"Explosions of Praise!"

Scripture Passage

Revelation 7:1-10:11

Scripture Focus

He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
     And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
                                    (Revelation 7:17 NLT)

Observation

There’s plenty I don’t understand about the book of Revelation. Really—there are people so confident when speaking of Revelation that “this” is “that” and “that” means “this.” Hey—they may be right! I just don’t share their confidence when it comes to speaking so assuredly about things so hidden. But one thing is clear (he said with confidence): John returns again and again to descriptions of explosions of praise for Jesus Christ our Redeemer.

This just happened in chapters 4 and 5, and here in chapter 7 it happens again! I’ve had a taste of that at moments in my life—I’ve been a part of gatherings of the people of God where spontaneous corporate praise was the order of the day—but not often. And certainly not often enough.  That’s too bad—those moments are wonderfully refreshing

Perhaps those times of unfettered praise are too infrequent because we don’t see Jesus for who He is—at least, not as well as these we read about in Revelation. In Chapter 4, John describes in remarkable terms a visionary glimpse of the glory that surrounds God’s throne. In chapter 5, Jesus is praised as the only one worthy to open the scroll, as He is the one who alone gave His life for all humanity—“every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9 NLT). Now, in chapter 7, “a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language” stands “in front of the throne and before the Lamb…shouting with a might shout, ‘Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10 NLT) 

Why all this exuberant celebration of Christ?  About this vast crowd, one of the elders stationed around the throne tells John:

They will never again be hungry or thirsty;
     they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun.
For the Lamb on the throne
     will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
     And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
                              (Revelation 7:16-17 NLT)

Sweet, huh? Rockin’! Awesome! I don’t know—you find a word to describe those scenes and those kinds of promises from God. No wonder Revelation explodes again and again with praise. Perhaps today I should, too! You?

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