From Tribulation to Triumph: The Worship of the Redeemed, Part 2

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “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 shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Big Idea: The promise of our future standing before the Lamb should give hope and admonishment to stand in worship and service now.

The middle of this chapter pivots from the sealing of the 144,000, the halting of God’s wrath and judgement to allow us to behold, yet again, another worship scene in Heaven.

And in verse 9, we see the nations before the Lamb.

Body

Last week, we saw God’s heart for the nations, His plan to always save them.

Today’s lets return to Revelation 7 and see what these nations are doing together as one.

The Celebration of the Lamb- Revelation 7:9-10

Revelation 7:9–10 ESV

Palm branches were often associated with celebration.

Where else in The Lambs life do you recall them showing up? Entrance into Jerusalem.

They were prominent during the Festival of Tabernacles

This feast was to commemorate God’s provision for them during their wilderness wanderings (Lev 23:40).

The palm branches were featured and used in the construction of the tabernacles that were erected, in which they stayed, during the feast.

These palm branches are a clear display of celebration of the Lamb who has defeated the adversary, defeated death, and who is bringing about perfect justice for those the saints and those who dell on the earth.

Their voices raises in LOUD worship…

God loves loud worship - Ps 66:1; 100:1

Psalm 66:1 ESV

1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;

Psalm 100:1 ESV

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

The focus of their worship - Salvation!

They are celebrating their Savior.

They are celebrating their salvation.

They are celebrating life, eternal life.

They wave these palm branches in celebration of Him.

They are the party favors, the streamers, the party horns, blowers (that you blow in and the paper unrolls and makes a noise) of heaven. The Palm branches are the equivalent of that. lol

This will be our centerpiece of worship for eternity…the Lamb Who Was Slain, that we might live!

All heaven is alive with the chorus of salvation. Man and angels alike. They sing His praise. We saw it chapter 5, we are seeing it again here…

Application

These saints are not just rescued—they are rejoicing.

Worship is the natural expression of salvation and satisfaction in Christ.

Call to Action: Don’t wait until heaven to worship like this multitude. Worship now like you’re already before the throne.

We should not be ashamed to worship in our delight and thanksgiving of God.

We should not be ashamed to let our love, adoration, and satisfaction in God show to others, especially to each other.

We are sometimes. We do sometimes let what others might think inhibit our expressions of praise and worship to God, but it should not be.

May we give God our LOUD praises, even now.

Big Idea: The promise of our future standing before the Lamb should give hope and admonishment to stand in worship and service now.

After these slain saints sing of the salvation of God, we once again see the angels joining in…

The Worship of the Lamb - Revelation 7:11-12

Revelation 7:11–12 ESV

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

We know from chapters 4-5, that the angelic numbers are also innumerable. Uncountable.

This host of man and angel now standing around the throne worshipping has to be quite the sight for John to see, the noise of worship must be thunderous! Deafening!

Talk about loud!

They all fall down, joining the chorus of the saints and adding their praise of His glory and wisdom and honor and might and power to the shouts of praise!

Heaven is ONCE AGAIN ablaze with worship!

What is so significant to behold is that MAN, having fallen to sin and rebelled against God so that a Savior was needed, are NOW JOINED AS ONE with the sinless angels who remained faithful to God when Satan rebelled.

They stand as ONE - Worshipping together.

This alone is testimony to the saving and cleansing power of God that enables sinful man to be redeemed and be able to stand in His presence and worship thus.

Church, THIS IS THE GLORY OF GOD.

He Saves.

He Restores.

He Elevates

He Cleanses.

He Makes Us Worthy.

Understand too…These are the ones who rejected God long enough that they missed the rapture.

And yet, God gives them another chance.

And when they repent and believe, He saves them.

If this does not reveal His desire that no one should perish, but that all should come to repentance, what will?

God only sends wrath and judgment AFTER plenty of warning and opportunity.

He only destroys when repentance and faith are missing.

Joining the worship are the 24 elders

Which, as we have studied previously, represent the church, we believe.

The church, who was raptured and have been in heaven…

The tribulation saints being martyred, the angels, the four living creatures (also angels of a different kind), and the raptured church are all joining in as one here to declare worship to God!

Are you getting the sense that worship is constant posture of heaven?

The Occupation as MacArthur put it.

We will be full time worshippers in heaven.

We strive to be that now, though we fail and we do it imperfectly. In heaven, we will be masters of our trade. :)

The FOREVER AND EVER make clear that this is not a momentary experience, but one that will stretch forever, for the glory of God and the enjoyment of our beings.

Application

Heaven is filled with worship—make sure your life is, too.

If worship will be our eternal vocation, then prepare now by cultivating a lifestyle of praise—not just songs, but obedience.

Reflect: What does your current “worship life” say about your relationship with God?

We need to permit…

Big Idea: The promise of our future standing before the Lamb to give hope and admonishment to stand in worship and service now.

Does our life NOW reflect the same posture of worship we see in this vision?

The Cleansing of the Lamb - Revelation 7:13-14

Revelation 7:13–14 ESV

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

It is only now that we get clarity as to the identity of this multitude that is joined by the elders and angels.

I have been referencing them as the saints who have been slain throughout the tribulation but it is not until here that this identity gets divulged.

These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation, whose faith has been validated by the cost they were willing to pay and who thus have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus upon their faith.

The question is being asked by one of the elders, not because he did not know himself, but as a means to draw the information out for John and for us as the readers now.

It is a frequent and common method used when extracting meaning from visions and prophecies (Jeremiah 1:11-13, Amos 7:8; 8:2; Zechariah 4:2-5)

The exposure of this truth is here to verify and affirm that people of all nations will indeed be saved during the tribulation, that the work of salvation is not over yet.

There are many who will NOT repent. Revelation 9:20-21; 16:9.

Revelation 9:20–21 ESV

20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Revelation 16:9 ESV

9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

We have considered this before, but it is important to make the contrast again, here and now.

These are the ones who WILL repent.

Yes, they may have missed the rapture, but they will not miss God’s redemption. They will repent and they will worship the Lamb with the church and with the angels.

In response to the elder’s question, John calls him “lord.”

This title is simply one of respect and honor, not a designation of Jesus as Lord.

Lord, you know…

Is both a confession of ignorance (not knowing) AND

A request for explanation.

To which the elder happily comply’s.

Great Tribulation

Two possibilities: Tribulation in general or THE Great tribulation - second half of the 7year period.

This expression is used to refer to the second half of the tribulation.

Because it shows up here, it has led some believe that the sixth seal occurs in the second half of the tribulation, that seals 1-5 take place in the first half, with 5 bleeding over into the second half and that the 6th seal and beyond are in the second half of the tribulation.

Traditionally, it has been held that the seals and trumpets are in the first half of the tribulation and the bowls encompass the second half.

If that is true, than we are still well within the first half of the tribulation.

This is the position that I take.

How then are we to understand this phrase here?

Truthfully, though we do refer to second half of the tribulation as the Great Tribulation, because scripture refers to it that way, the construction and context here does not mandate or enforce that this is THE great tribulation.

Up until this point, the seals have unleashed great tribulation on the earth. It has been tumultuous.

Thus, this expression here could well be referring to the greatness of tribulation without referring the THE GREAT TRIBULATION that is the second half of the tribulation period.

Truthfully, it is unclear exactly. The timetable and text of scripture seems to support that the seals and trumpets are the first half and the bowl judgments are the second half of the 7 year period.

So, this expression here could be misleading, confusing the details since it could be referring only to the greatness of the tribulation…

OR I supposed we could be wrong and those who argue that the seals stretch from the first half of the tribulation to the second with the trumpets and bowls being in the second half of the tribulation could be more accurate.

I still lean towards the traditional view, but I give allowance for the other argument. Smarter men than me have studied it out. :)

Either way, the point is, these saints are ones who have been killed during the tribulation period, the very troubling times that have fallen on the earth.

And by the way, not all of these necessarily have to be martyrs. Some may well have died in the natural calamities and diseases that have fallen on the earth during these days.

But these ones stand here, not on their own merit, but cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.

Their ability to stand before the Lamb is based upon His merit. Not theirs.

Application

Because it is Christ’s righteousness that cleanses: because there is no sin beyond His cleansing power - we ought to be evangelizing in even the darkest corners of humanity, be willing to suffering for the sake of shining light into their dark world.

True revival is not a comfortable experience—it may cost everything.

These saints are not standing before the Lamb because they escaped the tribulation, but through it.

Church, are we prepared to suffer for Christ’s name? Would you remain faithful if it cost your job, your reputation, or your life?

Challenge: What suffering am I avoiding that may be the very means through which Christ is magnified?

Big Idea: The promise of our future standing before the Lamb should give hope and admonishment to stand in worship and service now.

The Service of the Lamb - Revelation 7:15

Revelation 7:15 ESV

15 “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 shelter them with his presence.

Their worship is a form of service.

The term latreuo that we translate service here, is the term that is usually associated with priestly service.

The service they offer is the spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1

Romans 12:1 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Presenting ourselves to God, in worship, is spiritual service.

And again, I must emphasize, this is not all about SONG or MUSIC. Worship is a lifestyle. It certainly involves singing and music but please do not reduce worship to that alone.

Again, we see the day and night, the forever terminology. The service is ceaselessly and joy filled!

Church, our worship is act of service to God.

It serves His glory and value.

It promotes His worth

It witnesses and testifies of His glory to others.

It services to encourage and build others up towards Christ centeredness.

I don’t know about you, but when I see and experience others genuinely and with heartfelt passion, worshipping, it fires me up to join in!

Make no mistake about it…worship….as a lifestyle…IS an act of service to God.

Application

Ask: Do I treat my everyday life—my work, parenting, conversations—as acts of service to God?

Worship isn’t limited to music—it’s how you respond to God with your whole life (Romans 12:1).

Serving God is not a burden in heaven—and shouldn’t be one on earth.

🎯 Action Step: Pick one area of life this week where you’ve not been serving joyfully, and offer it as worship.

Big Idea: The promise of our future standing before the Lamb should give hope and admonishment to stand in worship and service now.

The Shelter of the Lamb - Revelation 7:15

Revelation 7:15 ESV

15 “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 shelter them with his presence.

There is comfort in these concluding words of this verse.

Consider for a moment, the horrors that these saints have seen and suffered.

They have watched the very wrath of God being poured out on earth. Wrath that may well have been responsible for their own deaths.

Wrath that is provoked by the hardness of men’s hearts.

Wrath that falls because of rebellion against God. Rebellion that has resulted in their own persecution, suffering, and deaths.

BUT

Having experienced that suffering, witnessed it…and lost their lives to it, they now stand in the SHELTER of the Most High.

No longer is just spiritual shelter, knowing that no spiritual harm will ever come to them, they now also know and experience physical shelter.

He spreads his protective covering over them, keeping them safe within His embrace.

I love the imagery of a giant wing being folded over a man nestled and resting in the protective embrace of its cover beside the resting body of the beast who bears the wing.

I say beast, because I am big dragon lore enthusiast…but take your pick.

It simply depicts safety, refuge, protection, care.

These suffering believers are now safe within the protective grasp of God.

Scripture is filled with promises of God being a refuge and fortress for us. - Psalm 27:1-5.

Psalm 27:1–5 ESV

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. 4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.

We now see a living reality that it will be more than just words on a page or an invisible spiritual reality…one day, it will be reality in flesh.

That ought to give us hope and encouragement to keep pressing on when it gets tough to remain faithful to God.

Application

Rest in the truth that God is your refuge—especially when life gets hard.

When you feel overwhelmed by this world’s tribulation, run to His presence, not your coping mechanisms.

You don’t have to be strong—just sheltered.

🎯 Action Step: In your next moment of stress or fear, pause and pray Psalm 27:5 aloud: “He will hide me in His shelter…”

Big Idea: The promise of our future standing before the Lamb should give hope and admonishment to stand in worship and service now.

The Provision of the Lamb - Revelation 7:16-17

Revelation 7:16–17 ESV

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

What’s more…he will not only shield and protect them, he will provide for their every need.

No more hunger

No more thirst

No more sun and scorching heat to bombard them.

He will protect and provide.

He will lead them to living water.

He will now tend their every need.

Application

Trust God with your needs today because this is the God who provides forever.

Let contentment grow in your heart by looking ahead to eternity.

Are you anxious about earthly lack? Let this promise calm your spirit.

🎯 Action Step: Write down one worry (financial, health, etc.). Then write beside it: “The Lamb is my Shepherd.” Meditate on Philippians 4:19.

Big Idea: The promise of our future standing before the Lamb should give hope and admonishment to stand in worship and service now.

The Comfort of the Lamb - Revelation 7:17

Revelation 7:17 ESV

17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

He will comfort their sorrow, their grieving.

He will tenderly wipe the tears from the eyes, holding and cradling them (at least this is how I see it) close to his chest.

I picture as he whispering sweet assurances of his love, care, and safety.

He will reassure of his protection, his faithfulness to them.

He will reassure of his devotion.

He will hold them till their sorrows and griefs are healed.

Church, do you view our God this way?

Too often, he is portrayed as angry, vengeful or distant, aloof, uninterested, unconcerned.

But the truth is anything but that. He is a God who cares deeply and will make it clear, as he wipes the tears from our eyes, and presents Himself as the Lamb who was slain, just how much he deeply loves and cares.

We have the promise of His comfort now. 2 Corinthians 1:3.

But we also have the assurance of His comfort later, and for eternity as well.

Application

Jesus doesn’t just fix your problems—He comforts your pain.

When you cry, He doesn’t roll His eyes—He wipes your tears.

View Jesus not just as King, but as Comforter. Sit in that.

🎯 Action Step: If you’re grieving, hurting, or feeling forgotten, read this verse slowly and imagine Jesus wiping away your tears.

🛑 Pastoral Moment: Invite those who’ve experienced grief, trauma, or sorrow to receive Christ’s comfort personally—not just theologically.

Conclusion

Big Idea: The promise of our future standing before the Lamb should give hope and admonishment to stand in worship and service now.

Church, we have a hope. This vision is our hope.

We are here.

The church is present in this worship scene.

We WILL stand before the Lamb some day.

Our labors and toils WILL come to close. And so the question we need to be asking today is this…

“How Do I Respond to the Lamb?”

Not just then, but now. Are living BEFORE THE Lamb NOW in worship and servant postured ways?

We should be challenged, in hope, to…

🌍 See the world the way God does — globally, redemptively

🎉 Celebrate your salvation like it matters — because it does

🙌 Join the heavenly worship — now, not just later

💧 Rest in the cleansing blood of the Lamb — nothing else saves

🛠️ Live as a worshipper-servant — your life is His

🛡️ Run to His shelter — He is your refuge

🥖 Trust His provision — He knows what you need

😭 Receive His comfort — He cares about your tears

“So when you feel like quitting… when life is wearying, and your hands are tired… remember this: You will stand before the Lamb. You’ll be robed in white. Your worship will be unceasing. Your tears will be wiped away. This is not just the end—it’s the beginning.”

As we wait for this day, as we strive in this wearying life, may we be faithful and may God grace us to be ever growing together to become more like Jesus for the glory of God.

Application

How does the promise of standing before the Lamb impact your daily worship and service?

In what ways can you actively remind yourself of the hope found in Revelation 7 during times of struggle?

What actions can you take to better integrate worship into your daily life as a form of service?

How do you perceive the comfort of God in your life, based on the promise of Him wiping away every tear?

In what areas of life can you cultivate a deeper trust in God's provision, as highlighted in the sermon?

What does standing before the Lamb mean to you personally, and how should that influence your behavior now?

How can you demonstrate worship in your everyday activities at school or home?

What are some practical ways you can support your friends who feel overwhelmed or hopeless?

How can you share the comfort and hope found in Christ with others in your community?

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