Revelation 7:13-17

Strauss-' Comments
SECTION 23

Text Revelation 7:13-17

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, These that are arrayed in the white robes, who are they, and whence came they? 14 And I say unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them nor any heat: 17 for the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Initial Questions Revelation 7:13-17

1.

Who are those in white robes - Revelation 7:13? (See chp. Revelation 6:11)

2.

What was the great tribulation - Revelation 7:14?

3.

How were the robes made white, and what does this say concerning the atoning Blood of Christ and its relationship to the forgiveness of sins - Revelation 7:1?

4.

How long does the service to the Lord last according to Revelation 7:15?

5.

Who is the shepherd in this scene - Revelation 7:17?

Revelation 7:13

One of the elders identified the multitude. These having been clothed with white robes, who are they, and whence come they?

Revelation 7:14

And I have said to him: My Sir (kurie) usually means Lord, but here it refers to one of the elders and not God), you knowest. And he told me: these are (the ones coming erchomenoi - present middle participle, continue to come) out of (ek) the great afflictionCharles says - The martyrs are still arriving from the scene of the great tribulation. And washed (eplunan - 1st aor. active ind. they were washed in a single act not a process) their robes and whitened them (see Isaiah 1:18) in the blood of the Lamb. Who is the unnumberable multitude? They are the redeemed!

Revelation 7:15

Because of this fact of being washed (dia touto - therefore) they are in front of the Throne of God, and serve (latreuousin - present ind. continually, publicly serve. This is the word from which liturgy comes - public worship) him day and night in his Temple, and the one sitting on the throne will spread (his) tent (skenosei - word for tent or tabernacle) over them. The tabernacle was the special dwelling place of God. Now people from every nation are members of the body of the redeemed. God's people are no longer limited to physical Israel. Where ever the Gospel is preached and men respond to Christ there is God's dwelling place. God's faithfulness is crystal clear. He will take care of His own. We may betray God, but God will never betray us!

Revelation 7:16

God's own will never hunger nor thirst. God's sovereignty will reign both in the universe and the hearts of the blood bought saints.

Revelation 7:17

All reason for human sorrow is gone. The Lamb is Victory and great Shepherd. Every single tear will be wiped away by the Living God. Such tender care! The picture is not that redeemed sinners are so happy that they wipe away their own tears, but God loves them so much that He wipes mortal eyes clear of every single tear.
Next comes the seventh seal, and then follows the seven trumpets, which retrace the same basic ground of the seven seals but this is not mere repetition. A greater sense of urgency, a better vantage point of the completeness of the divine purpose and a sharper focus on the fact of God's complete control over the universe is revealed.

Review Questions for Seventh Chapter

1.

What is the basic change which takes place between chp. 6 and 7?

2.

From what direction is the other angel coming in Revelation 7:2?

3.

Read Zechariah 6:1-8 and discuss its use in Revelation 7:3.

4.

Is the list of the 12 tribes of Israel correctly given in Revelation 7:5-8?

5.

What does Revelation 7:9 imply about our missionary efforts?

6.

What does the imagery of Revelation 7:14 tell us?

7.

Why are the redeemed before the throne is us. 15? What are they doing there?