4. The great multitude in white robes (7:9)
v9 - 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. - First John hears their number, 144,000 (7:1), they are first described symbolically, now he looks and he sees a great multitude that no one could count. This great multitude is this same 144,000 who are also the same as the new Jerusalem, see Rev 21:1-4 and 21:12-17 in which the New Jerusalem is 12,000 stadia in length and as wide and high as it is long. The 144,000 also occur in Rev 14:1-3, where they have the name of the Lamb and of God on their foreheads as do the saints in the New Jerusalem, 22:4. The great multitude here are also found described in the New Jerusalem: they have washed their robes (22:14), they are before the throne of God and serve God (22:3), God will wipe away every tear (21:4). John also sees a great multitude in heaven in 19:1 ff. who praise God because he has avenged on the great prostitute the blood of his servants (19:2), these are described as God's servants (19:5) and as the bride (19:7). This great number that no one could count is the fulfilment of God's promise to Abraham that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars or grains of sand on the seashore (Gen 15:5, 22:17, Heb 11:12). v9 - from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. - Notice the four fold description indicating that they come from the four corners of the earth, it also lends weight to the argument that they represent the complete number of the redeemed, they are not just Gentiles. These saints come from the same group that the beast has authority over (Rev 13:7) and to whom the angel has an eternal gospel for (14:6). This illustrates the universality of the gospel, we are to preach the gospel to all creatures, even those who worship the beast. They are standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb which answers the question posed in 6:17 'who can stand on the day of their wrath', clearly only the church can stand before God. Because John sees them standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb they are in heaven (Rev 4:2, 5:13, 22:3). Compare this with the vision of 'someone like a son of man' in Daniel 7:13 in which 'all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him' Dan 7:14. v9 - They were wearing white robes - The white robes are robes of righteousness, see v14, in which they are stated to have 'washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb', also see Isa 61:10. The martyrs were also given a white robe 6:11, see also Rev 3:4-5, 3:18. The armies of heaven are dressed in fine linen white and clean, 19:14. The white robes are imputed righteousness, that is the righteousness of Christ, their own good deeds are like a filthy garment, Isa 64:6, Zech 3:3. v9 - holding palm branches in their hands - This reminds us of the praise given to Jesus before his death, John 12:13, the palm branches were emblems of triumph. It is also a reminder of the feast of booths celebrated at the harvest of the crops (Lev 23:39 ff.), here they celebrate the eternal harvest of the saints. Palm trees are in the city described by Ezekiel, Ezek 41:17-18. v10 - And they cried out in a loud voice: - "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." - These are they that acknowledge that their salvation comes from God (Isa 25:9, Rev 12:10, 19:1) and from Jesus as the NT affirms, (Eph 2:4, 2 Thess 2:13, 1 Tim 1:15, Titus 3:4). God and the Lamb are linked together, their salvation was God's plan and implemented by the Lamb of God. They are saved from the wrath of the Lamb because they are sealed. It is interesting to consider that in heaven we will all speak one language as in pre-Babel times. There is now no need for the confusion of languages, man is embarking on a correct activity, namely the worship of God and of the Lamb. v11 - 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 worshipped God, - The rest of heaven now joins in agreement and in worshipping God, who is the only one to whom worship is due cf. 4:10, 5:8, 5:14. The angels worship God and it is an angel who twice tells John not to worship at his feet but to worship God, 19:10, 22:8-9. Contrast the worship of God here with the worship of the beast and the dragon in 13:4. v12 - "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" - They all join in this sevenfold doxology as they did in 5:12. v13 - Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" - This is a rhetorical question that the elder then proceeds to answer. v14 - 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. - What is the great tribulation? The word 'great' is frequently used in the book of Revelation (see introduction). We have already heard about 'the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth' in 3:10. The fifth seal has revealed the souls of the martyrs under the altar slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained, 6:9. Those who come out of the great tribulation are those who have washed their robes, they are the redeemed who are the Church of God. Compare with the description of the redeemed in Rev 22:14 who have washed their robes so they may have the right the tree of life and to go into the city. The book of Revelation speaks of two tribulations, one for the church which is persecution, the other for the world featured in the seven trumpets and seven bowls and especially at the second coming. Thus we need to distinguish between tribulation for the believer and wrath on unbelievers, believers are sealed before the trumpets are sounded. The great tribulation is the time of persecution throughout this current church age but rising to a crescendo to a period of unparalleled distress just prior to the return of Christ (Mat 24:29, Dan 12:1). It is described from the point of view of the redeemed in heaven rather than from human history; he sees their final countless number. It is the tribulation that all believers have come through (Acts 14:22), it is not just an isolated single future event in history, this should become clear from the rest of Revelation which goes on to describe more persecution that the saints will have to go through. Jesus said that in the world you will have tribulation, a word that includes pressure, suffering and persecution (John 16:33; cf. Rom 12:12; 2 Cor 1:4; 7:4; 2 Thess 1:4; Rev 1:9; 2:9 NTSB). The great multitude he saw that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, is more likely to be the whole company of believers than just those who come through the final great distress. That the 144,000 consist of both OT and NT saints ought to make it clear that the tribulation occurs throughout the OT and NT eras, the New Jerusalem shows both OT and NT saints. The OT church suffered tribulation under Pharaoh in Egypt which is a model for much of the NT persecution in this book. It is easy for the church in the west which is not under persecution to look for a future fulfilment of the great tribulation, however the reformers, the church in China and Russia will disagree, they have had and are having their tribulation now. The idea that the rapture will occur before the great tribulation is also against scripture (1 Thess 4:13-17, Mat 24:30-31) and is also demonstrated here in this verse. The book of Revelation testifies that the saints will come out of great tribulation in this verse and the following verses:
Finally, Jesus himself testifies that the elect will come out of the great tribulation, Mat 24:20-31, Mark 13:18-27. v14 - they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb - This is a glorious paradox, he has freed us from our sins by his blood (Rev 1:5), white indicates purity (1 John 1:7, Isa 1:18). Isa 61:10 refers to the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness. It is also connected with the Israelites washing their cloths in preparation for the Lord to come down at Mt. Sinai (Exo 19:10), in this it indicates that they were to be ceremonially clean to see the Lord. v15 - 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. - The 'therefore' is because they are cleansed and have suffered for Christ's sake. The rewards indicated here are reiterated in 21:3 ff. 'The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him' and is further evidence that this group of saints are the whole company of believers. They are before his throne, that is in his presence and they serve God, as they had while living on the earth. Compare those who serve God day and night with the fate of those who worship the beast and his image, and the devil who accused them day and night, they will be tormented and have no rest day and night for ever and ever (Rev 14:11, 20:10). The great multitude of the saints serve him day and night in his temple, that is the inner sanctuary or the Holies of Holies, thus fulfilling Ezek 37:26, in which God will put his sanctuary among his people forever. v16 - Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.- This is a picture of heaven, as a set of negative, they will never thirst because they will have springs of living water (v17). They will never be scorched by the sun, because there will be no sun (Rev 21:23, 22:5 cf. Isa 49:10), this is in contrast to the fourth bowl which scorched people, see Rev 16:8. It is also in contrast with those in the lake of fire. They will never hunger because of the fruit of the tree of life, Jesus said I am the bread of life. v17 - For the Lamb at the centre 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." - The Lamb will be their shepherd, they shall not want (they will not thirst or go hungry) and he will lead them to springs of living water, Psa 23:1, the spring of the water of life is found in Rev 21:6, whose source is the Lamb. We have already seen the Lamb standing at the centre of the throne, Rev 5:6. God will wipe every tear from their eyes, this is repeated in 21:4, compare with its OT equivalent in Isa 25:8, contrast this with the weeping of the ungodly Mat 13:42. This does away with the curse, Gen 3:17, there will be no more curse 22:3. Compare the similarity of verses 15-17 with the description given in Rev 21:3-6, we are seeing the same event, a foretaste of heaven, thus the parallelism of the book. This section can be seen as the fulfilment of Jesus prayer before he was crucified in that he prayed that his disciples would be with him and see his glory (John 17:24). 8:1 - When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. - After these two pictures of the church the seventh seal is opened, followed by silence in heaven. This could be time of reflection on what has happened up until now. It could be because the first heaven and earth have passed away. The visions of the 144,000 and the great multitude form an interlude between the sixth and seventh seal. There is also an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets which features the two witnesses, that is the witnessing church. The following verses show other biblical passages in which there is silence.
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