Scripture Reading(s)
Revelation 7:9-17
7:9 After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.
7:10 They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
7:11 And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
7:12 singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
7:13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?”
7:14 I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
7:15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
7:16 They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat;
7:17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Reflections
This passage marks the beginning of a period in which those who are followers of Christ can celebrate being in eternity with Christ. This is a passage of rejoicing and celebration. This is what every Christian has and should put all their hope into. Spending eternity with Jesus Christ, our loving savior is a joy that will surpass any other means of happiness that we have ever felt. Being in God’s presence means that we no longer will experience worry, fear, hate, temptation, sadness or hurt.
Jesus Christ came to this world to save sinners from having to endure eternal wrath and punishment. His goal was to forever make us a part of His family and so that when our time on earth is done, we experience what it means to be truly joyful when we get to spend forever with Him.
The last verse sums up exactly what Heaven will be like when we finally make it there. God will remove any and all means of sadness and hurt. In heaven there is no pain, there is only joy and that is offered to those who choose to admit there sin and follow after Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the key to making in this life. When we come to Him every satisfaction is met. We no longer will hunger for the things of this world and when we get to heaven we will see and experience the joy and hope that we have so longed to see since the day Jesus Christ came into our lives.
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
White robes are often a sign of purity or of priestly belonging. However, in John’s vision they are a sign of those who had been through the trials and tribulation and still served the Lord. We too will eventually make it into the Lord’s presence. When we get there will we have endured the trails without disgracing the name of the Lord? Will we hold our heads up high knowing that we persevered?
Of course no one can answer those questions except ourselves and the Lord. But do not wait until the end of this life to worry about what’s to come in the next. Be prepared. Be strong in the face of trials. Do not grow weary in the work that the Lord has given you.