Revelation 7:9-17
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.’”
Saints in Waiting
In November of 1940, the city of Coventry in England was bombed by the Nazis. The town was destroyed, and the centuries-old cathedral was reduced to rubble. In the aftermath of the war, the congregation made an interesting decision. They left the ruins of their cathedral in place and then built their new church right next to it.
When they built the new cathedral, they installed a huge glass wall facing the ruins. Etched into the glass are large figures, four feet wide and ten feet tall – images of saints and angels rejoicing in heaven. It’s a beautiful design decision, because as you look through the glass, you see the remains of the bombed-out church, but through the glass that is etched with images of saints and angels. You cannot see the rubble except through the lens of the promise of heaven.
The Coventry Cathedral is a fitting picture for life on earth, isn’t it? There are lots of reminders of former traumas that still haunt us, but that’s exactly why God gave this revelation to John. It was God’s (much better) way to build a wall of glass windows for us to look through, so that you can view the world you live in through the lens of God’s gracious promise of heaven.
This is how John’s revelation began in Chapter 7:
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.[1]
It’s almost the same picture as the Coventry Cathedral, isn’t it? God showed John saints and angels rejoicing in heaven. This great multitude that no one could count were the saints. And although John doesn’t use that word here, it becomes clear exactly who they are by God’s own definition later:
“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.”[2]
If I may, I’d like to take exception to the translation of this text. In the Greek, it’s not they who have come out; it’s they who are coming out. In other words, these are not survivors of one specific, massive tragedy. These are Christians of every age who have ever suffered anything.
And Christians suffer, don’t we? We live under the curse of Eden – pain in childbirth and painful toil just to feed our families. We suffer pain and loss in life. We have to bury our parents and go in for emergency surgery. We see the signs of the end times all around us: wars and rumours of wars (in Ukraine and the Middle East), natural disasters (flooding in Libya and Morocco), hatred and lack of love (goodness, you barely have to turn on any device to hear about that; if you even have to turn on a device to experience it firsthand). We are in the era of the great tribulation that John referenced in his revelation right now.
But here’s the good news: These are they who are coming out of the great tribulation. There is relief on the horizon. There is rescue and consolation. There is hope for this great multitude – and for you and me – and it doesn’t come from a piece of legislation or an act of solidarity for a nation at war; it doesn’t come from reversing course on global emissions or becoming carbon neutral; it doesn’t come from learning how to love someone for who they are (or who think they are). God says:
“These are they who are coming out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”[3]
The white robes and palm branches are signs of victory – but not a victory that this great multitude won for itself. They did not go through life keeping their clothes (let alone their thoughts and hands and records) clean to the end. No, every one of them was dirty, and so are all of us.
We may be tempted to believe that we are better than other people because we are here. We may be tempted to believe that our own goodness – if only our commitment to coming to church and reading the Bible – plays some small part in our salvation. But the saints in heaven know the truth:
“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”[4]
No saint is perfect. Saints are not Christian superheroes. This great multitude in white robes around the throne is not a collection of humanity’s greatest humans.
“They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”[5]
Every one of the saints John sees is a sinner, just like you and me. Not a single one earned his spot in heaven, and neither do we. Each of them is there because of what the Lamb did. You know who that Lamb is, don’t you? It’s Jesus. In fact, that’s one of the first things that anyone on earth ever called Jesus other than his name. Even before he started traveling the countryside preaching and teaching in every town and village between Nazareth and Jerusalem, John looked at him and said:
“Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”[6]
Jesus is the Lamb of God, the lamb of sacrifice, the lamb of salvation. In the Old Testament, God commanded that the people only sacrifice lambs without blemish or defect, but spotless and blameless. That was Jesus. He was the only person in human history who was able to keep his clothes (and his thoughts and hands and record) clean throughout his entire life. So that when he went to the cross and poured out his blood, it was precious and pure and able to forgive your blemishes and defects, or, as John says here, to make your robes white in the blood of the Lamb.
That’s what Jesus did for you 2,000 years ago. He secured your salvation. He made it possible for you to go to heaven. More than that, he promised that you and I – everyone who believes in him – will be part of this great multitude that no one could count.
Imagine that. With eyes that could miraculously look forward into the future, it is entirely possible that John saw your face in this crowd. John saw you wearing white robes and holding palm branches and singing and serving God in heaven. He saw you and all those believers you have loved but lost too, e.g. your Christian parents and grandparents, your beloved spouse or child who preceded you in death. Everyone who put their faith in the Lamb will be clothed in robes made white by his blood.
And the life God will give us there will undo any and all of your suffering.
“Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.”[7]
You won’t even have to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” All your needs will be met. You won’t have to worry about anything. You won’t have to provide or procure anything. You won’t have to put in a 40-hour week or make a last minute trip to the grocery store. You won’t have to clip coupons or stretch meals. All your needs will be met by the Lamb.
“The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat.”[8]
No more sweat on your brow. No more painful toil. No more adverse weather conditions. But perfect peace and pleasantness in green pastures forever.
“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.”[9]
Psalm 23 will be real life, for the Lord is your shepherd and you will lack nothing under his care. You will be Jesus’ little lamb, ever glad at heart. Your shepherd will gently guide. He knows your needs and well provides you. Loves you every day the same. Even calls you by your name.
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”[10]
Coventry Cathedral is a beautiful picture of saints in waiting. We live in the vale of tears. There are so many reasons for us to be sad and hurt and discouraged and lonely and afraid. But every anxiety will be calmed by Christ. Every hurt will be healed by his hand. And he will wipe every tear from your eyes forever.
We are saints in waiting. We live in a bombed-out, sin-ravaged world, but we are privileged to see every day of this life through the lens of God’s promise of heaven. It is already ours; we’re just not there yet. So, as you deal with the fallout and try to clean up the rubble left behind by sin in this life, remember that it won’t always be this way, but that salvation belongs to our God, and to the Lamb, and because he loves you, you will wear white robes and stand before his throne and sing and serve him forever in heaven with all the saints in glory everlasting. Amen.
Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen.[11]
[1] Revelation 7:9
[2] Revelation 7:14
[3] Revelation 7:14
[4] Revelation 7:10
[5] Revelation 7:14
[6] John 1:29
[7] Revelation 7:16
[8] Revelation 7:16
[9] Revelation 7:17
[10] Revelation 7:17
[11] Revelation 7:12