Revelation 7:9: Prevailing church

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”

We have seen that in both sections of Revelation 7 we are probably looking at the church. Verses 1-8 deal with the church on earth, but from verse 9 it’s the church in ‘heaven’ we are seeing – in that other realm, just beyond the doorway of death.

Jesus declared to Peter that He would build His church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The context for this book of Revelation is that the gates of hell are battling hard against the church and trying to win. But they cannot.

This ninth verse encourages us in our missionary endeavour. In spite of all the opposition that comes our way; even if the enemy does his very worst, there will be people in heaven ‘’from every nation, tribe, people and language’’.

PRAYER: Lord, help us to trust your Word and not, at times, our own defeatist feelings.