See Timelines... 1. Leading up to Trib 2. Post Trib 3. Then during the Trib In Chapter 7 we have the 144k sealed They proclaim the gospel and many are saved during the first half of the Tribulation Along with the 144k are the Two Witnesses, one of whom may be Elijah, proclaiming the gospel... Malachi 4:5 6 Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. 6 He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse. In Chapter 7.9-17, we see a great multitude who have been saved and coming out of the Tribulation... All the Saved will have the worship of the Lamb and His blessings forever. I. Saved Multitude II. Reverent Worship III. Future Blessing I. Saved Multitude Revelation 7:9 17 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their
hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. After these things directly connect the 144k with the results of the multitude coming out. This was foretold by the Lord regarding the proclamation of the gospel to the entire world during the Trib... Matthew 24:14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. Mark 13:10 The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. this is also a contrast to the specific number of the 144k...as this multitude is a great multitude which no one could count... those in this saved multitude are from every nation and all tribes and peoples... this could include Jews but clearly is regarding a global perspective where a world wide revival has taken place... they are seen standing before the throne and the Lamb this is in heaven so NOT during the Mill...but rather still during the Tribulation period they are clothed in white indicating again that these martyrs include the 5 th Seal martyrs under the alter... Revelation 6:9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;
Revelation 6:11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. Furthermore: and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. Palm branches were in their hands indicating that salvation had come and they had been saved not only spiritually but also saved from the Tribulation... Salvation to our God...and to the Lamb o Their salvation was by Grace through Faith in Christ o They had been saved eternally, justified o They had also now been rescued from the Tribulation having died for their faith II. Reverent Worship 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. Now we have another throne room scene where the Worship of God takes place We saw this in Chapters 4 and 5 prior to the beginning of the Tribulation in Chapter 6 with the opening of the first Seal the white horse/the antichrist Again this is the Elders representing the Church along with the 4 living creatures...
Amen means, so be it...god s ways and what He chooses to do are Right and Just...This is a declaration of God s character, His might, and His wisdom to accomplish salvation and judgment upon the earth... A sevenfold declaration of praise is given regarding God... each of these words is preceded by the...the Blessing etc... o Blessing eulogia to speak well of, to praise o Glory doxa He alone is worthy of Glory o Wisdom alone is wise (James states this) o Thanksgiving euxaristia giving of thanks, gratitude to God o Honor timn respect, esteem o Power dunamis power which emphasizes ability o Might ischus inherint might and power... III. Future Blessing 13 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? 14 I said to him, My lord, you know. 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. 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. 16 They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; 17 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 will wipe every tear from their eyes. In this section one of the Elders asks John who the multitude in the white robes are... John states to the Elder, Lord, meaning in this case sir... you know...
o Clearly John does not know... o Clearly John by inferenced is asking the Elder who they are... This is NOT the church as John, the apostle does not know who they are... Furthermore, they are not linked with the 24 elders but rather are a multitude from the Tribulation The church has already been raptured This multitude was saved during the first part of the Trib during the Seal and Trumpet Judgements The Elder responds by stating that these are the ones who come out of the great trib... which does not mean necessarily the second half of the trib as there are other passages which refer to the Trib... o Come out here is in the present meaning they are coming out... still happening whereas the Church has been saved out of the Wrath, or the Trib... o They have died for their belief in Christ (see the 5 th Seal saints) o Vs. 15 tells us they are before the throne of God and in the temple indicating that they are in heaven, not on earth during the Mill... o It s interesting to see the language shift with the promises given this multitude... They will... Hunger or thirst any longer Have the sun beat down upon them The Lamb will be their shepherd Guiding them to springs of the water of life They will have every tear wiped from their eyes... These tribulation Saints have endured much for their faith in Christ and the Lord will take care of them...
Rather than suffering they will now enjoy His presence, His peace, His protection and His provision... This is very similar to the passage in... Revelation 21:1 4 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea... 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. All the Saved will have the worship of the Lamb and His blessings forever. All of the saints...ot, NT and those saved during the Tribulation period will be able to praise the Lord for: o Salvation by Grace through faith o His character and thus our worship of Him o The promises of His blessings to us as we serve Him forever... We too have been saved by Grace...and can praise the Lamb for all that He is and has done... WE too can worship the Lamb for all that He has done, all that He is, and all He has promised to us... We too can look forward with Hope to the promises of... His presence His peace His protection His provision forever