Covered and Washed in the Blood of Christ!

Revelation 7:13-17 - 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 spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon 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."

I am not good at math…I tried teaching it for two years…and I wonder …sometimes…if I caused any irreparable damage those two years.  I was glad…so very glad that this chapter full of numbers….had already been counted carefully by God. My only concern is to figure out just how I figure in to the 144,000 that will be sealed…..and the multitude of believers that get to wear those pure white robes….washed white in the cleansing blood of the lamb.

Some things are just literal…black and white…no reading between the lines…and this chapter…I think spells it all out. You just need to figure out what group you are in…and that may be a little more difficult.  I am pretty sure I am not a direct descendant of Abraham…which means I won’t be one of the 144,000 that John saw sealed and protected from any of the end events. And if you believe like most commentaries that the church has already been taken to heaven…or raptured. ..then this group that John saw are truly the ones who are left here during the 7 years of tribulation.  Those white robes come with some pretty heavy suffering.

But here’s the beautiful thing about Salvation…whether we are a descendant of Abraham…and one of God’s chosen people….or whether we choose to ask him into our heart and be saved through his forgiving blood….or stand firm in Christ and endure the horrible events of the 7 years of tribulation…this passage …promises that we will stand with Christ…in our robes of pure blood washed white…and worship him together.  There will be no suffering for anyone anymore…so the way I look at it..I am covered. It really doesn’t matter which group I am in..what happens will happen…we really are not supposed to know the exact details.

What we are supposed to know..is that God loves us…and has made provisions for us…all of us who choose to believe and do his will.  There are no numbers involved there.  He loves us all and wants us all to choose him before it is too late. And our reward for making this life changing decision to follow Christ…no hunger…no thirst…no scorching heat….no tears! What better incentive to spread what great things God has already done for me..for my friends…for my family…for my church.  I just need to be very sure that I have asked him into my heart…and that all the ones I come into contact with have asked him too!

Father…I thank you for saving me and giving me the comfort of this passage through your servant John. I look forward to the day that I will stand with the multitude of believers and worship you in person. Help me Lord not to worry about the details of what will happen…but to concentrate on helping you to save as many people as I can…so the number of those who will never suffer again will increase to numbers too great for anyone to count. Forgive me Lord for not serving you day and night while I am here on the Earth.  Give me a new passion to share the great things you have done for me…to share your great plan of salvation with everyone I meet. Amen.