Read
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”
(Revelation 1: 3)
Think
After the scenes of Revelation 6, this chapter feels like a pause in the action. The lamb has been opening the seals on this scroll, and with it there’s these images of judgement and hardship coming on the earth. It feels like it’s building up to this climax, yet instead of opening the seventh seal we find this description of angels and all different people praising God.
It’s as though we need a moment to be reassured. Whatever might come next – before anything final happens – God’s people are safe in his hands. What we see is a huge crowd of people – and remember that this is a letter full of imagery and symbols. There’s 12 times 12,000 people – 12,000 from each tribe of Israel – which could be another way of saying ‘the fullness of God’s chosen people’. It’s a crowd that blossoms into a people not only from the land of Israel, but a multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language. These people are marked out by God as his own.
I hope you know that if you have put your faith in Jesus, the bible says that you have God’s seal set upon you. Ephesians 1:13 says that when you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit – a guarantee that you are his precious possession, that you are safe in his hands, that he will deliver you through all trials into his promised inheritance.
However stormy or challenging life may become, we have confidence from passages like Revelation 7 that God has not forgotten his people, nor will he fail to bring us through to the promised land.
Pray
‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the lamb. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever, Amen!’
Thank you Father that you have promised to shelter us with your presence. That in your presence we will never hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat beat down upon us – for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be our shepherd. He will lead us to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
