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Who From Their Labors Rest
Revelation 7:9-17

 

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas

All Saints’ Day (Transferred from November 1)—November 2, 2014

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words.  Of all the books in the Bible, it is the last book that paints with words the most fantastic pictures for our mind’s eye.  Revelation is a book filled with symbolism and figurative language, describing events past, present, and future.  The Apostle John records for us his vision of such images as God’s throne in heaven, surrounded by a rainbow and a crystal sea, and the New Jerusalem, with gates of pearl, foundations of precious stones, and walls and streets of pure gold.  This morning we look at a very comforting image from the book Revelation in today’s Epistle Reading, the multitude dressed in white robes, in the words of the hymn we just sang, “Who From Their Labors Rest.”

“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.”

John begins with the words, “After this.” In the verses just previous, John has seen a vision of all the believers living on earth. Now, God grants John a vision of all believers in heaven.

John reports a great multitude in heaven, more than anyone could count.  That goes back to the promise God had made to Abraham, that his descendants would be as countless as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.  Or, as Moses describes them in today’s Old Testament Reading, “myriads of holy ones.”

This great multitude that John sees in heaven includes people of every nation, tribe, people and language, as Peter says in Acts, “God does not show favoritism, but accepts people from every nation.”  Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus proclaimed, “repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in [my] name to all nations,” and he instructed his followers to, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” 

The Holy Spirit, working through this preaching of repentance and forgiveness of sins and the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, has brought to faith people of every nation, tribe, people and language, who in heaven are gathered together around the throne of the Lamb. The Lamb of course is another name for Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Lamb who was slain, the Lamb who is worthy of praise, and honor, and glory, as we sang today in our Liturgy, the Lamb who rules with the Father from the heavenly throne.

And what is this multitude wearing? They are all wearing white robes. White is the color of purity, holiness, and the radiance of God’s glory. The angels at Jesus’ tomb were also dressed in white robes, symbolic of their holiness. And yet, this multitude that John sees in Revelation is not made up of angels. These are humans, humans who at one time had been entirely sinful. How is it now that they are dressed in white robes of holiness?

John answers with these words, “These are they who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” The blessed in heaven are not holy and righteous and worthy of heaven in and of themselves. They have been made holy, by the blood of the Lamb of God, who by the sacrifice of his death and resurrection takes away the sin of the world.  As John says in his First Epistle, “the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin.”

So, this multitude dressed in white represents all the men, women, and children who over the course of history have put their trust in Jesus as their personal Savior from sin. Now they are in heaven, dressed in God’s holiness, carrying in their hands palm branches, an ancient symbol of celebration and victory, gathered around the throne celebrating Jesus’ victory on their behalf.

“These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from? . . .  These are they who have come out of the great tribulation.”

What does that mean?  What is the “great tribulation” out of which the blessed in heaven have come?  At the end of Revelation, John records: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth . . . And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”

The “great tribulation” is simply life in this world.  As Jesus told his disciples at the Last Supper, “In this world you will have tribulation.” And as the Apostle Paul says in Acts, “We must go through much tribulation to enter the kingdom of God.”

Death, morning, crying, pain; all the struggles and hardships and troubles of life.  That is the “great tribulation” that your loved ones in heaven have now left behind.  That is the “great tribulation” that you will leave behind when you go to join them in heaven.  “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  Paul puts it this way in Philippians, “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” 

“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.”  In heaven you will be in the very presence of the holy God.  You will dwell with him, and he will spread his tent over you, meaning that he will live with you and care for you.  

“They are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple.”  Heaven won’t be just lying around in hammocks.  God in his love will give you the opportunity to do what humanity was originally created for from the beginning, to perfectly and joyfully serve and worship him.

“Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.” Ever since God cursed the ground because of Adam’s sin, mankind has had to sweat and toil to provide food and shelter for ourselves.  Hunger and thirst, which were never a problem in the Garden of Eden, have become a terrible source of suffering in our fallen world.  The sun, which was originally created to serve man, often instead brings us discomfort and torment.  But, in heaven, all the discomforts of this fallen world will be no more. You will live in complete contentment and perfect peace.

“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.”

This vision of heaven which God allowed the Apostle John to see and record for us isn’t an irrelevant dream with no bearing on your life today.  God included this glorious picture of heaven in our Bible for our benefit in this life here on earth. For, as difficult, and painful, and downright cruddy as our lives in this world can often be, there is a place among the heavenly host prepared for you and me and all believers in Christ.  You will come out of the “great tribulation” that is life in this world, you will join your loved ones and all the saints around God’s throne in heaven, for you are washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb.

Amen.

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