Looking at the multitude.

Reading: Revelation 7:9.

“After these things I looked, and BEHOLD, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.”

1^ST POINT: THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.

“After these things.”

          After the sealing of the 144,000 servants of God comes this verse, which I want to look at tonight.

“I looked (saw), and BEHOLD”

John is seeing as well as hearing these things. This word “Behold” means more than just to look. For it means to “look again!” To perceive (notice, observe, recognize and take in)! This is what I want to do today, to look again! To look at the Gospel message and the outcome of that message, the Church of Jesus Christ.

“A great multitude which no man could number.”

Here it says: “no one man could number these,” or does it say “no one could number them?” Man could not number this crowd because it is such a large crowd. I would not dare to guess the number, but the size of this multitude is clearly astonishing. Must be like the scale of the stars in the heavens or the sand grains on a beach. All we know is that no one could number them.

The Gospel is not just for the 12, or the 120, 0r the 3,000 or the 144,000, but the Gospel message of God’s love and grace is for the trillions. For the “whosoever” may come under the message of the Cross and the saving power of God’s salvation.

This great multitude, started to praise God and the Lamb for providing salvation, they may well represent the evangelistic fruit of the labour of the 144,000 servants of God during the seven-year tribulation period. For even in His Anger God will remember mercy.

2^ND POINT: THE CHURCH IS MADE UP OF ALL PEOPLE!

“After these things I looked, and BEHOLD, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.”

A. “From every generation.”

          Thank the Lord there is no “generation gap” in the Church of Jesus Christ. The Church is not for the old only. The Church is not for the young only.

For the Church of Jesus Christ is for the whosoever. The young, middle age, the old and all the rest in between. The Church is not just for the generation of today, but it is made up of all generations before us, and if the Lord should tarry those that come after us. Because Jesus Christ the Head of the Church is the same “Yesterday, Today, and forever.”

These are here people from every tribe and nation under the sun. This means that in the Great Tribulation the gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world; maybe the 144,000 witnesses in the Great Tribulation Period are going to do more in seven years then the church has done in over two thousand years.

None of us are reaching very many today, yes across the world, thousands are coming to the Lord. But we are failing to see (more so in our own country), crusades, evangelistic rallies, like was seen in the past. Where are the Billy Grahams of today? But, during the Great Tribulation, there will be a great company of people who will be saved.

B. “From every nation.”

          There is a verse of Scripture that says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” Matthew 24:14.

          By the end of the Book of Acts the disciples had proclaimed this Gospel of Christ “unto the uttermost parts of the earth.” It had already reached Africa, and Europe, and in a two-year period the Early Church had reached all “Asia.” See Acts 19:10 “And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.”

          John on the island of Patios was given a vision of this great congregation- “from all nations, tribes, and all languages.” This is a real Pentecostal gathering, for all are speaking with so many tongues but singing the one song of redemption to Christ the Lord.

The world is going to hear the gospel before the Rapture of the church. I believe that modern media is leading the spread of the Gospel like that has never been seen before. It has often been said that Romans built roads that helped start the spread of the Gospel into the then known world of its day.

Well modern media, t.v., radio, internet, twitter, Facebook, etc. is spreading the Gospel into the four corners of the world. Many evangelists are reaching multitudes of people today, over t.v. and radio programs, and are doing a much bigger job in reaching millions today, when thousands were reached in the past.

Some tv programs here in the UK are reaching 6-12,000,000 people a night.

C. “From every denomination.”

          Race and class should not divide the Church. Races are different, and do things differently. Some of us are expressive and some are reserved. Yet, this is perfectly acceptable, for we naturally seek out people with whom we feel comfortable. Paul says that we should be “like minded.”

We may even have differences of opinions, in which ways we attend and worship the Lord, break bread, or share fellowship, and still have unity. It is only natural to assemble together with those who believe and act as we believe and act, the Church of Christ Jesus “One in Unity,” but made up of so many different cultures.  

          But as surely as there is no spiritual law that prevents us meeting together in groups, but there is a law that rules out division. For division is evil! “For you are still carnal. For where there is envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” 1 Corinthians 3:3.

3rd POINT: THE CHURCH IS MADE UP OF REDEEMED PEOPLE!  

“After these things I looked, and BEHOLD, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.”

          Now I want us to “look again” at this crowd of people around the Throne:

A.” Standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”

Here is a great company who have come out of the Great Tribulation Period and are rejoicing in their salvation. They are redeemed and have made it through the Great Tribulation Period. Again may I say, the greatest days of God’s salvation are in the future.

It is possible that most of this company were martyred during the Great Tribulation Period, but they were faithful to the end. The Lord Jesus said on the Sermon on the Mount, speaking of this same period, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” Matthew 24:13.

B. They are all dressed the same!

          There is something about these people that you do not see often in this world. For these are all clothed with white robes. It is like a uniform. We all like to be noticed in church, some individuals like to be noticed through their fashion. But not here! For in Heaven there is only One Star, and He is the Sun of Righteousness!

          On earth some people enjoy various degrees of social standing. But not in Heaven for here they are all the same! Dressed in robes, a mark of dignity and righteousness.

C. Their robes are white.

     For the righteousness of God has been applied to them. The “white robes” set before us the righteousness of Christ in which they are clothed. We cannot stand before God in our own righteousness because our own righteousness is as filthy rags, and I do not think you are going to wear filthy rags in the presence of God.

4^th POINT: THE CHURCH IS MADE UP OF WORSHIPPING PEOPLE!

“After these things I looked, and BEHOLD, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.”

A. Can you see the Church in Heaven today?

          Do who see the palms in their hands? There are mothers there who once held babies in their hands. There are farmers there who once held pitch forks in their hands. There are soldiers there who once held guns in their hands. There are men and women from all walks of life there. But now ALL hold PALMS IN THEIR HANDS!

“Palm branches!” is literally in the Greek “palm trees.” They are the sign of victory, victory in Christ. Palm branches were typically waved by crowds at victory celebrations (John 12:13).

This multitude is part of the great triumphal entry that will occur when Christ returns to the earth. The triumphal entry has really never taken place yet. That was actually more like a triumphal exit when He rode into Jerusalem on that little donkey, for He was getting ready to leave the earth, and He was on the way to the cross at that time.

B. Can you hear the Church on Earth today?

          Revelation 7:10 “And crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

          The Church declares Two things:

1. “Salvation belongs to our God.” For He is the Mighty Victor.

2. “It is God who sits on the Throne.” For He is the Lord!

          So should we declare this!

CONCLUSION:

          “After these things I looked, and BEHOLD, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.”