Today’s reading: Revelation 3:14-8:5
My selection: Revelation 7:13-14
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
My reflections: John sees a great innumerable multitude from every nation, tribe, peoples and languages worshiping God along with the angels (7:9-12). One of the elders asks John who they are, probably not to gain information but as a teaching technique to impart knowledge to John and to insure that John knows what he is seeing. John cannot answer so the elder informs him of the identity of these worshipers.
1. They have come out of the great tribulation. These are people who have suffered, it would seem, in every nation. The tribulation must be worldwide and the persecuted have been drawn from everywhere. Their faith did not exempt them from tribulation; it caused it.
2. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They are not sinless beings; they are cleansed sinners, forgiven through the atonement of Christ on the cross. They stand before God and worship because of what the Lamb of God did for them.
3. They worship. The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever (Westminster Shorter Catechism #1). They fulfill their purpose through worship. They have been made fit to worship by the cleansing blood of the Lamb.
My challenge: Do not think that faith in Christ will save you from suffering in this world. Be prepared for opposition, persecution, and even death for bearing the name of Christ. Be assured that He will sustain you and one day deliver you from every evil and sadness (7:15-17). Do not think that your own righteousness will ever be the basis for your standing and acceptance before God. If you are a believer, although you are confirmed in righteousness and unable to sin in glory, you will still be dependent on the blood of Lamb for your adoption as God’s child. For that you will give praise to Him. Practice worship now, personally and corporately. It is a manifestation of your chief end and a foretaste of heaven.
Tomorrow’s reading: Revelation 8:6-13:10
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