Revelation 7:15, commentary and pictures

Because they passed through great suffering and had their characters cleansed through the sacrifice of Christ, they stand in the immediate presence of God in continual worship while He lives in close companionship with them. Their white garments are spotless righteousness and purity of character gained by repentance, receiving truth into the heart and living it out in daily life. They are an innumerable company from every nation and station, delivered as victorious conquerors from persecution, destitution, affliction and the time of trouble for their loyalty to God and His commandments. Their life together is everlasting freedom from hunger, thirst, scorching heat, tears, sorrow and death, as Christ shepherds them, leads them to living waters and shares His throne and glory with them. To be among them requires washing the character white now by laying hold of Christ, genuine sanctification, persevering overcoming, oneness in saving souls and willing obedience.

Place in Revelation

The scene follows the holding back of the four winds by four angels standing on the four corners of the earth until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads, including the sealing of 144,000 from the tribes of Israel. It then introduces a great multitude from all nations and kindreds and peoples and tongues, which no one can number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb clothed in white robes with palms in their hands. They cry with a loud voice salvation to God and to the Lamb, while angels and elders and living creatures fall down and worship God. They are those who came out of great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, and therefore they are before the throne of God serving Him day and night in His temple with Him who sits on the throne dwelling among them. Afterward they hunger no more nor thirst any more nor are struck by sun or heat, for the Lamb in the midst of the throne feeds them and leads them to living fountains of waters, and God wipes away all tears from their eyes.

The chapter is given for consideration, comfort and encouragement concerning the chosen few who love God, keep all His commandments and have the faith of Jesus, who are sealed as His servants while the winds are held back and are preserved under the Redeemer's protection. It holds mercy alongside judgment, for God restrains the destructive winds until His servants are sealed. It is about the most important things that will transpire before long and the wonderful future about to transpire, full of intense interest to every soul living upon the earth. For that reason it is to be carefully read and studied and to be heeded. Its scenes call for oneness of heart and mind and singleness of object in the salvation of souls, for there is a heaven to win, and call people to prepare for Christ's coming and to be among those who are sealed.

The important work of this time is the washing of robes of character white in the Lamb's blood, rather than becoming absorbed in worldly business. The setting also brings to view two parties when judgment comes on the earth. One party permitted themselves to be deceived and took sides with those with whom the Lord has a controversy. They misinterpreted the messages sent them, sin was not sinful in their eyes, they clothed themselves in robes of self-righteousness, taught falsehood as truth, and by them many souls were led astray.

Revelation 6 and 7 are full of meaning revealing the terrible judgments of God upon the wicked. The Lord goes forth to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity and commissions angels with trumpets. When the plagues come, hail about the weight of a talent falls upon the wicked who would not obey God but insulted Him and despised His mercies. The promise belongs to a beautiful pastoral picture of Shepherd and sheep, rich in eloquence, given so that humanity can take in the gathering of the redeemed under God's care. It shows the members of the Lord's family who came through great tribulation gathered before the throne serving continually in His temple with God dwelling among them, and brings comfort.

It is pictured in the company of martyrs slain for Jesus, wearing white robes marked with red and crowned with brilliant crowns. They are among the redeemed traveling toward Mount Zion and its glorious temple, where only the 144,000 may enter. It is also reflected in a temple gathering where the saved gather before the Lamb, having confessed their sins and been pardoned. There the gathered saints praise God and wait joyfully for a coming event marked by trumpet, triumphal shouts and heavenly brightness and by sudden disappearance.

Meaning of Promise

Therefore they stand before the throne of God because they came out of great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, and for that reason they serve Him day and night in His temple while He who sits on the throne dwells among them. This is the reward to be surely realized when the short period of toil ends, when believers see Jesus and are made like Him by trusting in the Lord. It is what takes place when the redeemed reach the mansions above, where Jesus Himself leads the white-robed ones made white in the Lamb's blood to the Father. Among them are faithful people who suffered persecution for refusing to worship the beast or its image and accept an idol sabbath, despised and oppressed by the world yet victorious and no longer exposed to its cruelty.

The white robes are the righteousness of Christ and robes of character, and washing them white means having character washed until it is white and spotless. That washing is repentance toward God now, receiving the truth of God in the heart and practicing it in the life, which makes a person precious in God's sight. Those so cleansed stand spotless with charity covering them like a garment, have their names registered in the Lamb's Book of Life, and are fitted for the society of heavenly angels and for the mansions prepared for those who love Him. It is the inheritance among the sanctified in the heavenly Canaan, a part in Abraham's farm and the home and rest remaining for God's people where they shall see Jesus whom their souls love, enjoyed all the more for having been pilgrims and strangers here and for earnest, self-possessed, firm, decided, persevering overcoming, even as a family. By contrast, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God lose both worlds, while the cleansed come up from destitution, hunger, torture, deep self-denial and bitter disappointments through the fiery furnace of earthly affliction heated intensely hot.

Serving Him day and night in His temple is unceasing worship in which Christ explains His Word to those who were self-sacrificing, led on, proved, sanctified and numbered with the host before God, calling high and low, rich and poor to advance heavenward, lead others step by step heavenward, gain a precious victory every day, and not lose a reward that brings an end to hunger. In that service Christ opens to them the treasures and riches of Bible truth that are not appreciated now and seem hidden from eyes, until they are fully opened and understood. He teaches them the pure principles of heavenly love as the triumph of salvation. Their Captain, the King of heaven and Captain of salvation, the glorious King of kings, opens before them the record of the great victories won on earth by the prayer of faith.

God dwelling among them brings them into close companionship before Him, where the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of glory as life's main business will be literally fulfilled and gives present assurance calling for praise with heart and soul and voice by every soul warring the good warfare for eternal life and the unfading crown of glory. It is a life of ever-deepening nearness to God through Christ, a ceaseless approaching in which more of His glory and knowledge bring greater happiness. That future life of God's presence surpasses the love and satisfaction received while walking with Jesus in this life, yet it is the fullness of the closeness that begins here through Jesus. There knowledge, glory and happiness ever increase, with freedom from hunger, thirst and heat as the Lamb feeds and leads them to living waters and God wipes away every tear.

Jesus Himself, seated on the throne and in the midst of the throne, leads the white-robed ones to the Father and dwells among them, bringing those once hated, despised and suffering for faith into His presence to share His victory. He welcomes the saints come through great tribulation to the marriage supper and promises to serve them. As the Lamb seated in the midst of the throne He greets both the faithful worker and the souls saved by self-denying, persevering, patient labor, leads them to the tree of life and to the fountain of living waters, and makes them sharers of the Redeemer's throne with a royal diadem in the fold of the great Shepherd who died to elevate and ennoble the overcomer. Heaven is more precious to those faithful in saving others, who gratefully remember and joyfully behold those they helped save, the worth of turning a soul from error to truth being measured by the value of immortality, the glory of this reward, and the pains of the second death.

People Before Throne

They are one company no one can number, gathered from all classes and all nations and kindreds and peoples and tongues. They are God's loved jewels, connected with the family in heaven, girt with purity and the garments of eternal righteousness, clothed in spotless white shining heavenly garments richer than any kingly robe, with the beams of the Sun of Righteousness reflected upon them. They wear jeweled crowns and crowns and palm branches of victory, and bear harps, singing songs of victory and loud hosannas, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain and Salvation to God and to the Lamb. They are the ransomed white-robed ones gathered into the fold of the great Shepherd to live in the presence of Him who died to elevate and ennoble and give the overcomer a royal diadem, welcomed to a future grand meeting in the city of God around the great white throne where there is no more sorrow and no more separation but dwelling in peace and happiness and glory through ceaseless ages. There they live in joyful harmonious fellowship with angels and one another, gratefully remembering those instrumental in their salvation and greeting both faithful workers and souls saved by self-denying, persevering, patient labor, while the Lamb seated in the midst of the throne leads them to the tree of life and the fountain of living waters and makes them sharers of the Redeemer's throne.

They came up through great tribulation, the fiery furnace of earthly affliction heated intensely hot, coming from destitution and hunger and torture and deep self-denial and bitter disappointments. They endured persecution for refusing to worship the beast or its image and accept an idol sabbath, the time of trouble and the outpouring of judgments, and the hatred and cruelty of a rebellious world that despised and oppressed them. They trod that path while lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God lost both worlds, and they washed their robes and made them white in the Lamb's blood. Now delivered and victorious, they stand before God's throne and serve Him continually in His temple with God dwelling among them, no longer poor, no longer in sorrow and affliction, no longer scattered, weak, or exposed to force and fraud and cruelty, but crowned conquerors and more than conquerors with God as defense giving power and greatness and excellence of character, brought into His presence to share Christ's glory and victory.

They are the chosen few who love God and keep all His commandments and have the faith of Jesus, sealed as the servants of God while the four angels hold back the four winds until the sealing is finished. They are humble in heart, longing to do God's will and seek Christ's presence, willingly obedient to Christ's words, self-sacrificing, led on and proved and sanctified, sighing and crying for abominations, marked in the forehead by God's messenger and spared when destruction begins at the sanctuary. They are loyal defenders of truth and law, pure and loyal lovers of God accounted worthy of the holy city, rescued from degradation and restored among God's precious elect near His throne, with every provision to sit with Christ on condition of harmony with law, forsaking unrighteousness, and prayer. High or low, rich or poor are called to take part in advancing heavenward to be of that number and to lead others step by step heavenward, gaining a precious victory every day, for this reward cannot be afforded to lose and heaven is more precious to those faithful in saving others.

Standing there requires genuine sanctification that makes people ready for judgment, not the common spurious sanctification that leaves people unprepared and exposes their solemn unprepared state. Being among the overcomers around the throne requires decided reform in economy, self-denial, appetite, and training of children. Continuing in wasteful expense, selfish gratification, indulgence of appetite, impulsive resolutions instead of principled change, and neglect of practical domestic instruction shuts a person and his children out from that company and leads into temptation, becoming a savor of death unto death instead of life unto life.

Eternal Life Together

The promise is eternal life in the kingdom of glory, the main business of life, to be literally fulfilled and already assured, calling for praise with heart and soul and voice by all who war the good warfare for eternal life and the unfading crown of glory. It is the overcomers' reward and inheritance among the sanctified in the heavenly Canaan and on Abraham's farm. It belongs to the reward of the righteous in the earth made new, where God's people find a lasting home and only righteousness dwells. Those who came through great tribulation and were cleansed through the Lamb's blood stand before God's throne to serve Him continually in His temple, with God Himself dwelling among them.

Their everlasting life with Him is marked by freedom from hunger, thirst, suffering and death. They shall hunger no more nor thirst any more nor be struck by sun or heat, for the Lamb in the midst of the throne feeds them and leads them to living fountains of waters, and God wipes away all tears from their eyes. Their future life is free from oppressive heat, tears, death, sorrow and pain, because the Lamb shepherds them and leads them to living water, a vision of heaven's joy and worship that gives hope to those who suffer for Christ. They share the Lamb's care and the promise of an end to hunger, thirst, heat and tears. Their life in His presence is free from hunger, thirst, oppressive heat and sorrow, fed and led by the Lamb to living water with tears wiped away. The former suffering and death are gone, with freedom from hunger, thirst, scorching heat and tears under the Lamb's care.

It takes place in the resurrection morning when the broken links of the family chain are reunited and together they meet Jesus, the center of all hope, with joy never before known. In the soon coming morn of the resurrection those who have lost loved ones in death will meet them again, the broken family chains reunited to meet Jesus the center and foundation of all hopes before God's throne with joy in the morning such as never before has been known. It is the near home awaiting those who hold fast the faith, where believers separated in this world will meet again and see the King in His beauty before God's throne in unceasing service with God living among them. There Jesus welcomes them to the marriage supper and promises to serve them. It is the promised reunion around God's throne looked forward to at parting.

They receive honors and glory as ransomed white-robed ones gathered into the fold of the great Shepherd to live in the presence of Him who died to elevate and ennoble and give the overcomer a royal diadem. There is a future grand meeting in the city of God around the great white throne, clothed in the white robes of Christ's righteousness, singing triumph and victory and praise to God and to the Lamb, with no more sorrow and no more separation but dwelling in peace and happiness and glory throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. They stand as one company no man can number from all classes and nations and kindreds and peoples and tongues, God's loved jewels connected with heaven's family, crowned conquerors and more than conquerors near the throne girt with purity in eternal righteousness, wearing spotless shining garments richer than any kingly robe reflecting the Sun of Righteousness, with jeweled crowns and palm branches of victory and harps, singing victory and loud hosannas of Worthy is the Lamb that was slain and Salvation to God and to the Lamb, no longer poor or sorrowful or hated for Christ's sake. The faithful worker and the souls saved by his self-denying, persevering, patient labor are greeted by the Lamb seated in the midst of the throne, led to the tree of life and the fountain of living waters, and made sharers of the Redeemer's throne, with heaven more precious to those faithful in saving others. They gratefully remember those instrumental in their salvation through self-denying labor and earnest yearning for souls, while faithful workers behold with joy those they helped save. Those who stood faithfully for truth and God's law are crowned conquerors with God as their defense.

It comes when the redeemed reach the mansions above, when Jesus Himself leads the white-robed ones made white in the Lamb's blood to the Father. It is after the conflict is over, standing around God's throne with all tribulation and strife at an end, uniting with angels in songs of victory, casting crowns at the Redeemer's feet, praising Him who died to give life that measures with the life of God, and greeting those who directed them to the Saviour. It is seen from the threshold of eternity in the unending brightness of eternal day, no longer scattered, weak or exposed to a rebellious world's cruelty but victorious with God as defense. It is beheld in sunless splendors from eternity's threshold, receiving pardon and everlasting life measuring with God's life through Christ's humiliation, wounding, bruising and chastisement, with songs of victory filling heaven as they stand with angels around the throne, never hungering or thirsting again, fed and led by the Lamb to living fountains while God wipes away all tears. It is the near home where separated believers meet again to see the King in His beauty, giving courage without fainting. It is the resurrection morning of reunited family chains meeting Jesus together with unknown joy.

Call to Prepare

To be of that number now, robes of character, which are the white robe of Christ's righteousness, must be washed white in the blood of the Lamb by laying hold of His merits, by repentance toward God, by receiving truth in the heart and practicing it in the life, and by earnest, self-possessed, firm, decided, persevering overcoming as a family to gain fitness for the society of heavenly angels and the mansions prepared, with the name registered in the Lamb's Book of Life. The chapter belongs to the most important things soon to transpire and calls for preparation for Christ's coming and for being sealed, identifying the washing of robes as the important work of this time rather than absorption in worldly business. Standing before God in continual temple service with God dwelling among them is the result of becoming refined, purified, and precious in God's sight, and the verse exposes the unprepared state for judgment and requires genuine sanctification that makes ready to stand, not common spurious sanctification that leaves unprepared. The prospect of standing before the throne, with the reality of judgment and eternity, keeps from indulging in sin, and by fixing faith on Jesus and striving to become like Him the faithful are made ready to meet the Lord in peace and to overcome as God's servants and children.

The presence before God of those who came out of great tribulation with robes washed white is held out as comfort, assurance, and hope for afflicted, suffering, and bereaved families, calling them to look to Jesus and to trust in the Lord. It is a beautiful pastoral picture of Shepherd and sheep, rich in eloquence, given so humanity can take it in, showing the members of the Lord's family in immediate presence for continual service and fellowship because enduring tribulation cleansed by Christ leads there. What will soon happen when the short period of earthly toil ends is a certain blessing surely realized and seen by trusting believers, when they shall see Jesus and be made like Him, and trust strengthens faith for it. Their future life with God is free from hunger, thirst, oppressive heat, tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain, because the Lamb in the midst of the throne shepherds, feeds, and leads them to living fountains of waters while God wipes away all tears, and this vision of heaven's joy and worship gives hope and courage without fainting to those who suffer for Christ as they contemplate the near home, the King in His beauty, and unceasing service. As that vision sustained Christ through suffering, so it encourages followers to endure hardship until toil ends.

Heed is called for, with oneness of heart and mind and singleness of object in the salvation of souls, for there is a heaven to win. High or low, rich or poor are called to take part in advancing heavenward to be of that number and to lead others step by step heavenward, gaining a precious victory every day, as those who do self-sacrificing service, are led on and proved and sanctified, and are numbered with the host before God, a reward that cannot be afforded to lose. Christ leads that number to the living waters and explains His Word to them, and after the conflict is over with all tribulation and strife ended they stand around the throne, unite with angels in songs of victory, cast crowns at the Redeemer's feet, praise Him who died to give life that measures with the life of God through His humiliation, wounding, bruising, and chastisement, never hunger or thirst again, are fed and led by the Lamb to living fountains while God wipes away tears, and greet those who directed them to the uplifted Saviour. This future glory and blessedness is to be dear to the church, dwelt upon for inspiration, and it sustains and graciously welcomes those who in this life cooperate with Christ and count it a privilege and honor to suffer for Him. Heaven is more precious to faithful soul-winners who gratefully remember and joyfully behold those saved by self-denying, persevering, patient labor and earnest yearning for souls, when the Lamb seated in the midst of the throne greets both worker and souls saved, leads them to the tree of life and fountain of living waters, elevates and ennobles them, gives the overcomer a royal diadem, and makes them sharers of the Redeemer's throne, the worth of turning a soul from error to truth being measured by the value of immortality, the glory of this reward, and the pains of the second death.

Being among them is the happy privilege of those who willingly obey Christ's words, who love and obey God and are accounted pure, loyal, and worthy to join the holy company gathered in the holy city and heavenly courts, representing its purity through Christlike lives. It requires cherishing heaven-born faith, hope, and love planted and cultivated in the garden of the soul, making the one enriched a bright, shining light, causing growth in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, facing the light and talking faith in order to have faith rather than talking darkness and having darkness, because beholding changes into the same image. By obeying the truth and relying on God's strength, opening the heart to the Spirit's impressions, and standing for truth and righteousness after the perfect Pattern who gave His life, believers can endure trials and share the eternal reward of the righteous. It requires decided reform in economy, self-denial, appetite, and training of children, for continuing in wasteful expense, selfish gratification, indulgence of appetite, impulsive resolutions instead of principled change, and neglect of practical domestic instruction shuts a person and children out from that company and leads into temptation as a savor of death unto death instead of life unto life. The vision awakens a longing to be among them in God's presence.

The dwelling of God with the redeemed, joined with the end of hunger, thirst, and scorching heat, is an attraction to be contemplated, rejoiced in, and dwelt upon for inspiration in the future immortal world. That contemplation gives motive for consecration and devotion to God now, helps value eternal things rightly, and influences others toward the higher life. Through Jesus believers enter into rest now and begin life eternal, filled with His love and satisfied with His presence, but that is small compared with what is to come, the hereafter that far surpasses what can be received in this life, when they are before the throne in continual temple service with God dwelling among His people. Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God through Christ, where the longer the redeemed are in bliss the more glory is revealed, and the more they know God the more intense their happiness becomes, awakening longing to be there.