by Lonnie Witt
Author, Retired Pastor, Missionary & Educator
Revelation 7:9-10 “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.”
What is the ultimate end of the church? That end is to be with Jesus and those who love Him. It is a continuation of what has already begun, but perfected because we will be free from the influence of the curse. We have conventions, camp meetings, and regular church services that are distracted by status—real or assigned by others, and social pressures, and popular culture. This greatest of all homecomings is defined by superlatives.
John says that convocation will include all nations, kindreds, people, and tongues. It is likely that you and I picture Jesus with the same ethnicity as ours, and likely He speaks to you in your first language, but God loves the world and from the world He is building His church. From 2025 statistics we learn that there are 195 nations and 7,164 languages spoken across the world. While you and I may be very limited in our ability to communicate with the new immigrants in our communities, we still have the message they need, and frequently we don’t even see them as redeemable. Sadly, we don’t even try to communicate God’s message in our native language to people who understand us.
The residents who lived on this earth since the beginning are estimated to be over 100 billion. If only a fourth of them chose to join God’s family that number would be large. Even if this gathering is only a percentage of the whole, it is still an enormous crowd. It is no wonder that the Abrahamic promise came in terms compared to the stars of heaven and the sands of the seashore (Genesis 22:17 and 26:4).
The blessed convocation of Revelation 7:9–10 shows the Lamb (Jesus) is the focal point of their adoration. It further speaks of their apparel – white robes. Those robes represent that the crowd is a holy people, who were transformed by the atoning blood of Christ and set apart to Him. The palms in their hands represent victory. Their unified praise is “Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” They all know that God alone is the author and finisher of salvation. God the Father planned, and He, as the incarnate Son, fulfilled that plan, and God, the Holy Spirit drew us to Himself.
It seems clear that no one in that grand gathering will be looking at designer labels, boasting of their incredible value to God’s kingdom, or promoting their own brand or denomination. All will wonder at the truth that “God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Can you imagine?
