[Originally preached 8 June, 2003]
Revelation 7
Our text this morning is the interlude that we find within the account of the opening of the seven seals. It relates to the message of the seals that we saw last time: life is hard. There will be wars and strife and struggle and death, not to mention martyrdom. The interlude speaks to the message of the opening of the seals in two ways. It reveals to us the vision of the sealing of the one hundred forty-four thousand and then the vision of the great multitude that comes out of the great tribulation. These two visions actually speak of the same group with a different point being made in each vision. The sealing of the servants of God speaks to the protection that they receive during their struggles. The saints are being protected as they face the hardships of this life. The vision about the great multitude speaks about these same saints but in terms of what awaits them after the last seal has been opened, after the beginning of the age to come. We’re going to leave for another time the sealing of the servants of God. Today, we’re going to look at the second half of the chapter. And the reason for this is not complicated. I was really taken by the themes in the second half and didn’t want to wait to preach to you about them. They are so encouraging. And they are encouraging because they point us to the future hope of the Gospel. Being reminded of this hope can be so very encouraging as we deal with life here in this fallen place.
Let’s begin by asking some questions of the text. First, who are these people? I’ve already pointed out that they are identified as those who have come out of the great tribulation. Now, as you probably know, there are some who understand the great tribulation to be a time of special hardship not too long before Jesus returns. But if you look at the context of what we have in our text you can see that this doesn’t fit. I’m not going to go in to a detailed explanation, but let me say that this interlude points back to the opening of the seals. And we saw that the message of the seals is that life between the comings of Jesus is hard. That applies to all of that time and not just a few years before Jesus comes back. The rest of the New Testament supports this idea that life now for the Christians is hard, is filled with tribulation. When Paul returned to strengthen the disciples that he made during his first missionary journey what did he tell them? ‘We must enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations.’ [Acts 14.22] And Paul encouraged the saints in Rome by telling them that even tribulations will not be able to separate them from the love of Christ. [Romans 8.35] The servants of God who come out of the great tribulation are all the saints from every nation, tribe and tongue and from every era of history. This is the Church universal, the complete Church that has suffered the tribulations of life between the first and second comings of Jesus.
Now, where? Where are these saints? The text is clear. They are before the throne of God and before the Lamb. They are in heaven – or better, in the new heavens and the new earth since it is the whole Church. And this also answers the question of when. This is the complete Church gathered together after the end of this age. And then why? Why is this included here? It’s here to encourage us. The whole Church is going to make it to the end. We will make it and we will relish it. We need to study this because we need to be reminded of our hope so that we might be encouraged by it.
Now, I am going to focus our attention on verses 15-17. These are the words of one of the twenty-four elders who spoke with John. The elder describes the age to come, the future of the Church. And you’ll notice that what this elder has to say is not a list of statements. He describes our eternity by images, a series of pictures drawn especially from the Old Testament. In this way his words make a different kind of impression. It really is true that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Let’s unpack what we have here. First, we see the saints ‘before the throne of God’. They are gathered in God’s throne room. And what are they doing there? What does it say? They are serving God day and night in His temple. Now, the words that John uses are very important here. There is a word translated ‘serve’ that speaks about what a slave or servant might do. That’s not this word. There is another word translated ‘serve’ that speaks about worship. That’s the word we have here. The saints are gathered together worshipping their God. It fits. Worship is a major theme in the book of Revelation. And it fits the immediate context also. Where are these saints serving God? What does it say? ‘In His temple.’ Here, again, the choice of words is significant. There is a word translated ‘temple’ that refers to the whole building and its courts. But there is another word also translated ‘temple’ that refers to the inner sanctuary. That’s the word in our text. So, we see the saints, worshipping their God, not from a distance but in the Holy of Holies, enjoying the very presence of God. Is it any wonder that they shout out their praises?
Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Revelation 7:10
And it’s no wonder that the angels and the four living creatures and the elders join in.
When Linda and I were first engaged she was going to school outside of Philadelphia and I was going to school in north Jersey. We didn’t get to see each other very much. I remember taking the long train ride to her campus for a weekend visit. Though the train trip was long, taking it wasn’t a burden. As I rode, I relished the thought that at the end of my trip I would get to see my beloved. And as I got off the train, there she was. And I was in heaven. That’s one point of this image. One day, after a long journey, we will be with the One whom we love, the One who is fairer than ten thousand. The bliss will be unimaginable. That’s what makes heaven the glory that it is.
God is also active in this image. Here, comparing the translations is quite interesting. The NKJV tells us that God ‘will dwell among them’. Now, again, the words are significant. There is a word that is translated ‘dwell’ which means just that, to live some place. But this isn’t that word. This word means something like ‘pitch a tent’. And so, the NIV translates this, He will ‘spread His tent over them’. Along with the image of a tent these translators understood that this tent isn’t just among the saints but over the saints. Then comes along the NASV which takes it a step further. He will ‘spread His tabernacle over them’. And right away when you hear ‘tabernacle’ your thoughts go to Moses and Israel in the desert and the tabernacle of God, the sacramental presence of God there with His people. What a great image! Then, the ESV tries to help us get the point of the image when they translate this, ‘[He will] shelter them with His presence’. They are trying to be sure that we get the point. The notion of the tabernacle is the theme of the presence of God with His own. And this tabernacle is spread over the saints. Do you know why? Here, we encounter the Old Testament theme of our God as a shelter for His people. Listen.
Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain. Isaiah 4:5-6
For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, Isaiah 25:4
Then David ties this in with another theme of the Old Testament, God’s wings.
Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Psalm 61:4
And this leads to something Jesus said.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! Luke 13:34
You put this all together and you have the image of God spreading His tabernacle over His precious saints, providing shelter to them, just as a mother bird extends her wings to gather and cover her young.
Imagine that you are a little child taking a walk. Out of the blue, completely unexpected, a thunderstorm breaks overhead. Sheets of water rain down and worse, there is the flashing lightning and the crack of thunder. How good it would be if your father were there with you. He anticipated the rain and opens his umbrella and invites you under it. But how much better than that if your dad opens his umbrella and then scoops you up into his arms and holding you close he whispers in your ear, ‘Don’t be afraid of the lightning and thunder. I’ll keep you safe.’ Do you hear what this elder is saying to John? God will spread His tabernacle over His Church. He will shelter them with His own comforting presence. Heaven is our being tenderly held in the strong arms of our God, kept safe and sheltered forever. Is it any wonder that the saints shout their praises?
Now, I must say that this is enough for me. If the text were to stop here I would be plenty satisfied. But the elder doesn’t stop. He has more to say. ‘They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore…’ Did you ever have a yen for something to eat? You go to the fridge and look around. You’re not looking for a meal, just something to nosh on. A little snack. And you look and you look and it doesn’t seem as if anything there is going to hit the spot. What all too often happens to me is that I settle for something else but it just doesn’t satisfy. So, I still have that desire and I’ve added more calories that I don’t need, all for nothing. As you mature as a Christian you will feel that growing desire for God. You want more of Him. You will understand better and better the words of the Psalmist.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. Psalm 73:25
As you grow you come to understand that nothing will satisfy that desire except Himself. You might try this or that but other things just don’t hit the spot. That is part of the frustration of this life. Little by little we learn, and sometimes the hard way, that all these other things will not satisfy. The promise of our text is that one day that desire will be met, that persistent thirst will be slaked. Finally, your soul will experience the satisfaction that you’ve yearned for, satisfaction in God. And the elder tells us how that will happen. Our Good Shepherd, who is also the Lamb, will guide us to springs of living water. You’ll remember that Jesus offered this water to the Samaritan woman. Jesus offered the woman the promise of the Gospel, living water. And the elder of our text tells us that one day we will drink deeply of this spring and we’ll feel, deep within our souls, the sense of complete satisfaction.
Then, there is the last part of what the elder has to say. ‘… and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ What do you see in this image? I see a young child crying. She has just fallen off her bike. Her knee is scraped and her wrist hurts. She comes running to her mother, crying all the way. I see her mother gently washing the scrape putting a Band-Aid on it and then kissing her wrist, making it all better. And then she wipes away all the tears. I see a little child running back outside to ride her bike again, laughing and shouting with all her friends, having completely forgotten about her wounds. One day, our Father will be a mother to us, and He will wipe away all our tears and we won’t remember how hard it has been. And we will all laugh and play together.
We aren’t quite done. Did you notice the first word of this section of our text? It’s the word ‘therefore’. All that I have described is a result of something else. What might it be? There are several things that you could point to, but I would like to point to just one. Listen again to verse 14. ‘These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.’ Did you hear what he said? Who will get to enjoy all of this? It is those who entered into the hardships of being a Christian in this evil world, dealt with those difficulties, endured them all without bailing out, and then came out at the other end, still faithful. One of the key themes of the book of Revelation, one of the reasons that it was written, is the problem of compromise. Jesus called to His seven churches. He called them to faithfulness, even unto death. And He did that because some of them were cutting corners. Some of them were compromising with their culture. ‘Oh we can give in here a little bit. It’s not a big deal.’ They were compromising so that they didn’t have to endure the pressure to conform. Jesus’ message through John was that this compromising was not acceptable. He was calling them back to faithfulness. Jesus is still doing that through this book today. This is still His call to faithfulness. And in this particular part of the book, Jesus is trying to encourage those who hear His call and are striving to continue on faithfully in the midst of hardship, in the midst of tribulation. Do you hear what He’s saying? ‘It’s worth it. I know that it’s hard, but it’s worth it.’ ‘Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me…’ [Revelation 22:12] Our text is about the rewards. The saints of our text endured it all and so they will be greatly blessed. They will get the rewards.
Jesus is encouraging us as we face sin all around us and even within us. He is encouraging us as the world continues to try to squeeze us into its mold. The sealing of the servants of God in the first part of the chapter is about how Jesus protects His own while they are in the midst of the battle. This part of the chapter is about how He rewards them afterward for their faithfulness. At the heart of that faithfulness is looking to Him for the strength, the wisdom, the stamina and, yes, the forgiveness, to make it to the end. And as we do that, He will make sure that we get there.
A good summary of all of this is found in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians.
For this slight momentary affliction [This is the same word ‘tribulation’ in our text.] is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
As you strive against the world, the flesh and the devil, rejoice. Jesus promises you that it’s worth it.
Revelation 7
Our text this morning is the interlude that we find within the account of the opening of the seven seals. It relates to the message of the seals that we saw last time: life is hard. There will be wars and strife and struggle and death, not to mention martyrdom. The interlude speaks to the message of the opening of the seals in two ways. It reveals to us the vision of the sealing of the one hundred forty-four thousand and then the vision of the great multitude that comes out of the great tribulation. These two visions actually speak of the same group with a different point being made in each vision. The sealing of the servants of God speaks to the protection that they receive during their struggles. The saints are being protected as they face the hardships of this life. The vision about the great multitude speaks about these same saints but in terms of what awaits them after the last seal has been opened, after the beginning of the age to come. We’re going to leave for another time the sealing of the servants of God. Today, we’re going to look at the second half of the chapter. And the reason for this is not complicated. I was really taken by the themes in the second half and didn’t want to wait to preach to you about them. They are so encouraging. And they are encouraging because they point us to the future hope of the Gospel. Being reminded of this hope can be so very encouraging as we deal with life here in this fallen place.
Let’s begin by asking some questions of the text. First, who are these people? I’ve already pointed out that they are identified as those who have come out of the great tribulation. Now, as you probably know, there are some who understand the great tribulation to be a time of special hardship not too long before Jesus returns. But if you look at the context of what we have in our text you can see that this doesn’t fit. I’m not going to go in to a detailed explanation, but let me say that this interlude points back to the opening of the seals. And we saw that the message of the seals is that life between the comings of Jesus is hard. That applies to all of that time and not just a few years before Jesus comes back. The rest of the New Testament supports this idea that life now for the Christians is hard, is filled with tribulation. When Paul returned to strengthen the disciples that he made during his first missionary journey what did he tell them? ‘We must enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations.’ [Acts 14.22] And Paul encouraged the saints in Rome by telling them that even tribulations will not be able to separate them from the love of Christ. [Romans 8.35] The servants of God who come out of the great tribulation are all the saints from every nation, tribe and tongue and from every era of history. This is the Church universal, the complete Church that has suffered the tribulations of life between the first and second comings of Jesus.
Now, where? Where are these saints? The text is clear. They are before the throne of God and before the Lamb. They are in heaven – or better, in the new heavens and the new earth since it is the whole Church. And this also answers the question of when. This is the complete Church gathered together after the end of this age. And then why? Why is this included here? It’s here to encourage us. The whole Church is going to make it to the end. We will make it and we will relish it. We need to study this because we need to be reminded of our hope so that we might be encouraged by it.
Now, I am going to focus our attention on verses 15-17. These are the words of one of the twenty-four elders who spoke with John. The elder describes the age to come, the future of the Church. And you’ll notice that what this elder has to say is not a list of statements. He describes our eternity by images, a series of pictures drawn especially from the Old Testament. In this way his words make a different kind of impression. It really is true that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Let’s unpack what we have here. First, we see the saints ‘before the throne of God’. They are gathered in God’s throne room. And what are they doing there? What does it say? They are serving God day and night in His temple. Now, the words that John uses are very important here. There is a word translated ‘serve’ that speaks about what a slave or servant might do. That’s not this word. There is another word translated ‘serve’ that speaks about worship. That’s the word we have here. The saints are gathered together worshipping their God. It fits. Worship is a major theme in the book of Revelation. And it fits the immediate context also. Where are these saints serving God? What does it say? ‘In His temple.’ Here, again, the choice of words is significant. There is a word translated ‘temple’ that refers to the whole building and its courts. But there is another word also translated ‘temple’ that refers to the inner sanctuary. That’s the word in our text. So, we see the saints, worshipping their God, not from a distance but in the Holy of Holies, enjoying the very presence of God. Is it any wonder that they shout out their praises?
Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Revelation 7:10
And it’s no wonder that the angels and the four living creatures and the elders join in.
When Linda and I were first engaged she was going to school outside of Philadelphia and I was going to school in north Jersey. We didn’t get to see each other very much. I remember taking the long train ride to her campus for a weekend visit. Though the train trip was long, taking it wasn’t a burden. As I rode, I relished the thought that at the end of my trip I would get to see my beloved. And as I got off the train, there she was. And I was in heaven. That’s one point of this image. One day, after a long journey, we will be with the One whom we love, the One who is fairer than ten thousand. The bliss will be unimaginable. That’s what makes heaven the glory that it is.
God is also active in this image. Here, comparing the translations is quite interesting. The NKJV tells us that God ‘will dwell among them’. Now, again, the words are significant. There is a word that is translated ‘dwell’ which means just that, to live some place. But this isn’t that word. This word means something like ‘pitch a tent’. And so, the NIV translates this, He will ‘spread His tent over them’. Along with the image of a tent these translators understood that this tent isn’t just among the saints but over the saints. Then comes along the NASV which takes it a step further. He will ‘spread His tabernacle over them’. And right away when you hear ‘tabernacle’ your thoughts go to Moses and Israel in the desert and the tabernacle of God, the sacramental presence of God there with His people. What a great image! Then, the ESV tries to help us get the point of the image when they translate this, ‘[He will] shelter them with His presence’. They are trying to be sure that we get the point. The notion of the tabernacle is the theme of the presence of God with His own. And this tabernacle is spread over the saints. Do you know why? Here, we encounter the Old Testament theme of our God as a shelter for His people. Listen.
Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain. Isaiah 4:5-6
For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, Isaiah 25:4
Then David ties this in with another theme of the Old Testament, God’s wings.
Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Psalm 61:4
And this leads to something Jesus said.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! Luke 13:34
You put this all together and you have the image of God spreading His tabernacle over His precious saints, providing shelter to them, just as a mother bird extends her wings to gather and cover her young.
Imagine that you are a little child taking a walk. Out of the blue, completely unexpected, a thunderstorm breaks overhead. Sheets of water rain down and worse, there is the flashing lightning and the crack of thunder. How good it would be if your father were there with you. He anticipated the rain and opens his umbrella and invites you under it. But how much better than that if your dad opens his umbrella and then scoops you up into his arms and holding you close he whispers in your ear, ‘Don’t be afraid of the lightning and thunder. I’ll keep you safe.’ Do you hear what this elder is saying to John? God will spread His tabernacle over His Church. He will shelter them with His own comforting presence. Heaven is our being tenderly held in the strong arms of our God, kept safe and sheltered forever. Is it any wonder that the saints shout their praises?
Now, I must say that this is enough for me. If the text were to stop here I would be plenty satisfied. But the elder doesn’t stop. He has more to say. ‘They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore…’ Did you ever have a yen for something to eat? You go to the fridge and look around. You’re not looking for a meal, just something to nosh on. A little snack. And you look and you look and it doesn’t seem as if anything there is going to hit the spot. What all too often happens to me is that I settle for something else but it just doesn’t satisfy. So, I still have that desire and I’ve added more calories that I don’t need, all for nothing. As you mature as a Christian you will feel that growing desire for God. You want more of Him. You will understand better and better the words of the Psalmist.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. Psalm 73:25
As you grow you come to understand that nothing will satisfy that desire except Himself. You might try this or that but other things just don’t hit the spot. That is part of the frustration of this life. Little by little we learn, and sometimes the hard way, that all these other things will not satisfy. The promise of our text is that one day that desire will be met, that persistent thirst will be slaked. Finally, your soul will experience the satisfaction that you’ve yearned for, satisfaction in God. And the elder tells us how that will happen. Our Good Shepherd, who is also the Lamb, will guide us to springs of living water. You’ll remember that Jesus offered this water to the Samaritan woman. Jesus offered the woman the promise of the Gospel, living water. And the elder of our text tells us that one day we will drink deeply of this spring and we’ll feel, deep within our souls, the sense of complete satisfaction.
Then, there is the last part of what the elder has to say. ‘… and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ What do you see in this image? I see a young child crying. She has just fallen off her bike. Her knee is scraped and her wrist hurts. She comes running to her mother, crying all the way. I see her mother gently washing the scrape putting a Band-Aid on it and then kissing her wrist, making it all better. And then she wipes away all the tears. I see a little child running back outside to ride her bike again, laughing and shouting with all her friends, having completely forgotten about her wounds. One day, our Father will be a mother to us, and He will wipe away all our tears and we won’t remember how hard it has been. And we will all laugh and play together.
We aren’t quite done. Did you notice the first word of this section of our text? It’s the word ‘therefore’. All that I have described is a result of something else. What might it be? There are several things that you could point to, but I would like to point to just one. Listen again to verse 14. ‘These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.’ Did you hear what he said? Who will get to enjoy all of this? It is those who entered into the hardships of being a Christian in this evil world, dealt with those difficulties, endured them all without bailing out, and then came out at the other end, still faithful. One of the key themes of the book of Revelation, one of the reasons that it was written, is the problem of compromise. Jesus called to His seven churches. He called them to faithfulness, even unto death. And He did that because some of them were cutting corners. Some of them were compromising with their culture. ‘Oh we can give in here a little bit. It’s not a big deal.’ They were compromising so that they didn’t have to endure the pressure to conform. Jesus’ message through John was that this compromising was not acceptable. He was calling them back to faithfulness. Jesus is still doing that through this book today. This is still His call to faithfulness. And in this particular part of the book, Jesus is trying to encourage those who hear His call and are striving to continue on faithfully in the midst of hardship, in the midst of tribulation. Do you hear what He’s saying? ‘It’s worth it. I know that it’s hard, but it’s worth it.’ ‘Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me…’ [Revelation 22:12] Our text is about the rewards. The saints of our text endured it all and so they will be greatly blessed. They will get the rewards.
Jesus is encouraging us as we face sin all around us and even within us. He is encouraging us as the world continues to try to squeeze us into its mold. The sealing of the servants of God in the first part of the chapter is about how Jesus protects His own while they are in the midst of the battle. This part of the chapter is about how He rewards them afterward for their faithfulness. At the heart of that faithfulness is looking to Him for the strength, the wisdom, the stamina and, yes, the forgiveness, to make it to the end. And as we do that, He will make sure that we get there.
A good summary of all of this is found in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians.
For this slight momentary affliction [This is the same word ‘tribulation’ in our text.] is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
As you strive against the world, the flesh and the devil, rejoice. Jesus promises you that it’s worth it.
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