The Multitude in Heaven

Introduction

These verses in Revelation give us a glimpse of what it will be like to gather together around the throne of God in heaven. Many scholars attempt to place eschatological significance on these verses, but I don’t want to get distracted by those kinds of considerations from the tremendous emotion, magnificence, and drama of this portion of scripture. We are about to take a glimpse into eternity. We are given a preview of what heaven will be like for all of us. May we enjoy this brief journey into the throne room of heaven. May we look around and observe all the splendor. May we experience the worship. And may we sense the great multitude of other believers that will be there with us.

Verse 9
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.

John tells us that there was a great multitude around the throne – so great that it could not even be numbered. Imagine what that will be like. He tells us there will people from every nation and from every tribe. Every language and indigenous group will be represented. And they will all join together before the throne of God. We will be a part of this great multitude, joining hands with others who are black, and brown, and white, and yellow. There will be kings and slaves, rich and poor, beautiful and ugly, educated and ignorant, confident and shy, loud and quiet, tall and short. We will all gather around God’s throne.

This verse tells us we will have white robes and palm branches. The robes represent that we will stand purified by Christ’s righteousness. And the palm branches represent that we will stand before the throne as victors having overcome the trials and sufferings of this world.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary tells us, "The posture of these praising saints: they stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, before the Creator and the Mediator. In acts of religious worship we come nigh to God, and are to conceive ourselves as in his special presence; and we must come to God by Christ. The throne of God would be inaccessible to sinners were it not for a Mediator."

Verse 10
And crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!"

As we are gathered around that throne, we will suddenly realize where our salvation has come from. It did not come from our bravery or courage in face of suffering; it did not come from all our great works and good deeds; it did not come from our goodness or our merit. Our salvation came from God and belongs to him. When we realize this, we will all cry out together this song. It is then that we will understand the true meaning of Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God."

Verses 11-12
And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen."

The angels can not sing of God’s redemption for they have always served him. But they fall down before the throne and extoll the attributes of God. This is very similar to the song given in Revelation 5:12, "Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"

Here in Revelation 7:12 we are presented with a seven-fold praise to God. 1. Blessing is due him because of the way he has blessed us, 2. Glory is due him because he has filled the worlds and our lives with his light, 3. Wisdom is his because he is the possessor of all knowledge, 4. Thanksgiving is due him for all the wonderful things he has given to us, 5. Honor is due him because he is our heavenly Father, 6. Power is his because he is the almighty creator, 7. Might is his because he is the one who keeps the entire universe in motion.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary speaks of these angels, "Behold the most excellent of all the creatures, who never sinned, who are before him continually, not only covering their faces, but falling down on their faces before the Lord! What humility then, and what profound reverence, become us vile frail creatures, when we come into the presence of God! We should fall down before him; there should be both a reverential frame of spirit and a humble behaviour in all our addresses to God."

Verses 13-14
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?" I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "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 trials have you suffered? What misery have you experienced? What sorrow have you been made to bear? No matter what difficulties we may have to go through, we will one day stand before the throne of God with robes washed white in the blood of the lamb. The suffering in this life is but for a mere moment, a few years. But the joy in heaven will be for all eternity.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary says, "The low and desolate state they had formerly been in; they had been in great tribulation, persecuted by men, tempted by Satan, sometimes troubled in their own spirits; they had suffered the spoiling of their goods, the imprisonment of their persons, yea, the loss of life itself. The way to heaven lies through many tribulations; but tribulation, how great soever, shall not separate us from the love of God. Tribulation, when gone through well, will make heaven more welcome and more glorious."

Verses 15-16
Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night within his temple; and he who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.

This verse tells us that we are sheltered by God’s presence. We will be resting in the presence of God. Those that suffer through great tribulations will be the ones to receive the sheltering comfort and warmth of God’s love in the safety of his throne room. No matter what you may have to endure, don’t look at it as suffering, but rather think of it as a step closer to the presence of God.

Paradise

O Paradise, O Paradise,

Who doth not crave for rest,

Who would not seek the happy land

Where they that loved are blest?

Where loyal hearts and true

Stand ever in the light,

All rapture through and through,

In God’s most holy sight.

O Paradise, O Paradise,

The world is growing old;

Who would not be at rest and free

Where love is never cold?

O Paradise, O Paradise,

Wherefore doth death delay?

Bright death, that is the welcome dawn

Of our eternal day.

O Paradise, O Paradise,

‘Tis weary waiting here;

I long to be where Jesus is,

To feel, to see Him near.

O Paradise, O Paradise

I want to sin no more,

I want to be as pure on earth

As on the spotless shore.

O Paradise, O Paradise,

I greatly long to see

The special place my dearest Lord

Is destining for me.

O Paradise, O Paradise

I feel ‘twill not be long;

Patience! I almost think I hear

Faint fragments of thy song;

Where loyal hearts and true

Stand ever in the light,

All rapture through and through,

In God’s most holy sight.

Verse 17
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Notice that it is Christ who will be our shepherd. He will take care of us for all eternity. He will guide us to the springs of living water so that we may ever be refreshed. And God will wipe away every tear. Jesus has always been our Good Shepherd. He laid his life down for the sheep and paid the price for our sins. In this life he leads and guides and takes care of us. But even throughout eternity he will continue to be the Good Shepherd who takes care of his sheep.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary tell us, "They are happy in being delivered from all sorrow or occasion of it: God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. They have formerly had their sorrows, and shed many tears, both upon the account of sin and affliction; but God himself, with his own gentle and gracious hand, will wipe those tears away, and they shall return no more for ever; and they would not have been without those tears, when God comes to wipe them away. In this he deals with them as a tender father who finds his beloved child in tears, he comforts him, he wipes his eyes, and turns his sorrow into rejoicing. This should moderate the Christian's sorrow in his present state, and support him under all the troubles of it; for those that sow in tears shall reap in joy; and those that now go forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them."

Footnotes:



	A Study of Revelation 7:9-17