All Saints' Day Observed(2025)

Revelation 7:9-17

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ welcome to this All Saint’s Day as we the Children of God, those called together by the Holy Spirit, who have been purchased and won by the blood of Christ on Calvary, and given the hope of the Resurrection. Not a spiritual resurrection, but a physical resurrection from the dead to life eternal. What better book this morning than the Book of Revelation which describes the troubles and trials of the Christian Church as the world comes to an end, but returns again and again to the Victory that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord. For Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, Alleluia!

Death Ruled Over Man

Ever since eden, man has perished.

We were meant to die, but this is the fate that was brought upon us because of the sin of mankind. It wasn’t just death. It was all the suffering, the pain, and the misery that came as we corrupted paradise. There was one rule, one simple instruction, don’t eat of the fruit of this tree. So death

It makes all equal.

It doesn’t matter how rich you are, it doesn’t matter who you voted for, doesn’t matter how hard you worked, doesn’t matter were generous, or selfish, loved, or unloved, death doesn’t care. It strip from us the gift of life that God had given as sin corrupted. Because we weren’t meant to die when we were created, we were meant to endure, and that is why death

It tears our hearts apart.

We try to comfort our self by saying, well they lived a full life, its the natural end, it was their time, but this wasn’t all we were to live, and we weren’t supposed to get sick, get old, for children to lose parents, or parents to lose children. Husband and wives were meant to be together for life. This is because of our

Our Sinful Condition

We inherited Adam’s image.

We were created in the image of God, and that was broken by the sin of Adam, and since the fall the children of Adam, have been inheriting this curse of our forefather that has brought that fateful decree to each generation, you are dust and to dust you shall return. No matter how much we advance in technology, or fight, or love, this is our fate.

We say, “That’s unfair.”

Why should I suffer for the sin of another? Why should I have to bear the failings of my forefather, why is my life not judged according to what I have done, what have I done to deserve this fate? Well

Who is sinless?

There is not a one of us, that can make that claim, and that’s why despite our frustration and our pains, we cannot disagree with God’s ruling for we too are sinners as are all those whom we love and lose. Knowing this makes our text quite surprising, for in our reading from Revelation, the picture before God’s throne is astonishing

Before God’s Throne

Why are there so many?

The passage right before this is where God speaks of the 144,000, but when John looks there is a multitude that he cannot count. How? How can so many who are sinners be here before the throne of God and in His presence? How can the children of Adam, sinners who suffered the punishment for sin, be there praising God and worshiping him?

It’s because of the lamb.

This is the lamb that heaven waited for that He might open the seals of the scroll. The lamb who was slain, but lives! For what do those saints cry who stand before the throne of God? Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! That Salvation that belongs to God, and the Lamb is given to us. For our robes are washed white in the blood of the Lamb. Well how could the Lamb do that for us? Because that Lamb is Jesus who took on our flesh. For Jesus

He takes the place of Adam.

He becomes the new head of the human race whose blood is shed to cover the sin of our forefather Adam. What we see in Revelation is that those dear saints who have been washed in the blood of Christ, that is those who are united in His death and have put on Christ in Holy Baptism are clean. God doesn’t see their sins anymore for they have been paid for by Jesus. This means we get to enter paradise.

A Place in Paradise

God provides our shelter.

Now God is good and gracious and provides for us in this world, but there is still pain and misery and loss, but before God’s throne. God keeps us safe forever and there is no more fear, nor worries, nor pains for we come

We come out of tribulation.

The Scriptures make it clear earlier in revelation that since the world rejects those who believe in Christ we live in a state of tribulation, but there will be a great tribulation as the end draw nears, so awful in fact that the Scriptures tell us that if God had not cut those days short not even the elect would have been saved. But God does not forsake nor abandon His people, but rescues them and brings them through their robes having been washed and made white in the blood of the lamb. Here,

There will be peace.

The peace that we long for in this life, the peace that eludes us in the vale of tears, this world corrupted by sin, the peace that escapes our own minds, and our bodies as we bear witness to the awful effects of sin that continue to affect us. For the blood of the Lamb has won us peace before the throne of God that we might dwell in His presence forevermore. This is

The Hope of Christians

We do grieve, but with hope.

We sorrow after those dear saints who have perished, for death is painful, but we know God’s promise, and the hope that John gets to see here on Patmos as all the Saints are there before the throne. For not only does John see that Jesus is there, but he is the last apostle left alive, the others all died about 30 years before, his brother James was the first apostle put to death by Herod, but do you know what? They are not in danger anymore and Jesus has kept his promises. Revelation was given to Christians as a comfort, not to bring terror, terror is in the world and we see it, experience it, and live it, but Revelation was included at the end of the Scriptures that we might be encouraged that Jesus lives and the Victory has been won.

How simple is salvation?

Well what does Christ tell us at the end of Mark? Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved. It’s that simple and easy that it does not depend upon us, but upon God who promises forgiveness of our sins, and who cleanses us by the blood of Jesus. For it does not depend upon us, but upon God who keeps His Word like John saw before the throne.

So share this hope.

For the Victory belongs to Jesus, who has won salvation for all mankind. It doesn’t matter where they are from or what language they speak, for all those who are washed in the blood of the lamb shall come before the throne of God and sing praises to Him.

So my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this is why we celebrate All Saint’s Day each year. For we are reminded on this day of all the dear saints that have been laid to rest, and that we will see them again in the Land of the Living. On that joyful day we will come together before the throne of God guided by our good shepherd, and he will wipe away every tear from our eyes, as the power of sin, and death is finally brought to nothing as we live in his presence forevermore. In Jesus name. Amen.