Salvation
in the Tribulation. Rev. 7:4-8
Revelation 7:9 NASB “After these things…” John is
shifting the focus, he moves to his next vision in vv. 9-12. The first part is
what is seen in the throne room of God in heaven. In vv. 13-17 the explanation
of this scene is recorded. In the first part six groups are mentioned: the
innumerable multitude which no one could count; the one who is on the throne,
referring to God the Father; the Lamb, the second person of the Trinity; a
group of angels that are also surrounding the throne; the elders, a reference
to the 24 elders who are a representative of the church; the four living beings
who are identified probably as cherubs who are there be3fore the throne. The
only addition that we have to the scene in chapters five and six is the
innumerable multitude. These will be identified as those who come out from the
Tribulation period. The context is that of worship again. Those who are now
worshipping the Lord are those who have come out of the Tribulation, those who
have been martyred and those who were killed during the judgments. This shows
that those who are saved, even during the beginning period of the Tribulation,
is a tremendous number so great we can’t count it. This is a manifestation of
God’s magnificent grace even in the midst of judgment.
“… I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count,
from every nation and {all} tribes and peoples and tongues [languages],
standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and
palm branches {were} in their hands.” What are these white robes and what are
the palm branches in their hands? There are those who will look at this and say
they must have their resurrection bodies because they have hands and they are
wearing these robes. That is not a valid conclusion. In Luke 16:19ff we are
told about the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man went to torments; Lazarus
went to
There is another thing in context which tells us about these white
robes. In verse 13 there is a reference to white robes again in answer to the
question as to who these clothed in white robes are. In the answer given to
John in v. 14 we have: “These are the ones who come out of the great
tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb.” The white robes that these martyrs are wearing are not said to be
rewards such as the garments of Revelation 3:5 but are robes that are
specifically said to have been white because they were washed in the blood of
the Lamb. This is imagery that is used to indicate the possession of imputed
righteousness. When the believer puts his faith alone in Christ alone at that
instant God imputes to the believer perfect righteousness. This is depicted as
being clothed with righteousness, because what is underneath is our
unrighteous, fallen nature. We are granted the imputation of perfect
righteousness. This imagery is used in Zechariah chapter three where we have
the Joshua of the period after the Jews’ return from
What is the significance of the palm branches? This is an allusion to
one of the feasts of
It is also interesting that this festival was also celebrated through a
pouring out of water, a libation sacrifice. Each day the high priest would go
down to the pool of Siloam and would draw out water and then come up to the
temple and pour out the water. When Jesus came into
Revelation
The word that is translated “salvation” is the Greek word soteria [swthria] which indicates
more than simply redemption, more than justification. It is a broad term that
includes the entire plan of God, from paying the penalty for our sins to
bringing all of His plans for salvation to completion, which occurs through the
Tribulation period and culminating with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to
the earth. Salvation is one of the major things that is ascribed to God
throughout the Scripture. One of the great chapters on this is the 49th
of Isaiah which is part of the servant song. Isaiah 49:6 NASB “He
[God the Father] says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I
will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the
end of the earth’. [7] Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel {and} its Holy One, To
the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers,
‘Kings will see and arise, Princes will also bow down, Because of the LORD who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You’.”
In the New Testament we have this same thing mentioned. 1 Timothy 2:4 NASB
“who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2
Peter 3:9 NASB “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some
count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but
for all to come to repentance.” This is one of the reasons why God continues to
extend His plan. It is so that more and more can be saved.
The first mention of the gospel is in Genesis 3:15. From that point on
God begins to reveal more and more about His plan for salvation as we move
through history. Then we come to Genesis chapter twelve in relation to the
Abrahamic covenant, that God said to Abraham he would be a blessing and that in
him all the families of the earth (Gentile nations) would be blessed.
Psalm 98:3 NASB “He has remembered His lovingkindness and His
faithfulness to the house of
Revelation
Beginning in Revelation 7:13 we have the explanation of these events
through the instrumentality of one of the elders. NASB “Then one of
the elders answered, saying to me, ‘These who are clothed in the white robes,
who are they, and where have they come from?’” He asks this question in order
to focus John’s attention to think through who these are and why they are
there. [14] “I [John] said to him, ‘My lord, you know [so tell me].’ And he
said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they
have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’” This is
a simple answer connecting these who are before the throne with those who are
martyred in the fifth seal judgment. [15] “For this reason, they are before the
throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits
on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.” The word for “tabernacle”
is a word that means His dwelling. What we see here is a foreshadowing of something
that does not take place for all of mankind until Revelation 21. In Revelation
21 we have the creation of the new heavens and the new earth in verse 1, and
then John says in v.3 NASB “And I heard a loud voice from the
throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell
among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
[4] and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer
be {any} death; there will no longer be {any} mourning, or crying, or pain; the
first things have passed away’.”
These martyrs in Revelation chapter seven get a foretaste of that as the
Father spreads His tabernacle over them and there is this special ministry that
occurs related to the fact that they have been martyred and have gone through
this intensified suffering in the Tribulation period. Revelation 7:16 NASB
“They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on
them, nor any heat,” indicating that there would no longer be the suffering
associated with living in the fallen cosmic system and that not only would
there be an end to this suffering but there is a special ministry of grace to
them, and this is seen in verse 17. NASB “for the Lamb in the center
of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the
water of life; and God [the Father] will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
As we look at these two verses there is this statement that “they will
hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor
any heat.” This comes right out of a passage in Isaiah—49:10. This is applied
to
Revelation
Then the final statement: “God [the Father] will wipe every tear from
their eyes.” This answers the question that comes at the end of Revelation
chapter six: “Who is able to stand?” God has a reason and a purpose for
allowing evil and suffering to continue. In His character God is righteous and
just, and so His righteousness and justice have to deal with the sin problem.
But He is not simply a righteous and just God, He is a God of love and He is
going to do that which is best for His creatures. Because He is omniscient he
is the only one who knows all of the facts and can thus deal adequately with
the problem of evil and suffering. God’s character is demonstrated most fully
in a universe where evil is allowed to continue for a time. This entails
injustice and suffering in our lives, injustice and suffering that we see
throughout the course of human history. But this is necessary for the final
purpose of God in bringing evil and suffering to an end as He fully judges
them, and that is what is depicted in the Tribulation period. Our conclusion is
that God has a purpose for all of this, even though we may not fully understand
it. We must understand that because He is omniscient and knows all the facts,
facts that we do not know, and because He is perfectly righteous all he can do
is consistently His righteousness, and because he is love He is going to do
that which is best for His creatures. So the conclusion is that God allows evil
to exist and to continue in order to demonstrate something. He is demonstrating
His integrity in the context of Lucifer’s revolt against God and the angelic
conflict. We also see that God is extremely gracious and there is never a time
of of judgment when His grace is not extended in a magnificent way, and His
grace is always there to provide for us, to supply us our every need, and to
sustain us in whatever suffering there may be.