascribe blessing to God; and God’s creation must always be blessing Him for His goodness in creation and in redemption and in providence to all that He has created. As a great saint put it: “Thou hast made us and we are thine; thou hast redeemed us and we are doubly thine.”
They ascribe glory to God. This multitude that John saw recognized the source of their salvation and victory. Not one of them is silent. And rightly so! When sovereign grace does its mighty works of salvation in any man’s life, there is cause for praise to God and the Lamb. The praise of the redeemed ones causes the angelic hosts of Heaven to fall on their faces and worship God. God is the King of kings and the Lord of lords; therefore, to Him must be given glory. God is love but that love must never be cheaply sentimentalized, men must never forget the majesty of God.
They ascribe wisdom to God. God is the source of all truth, the giver of all knowledge. If men seek wisdom, they can find it by only two paths, by the seeking of their minds and by waiting upon God—and the one is an important as the other.
They offer thanksgiving to God. God is the giver of salvation and the constant provider of grace; he is the Creator of the world and the constant sustainer of all that is in it. It was the cry of the psalmist: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2).
They ascribe honor to God. God is to be worshipped. It may be that sometimes we come to think of Him as someone to be used; but we ought not to forget the claims of worship, so that we not only ask things from him but offer ourselves and all we have to Him.
They ascribe power to God. God’s power never grows less and the wonder is that it is used in love for men. God works his purposes out throughout the ages and in the end His kingdom will come.
They ascribe strength to God. The problem of life is to find strength for its tasks, its responsibilities, its demands. The Christian can say: “I will go in the strength of the Lord.”
The “Amen” of the Angelic worshipers endorses the praise of the redeemed multitude, while they, too, add their thanksgiving.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And 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.
The elder asked John “What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? (v. 13). The wise elder’s answer— “These are they which came out of great tribulation,”—seems to show that he expected the question and was prepared to give the answer. The elder knew all along who they were, but God wanted John to know, and He wants us to know. They are the saved ones out of every nation, tongue, tribe, and kindred on the face of the earth. These people didn’t go with the raptured church, since they were not yet saved. During the seven-year period they will be saved, martyred, and enter heaven. Though it is a time of unparalleled judgment, it is also a time of unparalleled grace in salvation (Matthew 24:12-14). They will be saved through the preaching of the 144,000—but they will be saved by “the blood.” These glorious martyrs have not died as yet; they may not even have been born, but God wants the saints of all ages to know about them. He wants them properly recognized. He wants their glorious victory to be eternally recorded on the deathless pages of Holy Writ so that the record may be read long after the stars have ceased to shine! The elder, who answered his own question is convinced that he and his people are standing at the end time of history and that that end time is to be terrible beyond all imagining. The whole point of this vision is that after that terrible time glory will follow. It is not tribulation in general of which he is speaking but of that tribulation which Jesus foretold when he said, “In those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be” (Mark 13:19; Matthew 24:21). The tribulation of our present passage is the persecution of the followers of Christ which erupted in such intense malignity in John’s day and continues until the ultimate triumph of Christ. (We western Christians may forget too easily that the present day is one of intense and large-scale persecution of the church, especially in Muslim areas.) “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb”: a vivid way of saying that their present blessedness and their fitness to appear in the presence of God has been won for them by the sacrifice of Christ. “Blood of the Lamb” refers to the atoning sacrifice of Christ (1:5; 5:9; Romans 3:24, 25; 5:9).
To have “come out of the great tribulation” does not mean that they exited the earth before the hour of tribulation. To of the contrary, they did indeed experience the tribulations of this evil age; but now in heaven they enjoyed the presence of God, where they will hunger no more nor thirst any more. No longer subject to death (21:4), they will drink of the water of life, will no more experience the oppressive heat of the sun, and will have every tear wiped from their eyes. As the true Israel of God, Christians (“the servants of our God”) have the seal of God. Having refused the mark of the beast (13:16-17), they hold to the testimony of Jesus in spite of persecution and therefore have the promise of final heavenly deliverance from this evil age of great tribulation.
The great crowd of the blessed ones are in “white robes.” The Bible has much to say both about “white robes” and about soiled robes. In the ancient world this was a very natural picture, for it was forbidden to approach a god with robes which were unclean. The picture was still further intensified by the fact that often when a Christian was baptized he was dressed in new white robes. These robes were taken to symbolize his new life and to soil them was the symbolic way of expressing failure to be true to the baptismal vows.
Isaiah says: “We have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6). Zechariah sees the high priest Joshua clothed in filthy garments and hears God say: “Remove the filthy garments from him . . . Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with rich apparel” (Zechariah 3:1-5). In preparation for the receiving of the commandments from God, Moses orders the people wash their garments (Exodus 19:10, 14). The psalmist prays to God to wash him thoroughly from his inequity, to purge him with hyssop, to wash him until he is whiter than snow (Psalm 51:1-7). The prophet hears the promise that the sins which are as Scarlett will be as white as snow and those that were red like crimson will be as wool (Isaiah 1:18). Paul reminds his people in Corinth that they have been washed and sanctified (1 Corinthians 6:11).
Here is a picture which his present all through scripture, of the man who has stained his garments with sin and who has been cleansed by the grace of God. It is of the greatest importance to remember that this love of God does not only forgive a man his stained garments, it makes them clean.
To us blood indicates death, and certainly the blood of Jesus Christ speaks of His death. But to the Hebrews the blood stood for the life. That was why the orthodox Jew never would—and still will not—eat anything which has blood in it (Genesis 9:4). The blood is the life and the life belongs to God; and the blood must always be sacrificed to Him. The identification of blood and life is not unnatural. When a man’s blood ebbs away, so does his life. When the New Testament speaks about the blood of Jesus Christ, it means not only his death but his life and death. The blood of Christ stands for all Christ did for us in His life and in His death. With that in our minds let us see what the New Testament says about that blood.
It is the blood of Jesus Christ which is cleansing us from all sin (1 John 1:7). It is the blood of Jesus Christ which makes expiation (atonement; redemption) for us (Romans 3:25), and it is through His blood that we are justified (Romans 5:9). It is through His blood that we have redemption (Ephesians 1:7), and we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ—a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:19). It is through his blood that we have peace with God (Colossians 1:20). His blood purges our conscience from the dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14).
At this time, let’s unite the two ideas of which we have been thinking. The blessed ones have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Let us try to express as simply as possible what that means.
The white robes always stand for two things. They stand for purity, for the life cleansed from the taint of past sin, the infection of present sin and the impact of future sin. They stand for victory, for the life which has found the secret of victorious living. Put at its very simplest, this means that the blessed ones have found the secret of purity and the secret of victory in all that Jesus Christ did for them in His life and in his death.
Now let’s try to see the meaning of “in the blood of the Lamb”. There are two possibilities.
It may mean in the power of the blood of the Lamb or at the cost of the blood of the Lamb. This would then be a vivid way of saying that this purity and victory were won in the power and at the cost of all that Jesus did for man in His life and in His death.
But it may be even more probable that the picture is to be taken literally; and that John envisions the blessed ones as having washed their robes in the blood which flows from the wounds of Jesus Christ. To us that is a strange and perhaps even repulsive picture; and it is illogical to think of robes becoming white when washed in the scarlet of blood. But it would not seem strange to the people of John’s day; too many of them it would be literally familiar. The greatest religious force of the time was the mystery religions. These were exciting, spectacular religions which by deeply moving ceremonies offered to men a rebirth and a promise of eternal life. Perhaps the most famous was Mithraism, at whose center was the god Mithra. Mithraism had its devotees all over the world; it was the favorite religion of the Roman army and even in Britain there are relics of the chapels of Mithra where the Roman soldiers met for worship. The most sacred ceremony of Mithraism was the taurobolium, the bath of bull’s blood. This is how a Christian poet described it. “A trench was dug, over which was erected a platform of planks, which were perforated with holes. Upon this platform a sacrificial bull was slaughtered. Below the platform knelt the worshipper who was to be initiated. The blood of the slaughtered bull dripped through onto the worshipper below. He exposed his head and all his garments to be saturated with blood; and then he turned round and held up his neck that the blood might trickle upon his lips, ears, eyes and nostrils; he moistened his tongue with the blood which he then drank as a sacramental act. He came out from this certain that he was reborn for all eternity.”
This may sound gruesome and terrible to us; but in the last analysis it is not the picture which matters but the truth behind the picture.And the great and unchanging truth is that through the life and death of Jesus Christ, there has come to the Christian that and which he could never achieve for himself.
15 Therefore 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.
There is a very significant fact hidden here. Serving God day and night was part of the task of the Levites and the priests (1 Chronicles 9:33). Now those who are before the throne of God in this vision are, as we have already seen in verse 9, drawn from every race and tribe and people and tongue. Here is a revolutionary concept for Paul’s day. The half-hidden fact here is that in the heavenly temple the way to the presence of God is open to people of every race.
The phrase “day and night” means continuous, unceasing service to God—that “service” refers to worship and praise (22:3-5). The “temple” is not limited to some particular building in heaven, nor is it a reference to the temple in Jerusalem; instead, all of heaven is God’s sanctuary.
The Lord’s cherished ones are there not only to see, but also to serve. “They [are] before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple.” It is a fitting role for those who can prompt worship from angels. And remember, they are Gentiles! These are not Jews, nor are they members of the church. These are the Gentile victors from the tribulation. They have an access and an activity in heaven which must cause the evil one to gnash his teeth in rage. They were given the special privilege of being before God’s throne and serving Him day and night in His temple. “Temple” refers to the inner sanctuary of the temple rather than the outer court (11:19). To think that the very worst he could do to these he hated the most turns out to be the very best he could do for them! Truly, God makes the wrath of man—and the wrath of the devil, too—to praise Him. This verse clearly shows us that this great multitude is not the Bride—the church. The Bride will reign with Jesus here on earth. “They . . . serve him day and night in his temple” provides further proof that this is not the church for the church is never identified with the temple. At the end of this book, when the church is in the New Jerusalem, there is no temple there. The church will never have a temple. There is going to be one here on the earth, but there is not one in heaven where the church is. Therefore, this could not be the church. “His temple” refers to the heavenly throne of God (11:19). During the millennium, there will be a temple on earth—a special holy place where God dwells in a partially restored but still fallen universe (Ezekiel 40-48). In the final eternal state with its new heaven and earth, there is no temple; God himself, who will fill all, will be its temple (21:22).
“And he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.” This fulfills the Old Testament promises (Psalm 23:1; Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 37:27; Zechariah 2:10). “Dwell among them.” The preferred reading is that He “will spread His tent over them.” God’s presence will become their canopy of shelter to protect them from all the terrors of a fallen world and the indescribable horrors they had experienced on the earth during the time of Tribulation.
In this section, John gave a beautiful description of these people—the great multitude.
First, they were accepted, for they stood before God’s throne (v. 9) and the Lamb. No doubt they had been rejected on earth for they stood for truth at a time when lies were popular and Satan was in charge.
Second, they were joyful. They sang praises to the Father and to the Lamb (vs. 11, 12); and their worship was joined by all those who surrounded the throne.
Third, they were rewarded. They had the privilege of being before God’s throne and of serving Him (v. 15). When God’s people go to heaven, there will be work to do! We shall be able to serve Him perfectly! The Lamb will shepherd us and satisfy us with every good thing (Isaiah 49:10; Revelation 21:4). Every physical and spiritual need will be met by God the Father who will shelter them. The very center of their existence would be the Lamb their shepherd (v. 7).
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
It would be impossible to number the people who have found comfort in this passage (especially vs. 16 and 17) in the time of sickness and at the hour of death.
There is a spiritual promise here, the promise of the ultimate satisfying of the hunger and the thirst of the human soul. This is a promise which occurs again and again in the New Testament, and especially in the words of Jesus. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Jesus said: “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger; and he who believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). Jesus said: “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37). God has made us for Himself, as Augustine said, and our hearts are restless till they rest in him.
We do well to remember that John found the origin of this verse in the words of Isaiah: “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 the springs of water shall he guide them” (Isaiah 49:10). This is a supreme example of an Old Testament dream finding it’s perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
This verse definitely identifies the multitude as Tribulation saints. During the reign of the Antichrist no one can buy or sell without having upon himself the mark of the Beast. Those who refuse to receive the mark cannot buy or sell; those who receive it cannot be saved. Therefore, these same people, having refused to receive the mark of the Beast, will be forced to hide out under the heat of the sun by day and the stars by night. Many times they will be hungry—destitute for food. They cannot buy food . . . they will be forced to beg or steal. Therefore, “they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more,” because God Almighty will take care of them from that moment forward. They will endure terrible tribulation, but it will be worth it all when they see the face of Jesus.
Despite the wrath of God and the terror inspired by Satan and his helpers, multitudes will be saved through the blood of Jesus Christ. No matter what the age or dispensation, God’s way of salvation has always been the same: faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
Sad to say, however, multitudes during that time will also reject the Savior and trust “the beast.” But are there not people today who prefer Satan to Christ and the world to the world to come? They are just as condemned as the Tribulation sinners who receive the “mark of the beast.”
17 For 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.
Here we have the two great functions of the Divine Shepherd. He leads to fountains of living waters. As the psalmist said: “He leads me beside still waters” (Psalm 23:2). “With thee is the fountain of life” (Psalm 36:9). Without water the flock would perish; and in Palestine the Wells were few and far between. That the Divine Shepherd leads to wells of water is an indication that he gives us the things without which life cannot survive.
He wipes the tears from every eye means there will be no crying, sorrow, or pain in the presence of the Lord. As He nourishes our bodies so He also comforts our hearts; without the presence and the comfort of God the sorrows of life would be unbearable, and without the strength of God there are many times in life when we could never go on.
The lamb continues to feed and lead His own. Think of it! The Lamb is the Shepherd graciously providing for every need. There shall be no want. This is in striking contrast to that which they will suffer at the hands of the Antichrist when food distribution is all under his control, and the rivers become blood under the vile judgments (Revelation 16:4), and the sun scorches the earth with a great heat (Revelation 16:8-9). The lot of those saved in the tribulation will be one of remarkable deliverance and victory along with the termination of all the earth’s sufferings. Under the guiding hand of the Lamb every provision will be available to His people. And just think of it—the Lamb is now our Shepherd! The Divine Shepherd gives us nourishment for our bodies and comfort for our hearts. With Jesus Christ as our Shepherd nothing can happen to us which we cannot bear.
“For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them.” “In the midst of the throne” means, “in the middle point in front of the throne.” “Feed,” means “tend as a shepherd.”
Though the chapters of Revelation are not all in chronological sequence, chapter 7 depicts a scene in heaven which precedes the second coming of Christ to the earth. Those seen in heaven were said to come out of the Great Tribulation” (v. 14). But the chapter accordingly indicates how they will be marvelously blessed in heaven after their trials on earth. The 144,000 will appear again (14:1-5), and the multitude of martyrs who were killed for refusing to worship the beast appear again at the time of the resurrection in 20:4. That they are not Millennial saints should be evident from the fact that they will be in heaven before God’s throne, and will have been resurrected.
The closing words our chapter are unequaled in depth and tenderness.
“God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Modern believers should take note that suffering in this life, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, will one day yield to unfathomable bless. What an encouragement!
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.
