(*All Bible verses are from the NIV unless otherwise noted)
Chapter 7
9 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 before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
11 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,
12 saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I 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.
15 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.
16 ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat.
17 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.’”
Rev 7:9
There before me was a great multitude that no one could count:
Gal 3:7-8 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”
Specifically, this multitude represents all believers who overcome and are faithful to God. Historically, the early saints suffered through some 250 years of Roman persecution, and, as we have seen, persecution and trials raise their ugly heads any time Christ’s followers stand firm in their faith!
Whether 144,000 is a literal or symbolic number can be debated, but the eternal principles are clear. Those who stand firm in their faith will be overcomers and will inherit eternal life!
Rev 7:9
They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands:
The display of palm branches has a rich history that dates back to the Jewish festival of Sukkot, also known as the Festival of Tabernacles or Booths. This festival celebrates the gathering of the harvest and honors the miraculous protection God provided to the children of Israel after they left Egypt.
During the festival, people would visit the Temple waving branches of willow, myrtle, and palm while reciting portions of Psalms 118, “Save us (Greek, “hosanna”), we beseech you, O Lord! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Lev 23:40 On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.
John 12:13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,“Hosanna! ”“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Blessed is the king of Israel!”
Rev 7:10
Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb:
The Old Testament is the history of an ancient, wandering tribe of Semitic-speaking peoples, the Hebrews3, and their calling by God as a chosen, covenant people. Through Jesus, that covenant has been extended to all persons who embrace God as their Creator and Jesus as their Savior.
The great multitude John sees declares that their salvation has not come through their own efforts but by the grace and love of God and the Lamb.
This salvation rescues us from sin and its consequences and restores our relationship with God. It means communion with Him and spiritual riches in this life, which will expand and blossom in the life to come.
Ps 68:19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.
Ps 79:9 Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.
Micah 7:7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Isa 12:2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”
1 Pet 2:9-10 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Rev 7:12
They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God… Praise … glory … wisdom … thanks … honor … power … strength be to our God:
The saints sing a seven-fold hymn of adoration before God, just as His children have for millennia!
Psa 18:46-47 46 The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!Exalted be God my Savior! 47He is the God who avenges me,who subdues nations under me…
Psa 30:11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever.
Luke 19:36 As [Jesus] went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Rev 7:14
…“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:
If John received the vision somewhere near the end of the first century, as most scholars believe, Jewish leaders had been inciting violence against the church for decades1, Nero had wrought terrible suffering on believers in Rome2, and Domitian had exiled John (and possibly many others) to penal colonies around the Mediterranean3.
The rejoicing multitude is identified as all believers who have suffered through great tribulation, a declaration of hope and encouragement for the saints John was addressing. Some believe the “great tribulation” hasn’t yet occurred but will be an end-time event.
But, as we’ve seen, the saints of John’s era suffered tremendous trials and persecution, which has continued down to our own time! It could be true that there will be an end-time tribulation greater than any that has occurred. Yet, all believers can agree on the eternal principle being expressed—those who submit to the Father through blessings and trials will be redeemed through Christ our Lord, washed clean, and presented to God as new creations!
2Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Eph 2:15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace…
Eph 4:23 … to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
1Pet 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Rev 7:15 Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple:
In ancient Israel, it was believed that God’s Presence was located in the Temple in Jerusalem. This was where sacrifices were made to ask for forgiveness for the people’s sins. It was also where people would bring their offerings and prayers to present before God. The most sacred inner court was where one could expect to experience the essence of the Creator.
But the Holy Spirit brought a new revelation to God’s children, Jew and Gentile. Every believer is a spiritual temple where God dwells, regardless of who or where they are!
1 Cor 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
2 Cor 6:16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:“I will live with them and walk among them,and I will be their God,and they will be my people.”
Rev 7:15
He who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence:
Ps 27:5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
Psa 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;let them ever sing for joy.Spread your protection over them,that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
Isa 4:5-6 5Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. 6It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.
Rev 7:16
Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat:
John is seeing the blessed eternal state of the saints. These same words encourage believers at any time in history, even as they struggle through everyday life. Outward trials wear us down. The sweltering sun’s fierce and overpowering intensity is a fit image of those struggles that dry us up and sap our strength. But there is a hunger and thirst that brings hope, a shelter from the blinding heat that brings clear and cool assurance:
Matt 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
John 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
John 6:33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Rev 7:17
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd:
John 10:7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Heb 13:20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
1Pet 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
For several centuries, a great obelisk stood in the temple of the sun in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis. It rose 80 feet into the air and weighed over 325 tons. Emperor Caligula (reigned 12 AD – 24 AD) brought the monument to Rome and had it set in his gardens on Mount Vaticanus (Vatican Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome). A decade later, Emperor Nero constructed a circus there, and tradition has it that the Apostle Peter was martyred in the shadow of the great monument4. About 1500 years later, Pope Sextos V (1521 – 1590) moved the obelisk to the middle of St. Peter’s Square. It still stands as a silent witness to the final testimony of thousands of Christians who were tortured and died for the name of Jesus. Engraved on its base are these words:
CHRISTUS VINCIT……. Christ is Conquering
CHRISTUS REGNAT……. Christ is reigning
CHRISTUS IMPERAT……. Christ rules over all5
Footnotes
- John 19:12, 20:19; Acts 6, 9:23-29, 13:45-50, 14:2-19, 17:5, 25:2. ↩︎
- Tacitus, Annuals, Book 15, Chapter 44; Suetonius, Biography of Nero, 16:2. ↩︎
- Eusebius, History of the Church, Book 3:17; Orosius, History Against the Pagans, Book 7, 10:5. ↩︎
- Vatican Obelisk, St Peter’s Square, https://visitvatican.info/vatican-obelisk/, accessed Jan. 31, 2024. ↩︎
- The Catholic Choir, Christus Vincit, https://thecatholicwire.org/the-catholic-choir/christus-vincit/, accessed Jan. 31, 2024. ↩︎
*All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
