APOKALYPSIS – 11

Sunday March 8, 2015

Revelation 7:9 – 7:17

 

Isaiah 11 & 12 – Israel’s Restoration

2. Revelation 7:9 – 17; The Great Multitude From Every Nation

This chapter continues the interlude (proleptic).  This passage gives hope to the martyrs of the fifth seal, chapter 6.

Themes:

– God fulfills His covenant with Abraham and all of His redemptive purposes.  Believers can surely rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2).

– God is sovereign in salvation

– God is praised, worshipped and glorified by all of the redeemed and the heavenly hosts.

– God brings His people through all earthly troubles and tribulations.

– The saints stand before the throne of God by the “blood of the Lamb” ALONE!

– The future glory of the saints makes all present difficulties and troubles worth it.  “And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18; Romans 8:31 – 39).

– God is the Great Shepherd, Our Immanuel (Psalm 23; John 10:25 – 30).

Notes:

– 7:9 – In this verse we see the success of the gospel and the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1 – 3; 15:5; 17:4).

– 7:10 – All salvation is ascribed to God.  The glorified saints recognize that God alone has saved.  He is sovereign.  All glory belongs to Him alone (Psalm 115:1).  “Soli Deo Gloria.”

– 7:11 – Notice that angels fall down before the throne and worship God.  God is the main focus, not angels.

– In this verse we see the humble position of these heavenly hosts – they are on their faces before the throne.

– 7:12 – God is glorified and praised.  We see sevenfold praises to God.  This is perhaps denoting perfect worship.

– 7:13 – John does not know who this great multitude is.  I imagine he is amazed by what he is beholding.  We should be also, for here we see the ultimate triumph of the people of God.  God brings His people through.  (See Grant Osborne pp. 332 – 333).

– 7:14 – Literally in the Greek these words read: “the tribulation, the great.”

The Greek word for “tribulation” here is “Thlipis.”  “Thlipis is a cognate form of the verb thlibo (persecute).  It denotes the results of being squeezed or put into a narrow place – hence “trouble, affliction, distress”  (William D. Mounce; Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).  It can also be translated as “pressure, compression, distress, trial, trouble and affliction.”

– 7:15 – 17 – The Shepherd of the Redeemed dwells with His sheep forever.  He truly is Immanuel.  On this day we will understand so much concerning God’s plan and the why of human suffering and tragedy.

– The redemptive pattern is fulfilled.  From Paradise to the Tabernacle of Moses, to the Temple, to Jesus Christ the Word Incarnate to the Church (which is the habitation for God in the Spirit; Ephesians 2:22.

– These verses are such a precious and beautiful picture of God’s character and His love for His own people.