Behold a Host, Arrayed in White!

April 30, 2007 by admin.

Revelation 7:9-17

In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Whose Heavenly Kingdom Awaits Us All, Dear Fellow Saints of God,
Do you remember your dreams?  I don’t.  Not for long anyway.  I’ll wake up and know that I’ve been dreaming, but then I can only remember a few faint parts of what I was dreaming about.  Then there are those who can almost give you the play-by-play of their dreams.  Some say they even dream in color.  They can describe almost every detail of what was going through their heads during their time of slumber.  It’s as if a picture was etched in their memories, one that they can recall with ease the next morning.  For those of us who have trouble remembering our own dreams, we have to admit to being a bit envious when it comes to listening to others describing their nighttime visions.

What the apostle John experienced wasn’t really a dream.  We’re told the scenes he saw were part of a vision sent by God.  And yet you and I can put ourselves in John’s place by listening to him describe what he was privileged to see by God’s grace.  And what a wonderful vision it was!  John was given the opportunity to catch a glimpse of heaven!  And what did he see there?  This morning John points us to his vision and proclaims:

“Behold a Host, Arrayed in White!”

I. Where they came from

II. How they got there

III. What’s in store for them

Chapter seven of the Book of Revelation begins with John’s vision of the Lord’s church here on this earth.  Following the general theme of the entire book, John assures his readers that even in the midst of persecution, the church will prevail.  To give us added assurance of this fact, the Lord goes on in chapter seven to paint for us a picture of heaven (v 9), “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.  They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”  John saw “a great multitude” adorned in “white robes.”  Remember the promise God had made to Abraham and to Jacob, that their descendants would be as many as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore?  But the Lord wasn’t just speaking about an earthly nation.  His promise included the spiritual nation, the family of believers, which would spring forth from Abraham’s line.  That’s who made up this “host, arrayed in white” which John saw in his vision.

Did you notice where they came from?  “From every nation, tribe, people and language.”  Jesus made a couple of promises while here on this earth.  On one occasion he said that the gospel “will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (Mt 24:14).  He also said that “many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 8:11).  The kingdom of heaven was never meant to be an exclusive club.  If it were, there would be no need for synod mission offerings.  If it were, then we could do away with our Evangelism Committee.  If it were, then you’d never have to say a word to your friends and neighbors about your Savior.  We could be content just knowing that our eternity was secure and that our family members knew their Savior — that is, if God intended heaven’s membership to be limited.

But he didn’t, and neither should we!  John saw people “from every nation, tribe, people and language” standing there in heaven.  That means we can’t be selfish.  That means that our mission offerings can’t be an afterthought.  That means that our Evangelism budget can’t be pushed down the priority list.  That means that we can’t just cross our fingers and hope that our friends and acquaintances someday might find a church and learn about their Savior.  John’s vision serves as a reminder that heaven is meant for all, and we’re the ones God uses to get the Word out!

That Word is meant for “every nation, tribe, people and language”!

John saw the host of people, arrayed in white, standing before the Lamb, Jesus Christ, waving festive palm branches as symbols of victory.  But how did they get there?  It’s essential that we know who deserves the credit for the world’s salvation.

Just listen to the multitude (v 10), “And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”  The glorified saints John saw in his vision gave all glory to God for their salvation.  The angels and all living creatures join the saints in giving all credit and praise to God (vv 11,12), “All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders [= believers] and the four living creatures [ = all living creatures].  They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: ‘Amen!  Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.  Amen!’”  Quite a contrast from what we’re used to in our society today!  So many are inclined to build themselves up, to take credit for any success that may have come their way.  But you don’t see the saints in John’s vision doing that.  They knew that their place in glory wasn’t due to their own efforts, so they break forth in a sevenfold doxology of praise to the one who was responsible for their salvation.  So how did they get there?  Who was responsible?

That’s the question posed to John (vv 13,14), “Then one of the elders asked me, ‘These in white robes — who are they, and where did they come from?’  I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’  And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation.’”  The white-robed multitude was composed of all who had made it “out of the great tribulation.”  Don’t let that phrase trouble you.  It doesn’t refer to some specific seven-year period of extreme persecution and suffering, as some would have you believe, the period before what some churches call “the rapture.”  Such a teaching has no support in Scripture.  A much more correct interpretation would be to look at this “great tribulation” as the horrors of war, famine, pestilence, and persecution which have afflicted the world throughout history.  We’re reminded of the words of Paul and Barnabas when they said (Ac 14:22), “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”  In other words, the people in John’s vision were the believers who had made it through life with all its troubles and were now enjoying the pleasures of heaven.

But that still doesn’t answer the question of how they got there.  The last half of verse 14 gives us the answer, “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”  The whiteness of the saints’ robes symbolized purity and holiness.  Here we find out how they became that way:  through “the blood of the Lamb.”  In his First Epistle John tells us (1 Jn 1:7), “The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”  The fact that the saints are wearing white robes shows that this righteousness is not their own doing.  It was given to them when Jesus went to the cross to win their salvation.

“Jesus, your blood and righteousness   My beauty are, my glorious dress;   Mid flaming worlds, in these arrayed,  With joy shall I lift up my head” (CW 376:1).  That’s how saints get to heaven!  Keep the message straight!  The greatest damage the devil has done to the Lord’s church is leading people to believe that their salvation can be earned.  Then the Lord loses the glory.  Then we build ourselves up.  Then we’re never sure if we’ve done enough to “earn our wings.”  Then we’ve made Christ’s death of secondary importance, turning it into some kind of “back-up plan” for those who aren’t good enough to work their way into heaven.  Make sure that you sound a clear signal by always pointing people to Jesus as the reason for your salvation.

Why do we want ourselves and others to be part of the multitude seen in John’s vision?  Just look at what’s in store for them!

“Therefore, ‘they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.  Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.  The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’” (vv 15-17). Life ever get the best of you?  Ever feel like you’ve hit rock-bottom?  Then open your Bibles and read these verses!  They make it all worthwhile, don’t they?  Because of what Christ has done for us, someday we will be in God’s presence!  It’s always been my belief that this is the most underrated part about being in heaven.  We will be with God!  We will live in peace and safety under his cover and protection.  We’ll be completely free from the effects of sin.  All because of the Lamb!  Ironic, isn’t it, that a Lamb is the one who shepherds us?  Jesus tells us (Jn 10:11), “I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  Because of his sacrifice, we have the hope of experiencing heaven, a place where tears are forbidden.  How comforting to hear that last verse, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes”!

What a hope!  What a future!  What good news!  We know what’s in store for us as part of God’s whitewashed multitude of saints!  God gave this wonderful picture to John and to us today to strengthen us and to keep our hopes up when times get tough while living in this sinful world.  He’s assuring us of what’s to come to strengthen us so that we hold on.  It’s a little like the people on the Survivor TV show.  They endure extremely difficult living conditions for one reason — they know what’s in store for the winner: $1 million.  But only one person will win.  The rest will lose.  Not so for God’s people.  As we endure during our days on this earth, God reminds us of what’s in store for us, and we’re all winners!  Earlier in his vision John heard Jesus make this promise (Rev 2:10), “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.”  That’s what’s in store for you and me!  That’s what allows us to be patient, to endure hardship, and to live our lives to the glory of God!

They came from all over the world.  They got there by the blood of the Lamb.  And they have an eternity in heaven in store for them.  It doesn’t get any better than that!  Be thankful that you, because of Christ, will be a part of that “host arrayed in white,” and may God use each of us as his witnesses so that glorious “host” may be enlarged all the more!

Amen

–Rev. Jonathan Rockhoff

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