These are they who have come out of the great tribulation;
they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 7:14
Let’s look further at this mass of humanity at the feet of God, first mentioned in the sixth chapter of Revelation and also in the seventh. After the sixth seal is opened, and the 144,000 Jews are sealed for ministry during the final days, John was given a glorious vision. It was of an innumerable gathering of believers who had died and were wearing white robes and holding palm branches. They were worshipping the true King: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (verse 10).
But they were not alone. All the angels were there, as well as the elders and four living creatures. See Revelation 4 for a description of these heavenly beings and the throne of God. It is truly fascinating. Let’s stop and praise God with them before we go any further (verse 12):
“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power
and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
We then learn more about what these martyred saints were doing with their time in heaven. Their suffering, torture, and tears were gone forever. Instead they stayed before the throne and served God night and day.
This probably sounds like a foreign concept to us. The closest context we have to this act is our worship in church or in our personal time with the Lord – that is, if either even exist in our lives. Most of our lives aren’t built around worship, much less an intentional daily service to the Lord.
So, if you aren’t experiencing this, then this chapter might not be appealing to you. Be honest with yourself. I encourage you with all your heart to pursue these holy habits in your present life. Since your future existence revolves around praising and serving God, why not do the same today?
Thousands of years of martyrdom will one day culminate in a future time of unprecedented trouble that will create a vast number of additional martyrs. But Satan’s victory is short-lived. We know the end of the story. We know Who wins.
If you are not on the winning side, it’s not too late to accept Jesus into your heart, to love, praise, and serve Him with the rest of your life. After the conclusion of this devotional is a prayer that will walk you through the simple steps to salvation. A glorious eternity awaits, so don’t delay!