The Lamb Will Shepherd the Nations

REVELATION 7:1-17

Main Idea: Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb who will also shepherd the nations and receive worship from all the peoples of the world.

1. We Are Sealed and Protected by the Lamb (7:1-8).
   1. In wrath the Lord shows mercy (7:1-3).
   2. Seeing unfaithfulness, the Lord still keeps His promise (7:4-8).
2. We Are Saved and Made Pure Through the Lamb (7:9-12).
   1. The scope of His salvation is global (7:9-10).
   2. The scope of His salvation is glorious (7:11-12).
3. We Are Satisfied and Provided For in the Lamb (7:13-17).
   1. He makes us clean (7:13-14).
   2. He lets us serve (7:15).
   3. He gives us His presence (7:15).
   4. He provides us our needs (7:16).
   5. He promises us to be our shepherd (7:17).

First Peter 2:24-25 reads, “You have been healed by His wounds. For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” The Message says it like this: “His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the shepherd of your souls.”

We all desperately need a Shepherd for our souls, don’t we? The nations need a Shepherd for their souls who will, as Revelation 7:17 promises, “guide them to springs of living water, and . . . wipe away every tear from their eyes.” How can He do this? He can do it because He washed us clean and made our robes “white in the blood of the Lamb” (7:14). The Lamb, who is a Lion (Rev 5), is also the one who is our Shepherd.

Revelation 7 has been the subject of much discussion and disagreement, especially verses 1-8. Is the “144,000 sealed from every tribe of the Israelites” (1) 144,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses who will reign in heaven? (2) selected Sabbatarians who honor and worship on the seventh day of the week? (3) the church as the “new Israel” and thus the redeemed of all the ages symbolically represented? Or are they (4) Jewish believers who are saved and sealed for service during what John calls “the great tribulation” (7:14) and “the great day of Their wrath” (6:17)? While I do have my own view and will briefly explain it, to wrestle excessively over this is to miss the fact that Jew and Gentile alike will be gathered around the throne and the Lamb in heaven (7:9) and that the focus of this text is the worship of this Lamb who will shepherd all the nations. In other words, this is one of the greatest texts in the whole Bible to encourage a passionate, radical, and sacrificial missionary agenda because the Lord Jesus has promised us that every ethne, every nation, will be there!

Revelation 7 is an interlude, parenthesis, or complementary perspective between the sixth and seventh seals. It consists of two visions (vv. 1-8 and 9-17), and it provides an answer to the ominous question that concludes chapter 6: Who can stand in the day of the Lamb’s wrath? The answer is, those who have “the seal of the living God” (7:2). Robert Mounce says it well: “The vision contrasts the security and blessedness that await the faithful with the panic of a pagan world fleeing from judgment” (Revelation, 154).

We Are Sealed and Protected by the Lamb

REVELATION 7:1-8

In chapter 6 the Lamb begins to unfold the eschatological scroll introduced in chapter 5. He breaks six of the seven seals, and we are introduced to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Massive destruction sweeps across the earth (6:1-8), martyred saints in heaven cry for justice (6:9-12), and those on the earth seek to hide from Him who is seated on the throne (God the Father) and from the Lamb (God the Son; 6:16). It appears no one will survive, much less stand against the righteous wrath of God. But then we see two wonderful truths emerge: In wrath the Lord shows mercy (see Hab 3:2), and the Lord keeps His promise.

In Wrath the Lord Shows Mercy (7:1-3)

“After this,” after the six seals of chapter 6, John saw “four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,” a figure of speech implying the four directional points of the compass. They are said to be holding back four winds of judgment that have the power “to harm earth and sea” (7:2), “the earth or the sea or the trees” (7:3). They are agents of righteous judgment and destruction, and they are ready to act.

However, their hand of judgment is stayed, or at least delayed. In this apocalyptic vision John sees “another angel . . . rise up from the east” (7:2). A number of Bible teachers have pointed out that some good things in Scripture come from or are in the east (Gen 2:8; Ezek 43:2; Matt 2:1; Luke 1:78; Rev 22:16). This angel is not a messenger of destruction and death but one of grace and mercy. He has with him “the seal of the living God” (7:2), a seal with which he will mark “the slaves of our God on their foreheads.” Revelation 14:1 informs us this seal is the name of the Lamb and the name of the Father (see 22:4). This sealing—with Old Testament roots in Ezekiel 9:4—is a sign, a promise of divine possession and protection. Gordon Fee notes,

The “seal” in this case is the stamp of divine ownership and authenticity; thus it functions as a divine commitment that God’s own people will not experience the divine wrath when it is poured out. . . . At the same time . . . this marking of the foreheads of God’s servants stands in deliberate contrast to the later marking on the foreheads of followers of the “beast out of the earth” in chapter 13:16-17. (Revelation, 107)

In wrath our God shows mercy.

Seeing Unfaithfulness, the Lord Still Keeps His Promise (7:4-8)

“The seal of the living God” (used 14 times in the New Testament; see also Josh 3:10; Ps 42:2; Hos 1:10), the one true God who stands in contrast to all false gods and idols of this world, is now applied to 144,000 “from every tribe of the Israelites” (7:4). The number is carefully catalogued in verses 5-8. My own dogmatism over the correct interpretation of these verses has softened over the years. I have good friends and I know respected evangelicals who understand the verses differently than I do. And they make good arguments. They understand the 144,000 to be the church, the whole people of God.

Still, I remain convinced the 144,000 sons of Israel represents Jewish believers who are included in the one people of God and the great multitude of Revelation 7:9. I find this view to be consistent with and supported by seven important passages:

• The Abrahamic covenant of Genesis 12:1-3
• The Davidic covenant of 2 Samuel 7:12-16
• The new covenant of Jeremiah 31:31-34 (and vv. 35-37)
• The promise of Jesus to the apostles in Matthew 19:28
• The answer of Jesus to the kingdom question in Acts 1:6-8
• The prophecy and promise of Paul in Romans 11:25-29
• The depiction of the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21:12-14

Some would object and ask, What about the peculiarities in the list, specifically (1) Judah appearing first, (2) Levi being included, and (3) the absence of Dan and Ephraim? To these I would simply respond as follows:

• There are 19 different arrangements of the names of the tribes in the Old Testament, and this list is different from all of them.
• Judah is listed first because Messiah, our Lord Jesus, comes from Judah (see Gen 49:9-10; Rev 5:5).
• Levi, though not allotted a portion of land, is rightly involved in this sealing for security and service.
• Ephraim is replaced by Joseph possibly because of its history of idolatry and its allying with the enemies of Judah (Isa 7:2,5; Hos 5:3). Yet the inclusion of Joseph allows for the inclusion of Ephraim but without the mention of his name.
• Dan is omitted, replaced by Levi, because of its practice of gross idolatry. Further, Irenaeus (a second-century church father) noted the pre-Christian Jewish tradition that antichrist would come from Dan, and Hippolytus wrote, “As the Christ was born from the tribe of Judah, so will the Antichrist be born from the tribe of Dan” (Mounce, Revelation, 159–60). And Genesis 49:17 says, “Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward.” Finally, the Testament of Dan (5:6) says Satan is the prince of Dan.

Still, it seems that Ezekiel 48 and Mathew 19:28 make clear that all the tribes will be honored and share in the millennial reign of Christ. During this time Hebrew Christians will receive the Lamb’s name and the Father’s name as their seal (14:1) and for their service, again standing in stark contrast to those who receive the mark of the beast and follow antichrist (13:17; 14:11; 16:2; 19:20).

However, we miss the main point if we fail to see that our God in this day, in that day, and in every day, has His faithful servants who are His possession and have His protection. As unfaithful as Israel has been, and as unfaithful as we have been, our God, on the other hand, is completely and utterly faithful. Having sealed us with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30), He maintains His covenant promises to His people. We find ourselves saved, safe, and secure. In the Lamb we have His stamp of approval!

We Are Saved and Made Pure Through the Lamb

REVELATION 7:9-12

John now sees a second vision. It complements the first, but it is significantly different. The first is on earth, while the second is in heaven. The first concerns “144,000 sons of Israel,” but the second concerns “a great multitude no one could number” (7:9). I love what Craig Keener says of these verses: “Here the promised multitude is gathered from all nations; the hope of the gospel has touched all people” (Revelation, 243). Keener is right on target. Two wonderful aspects of this “gospel of the Lamb” have indeed touched all peoples.

The Scope of His Salvation Is Global (7:9-10)

After seeing the 144,000, John sees a vast multitude that is innumerable “from every nation, tribe, people, and language” (see 5:9; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6). Echoing God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:5 and 32:12, their number is like the stars of heaven and the sand of the sea. In this massive throng of the redeemed in heaven, there is not the slightest hint of bigotry, ethnocentrism, prejudice, or racism. Of the 11,243 people groups in the world, each is present and represented. Of the 3,056 people groups currently unengaged, each is represented (IMB, Mar. 7, 2014). Of the 3.7 billion persons still not having an adequate opportunity to hear the gospel, the Lamb is reaching out and calling them unto Himself by the Spirit and through His people. The gospel is going to be heard and believed among all the peoples of the earth. The nations will rejoice! The nations will worship!

Four things are said about these people in heaven:

• Their location—They stand before the throne (of God) and before the Lamb. Now the question of 6:17 is answered as to who can stand. It is the redeemed!
• Their clothing—They are clothed permanently in white robes of victory and purity; they stand before God in the imputed, perfect righteousness of the Lamb (7:14).
• Their instruments of worship—They have palm branches of joy, celebration, and praise.
• Their confession—They are crying out (continually) in a loud voice (see 7:2), “Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Deliverance from sin and victory over Satan are ours because of the Father on the throne and the Son (Lamb) at His side.

Indeed, the scope of His salvation is global!

The Scope of His Salvation Is Glorious (7:11-12)

Once more the angels join in the worship of heaven (see 5:11-14). “All” the angels were standing around the throne. This looks back to the “thousands of thousands” in 5:11. Like the elders in 5:14 the angels fell on their faces before the Lord. This scene is holy; this time is sacred. Like the saints in verse 10, they speak not of what God has done but to who God is. Sandwiching a sevenfold blessing is the word “Amen.” And in their sevenfold blessing they affirm what the saints have said and then add their own words of adoration, praise, and worship:

• blessing (eulogia)—a good word, a praise
• glory (doxa)—honor derived from one’s character and a good reputation; it is the radiance or outshining of the divine person
• wisdom (sophia)—divine knowledge and perspective on all things, especially in the outworking of God’s plan of salvation
• thanksgiving (eucharistia)—we get our word eucharist from it
• honor (time¯)—esteem; public and deserved recognition (see 4:11; 5:12-13)
• power (dunamis)—God’s omnipotence; His ability to act as He wills
• strength (ischus)—often related to God’s mighty acts in salvation history

All of this has one focus, one direction, one and only one deserving object: “to our God forever and ever” (7:12). This word of worship is not temporary; it is eternal. It is not for a moment but forever. This is the praise of all nations and angels that is ringing through the corridors of heaven.

Once again, as we saw in chapter 5, the theme of the Lamb is prominent (7:9,10,14,17), as it is throughout Scripture, beginning in Genesis and culminating in Revelation. In Genesis 22 God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. When the boy asks his father, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answers, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (22:7-8). On that occasion God would provide a ram (22:13). Two thousand years later He would provide the Lamb.

In Exodus 12:5 we are told that the Passover must be sacrificed and that the lamb must be without blemish. In Isaiah 53 we meet the messianic Suffering Servant of the Lord. We are told in verse 7 that He was led as a lamb to slaughter. We then come to the New Testament and the ministry of John the Baptist, who seeing the Lord Jesus declares, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Now, in Revelation, we see the eschatological warrior Lamb on the throne with His Father. He had been slaughtered, but now He stands as the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent resurrected Lamb—a Lamb who is a Lion and also, as we now see, a Shepherd.

We Are Satisfied and Provided For in the Lamb

REVELATION 7:13-17

This glorious vision of all nations gathered around the throne and the Lamb now reaches a crescendo, but it also takes a surprising turn. As it does, blessings flow in our direction that are too great to imagine. These blessings must be shared with the nations that the Lamb will shepherd. That is His intention. That gives us our mission.

He Made Us Clean (7:13-14)

One of the elders (see 4:4,10-11; 5:5-6,8,11), one of the redeemed, speaks to John, asking him the identity of the great multitude clothed in white robes (7:13). John bats the ball back, no doubt out of ignorance or at least uncertainty, and says to the elder, “Sir, you know” their identity. The elder responds (7:14) directly and to the point, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

I am in basic agreement with Mounce:

The use of the definite article in the phrase “the great tribulation” indicated that the angel is referring primarily to that final series of woes which will immediately precede the end. It is the hour of trial that is to come upon the whole world (3:10). It is not “the awesome totality of tribulation which from century to century has been the experience of the people of God” nor does it correspond to “the entire history of the church—past, present, and future.” It is that specific period of distress and cruel persecution which will take place prior to the return of Christ. Prophesied by Daniel (12:1) and reflected on the screen of history at the fall of Jerusalem (Mark 13:19 and parallels), it finds its fulfillment in that final persecution which supplies the full complement of Christian martyrs (6:11). . . . Their robes are white by virtue of the redemptive death of the Lamb. Their rewards are those of all the faithful. Persecution has always been the lot of those who follow the Lamb (John 16:33; 2 Tim 3:12). The intensity of the final conflict of righteousness and evil will rise to such a pitch as to become the great tribulation. (Revelation, 164, emphasis in original)

While I do think this is the best understanding of the text, what we all can agree and focus on is the wonderful truth, “They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” The metaphor is striking and even paradoxical, perhaps drawn from Isaiah 1:18. The Lamb took our filthy, soiled, ugly garments of sin and plunged them into His red, pure blood (His death), and miraculously and supernaturally they come out white, pure, clean.

Corrie ten Boom, Christian Holocaust survivor and protector of Jewish persons, said of the cleansing and redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus,

The blood of Jesus Christ has great power! There is perhaps not a phrase in the Bible that is so full of secret truth as is “the blood of Jesus.” It is the secret of His incarnation, when Jesus took on flesh and blood; the secret of His obedience unto death, when He gave His life at the cross of Calvary; the secret of His love that went beyond all understanding when He bought us with His blood; the secret of the enemy and the secret of our eternal salvation. (Quoted in Simcox, “The Greatest Sacrifice,” 14–15)

So it is that these saints have experienced the truth sung by many Christians:

There is a fountain filled with blood,

drawn from Immanuel’s veins.

And sinners plunged beneath that flood

lose all their guilty stains.

He Lets Us Serve (7:15)

Verses 15-17 “form a poetic stanza. . . . They depict the eternal blessings of God shared inclusively by the redeemed” (Smalley, Revelation, 198). Once again the redeemed are located “before the throne of God,” granted access by virtue of the fact “they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (7:14).

Here they serve in priestly and worshipful service day and night (i.e., continually) in His temple. Later (21:22), John says, “I did not see a sanctuary in it [i.e., in the new Jerusalem], because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary.”

In Luke 2:37 it is said of the prophetess Anna, “She did not leave the temple complex, serving [this is the same Greek word] God night and day with fasting and prayers.” Any thought of heaven being a boring and dull place is banished forever by the beautiful simplicity of this verse. For all of eternity it will be our delightful and joyful privilege to serve in the worship of Him who saved us by washing us clean by His blood.

He Gives Us His Presence (7:15)

“The One seated on the throne will shelter them” and us. Literally, “He will spread His tent [tabernacle] over them.” This calls to mind the tabernacle in the wilderness (Exod 26–30), the pillar of cloud and of fire (Exod 13:21-22), the shekinah glory of God’s radiant presence in the midst of His people (Exod 40:34-38), and the incarnation of the Son (John 1:14). God is with them, right there in their midst. Never again will they feel forsaken; never again will they be tortured and tormented. They will enjoy the supreme presence and protection of the Lord God Himself forever and ever.

He Provides Us Our Needs (7:16)

Hunger and thirst were constant obstacles and threats in the ancient world. They remain so for much of our world today, but not so in heaven. Starvation, thirst, and the burning heat of the sun will find no place in heaven. This is almost a direct contrast with what the Four Horsemen bring in 6:1-8. They curse but God blesses. They bring suffering and sorrow, but God gives us satisfaction.

The language here draws on Isaiah 49:10 and Isaiah’s description of returning exiles from Babylon. It also recalls the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:6; John 4:14; 6:35; and 7:37. Every need is met by the Lamb who is, as we now see, our Shepherd.

He Promises Us to Be Our Shepherd (7:17)

In chapter 5 we saw a Lamb who is also a Lion. Now we see a Lamb who is also a Shepherd. And what a Shepherd He is! He is a Shepherd-King in the midst of the throne. He is like the Shepherd-King in the Song of Songs. He is like the Lord our Shepherd in Psalm 23, one who “will guide them to springs of living waters.” He is the Good Shepherd of John 10 who “will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The Shepherd image is one of the richest and most beloved in all of Scripture. Everyone needs a Shepherd of their soul. We find this image taking shape when God called a little shepherd boy named David to be Israel’s king. It is said of that shepherd he was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14; Acts 13:22). Later that shepherd-king would pen the most beloved song in the entire Psalter, where we are taught, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and because He is, I have all I need (Ps 23:1). Then, when the nation is in exile, having been abused by those who should have been “shepherds of Israel” (Ezek 34:2), God makes a promise to His people:

“I will appoint over them a single shepherd, My servant David, and he will shepherd them. He will tend them himself and will be their shepherd.” (Ezek 34:23)

And in Micah 5:2-4, His promised shepherd is said to come out of Bethlehem, which means “the house of bread.” Of Him it is promised, “He will stand and shepherd them in the strength of Yahweh, in the majestic name of Yahweh His God. They will live securely, for then His greatness will extend to the ends of the earth.” Micah 5:5 adds, “He will be their peace.”

We then arrive to the New Testament where all of these Old Testament promises and themes find their fulfillment in the “good shepherd” of John 10, the “great Shepherd” of Hebrews 13:20, the “chief Shepherd” of 1 Peter 5:4, the Shepherd of souls of 1 Peter 2:25, and the Shepherd-King of Revelation 7:17. What a Shepherd He is!

Conclusion

Several years ago I came across an article titled “The Room.” Only recently did I discover it was written by my friend Joshua Harris (it first appeared in New Attitude, 1995 and is used here by permission). It is a real dream that Joshua had, and it beautifully illustrates why we—why the nations—need to hear about and know this Lamb who is a Shepherd, a Shepherd of our souls.

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in “the room.” There were no distinguishing features save for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read “Girls I Have Liked.” I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one.

And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room and its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the thoughts and actions of my every moment, big and small, in detail my memory couldn’t match.

A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me and I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories, others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named “Friends” was next to one marked “Friends I Have Betrayed.”

The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. “Books I Have Read,” “Lies I Have Told,” “Comfort I Have Given,” “Jokes I Have Laughed At.” Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: “Things I’ve Yelled at My Brother.” Others I couldn’t laugh at: “Things I Have Done in My Anger,” “Things I Have Muttered under My Breath at My Parents.” I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped.

I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my [brief life] to write each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed the truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.

When I pulled out the file marked “Songs I Have Listened To,” I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn’t found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of music, but more by the vast amount of time I knew that file represented.

When I came to a file marked “Lustful Thoughts,” I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.

An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: “No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!” In an insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn’t matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.

Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title card bore “People I Have Shared the Gospel With.” The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.

And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that the hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key.

But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Oh, anyone but Jesus.

I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn’t bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one?

Finally, He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn’t anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands, and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn’t say a word. He just cried with me.

Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.

“No!” I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was “No, no,” as I tried to pull the card from Him. His name shouldn’t be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood.

He gently took the card back. He smiled a gentle smile and began to sign the cards. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, “It is finished.”

I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written. (New Attitude).

Yes, there are still cards to be written. But praise His name, each and every one has been covered with His name and by His blood. Hallelujah! What a Shepherd! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Reflect and Discuss

1. What does it mean for Jesus to be the “Shepherd of our souls”?
2. How does the Lord show mercy, even in wrath? Does this mean God is indecisive?
3. How should we understand the 144,000? What are the options? What is the main point we need to gather from these worshipers in this passage?
4. When has the Lord proved Himself faithful in your life despite your own unfaithfulness?
5. How might the vision of Revelation 7:9 inform and shape out missionary efforts?
6. What does it mean to ascribe to the Lord the characteristics of Revelation 7:12? How do you honor the Lord with each of these praises in your own life?
7. How does the blood of Jesus make us clean?
8. Why do you think some think of heaven as a boring and monotonous place? How do these verses provide an alternative picture?
9. In these verses the Lord provides for His people’s every need and counteracts their greatest threats (see 7:16). How have you seen the Lord provide for your needs, and what threats do you long to see Him address?
10. Do a word search of shepherd in the Bible. How does Jesus fulfill or give new meaning to each of these images as He relates to His redeemed bride?