Revelation 7:14-17
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
John answers the elder very simply: “Sir, thou knowest.” In other words, “You tell me. You already know who these people are.” And the elder does. He tells John this great multitude is made up of those who came out of the great Tribulation. These are people who were once lost, but who turned to Christ in that terrible hour, and now stand before the throne washed in the blood of the Lamb.
That is a glorious picture, but it is also a very sobering one.
John had already seen the church in chapters 4 and 5. That heavenly company was familiar to him. But this group is different. He does not recognize them, because this is not the church. These are Tribulation saints, people who came to faith after the church was removed.
That is important, because some people talk as if they will just wait and get saved later. They think, “If all of this really starts happening, then I will believe. Then I will get serious. Then I will come to Christ.” But that is a dangerous way to think. Yes, people will be saved during the Tribulation. Revelation makes that very clear. This multitude proves it. But why put off grace now and choose such a fearful road later?
This company stands before the throne.
The bride of Christ sits with Him.
This company serves Him day and night in His temple.
The bride is served by the Lord.
That is not to diminish the blessedness of these saints at all. They are safe. They are clean. They are comforted. They are forever with the Lord. But there is still a distinction. They are not presented in the same position as the church, the bride of Christ. And that should make no one want to delay.
Today is the day of salvation.
That is the point that presses on me here. Come now. Believe now. Do not wait for judgment to force your eyes open. Do not wait for the world to fall apart before deciding Christ is worth following. Faith does not say, “I will believe once I see enough signs.” Faith says, “I believe God because He has spoken.”
And yet even in this passage, what shines so beautifully is the mercy of God.
He is still saving people in the darkest days imaginable.
He is still gathering souls when the world is reeling.
He is still drawing men and women to Himself when Antichrist is raging and the earth is trembling.
That should encourage us greatly in sharing the gospel. Sometimes it feels like nobody is listening. Sometimes it seems like hearts are shut and people are unmoved. But keep speaking. Keep sowing the Word. Keep pointing people to Jesus. The Lord is not done saving. In fact, the greatest revival in world history will take place after the Rapture.
As we continue through Revelation, we will see angels flying through the sky. We will see witnesses preaching. We will see a testimony going out with tremendous power. And suddenly there appears a multitude no man can number, people from all over the world turning to the Lord.
But for many of them, repentance will cost them their lives.
That is the hard edge of this passage. Antichrist will make war on those who refuse his mark. To come to Christ in that time may well mean martyrdom. So why would anyone say, “I will wait until then”? Why choose the darkest road when mercy is being offered freely now?
Look at what awaits this multitude. They shall hunger no more. They shall thirst no more. The sun will not strike them. The Lamb in the midst of the throne will feed them. He will lead them to living fountains of waters. And God Himself will wipe away all tears from their eyes.
What tenderness there is in that.
These are people who have suffered deeply. They have come through horror, loss, pressure, grief. But on the other side stands the Lamb, not merely receiving them, but shepherding them. Feeding them. Leading them. Comforting them. That is just like Jesus. The same Lamb whose blood washed them is now the Shepherd who restores them.
I love that.
He does not simply rescue and leave people standing at a distance. He brings them near, ministers to them, and wipes away every tear. That is the heart of our Lord.
So this passage is both hopeful and urgent.
Hopeful, because no darkness can stop the saving mercy of God.
Urgent, because no one should presume upon a later opportunity.
Beloved, do not wait for Tribulation to make you serious about Christ. Come now. Trust Him now. Be a man or woman of faith now. The Lamb is still calling, grace is still being offered, and today is still the day of salvation.