majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Revelation 7:9-12,
"After 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. And they
cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on
the throne, and to the Lamb.' All 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, saying:
'Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and
strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!'"
What a doxology this is! What a dramatic scene we have here as John
helps us peer into a future event that will take place in heaven! It
is simply a sweeping, breathtaking scene where redeemed mankind beyond
count, millions of angels, elders and "the four living creatures"
worship before the throne and in front of the lamb, Jesus Christ,
while holding palm branches in their hands.
From my perspective, I see "the great multitude" as us believers. We
will be counted among that number. Here John provides us a glimpse of
an event of worship that we will all participate in one day. John is
asked by one of the elders who the uncountable throng dressed in white
robes are and where they came from. The elder himself provides the
answer: "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. 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 spread his
tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they
thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For
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." Revelation 7:14-17.
Unlike some, who see these worshippers as folks who have been
evangelized during Daniel's 70th week of years, the "tribulation",
after the rapture of the church (because the elder says they came out
of the "great tribulation") - a view I do not necessarily subscribe
to, I see it a bit differently. When the elder says these who are
worshipping, the ones who have "washed their robes and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb", my perspective is he is talking about all
those who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith over the years. All
believers. My thought is that the "great tribulation" is not that
technical term used for the completion of Daniel's seventy weeks, but
the great tribulation that is the experience of mankind living in a
lost and fallen world, estranged from its creator and suffering under
his curse. It is that great cosmic tribulation within God's creation
of sinful man living in rebellion to him. It is from within this
tribulation that these worshippers have "washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb".
I'm certainly no expert in this book, and I have to admit that I often
feel lost in it. I realize many have a number of differing views on
what many of its passages have to say. Although you may disagree with
me, as I say, it is my perspective that we will all participate in
this wonderful moving event of worship where so many of God's
creatures will be bowing to him and worshipping him in fullness for
all he is!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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