Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: I now can sing Since I've been redeemed I'm on the everlasting, everlasting rock I faith in Christ my Redeemer King I'm on the everlasting, everlasting rock Then row, row, pillows Blessed be the name of Jesus our Redeemer dear above
[00:00:29] Speaker B: who
[00:00:29] Speaker A: is making home so happy with the blessing of his love Blessed be the name of Jesus Blessed be the name for he blesses or and O forever Blessed be the name of Jesus we will love him evermore he is ever watching o' er us Guiding us along the way and so lovingly Is sharing all the burdens of the day Blessed be the name of Jesus Blessed be the name forever for he blesses o' er and o' er forever Blessed be the name of Jesus we will love him evermore he will guide us all to glory if we lean upon his grace Let us live with him forever in the sunlight of his face Blessed be the name of Jesus Blessed be the Name forever For he blesses o' er and O forever Blessed be the name of Jesus we will love him ever
[00:02:05] Speaker B: more.
[00:02:10] Speaker C: Welcome to the Voice of Hope. I'm your host, Anthony High.
Have you ever looked at a crowd and wondered, who are these people and where did they come from?
What story brought them here?
In Revelation, chapter 7, the apostle John sees a vast multitude, so large that no one can number them, standing before the throne of God. They're clothed in white and they're holding palm branches and they're singing with a triumphant joy.
The question that frames our study today is who are these?
Today we turn to Revelation, chapter 7, verses 9 to 17, to discover the answers that Scripture gives to this.
Who are these people dressed in white, and where did they come from? What does their victory mean?
Let's join our Bible teacher, J. Mark Horst, as he brings the message, who are these?
[00:03:09] Speaker B: In Matthew, chapter 24, when Jesus was teaching his disciples about the things that would happen near the end of the age, he said this in verses 37, 39.
But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Now, I take several things from Jesus words here.
First, as we approach that time, the coming of the Son of Man, life will continue in a predictable pattern.
Eating and drinking and marrying and giving in Marriage are all part of our normal human experience.
However, I also admit that it could mean that these things have become the focus of life, that is that humans are living solely for their own pleasure.
And furthermore, Genesis 6, 5 gives us this description of the days of the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
You know, as I read the headlines each day, my mind often returns to this.
The inhumane treatment of human beings by other humans is inexplicable. Apart from from the acceptance of our depravity, the violence against women and children, even infants, in human trafficking is almost unbelievable. And yet it's been thoroughly documented.
And then we have abortion, infanticide and assisted suicide. They continue and they're growing.
As I am preparing this teaching, War between Iran and the west seems imminent.
We have border conflicts that continue between India and Pakistan, Cambodia and Thailand.
China threatens Taiwan and its neighbors. North Korea continues to test longer range ballistic missiles. And the list just goes on and on.
In the midst of all this, it's easy to become discouraged and fearful.
But you know, if we succumb to that temptation, then Satan will have us right where he wants us.
So we must take courage and renew our hope in the promises of God and in the prophecies that he's given us in his word.
And that is the goal of this study in the book of Revelation. And that was Jesus purpose in revealing these things to John so he could share them with the persecuted believers of his day.
You and I should be very grateful for this last book of the Bible.
Our text this time is Revelation chapter 7 and verses 9 to 17.
And we will examine it in the light of a question that one of the elders asked John, who are these?
In our previous episode, we looked at the sealing of the 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel. That's the background for our text today.
Now listen as I Revelation 7, 9, 17.
After these things I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could number of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice saying, salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.
All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honour and power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, who are these arrayed in white robes, and where do they come from?
And I said to him, sir, you know.
So he said to me, these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation and 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 dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore. The sun shall not strike them, nor any heat. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Our text gives us several specific answers to the question, who are these?
And the first answer is, the great multitude. Our text begins with words that have become familiar to us in our study after these things.
The things John is referring to are the events that took place in the first eight verses of the chapter.
In the case of the sealing of the 144,000, John says, I heard the number of those who were sealed.
In contrast, he now says he sees a great multitude that no one can number.
This innumerable multitude is made up of people from all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages.
They're a worldwide group, not a single ethnic group like the 144,000.
I believe they are the fruits of Jesus promise in Matthew 24:14.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.
This multitude may also be some of the fruits of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, as well as the two witnesses of Revelation, chapter 11.
And these redeemed ones are standing before the throne of God and the Lamb.
Furthermore, they are dressed in white robes, and they hold palm branches.
Both of these white robes and palm branches symbolize victory and joy.
There may be a connection here to the feast of the Tabernacles, which commemorates God's protection and provision for Israel during their wanderings in the wilderness.
And this multitude is crying out with a loud voice, salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.
Now, normally we think of Christ as a source of salvation, but these worshipers have support for their twofold praise in the Pastoral Epistles. I'll just give you one example. In first Timothy, chapter two and verse three, Paul refers to God our Savior.
There is unity in the Godhead.
Salvation, as it's used here, is regarded as an accomplished act on the part of these worshipers, and they are praising God and praising the Lamb for their salvation.
I want you to notice they are not part of the 24 elders whom I said in an earlier episode, represent the church, the bride of Christ.
We will learn in just a moment where this group before the throne comes from.
The next answer to the question, who are these? Is the great affirmation.
As this innumerable host proclaims its praise. All the angels who stand in a circle around the throne and around the elders and around the four living creatures fall on their faces before the throne in reverential awe and worship.
Now, I found it interesting that their worship is bracketed by the word Amen.
Amen always refers back to something that was said previously. Let me give you an example. From Matthew 5, 17, 18, Jesus is speaking, do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For assuredly, and that's the word Amen I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law, till all is fulfilled.
So where our English translations use words like verily or truly or assuredly, the word in the original is amen.
So this first amen of the angels is in response to the praise of the multitude for the gift of salvation. That's in verse 10.
And even though the angels cannot experience salvation, they are very interested in it, and they have a desire to understand it according to 1 Peter, chapter 1 and verse 12.
And then the second amen is a signal to that crowd to respond by affirming the angel's own words of praise.
This doxology is almost identical to the one in Revelation chapter 5 and verse 12.
The arrangement of the items differs slightly.
Wealth is replaced by thanksgiving. But overall it's very similar.
In chapter five, it is the Lamb who is being worshipped. Here in chapter seven, it is God who sits on the throne.
So first of all, they ascribe blessing to God.
In Scripture, blessing is the pronouncement of good. It's the exaltation of character.
It's the acknowledgment of generosity. And so they actively praise and thank and exalt God for who he is and for his works rather than asking him for something.
Glory is the next item of their praise. It is magnificence, splendor, exaltation, praise and renown. And we have seen this in John's descriptions of the eternal throne room in the New Testament.
Glory is always a pleasant opinion concerning a person that results in praise and honor. To them, wisdom is also part of their praise. Wisdom is superior knowledge and enlightenment. You know, God is omniscient and so is the Lamb. They never need to guess. They never need multiple plans in case one doesn't work out.
As Paul says in 1 Corinthians, the foolishness of God is wiser than men.
And then next is thanksgiving. This is one of the new items, if we compare it with chapter five.
Thanksgiving is a lifestyle that's marked by the gentle cheerfulness of a grateful heart instead of improper mirth or hilarity.
The importance of thankfulness cannot be overestimated. Romans 1:21 tells us that not being thankful is the first step away from God.
And then there's honor. The original word is time.
It has a variety of meanings, like price, sum, or even the proceeds from a sale.
It conveys the idea that honor comes from our assigning value to someone or something.
And that value, especially when it's ascribed to a person, is demonstrated through our obedience, through our respect and our service.
A considerable part of the honor that you and I should have for Christ is the price he paid for our redemption.
How highly do we value that?
And then next is power.
This is inherent power that resides in a person or thing by virtue of its nature.
It is that which a person exerts or puts forth.
It also has a range of meanings from authority to omnipotence.
The writer of Hebrews tells us, God has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power.
And then finally, the choir praises the Lamb for His strength.
Strength and power.
Are they the same thing?
Well, they are closely related, but in human terms, strength refers to the body's ability to overcome resistance. Power refers to the speed of that ability.
And so we could have a biblical example of this In Ephesians, chapter 6 and verse 10, where we read, finally, grow strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.
This Doxology recognizes the infinite and immeasurable and intrinsic power that Christ possesses within himself eternally.
This list is also very similar to the one in Daniel, chapter 7 and verse 14.
And that shows us once again the connection between the prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures and the ones that we're looking at here in the Book of Revelation.
The last answer, then, to the question, who are these?
Is the great Tribulation.
At the conclusion of this amazing doxology, one of the 24 elders approaches John with a question, even though John hasn't said anything.
And the elder asks him, these who are arrayed in the white robes, who are they and where do they come from?
The question in its original form is emphatic, and it reflects the natural order of the one who is asking it.
So in response to the question, John says, sir or my Lord, you know who they are.
So John was confessing his ignorance. He said, I don't know.
But he's also making an appeal for more information.
Now, if this group were identical to the Church, then John would have recognized them from having seen them in chapter four.
Further, the elder would not have asked him the question, who are these people?
But the elder responded, these are they who have come out of tribulation, the Great One, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
So you have this metaphor of making robes white in blood, and it only gains power when it's taken literally. Those who did not capitulate under persecution have become clean, and they're regarded by God as sinless because they have remained faithful to Jesus Christ, who shed his blood for them.
So here is a second group of redeemed ones in heaven during the tribulation period.
In verse 15, they point to the merits of the blood of the Lamb as the reason for their joy. And in this way, they are very much like the representatives of the Church, the elders of chapters four and five, who attribute their heavenly glory to their redemption in Jesus.
However, as I mentioned briefly earlier, they are distinct from the Church for several reasons.
First of all, According to Revelation 3, 10, the church is to be kept out of the great Tribulation.
This group came through that time of severe trial.
The representatives of the Church sit on thrones. Revelation chapter 4 and verse 4. This group stands before the throne. The first group wears crowns. These do not. The first group holds harps and censers. This multitude has palm branches in their hands.
Now, if we contrast this group with the 144,000, we also see some clear distinctions. The 144,000 are all from the nation of Israel. This group is made up of people from all nations and ethnicities.
A specific number identifies the former group. 144,000.
While this group is said to be without number, the text strongly implies that the first group is still on earth. They have not yet been glorified.
The second group is in a state of glory in the presence of God and the Lamb.
Is it possible that this group we are looking at and the Group of Revelation 6:9 11 that is, the souls that were under the altar, are they the same?
At the very least, those who were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held, are most likely included in this multitude. And so, as a result of their faithfulness, the tribulation, saints are rewarded in several ways.
First of all, because of this washing, these are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple.
Now that there is a temple in heaven shouldn't surprise us, because Hebrews 8:4:5 tell us this, for if he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law, who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things. As Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle, so the pattern for the tabernacle came from the heavens, not the other way around.
Furthermore, these people will neither hunger nor thirst anymore.
Those lines are taken directly from Isaiah, chapter 49 and verse 10.
Two strong human appetites will be fully satisfied in the presence of the Lamb, and I believe that emphasizes the spirituality of our future life. They will no longer be exposed in any way, shape or form to the burning heat of the sun. Psalm 121:6 confirms that the one who sits on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them.
It's a picture of sacred fellowship and further, the idea of God's presence as protection from all fear of evil, like the overshadowing of Israel by the Shekinah glory, and maybe even, as I said earlier, a possible allusion to the tents of the Feast of Tabernacles and to the Tent of Meeting where God met with Moses.
All of these blessings are a result of the Lamb who is in the midst of them, shepherding them and guiding them to life's water springs.
That reminds me of Psalm 23:2 and Revelation 21:6.
In the original language, the words of life stand first as being emphatic and then Shepherding is much more than feeding.
It includes all the care a shepherd gives his flock.
It is so beautifully spelled out for us in Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 11.
And last but not least is this promise. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
This expression is one of exquisite tenderness and beauty.
The poet Robert Burns said he could never read this passage without being so affected that he began to weep.
This concept of wiping away is used of the erasure of a name from the book of life in Revelation, chapter three and verse five.
This comfort is a picture of what God promises through the prophet Isaiah he wrote, for thus says the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream.
And you shall be nursed. You shall be carried upon her hip and bounced upon her knees as one whom his mother comforts.
So that I will comfort you, you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. That's Isaiah 66, 12, 13 from the ESV.
Can you imagine how John's readers who were suffering for their faith, would have been comforted by these promises?
Today?
We as followers of Jesus also should take comfort in these promises. Life is hard, there are many disappointments, and suffering abounds.
And yet we too are confident that the Lamb who redeemed us continues to shepherd us and lead us to the fountains of living water.
That's my testimony.
With the Apostle Paul, we can say, I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory of that is to be revealed in us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. That's Romans 8, 18, 19.
So what about you? Do you have the assurance that your sins have been atoned for? And you stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Christ?
If you don't have that assurance, today is the day of salvation.
Don't put it off. Because tomorrow could be too late.
[00:24:00] Speaker A: Where will you spend eternity?
This question comes to you and me.
Tell me, what shall your answer be?
Where will you spend eternity?
Eternity, eternity.
Where will you spend eternity?
[00:24:51] Speaker C: Thank you. J. Mark what began with a question ends with comfort.
Who are these?
They are those who have been through great tribulation.
They are those who washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. There are those who now stand before the throne, not defeated, not forgotten, not abandoned, but victorious.
We're reminded that suffering does not have the final word. The Lamb does. The one who redeemed his people now shepherds them. He leads them to living water, and God himself wipes away every tear.
That promise was meant to steady the first century believers under persecution and it steadies us today.
The question for each of us is, will you be among them?
Have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ?
Scripture tells us that today is the day of salvation. The invitation is still open.
Thanks for joining us for today's teaching. In addition to the voice of Hope, Heralds of Hope has an international program called Hope for Today.
Through this program, biblical teaching is shared in 44 languages so that seekers around the world can hear the gospel in their heart language.
If today's study in the Book of Revelation has encouraged you. We'd love to hear from you. Your stories and responses mean so much to us. You can email us@Hope heraldsofhope.org or call us at 866-896-00292. Or you can write to us at 6183 Lincoln Hwy, Harrisonville, PA 17228.
To explore more Bible teaching and encouragement, visit heraldsofhope.org programs there. You can also listen and share the Voice of Hope wherever you get your podcasts. If you'd like to dig deeper into Revelation, we invite you to order A Revelation of Jesus Christ by J.B. smith and Dr. Yoder at heraldsofhope.org store.
Join us the next time as we continue our journey through Revelation. Until then, keep your eyes on Christ and your heart anchored in hope.
Thanks for listening to the Voice of Hope.
[00:27:29] Speaker A: I don't know exactly how sweet heaven will be will be I don't know what beauty or what glory I'll see, I'll see I don't know what I'll behold that morning divinely know for sure that heaven's really gonna shine it's gonna shine it's gonna shine it's gonna shine it's gonna shine oh yes, I know, I surely know it's gonna shine gonna shine there's glory there's glory in this soul of mine in this soul of mine Because I know for sure that heaven's really gonna shine.
I don't know how wide will be that city so fair, so fair I don't even know how many saints will be there I don't know how high will be that mansion of mine I only know for sure that heaven's really gonna shine it's gon Heaven's going to shine it's going to shine it's going to shine oh yes I know, I surely know it's going to really going to shine there's glory there is glory in this in this soul of mine Because I know for sure that heaven's really going to shine.
It's going to shine's going to shine it's going to shine Heaven's going to
[00:28:47] Speaker C: shine
[00:28:50] Speaker A: to really gonna show in the soul of my Because I know for sure that heaven's really gonna show.
