A Great Multitude

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. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.

Rev 7:9-10

Because John is in heaven, he sees these things from an eternal point of view; there is no sequence or time limitations, no past or future in heaven. From our standpoint of time, John sees things that are happening at the close of the seven-year week. He sees ahead to the end of the seven years, and sees this great multitude that have come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, and they have palm branches in their hands.

When did we last find a crowd of people with palm branches in their hands, welcoming Jesus as a King? It was when he rode down the mountainside into Jerusalem. The prophet is linking that event with this. Then, Israel had the opportunity to receive their King, but the leaders of the nation rejected him. At this event, in the end times, they are welcoming and worshipping their King, still with palm branches in their hands. So this great multitude of Jews and Gentiles is particularly associated with the restoration of Israel. These are all martyrs. They have died for the sake of Christ during the tribulation, and they now appear before the throne of God as victors over death and hell, and join the worship of angels around the throne. Is it not wonderful to think that, in earth's darkest hour, yet to come, the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever seen will take place? Millions of those who have never heard the gospel today will be saved.

During these terrible days of judgment, when the witches of war ride their nuclear brooms across the darkening skies of the world's last night, thousands who have never heard before will hear the gospel of the coming kingdom of God announced and will turn to Christ. It will cost them their lives. As we read on in Revelation, we will see that the anti-Christian powers of that day, powerful and tyrannical, will massacre anyone who does not bear the mark of the beast. These believers must give up their lives because of their testimony for God. We will meet them again when we come to chapter 20. There we are told that those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God (Revelation 20:4) will be raised from the dead to serve the Lord throughout the thousand-year reign of Christ. It is the same multitude as here. John sees them in heaven at this point, but they are given a spiritual ministry on earth during the thousand-year reign of Christ.

Father, you have a great plan for the unfolding of history. May I be found among those who sing, Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.