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Revelation 7:1-17 King James Version (KJV)

1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.


Revelation 7:1-17 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And G2532 after G3326 these things G5023 I saw G1492 four G5064 angels G32 standing G2476 on G1909 the four G5064 corners G1137 of the earth, G1093 holding G2902 the four G5064 winds G417 of the earth, G1093 that G3363 the wind G417 should G4154 not G3363 blow G4154 on G1909 the earth, G1093 nor G3383 on G1909 the sea, G2281 nor G3383 on G1909 any G3956 tree. G1186

2 And G2532 I saw G1492 another G243 angel G32 ascending G305 G305 from G575 the east, G395 G2246 having G2192 the seal G4973 of the living G2198 God: G2316 and G2532 he cried G2896 with a loud G3173 voice G5456 to the four G5064 angels, G32 to whom G3739 it G846 was given G1325 to hurt G91 the earth G1093 and G2532 the sea, G2281

3 Saying, G3004 Hurt G91 not G3361 the earth, G1093 neither G3383 the sea, G2281 nor G3383 the trees, G1186 till G891 G3739 we have sealed G4972 G4972 the servants G1401 of our G2257 God G2316 in G1909 their G846 foreheads. G3359

4 And G2532 I heard G191 the number G706 of them which were sealed: G4972 and there were sealed G4972 an hundred G1540 and forty G5062 and four G5064 thousand G5505 of G1537 all G3956 the tribes G5443 of the children G5207 of Israel. G2474

5 Of G1537 the tribe G5443 of Juda G2455 were sealed G4972 twelve G1427 thousand. G5505 Of G1537 the tribe G5443 of Reuben G4502 were sealed G4972 twelve G1427 thousand. G5505 Of G1537 the tribe G5443 of Gad G1045 were sealed G4972 twelve G1427 thousand. G5505

6 Of G1537 the tribe G5443 of Aser G768 were sealed G4972 twelve G1427 thousand. G5505 Of G1537 the tribe G5443 of Nepthalim G3508 were sealed G4972 twelve G1427 thousand. G5505 Of G1537 the tribe G5443 of Manasses G3128 were sealed G4972 twelve G1427 thousand. G5505

7 Of G1537 the tribe G5443 of Simeon G4826 were sealed G4972 twelve G1427 thousand. G5505 Of G1537 the tribe G5443 of Levi G3017 were sealed G4972 twelve G1427 thousand. G5505 Of G1537 the tribe G5443 of Issachar G2466 were sealed G4972 twelve G1427 thousand. G5505

8 Of G1537 the tribe G5443 of Zabulon G2194 were sealed G4972 twelve G1427 thousand. G5505 Of G1537 the tribe G5443 of Joseph G2501 were sealed G4972 twelve G1427 thousand. G5505 Of G1537 the tribe G5443 of Benjamin G958 were sealed G4972 twelve G1427 thousand. G5505

9 After G3326 this G5023 I beheld, G1492 and, G2532 lo, G2400 a great G4183 multitude, G3793 which G3739 no man G3762 could G1410 number, G705 G846 of G1537 all G3956 nations, G1484 and G2532 kindreds, G5443 and G2532 people, G2992 and G2532 tongues, G1100 stood G2476 before G1799 the throne, G2362 and G2532 before G1799 the Lamb, G721 clothed G4016 with white G3022 robes, G4749 and G2532 palms G5404 in G1722 their G846 hands; G5495

10 And G2532 cried G2896 with a loud G3173 voice, G5456 saying, G3004 Salvation G4991 to our G2257 God G2316 which G3588 sitteth G2521 upon G1909 the throne, G2362 and G2532 unto the Lamb. G721

11 And G2532 all G3956 the angels G32 stood G2476 round about G2945 the throne, G2362 and G2532 about the elders G4245 and G2532 the four G5064 beasts, G2226 and G2532 fell G4098 before G1799 the throne G2362 on G1909 their G846 faces, G4383 and G2532 worshipped G4352 God, G2316

12 Saying, G3004 Amen: G281 Blessing, G2129 and G2532 glory, G1391 and G2532 wisdom, G4678 and G2532 thanksgiving, G2169 and G2532 honour, G5092 and G2532 power, G1411 and G2532 might, G2479 be unto our G2257 God G2316 for G1519 ever G165 and ever. G165 Amen. G281

13 And G2532 one G1520 of G1537 the elders G4245 answered, G611 saying G3004 unto me, G3427 What G5101 are G1526 these G3778 which G3588 are arrayed in G4016 white G3022 robes? G4749 and G2532 whence G4159 came they? G2064

14 And G2532 I said G2046 unto him, G846 Sir, G2962 thou G4771 knowest. G1492 And G2532 he said G2036 to me, G3427 These G3778 are they G1526 which came G2064 out of G1537 great G3173 tribulation, G2347 and G2532 have washed G4150 their G846 robes, G4749 and G2532 made G3021 them G4749 G846 white G3021 in G1722 the blood G129 of the Lamb. G721

15 Therefore G1223 G5124 are they G1526 before G1799 the throne G2362 of God, G2316 and G2532 serve G3000 him G846 day G2250 and G2532 night G3571 in G1722 his G846 temple: G3485 and G2532 he that sitteth G2521 on G1909 the throne G2362 shall dwell G4637 among G1909 them. G846

16 They shall hunger G3983 no G3756 more, G2089 neither G3761 thirst G1372 any more; G2089 neither G3761 G3361 shall G4098 the sun G2246 light G4098 on G1909 them, G846 nor G3761 any G3956 heat. G2738

17 For G3754 the Lamb G721 which G3588 is in the midst G303 G3319 of the throne G2362 shall feed G4165 them, G846 and G2532 shall lead G3594 them G846 unto G1909 living G2198 fountains G4077 of waters: G5204 and G2532 God G2316 shall wipe away G1813 all G3956 tears G1144 from G575 their G846 eyes. G3788


Revelation 7:1-17 American Standard (ASV)

1 After his I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that no wind should blow on the earth, or on the sea, or upon any tree.

2 And I saw another angel ascend from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

3 saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.

4 And I heard the number of them that were sealed, a hundred and forty and four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:

5 Of the tribe of Judah `were' sealed twelve thousand: Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand;

6 Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand;

7 Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand;

8 Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Benjamin `were' sealed twelve thousand.

9 After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of `all' tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands;

10 and they cry with a great voice, saying, Salvation unto our God who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb.

11 And all the angels were standing round about the throne, and `about' the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

12 saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, `be' unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, These that are arrayed in 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 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.


Revelation 7:1-17 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And after these things I saw four messengers, standing upon the four corners of the land, holding the four winds of the land, that the wind may not blow upon the land, nor upon the sea, nor upon any tree;

2 and I saw another messenger going up from the rising of the sun, having a seal of the living God, and he did cry with a great voice to the four messengers, to whom it was given to injure the land and the sea, saying,

3 `Do not injure the land, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we may seal the servants of our God upon their foreheads.'

4 And I heard the number of those sealed, (144 thousands were sealed out of all the tribes of the sons of Israel):

5 of the tribe of Judah 12 thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben 12 thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad 12 thousand were sealed;

6 of the tribe of Asher 12 thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali 12 thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh 12 thousand were sealed;

7 of the tribe of Simeon 12 thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi 12 thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar 12 thousand were sealed;

8 of the tribe of Zebulun 12 thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph 12 thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin 12 thousand were sealed.

9 After these things I saw, and lo, a great multitude, which to number no one was able, out of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands,

10 and crying with a great voice, saying, `The salvation `is' to Him who is sitting upon the throne -- to our God, and to the Lamb!'

11 And all the messengers stood around the throne, and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell upon their face, and bowed before God,

12 saying, `Amen! the blessing, and the glory, and the wisdom, and the thanksgiving, and the honour, and the power, and the strength, `are' to our God -- to the ages of the ages! Amen!'

13 And answer did one of the elders, saying to me, `These, who have been arrayed with the white robes -- who are they, and whence came they?'

14 and I have said to him, `Sir, thou hast known;' and he said to me, `These are those who are coming out of the great tribulation, and they did wash their robes, and they made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb;

15 because of this are they before the throne of God, and they do service to Him day and night in His sanctuary, and He who is sitting upon the throne shall tabernacle over them;

16 they shall not hunger any more, nor may the sun fall upon them, nor any heat,

17 because the Lamb that `is' in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and wipe away shall God every tear from their eyes.'


Revelation 7:1-17 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

1 And after this I saw four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding fast the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow upon the earth, nor upon the sea, nor upon any tree.

2 And I saw another angel ascending from [the] sunrising, having [the] seal of [the] living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it had been given to hurt the earth and the sea,

3 saying, Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we shall have sealed the bondmen of our God upon their foreheads.

4 And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred [and] forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of [the] sons of Israel:

5 out of [the] tribe of Juda, twelve thousand sealed; out of [the] tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Gad, twelve thousand;

6 out of [the] tribe of Aser, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Nepthalim, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand;

7 out of [the] tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Levi, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand;

8 out of [the] tribe of Zabulun, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand sealed.

9 After these things I saw, and lo, a great crowd, which no one could number, out of every nation and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palm branches in their hands.

10 And they cry with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb.

11 And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne upon their faces, and worshipped God,

12 saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and strength, to our God, to the ages of ages. Amen.

13 And one of the elders answered, saying to me, These who are clothed with white robes, who are they, and whence came they?

14 And I said to him, My lord, *thou* knowest. And he said to me, These are they who come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sits upon the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them.

16 They shall not hunger any more, neither shall they thirst any more, nor shall the sun at all fall on them, nor any burning heat;

17 because the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall shepherd them, and shall lead them to fountains of waters of life, and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.


Revelation 7:1-17 World English Bible (WEB)

1 After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.

2 I saw another angel ascend from the sunrise, having the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea,

3 saying, "Don't harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!"

4 I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:

5 Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,

6 Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,

7 Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,

8 Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.

10 They cried with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

11 All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before his throne, and worshiped God,

12 saying, "Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might, be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

13 One of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are arrayed in white robes, who are they, and from where did they come?"

14 I told him, "My lord, you know." He said to me, "These are those who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb's blood.

15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

16 They will never be hungry, neither thirsty any more; neither will the sun beat on them, nor any heat;

17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shepherds them, and leads them to springs of waters of life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."


Revelation 7:1-17 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 After this I saw four angels in their places at the four points of the earth, keeping back the four winds in their hands, so that there might be no moving of the wind on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.

2 And I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the mark of the living God: and he said with a great voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to do damage to the earth and the sea,

3 Do no damage to the earth, or the sea, or the trees, till we have put a mark on the servants of our God.

4 And there came to my ears the number of those who had the mark on their brows, a hundred and forty-four thousand, who were marked out of every tribe of the people of Israel.

5 Of the tribe of Judah were marked twelve thousand: of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand: of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand:

6 Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand: of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand: of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand:

7 Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand: of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand: of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand:

8 Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand: of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand: of the tribe of Benjamin were marked twelve thousand.

9 After these things I saw a great army of people more than might be numbered, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and languages, taking their places before the high seat and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, and with branches in their hands,

10 Saying with a loud voice, Salvation to our God who is seated on the high seat, and to the Lamb.

11 And all the angels were round about the high seat, and about the rulers and the four beasts; and they went down on their faces before the high seat, and gave worship to God, saying,

12 So be it. Let blessing and glory and wisdom and praise and honour and power and strength be given to our God for ever and ever. So be it.

13 And one of the rulers made answer, saying to me, These who have on white robes, who are they, and where did they come from?

14 And I said to him, My lord, you have knowledge. And he said to me, These are they who came through the great testing, and their robes have been washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 This is why they are before the high seat of God; and they are his servants day and night in his house: and he who is seated on the high seat will be a tent over them.

16 They will never be in need of food or drink: and they will never again be troubled by the burning heat of the sun:

17 For the Lamb who is on the high seat will be their keeper and their guide to fountains of living water: and God will make glad their eyes for ever.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Revelation 7

Commentary on Revelation 7 Matthew Henry Commentary


Chapter 7

The things contained in this chapter came in after the opening of the six seals, which foretold great calamities in the world; and before the sound of the seven trumpets, which gave notice of great corruptions arising in the church: between these comes in this comfortable chapter, which secures the graces and comforts of the people of God in times of common calamity. We have,

  • I. An account of the restraint laid upon the winds (v. 1-3).
  • II. The sealing of the servants of God (v. 4-8).
  • III. The songs of angels and saints on this occasion (v. 9-12).
  • IV. A description of the honour and happiness of those who had faithfully served Christ, and suffered for him (v. 13-17).

Rev 7:1-12

Here we have,

  • I. An account of the restraint laid upon the winds. By these winds we suppose are meant those errors and corruptions in religion which would occasion a great deal of trouble and mischief to the church of God. Sometimes the Holy Spirit is compared to the wind: here the spirits of error are compared to the four winds, contrary one to another, but doing much hurt to the church, the garden and vineyard of God, breaking the branches and blasting the fruits of his plantation. The devil is called the prince of the power of the air; he, by a great wind, overthrew the house of Job's eldest son. Errors are as wind, by which those who are unstable are shaken, and carried to and fro, Eph. 4:14. Observe,
    • 1. These are called the winds of the earth, because they blow only in these lower regions near the earth; heaven is always clear and free from them.
    • 2. They are restrained by the ministry of angels, standing on the four corners of the earth, intimating that the spirit of error cannot go forth till God permits it, and that the angels minister to the good of the church by restraining its enemies.
    • 3. Their restraint was only for a season, and that was till the servants of God were sealed in their foreheads. God has a particular care and concern for his own servants in times of temptation and corruption, and he has a way to secure them from the common infection; he first establishes them, and then he tries them; he has the timing of their trials in his own hand.
  • II. An account of the sealing of the servants of God, where observe,
    • 1. To whom this work was committed-to an angel, another angel. While some of the angels were employed to restrain Satan and his agents, another angel was employed to mark out and distinguish the faithful servants of God.
    • 2. How they were distinguished-the seal of God was set upon their foreheads, a seal known to him, and as plain as if it appeared in their foreheads; by this mark they were set apart for mercy and safety in the worst of times.
    • 3. The number of those that were sealed, where observe,
      • (1.) A particular account of those that were sealed of the twelve tribes of Israel-twelve thousand out of every tribe, the whole sum amounting to a hundred and forty-four thousand. In this list the tribe of Dan is omitted, perhaps because they were greatly addicted to idolatry; and the order of the tribes is altered, perhaps according as they had been more or less faithful to God. Some take these to be a select number of the Jews who were reserved for mercy at the destruction of Jerusalem; others think that time was past, and therefore it is to be more generally applied to God's chosen remnant in the world; but, if the destruction of Jerusalem was not yet over (and I think it is hard to prove that it was), it seems more proper to understand this of the remnant of that people which God had reserved according to the election of grace, only here we have a definite number for an indefinite.
      • (2.) A general account of those who were saved out of other nations (v. 9): A great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues. Though these are not said to be sealed, yet they were selected by God out of all nations, and brought into his church, and there stood before the throne. Observe,
        • [1.] God will have a greater harvest of souls among the Gentiles than he had among the Jews. More are the children of the desolate than of the married woman.
        • [2.] The Lord knows who are his, and he will keep them safe in times of dangerous temptation.
        • [3.] Though the church of God is but a little flock, in comparison of the wicked world, yet it is no contemptible society, but really large and to be still more enlarged.
  • III. We have the songs of saints and angels on this occasion, v. 9-12, where observe,
    • 1. The praises offered up by the saints (and, as it seems to me, by the Gentile believers) for the care of God in reserving so large a remnant of the Jews, and saving them from infidelity and destruction. The Jewish church prayed for the Gentiles before their conversion, and the Gentile churches have reason to bless God for his distinguishing mercy to so many of the Jews, when the rest were cut off. Here observe,
      • (1.) The posture of these praising saints: they stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, before the Creator and the Mediator. In acts of religious worship we come nigh to God, and are to conceive ourselves as in his special presence; and we must come to God by Christ. The throne of God would be inaccessible to sinners were it not for a Mediator.
      • (2.) Their habit: they were clothed with white robes, and had palms in their hands; they were invested with the robes of justification, holiness, and victory, and had palms in their hands, as conquerors used to appear in their triumphs: such a glorious appearance will the faithful servants of God make at last, when they have fought the good fight of faith and finished their course.
      • (3.) Their employment: they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb. This may be understood either as a hosannah, wishing well to the interest of God and Christ in the church and in the world, or as a hallelujah, giving to God and the Lamb the praise of the great salvation; both the Father and the Son are joined together in these praises; the Father contrived this salvation, the Son purchased it, and those who enjoy it must and will bless the Lord and the Lamb, and they will do it publicly, and with becoming fervour.
    • 2. Here is the song of the angels (v. 11, 12), where observe,
      • (1.) Their station-before the throne of God, attending on him, and about the saints, ready to serve them.
      • (2.) Their posture, which is very humble, and expressive of the greatest reverence: They fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God. Behold the most excellent of all the creatures, who never sinned, who are before him continually, not only covering their faces, but falling down on their faces before the Lord! What humility then, and what profound reverence, become us vile frail creatures, when we come into the presence of God! We should fall down before him; there should be both a reverential frame of spirit and a humble behaviour in all our addresses to God
      • (3.) Their praises. They consented to the praises of the saints, said their Amen thereto; there is in heaven a perfect harmony between the angels and saints; and then they added more of their own, saying, Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. Here,
        • [1.] They acknowledge the glorious attributes of God-his wisdom, his power, and his might.
        • [2.] They declare that for these his divine perfections he ought to be blessed, and praised, and glorified, to all eternity; and they confirm it by their Amen. We see what is the work of heaven, and we ought to begin it now, to get our hearts tuned for it, to be much in it, and to long for that world where our praises, as well as happiness, will be perfected.

Rev 7:13-17

Here we have a description of the honour and happiness of those who have faithfully served the Lord Jesus Christ, and suffered for him. Observe,

  • I. A question asked by one of the elders, not for his own information, but for John's instruction: ministers may learn from the people, especially from aged and experienced Christians; the lowest saint in heaven knows more than the greatest apostle in the world. Now the question has two parts:-
    • 1. What are these that are arrayed in white robes?
    • 2. Whence came they? It seems to be spoken by way of admiration, as Cant. 3:6, Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness! Faithful Christians deserve our notice and respect; we should mark the upright.
  • II. The answer returned by the apostle, in which he tacitly acknowledges his own ignorance, and sues to this elder for information: Thou knowest. Those who would gain knowledge must not be ashamed to own their ignorance, nor to desire instruction from any that are able to give it.
  • III. The account given to the apostle concerning that noble army of martyrs who stood before the throne of God in white robes, with palms of victory in their hands: and notice is taken here of,
    • 1. The low and desolate state they had formerly been in; they had been in great tribulation, persecuted by men, tempted by Satan, sometimes troubled in their own spirits; they had suffered the spoiling of their goods, the imprisonment of their persons, yea, the loss of life itself. The way to heaven lies through many tribulations; but tribulation, how great soever, shall not separate us from the love of God. Tribulation, when gone through well, will make heaven more welcome and more glorious.
    • 2. The means by which they had been prepared for the great honour and happiness they now enjoyed: they had washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, v. 14. It is not the blood of the martyrs themselves, but the blood of the Lamb, that can wash away sin, and make the soul pure and clean in the sight of God. Other blood stains; this is the only blood that makes the robes of the saints white and clean.
    • 3. The blessedness to which they are now advanced, being thus prepared for it.
      • (1.) They are happy in their station, for they are before the throne of God night and day; and he dwells among them; they are in that presence where there is fulness of joy.
      • (2.) They are happy in their employment, for they serve God continually, and that without weakness, drowsiness, or weariness. Heaven is a state of service, though not of suffering; it is a state of rest, but not of sloth; it is a praising delightful rest.
      • (3.) They are happy in their freedom from all the inconveniences of this present life.
        • [1.] From all want and sense of want: They hunger and thirst no more; all their wants are supplied, and all the uneasiness caused thereby is removed.
        • [2.] From all sickness and pain: they shall never be scorched by the heat of the sun any more.
      • (4.) They are happy in the love and guidance of the Lord Jesus: He shall feed them, he shall lead them to living fountains of waters, he shall put them into the possession of every thing that is pleasant and refreshing to their souls, and therefore they shall hunger and thirst no more.
      • (5.) They are happy in being delivered from all sorrow or occasion of it: God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. They have formerly had their sorrows, and shed many tears, both upon the account of sin and affliction; but God himself, with his own gentle and gracious hand, will wipe those tears away, and they shall return no more for ever; and they would not have been without those tears, when God comes to wipe them away. In this he deals with them as a tender father who finds his beloved child in tears, he comforts him, he wipes his eyes, and turns his sorrow into rejoicing. This should moderate the Christian's sorrow in his present state, and support him under all the troubles of it; for those that sow in tears shall reap in joy; and those that now go forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them.