The Great Tribulation.
“I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” – Rev 7:14. NASB
This verse is the answer to the question of Rev. 6:17, “Who shall be able to stand?” The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from ALL sin, and the robe of His righteousness meets every requirement of the law. Only this great multitude who “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb,” have experience and can tell their story. They have trusted in His redeeming power, stood fast during tribulation, and now have been given the privilege of ministering before the throne. The Bible knows nothing of a secret rapture as some suppose, but this verse clearly explains that God’s people go through the great tribulation with absolute fidelity.
A Bible study group once stumbled across the verse in Mal. 3:3. “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. . .” They were curious about what God and a refiner of silver would have in common. One of the groups volunteered to investigate.
She went to a jeweller and asked to watch him work with silver. She asked the craftsman why he was holding the silver in the flame. He said, “It is because the heat of the flame takes away all impurities; the hotter the flame, the purer the metal is when it comes out.”
The woman asked, “But how do you know when the silver is ready to come out of the flame?”
“Oh, that’s easy,” said the refiner, “I know it’s ready when I can see my reflection in it.
The basic meaning behind the word translated “tribulation” is “pressure” or “hard circumstances.” We can all relate to the idea of “great tribulation.”
We have all experienced events in our lives that have brought us great stress, trauma, and pressure. When passing through such times of tribulation it is nearly impossible to believe that anything good could come out of intense suffering. It is only with the perspective of time passed that we can often see God’s refining hand reaching into our lives and using the pain of our hard experiences to refine us and bring us to a level of usefulness that could not have happened any other way.
Whenever I feel that I am in an unbearably “hot spot,” I take comfort in the fact that my “refiner” is holding me very carefully, that no matter what it feels like, I can be sure that He won’t ever leave me alone, not even for a second. And I can rejoice in the fact that, if the suffering continues longer than I think necessary, it is because He has a goal for me. When I am ready to be taken out of the “fire,” He will be able to see His reflection in me!
“That is why they stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter.” – Revelation 7:15 (NLT)
The people of God will one day “serve” God day and night in the heavenly temple. (think conceptual language). But the best place to practice for that heavenly status is right here and right now. We are told that the acts of kindness and service that we bestow on others here and now are accepted by God as if done to Jesus Himself (Matt 25:34-46).
When our service is genuinely driven by the love of Jesus, we can be confident that much good will be done. And in the process of serving others, we will learn how to serve God more fully.
This text is one of those places where you need a sense of the ancient setting to truly appreciate what the text is saying. The word “shelter” is better translated by the literal phrase, “spread His tent over them,” as translated by the NASB which says: “For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.”
Revelation 7 tells us that God will “spread His tent over us” in the intense noon-day heat of the troubles we face now and will face when the end of all things comes. This text offers us an image for hard times. When life gets tough, God provides a cooling tent in the knowledge that nothing happens to us that cannot serve a purpose in the larger picture (Rom 8:28). And in the searing fires of the End, His cooling tent will be a comforting refuge.
The idea of God “sheltering” us in tribulation is precious. It portrays the image of shade in a blistering hot day. The Psalm for this time is Psalm 91, written by Moses, it begins with the words, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
The apostle looked through the open door into the heavenly temple and at the throne of God. The throne symbolizes God’s rule and governing authority over creation, while the rainbow around the throne signifies God’s faithfulness to His promises (Gen. 9:13–16; Isa. 54:9, 10). However, Satan, (he has even stolen the rainbow image) who usurped the dominion of this earth and is God’s adversary, has disputed divine authority. The central issue in the great controversy between God and Satan is about who has the right to rule. The purpose of the heavenly council that John saw gathered in the heavenly throne room was to affirm God’s rightful rule over the universe (Rev. 4:1–8, Rev. 5:11–14).
Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” – Revelation 4:1.NLT
The scene of Revelation 4 and 5 is one of the most dramatic in the Bible. I am astonished by it! Apparently, scholars say it is even more glorious in the original language than it is in translation. Read it and receive an unbelievable thrill as you envision what worship in heaven must be like. The scene starts slowly but then crescendos and crescendos until the entire universe becomes a single vast, antiphonal choir ringing out the praises of the Lamb and the One sitting on the throne (Rev 5:11-14). The scene then concludes as the four living creatures utter “Amen” followed by thunderous silence.
A danger readers face when going through a passage like Revelation 4 and 5 is the tendency to make too much of every detail and thereby miss its primary purpose. That purpose is to set forth the greatness of the heavenly throne room, the greatness of God and, therefore, the surpassing greatness of the Lamb that was slain. The throne room of God lays all earthly claims to power and glory in the dust. When one has had a glimpse of the open gates of heaven, it makes no sense any more to be afraid of earthly powers or even specific human beings. The passage invites us to place all sources of earthly intimidation in the shadows of God’s transcending power and glory, and to acknowledge Him as the one true object of worship. When we truly know Him, we will know what true worship is all about.