January 27 – The Great Multitude

January 27 – The Great Multitude

Revelation 7:9-12

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 

         “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: 

         “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

The Great Multitude.  In Genesis, God promised Abraham over and over that he (Abraham) would have multitudes of descendants.  “I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted” (Genesis 13:16, ESV).  “And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:5, ESV).  “The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude” (Genesis 16:10, ESV).

That promise is fulfilled in this passage.  The multitude was so great no one could count and they were all standing in heaven in front of the throne of God.  That is extraordinary!  They sing out praise to God and to the Lamb.  Salvation is through the work of God, not anything the multitude has done.  This is God’s final victory over sin and over the rulers of earth who, in essence, crucified His Son and persecuted those who loved Him.

All of the angels fell down before the throne worshiping God.

We are part of the fulfillment of the Covenant God made with Abraham. Paul tells us in Romans, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:16-17).