(Article for publication week of 3-18-2009 AD)
“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.’ “ (Revelation 7:9-10).
In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John is permitted to look into heaven and see the redeemed family of God worshipping Christ the Lamb Who died for us. One of the things we see in heaven is that their will be many people there. We see from this that there will be many people finally saved.
Although there are few saved , comparatively speaking (Matthew 7:14; Luke 12:32: Romans 11:5), the Lord will finally have a great multitude for His Own in heaven. Typically, in any community or generation there are very few that are actually saved. But when all the elect of God are finally gathered together in heaven with Christ, it will be a number that no man can number. In our day here in Simpson County, we find very few that give evidence of being truly saved, but when we are gathered together with all the saints from all the ages from all the nations, it will be an innumerable host. The Christian in his pilgrimage to the Celestial City , finds very few Faithfuls and Hopefuls to pilgrimage with him, but when he crosses the River of Death and takes his seat in the heavenly Choir, there will be a multitude of voices joined together in praise and worship of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a wonder of God’s amazing grace that any would be saved. Man is so depraved, and the way is so narrow, and the gate is so difficult to enter, it is indeed a wonder that any would be saved. If God had not made a Covenant of Grace, and chosen a people for salvation and given them to His Son to save, why there would have never been any saved. If Christ had not died for our sins, heaven would have been inhabited by the Holy Trinity and the elect angels and all mankind would spend eternity in hell with the devil and the other fallen angels. And that would not have been a bad thing! God is in no need of any of His creatures. He is fully content with Himself. If God had never created any angels or men, He would have been completely happy with Himself forever. But for His glory he created angels and men. And by His grace, He redeemed a multitude of sinners to worship Him in heaven forever!
Now look again at our text in Revelation 7. The text tells us that there will be many in heaven and that those in heaven will be worshipping the Lamb Who died for them. Jesus said in Matthew 26:28 that he shed His blood “for many for the remission of sins”. This is the only way that any will be saved, by the blood of Christ which was shed for the remission of sin. The Lord Jesus Christ bled and died for the salvation of many. He died for all the Father gave Him (John 6:37). He died for all that believe in Him (John 3:16). No one who believes in Christ shall be disappointed. His blood has availed for you dear believer. The blood of Christ has washed away all your sins. There is not a charge that can be brought against you for Christ has fully satisfied all the claims of God’s law against you. There is no condemnation to them that believe in Christ. That great multitude that John saw in Revelation 7 will include you if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. That multitude will include every believer from Abel to the last heir of promise in the last generation. When all those that Christ died for from every nation and from every generation are gathered together in heaven, it will be a great number that no man can number. There will finally be many saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ Alone.
“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.’ “ (Revelation 7:9-10).
In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John is permitted to look into heaven and see the redeemed family of God worshipping Christ the Lamb Who died for us. One of the things we see in heaven is that their will be many people there. We see from this that there will be many people finally saved.
Although there are few saved , comparatively speaking (Matthew 7:14; Luke 12:32: Romans 11:5), the Lord will finally have a great multitude for His Own in heaven. Typically, in any community or generation there are very few that are actually saved. But when all the elect of God are finally gathered together in heaven with Christ, it will be a number that no man can number. In our day here in Simpson County, we find very few that give evidence of being truly saved, but when we are gathered together with all the saints from all the ages from all the nations, it will be an innumerable host. The Christian in his pilgrimage to the Celestial City , finds very few Faithfuls and Hopefuls to pilgrimage with him, but when he crosses the River of Death and takes his seat in the heavenly Choir, there will be a multitude of voices joined together in praise and worship of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a wonder of God’s amazing grace that any would be saved. Man is so depraved, and the way is so narrow, and the gate is so difficult to enter, it is indeed a wonder that any would be saved. If God had not made a Covenant of Grace, and chosen a people for salvation and given them to His Son to save, why there would have never been any saved. If Christ had not died for our sins, heaven would have been inhabited by the Holy Trinity and the elect angels and all mankind would spend eternity in hell with the devil and the other fallen angels. And that would not have been a bad thing! God is in no need of any of His creatures. He is fully content with Himself. If God had never created any angels or men, He would have been completely happy with Himself forever. But for His glory he created angels and men. And by His grace, He redeemed a multitude of sinners to worship Him in heaven forever!
Now look again at our text in Revelation 7. The text tells us that there will be many in heaven and that those in heaven will be worshipping the Lamb Who died for them. Jesus said in Matthew 26:28 that he shed His blood “for many for the remission of sins”. This is the only way that any will be saved, by the blood of Christ which was shed for the remission of sin. The Lord Jesus Christ bled and died for the salvation of many. He died for all the Father gave Him (John 6:37). He died for all that believe in Him (John 3:16). No one who believes in Christ shall be disappointed. His blood has availed for you dear believer. The blood of Christ has washed away all your sins. There is not a charge that can be brought against you for Christ has fully satisfied all the claims of God’s law against you. There is no condemnation to them that believe in Christ. That great multitude that John saw in Revelation 7 will include you if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. That multitude will include every believer from Abel to the last heir of promise in the last generation. When all those that Christ died for from every nation and from every generation are gathered together in heaven, it will be a great number that no man can number. There will finally be many saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ Alone.
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