Every Tear Will Be Wiped Away Revelation 7:13-17 “Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “WHO are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 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. “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. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 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.”
Today we will finish our study on Revelation 7. You cannot read the Book of Revelation without developing a global outlook, for the emphasis is on what God does for people in the whole world. The Lamb died to redeem people "out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation" (Rev. 5:9). The great multitudes pictured here came from "all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues" (Rev. 7:9). "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature" was our Lord's mandate (Mark 16:15).
There is no doubt as to who this multitude is, because one of the elders explained it to John (Rev. 7:14): they are Gentiles who have been saved through faith in Christ during the Tribulation. (We will meet this same group again in Rev. 14.) While today, in most parts of the world, it is relatively easy to confess Christ, this will not be the case during the Tribulation, at least during the last half of it. Then, unless persons wear the "mark of the beast," they will not be able to buy or sell; and this would leave them without even life's bare necessities. Revelation 7:16 indicates that they suffered hunger (see Rev. 13:17), thirst (see Rev. 16:4), and lack of shelter. (On the heat of the sun, see Rev. 16:8-9.)
The fact that they are standing before the throne and not seated around it indicates that these people are not identified with the twenty-four elders. In fact, John himself did not know who they were! If they had been Old Testament believers, or the church, John would have recognized them. That the elder had to tell John who they were suggests that they are a special people, which, indeed, they are.
John gave a beautiful description of these people. First, they were accepted, for they stood before God's throne 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. Their white robes and palms symbolize victory: they were true overcomers! The Jews used palm branches at their Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:40-43), which was a special time of national rejoicing.
Then, they were joyful. They sang praises to the Father and to the Lamb; 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. When God's people get 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 (see Isa. 49:10; Rev. 21:4).
The opening of the seventh seal will introduce the seven "trumpet judgments" (Rev. 8-11) and the wrath of God will increase both in intensity and scope. But before that occurs, we are assured that in His wrath, God will remember mercy (Hab. 3:2). 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 this world to the world to come? They are just as condemned as the Tribulation sinners who receive the "mark of the beast."
If you have never trusted the Savior, do so now. If you have trusted Him, then share the Good News of salvation with others that they might be delivered from the wrath to come.
God bless!
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