Today's Scripture
All God’s Children – Revelation 7:9-17
9 After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
11 And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 singing,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
16 They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
RJ's Devotion
What the passage says
V. 9-10 All nations and tribes are surrounded around the throne. They are clothed in white robes, which signifies purity, and are hold palm branches, as they venerate the king.
V. 11-12 The heavenly hosts and the elders join in praising the Lord.
V. 13-17 The elder gives a description of what will happen to the people of God. They are purified by the blood of Jesus, who is their true shepherd, and their tears and sorrows are all washed away.
What does the passage say to me/us?
John shares the site of what it will be like, as we stand in front of the throne of our Lord.
First, the glory of God will overwhelm us, as we see that all fall facedown in front of that glory.
Second, we see the power of the blood. The blood of the Lamb has the power to wash away all sins, and clothe the people of God in white. (Reminds us of the song ‘There is power in the bloood~ of the Lamb~)
Third, we see how the promise of salvation reaches out to all nations. Remember at the time of John; this was quite radical.
It has been a couple of decades where Peter first encountered the conversion of a Gentile. Even though Paul’s missionary work was a success, it would have been hard to imagine a picture of all nations and tribes bowing down to our Lord. Therefore, this scene is proof that God’s promise was for all nations before the Israels even noticed.
What does this image of God’s kingdom mean to us?
Do we long for that day to come? Or are we more attached to this world?
What if we reflect on what will happen, when I stand in front of the throne, during this day of Lent?
Prayer
Lord, we come in front of your throne. You are the Lord who is willing to call us. You are the Lord, who made the way for us to join your kingdom.
Help us to look forward to your kingdom. And help us to make that kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven.
In your name we pray. AMEN
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