What does Revelation 7:9-17 mean?

"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; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 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, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 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. 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. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 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 7:9-17

Revelation 7:9-17 from the King James Version (KJV) reads:

"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; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 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, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 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. 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. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 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."

The Book of Revelation, attributed to the apostle John, is the final book of the New Testament and is traditionally considered to be a prophetic and apocalyptic work. In this passage, John describes a vision in which he sees a great multitude standing before the throne of God and the Lamb. This multitude is made up of people from all nations, kindreds, and tongues, and they are dressed in white robes and holding palm branches. The imagery presented here is rich with symbolism and is meant to convey several important theological and eschatological themes.

One of the central themes of this passage is the idea of salvation and redemption. The multitude is seen praising and worshiping God and the Lamb, declaring "Salvation to our God." They are described as having come out of great tribulation and having washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. This is a powerful image of the cleansing and purifying power of Christ's sacrifice, which allows for the salvation of people from every corner of the earth. The symbolism of the white robes conveys the idea of purity and righteousness, indicating that these individuals have been made clean through their faith in Christ.

Another key theme of this passage is the idea of worship and praise. The multitude is seen standing before the throne of God and the Lamb, joining with the angels, elders, and four living creatures in offering up worship and adoration. This collective worship is an affirmation of the sovereignty and holiness of God, and it serves as a powerful expression of the unity and diversity of the redeemed from every nation and language.

The imagery of the palm branches carried by the multitude is also rich with symbolism. In ancient Jewish and Christian tradition, palm branches were used as symbols of victory and celebration. In the context of this vision, the palm branches represent the triumph of the redeemed over sin and death through the atoning work of Christ. The use of palm branches also hearkens back to the traditional Jewish celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, during which palm branches were waved as a symbol of thanksgiving and praise.

The passage concludes with a vision of the future state of the redeemed. They are promised that they will no longer hunger or thirst, and they will be comforted and sustained by the Lamb who will lead them to living fountains of water. This imagery evokes the idea of the new heaven and the new earth, where the redeemed will experience the fullness of God's presence and provision. The mention of God wiping away every tear from their eyes speaks to the idea of ultimate restoration and wholeness, as all pain and suffering are eradicated in the presence of God.

In conclusion, Revelation 7:9-17 is a powerful and evocative vision of the culmination of God's redemptive plan. It presents a picture of the diverse and unified multitude of the redeemed standing before the throne of God, clad in white robes and offering up worship and praise. The imagery is deeply symbolic, conveying themes of salvation, worship, victory, and ultimate restoration. It serves as a powerful reminder of the hope and assurance that believers have in the promises of God for the future.

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Revelation 7:9-17 Artwork

Revelation 7:9-17 - "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 before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 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. 'Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,' nor any scorching heat. 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.'" "

"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 before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 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. 'Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,' nor any scorching heat. 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.'" " - Revelation 7:9-17

Revelation 9:7-10

Joshua 1:7-9

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9

Revelation 17:9 - "And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth."

Revelation 17:7 - "And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns."

Revelation 7:17 - "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 9:7 - "And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men."

Revelation 9:17 - "And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone."

Revelation 17:14

marriage feast with Christ all arrayed in fine line clean and white revelations 19:7-9

Revelation 7:9 - "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;"