By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sermon Series: Jesus’ Message to the Churches
Sermon Text: Revelation 7:9-12
Sermon Theme
John’s vision in the seventh chapter of Revelation gives him a glimpse of eternity. Those who stand in heaven’s throne are a multitude which cannot be numbered. They come from “every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9). They have come through the ordeal of the “last days,” which began with the coming of Jesus Christ and will continue until he comes again (Hebrews 1:2, Acts 2:16-17, Mark 13:24-26). The vision ends with one of the most hopeful descriptions in Scripture. There will be no more hunger and thirst. They will be led to the springs of the water of life and God will wipe away every tear (Revelation 7:16-17). This picture should be a source of constant encouragement for every one of us in all the ordeals of life.
Sermon Outline
- Promise. All of scripture is the unfolding of God’s promise to Abraham. Abraham lived in a time of darkness, idolatry, false gods and cruelty. He and his wife, Sarah, were past the age of childbearing. Yet God makes a promise to him. His descendants will be as the stars in the heavens and the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17). More than this, through Abraham’s offspring all the nations of the world will be blessed (Genesis 22:18). At the time God made this promise it sounded completely incredible. Yet Abraham believed God (Genesis 15:6) and became the father of faith for all of us (Romans 4:16). John is witnessing the fulfillment of God’s promise. Before the throne of God and in the presence of Jesus Christ, the Lamb who took away the sin of the world (John 1:29), John sees “a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9). This is a vision of the future. The certainty of this vision underscores the truth that God’s promises can never fail no matter how impossible they appear to us (Psalm 18:30, Luke 1:54-55, II Corinthians 1:20).
- Praise. This great multitude are robed in white. Their sins have been washed away through the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 5:9, 7:14). They praise God and are carrying palm branches in their hands symbolizing the Hebrew Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:39-43). God now will “tabernacle” or dwell in the midst of his people (Revelation 7:15, John 1:14). Their palm branches are also a sign of victory (“salvation” in verse 10 can also be translated as “victory”) (Psalm 118:15-29). They have come through the “great ordeal.” As John will describe later this ordeal began with Satan being thrown out of heaven at the coming of Christ. His wrath is great because his time is short (Revelation 12:12). Christians from the period of the New Testament on up until the return of Christ are living through a “fiery ordeal” (I Peter 4:12-13, Ephesians 6:12, Matthew 24:21). The antichrist is present among us in many forms (I John 2:18). Yet in all this we are victorious through Christ (John 16:33, Romans 8:37). The heavenly beings around the throne join in the great song of praise (Revelation 7:9-11). God’s promises cannot fail. The church is called to reflect the heavenly vision in being multi-cultural and multi-ethnic.
- Panorama. John’s vision is full of hope. The Lamb of God will fulfill the plan of redemption promised to Abraham. In the midst of the conflicts of this world we need this vision of God’s coming future to sustain, encourage and empower us. Too often our view is too restrictive. We live in a world where we see the present reality of a narrow path to God “and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14). We see the “prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:3). We see many who turn away from Christ in unbelief (Matthew 13:18-22). We need to remember that none of these things is the end of the story. Even God’s wrath, as real as it is, is not the final word (Psalm 30:5, Hosea 11:9, John 3:17). In a similar vision Isaiah sees the destruction of the ships of Tarshish but then these same ships will in the end time bring the children of God to Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:16, 23:1, 60:9). The kings of the earth who commit fornication with the great whore will bring their glory into the new Jerusalem (Revelation 18:3, 21:24). Jesus will finally destroy death itself (does this include the second death?) (I Corinthians 15:26). God will wipe away every tear. There is much we do not know. However what we do know from visions like John’s should make us the most hopeful and encouraging people in the world. In the words of our confessions we must hope well of all. We should act and pray accordingly.
Questions for Us
- Do we live by the promises of God in his word even when they don’t make sense to us? What does it mean to say that Abraham is our father?
- How can we more fully live out in this life the future picture of the great multitude of God’s redeemed from every nation, tribe, people and language?
- How can we more effectively communicate the promise that God will wipe away every tear? (Rev. 7:17; 21:3-4)
