Revelation 7:9–17 ⁹ After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ¹¹ And all the angels were standing 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 saying, “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, 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.

¹⁵ “Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

¹⁶ They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.

¹⁷ For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Today, is All Saints Sunday.  It is a time to remember those who have gone before us in the faith.  It is a good day to remember loved ones who have been transferred out of this broken world into the presence of Christ.  It is a good time to remember the martyrs of the faith, not because they were so courageous or strong or faithful, but because of their Savior, Jesus Christ, His courage, His strength, and His faithfulness to and for them.

If we looked at all of Revelation 7, we would see two pictures of the church, both of which are comforting.

In Rev. 7:1-8 John hears about the 144,000 who are also called the “Church militant.”  Every member of the Church, every believer of all time, is called by God into His organized army of servants who live in this broken world.  Every believer of all time is sealed individually—one-by-one.  The whole group is organized for battle in the Lord’s army.

After John hears this, he turns and sees the group.  John sees the “Church militant” revealed to be the “Church triumphant” in our text.  The picture is of every believer of all time cleansed by the blood of the Lamb removed from tribulation.  People from every tribe and language, clothed in blood-washed, white robes, waving palm branches, crying out together, standing before the throne and the Lamb.  They are no longer troubled by the brokenness and tribulation of this world: no hunger, no thirst, no striking sun, no scorching heat.  They are led by springs of living water.

Every tear, even the smallest tear in this uncountable multitude, is wiped away.

At this point, we simply need to be content with the words of Scripture.  The New Heavens and the New Earth; the Holy City, the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; the Twelve Gates and Twelve Foundations; the Pearls, the Precious Stones, the Pure Gold like transparent glass, the River and the Tree of Life (Rev. 21:1-22:6).  All of it is utter triumph.

All of it reveals the victory of Christ—Who swallowed up of death—and gives the victory to you.

Believer, whatever you think about eternal life, make sure that you recognize that it is yours now, not just later.

Christ says (Jn. 5:24), “Whoever believes in Me has passed from death to life.”  And Eph. 2:5–6 says,⁵ even when [you] were dead in our trespasses, [God] made [you] alive together with Christ… ⁶ and raised [you] up with Him and seated [you] with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Let the comfort of that sink in.

Our text today is a picture of your friends and family who have died and are now with Christ, and it is a picture of you before Christ.  You are joined together with that uncountable multitude from every tribe and nation, even here today, as you join in the great Feast that Christ has given His Church—His Supper.

You are in the presence of God.  You join “with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven” lauding and magnifying the glorious Name of Christ.

In the Name that God placed upon you in your baptism—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are sealed, protected, forgiven.

Eternal life is yours now.  God doesn’t make you wait.  You are in Jesus Who is the Resurrection and the Life (Jn. 11:25-26).  You are connected with Christ, the One Who gives Living Water (Jn. 4:10; 7:37-38).  You are in the flock of Jesus—the Lamb Who is the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11).

Unless you don’t believe what Jesus says…

These glories, these mysterious glories, are all true for you here.  They are true for you now.  They are true for you forever.  Amen.

May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.