Revelation 7:9-17

A Great Multitude from Every Nation

9 After this I looked, and behold, ¹a great multitude that no one could number, ²from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, ³clothed in white robes, with ⁴palm branches in their hands,

10 and crying out with a loud voice, ⁵"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 ⁶the four living creatures, and they ⁷fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

12 ⁸saying, "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, ⁹clothed 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 ¹⁰the great tribulation. ¹¹They have washed their robes and ¹²made them white ¹³in the blood of the Lamb.

15 "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and ¹⁴serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne ¹⁵will shelter them with his presence.

16 ¹⁶They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; ¹⁷the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.

17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne ¹⁸will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of ¹⁹living water, and ²⁰God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Revelation 7:9-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 7

This chapter contains a vision seen at the end of the sixth, and at the opening of the seventh seal, which expresses the security of the saints in all ages following, the praises of angels and men on that account, and the happiness of all the people of God in the millennium state. First, a vision of four angels is seen restraining the winds from blowing on the earth, sea, and trees, Re 7:1; then of another angel, described by the place from whence he came, the east; by what he had, the seal of the living God, and by his cry to the four angels not to hurt the earth, sea, and trees, until the servants of God were sealed, Re 7:2,3, and then follows the number of the sealed ones in general, Re 7:4, and the particular number of them out of each tribe of Israel, Re 7:5-8. After which is another vision of all the elect of God together, described by the numberless multitude of them; by their descent from all nations; by their position and situation before the throne, and the Lamb; by their habit and attire, and by their loud cry, ascribing salvation to God, and to the Lamb, Re 7:9,10, who are joined by all the angels around them, worshipping God, and ascribing glory to him, Re 7:11,12. And next is described the happiness of this numerous company, in the thousand years' reign, introduced by some discourse which passed between John, and one of the elders, Re 7:13,14, who are said to be before the throne, to serve God continually, and to have his presence, Re 7:15, to be free from everything troublesome and distressing, Re 7:16, and to be fed by the Lamb, and to be led by him to fountains of living water, and to have all their tears wiped away from them, Re 7:17.

Cross References

• 1. [Romans 11:25]
• 2. Revelation 5:9
• 3. ver. 14; See Revelation 3:4
• 4. [Leviticus 23:40; John 12:13]
• 5. Revelation 12:10; Revelation 19:1; See Psalms 3:8
• 6. Revelation 4:6
• 7. See Revelation 4:10
• 8. Revelation 5:14; Revelation 19:4; [1 Chronicles 29:10, 11]
• 9. [See ver. 9 above]
• 10. See Matthew 24:21
• 11. Revelation 22:14; [Isaiah 1:18; Zechariah 3:3-5]
• 12. [Daniel 12:10; 1 John 1:7]
• 13. Revelation 1:5
• 14. Revelation 22:3
• 15. Revelation 21:3; [Isaiah 4:5, 6]
• 16. Isaiah 49:10
• 17. Psalms 121:6
• 18. Psalms 23:1, 2; [Matthew 2:6]; See John 10:11
• 19. Revelation 22:1; [Psalms 36:8, 9; John 4:14]
• 20. Revelation 21:4; Isaiah 25:8