Revelation 7:17, commentary and pictures

The Lamb at the center of the throne is Jesus Christ dwelling among the redeemed as their Shepherd, the slain sacrifice who gave His life to ransom them from Satan. Those He feeds and leads are a countless multitude from every nation and tongue who came out of great tribulation, having washed their robes white in His blood and now serve before God day and night in His temple. His feeding sustains and cares for them and opens to them the rich treasures of Bible truth, and His leading brings them to literal crystal fountains proceeding from the throne, to the sources of refreshment and eternal life in knowing God. God wiping away all tears is the end of every cause of grief, with no more hunger or thirst or scorching heat, and no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. Through eternity that leading continues as instruction in the higher school above, where Christ as Teacher explains dark Scriptures and providences, reveals the wisdom and love of God in redemption, and draws His people into ever-deepening knowledge and happiness. Gaining this life requires now washing the robe of character white in His blood, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and enduring trial with eyes fixed on Him.

Wording and Imagery

The Lamb in the midst of the throne is Jesus Christ Himself at the very center of the throne, dwelling among the redeemed as their Shepherd who feeds, tends, provides for, and leads His flock. The pastoral picture of Shepherd and sheep is given in beautiful imagery rich in eloquence so that humanity can take it in, as a symbol of the care and safety of the redeemed in God's presence. Through Him as the appointed meeting place between God and humanity, people are united with God and commune with Him. As the heavenly Shepherd He leads His flock in their eternal inheritance, which is a country and a home, where those so long pilgrims and wanderers find rest beside ever-flowing crystal streams, on peaceful plains with shaded paths, plains, hills and mountains prepared for the ransomed.

He is the slain sacrifice who gave His life to redeem them from the power of Satan and exalt them to His throne, and around the throne the conflict and all tribulation and strife are now over as the victorious company praise the Lamb that was slain. Their happiness and everlasting life come through His humiliation, and the view of it sustained Him in betrayal and trial. Those who come before Him confess their sins and are pardoned, while the saints praise God as they wait expectantly, and the multitude cries Worthy is the Lamb that was slain and Salvation to God and to the Lamb. Angels and archangels, covering cherub and glorious seraph, echo the praise with blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might.

To feed them is to sustain, care for, and provide for them. It specifically means Christ opening to them the treasures and riches of Bible truth that are not appreciated now and seem hidden from eyes, riches not fully appreciated or understood now. The promises of the Word grow brighter the more they are looked at and deeper the more they are practiced.

To lead them unto living fountains of waters is to guide them to the sources of life and refreshment, to life eternal in knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ, and to everlasting springs in the City of God where the desert journey is over. The living-water fountain cleanses every stain of impurity through the blood of the Lamb, and this is the happy privilege of those who have kept God's commandments on earth. The living water also points to everlasting life in Christ, the final comfort of the multitude who came through great tribulation with robes washed in the Lamb's blood, when hunger, thirst, heat, and sorrow will be gone. Even in the closing scenes of life the living fountains are the water of life given to refresh the souls of believers, with ministering angels around them, with the pledge from Him who is the resurrection and the life that those who sleep in Jesus will be brought with Him from the grave, awakening at the trump to die no more in the coming of the eternal morning when there is no night in the city of God.

Those fountains and waters are literal fountains and rivers as clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb, within the pearly gates in the heaven of bliss. There on either side of the river of life grow trees of living green, and there are the tree of life and the Saviour Himself, whose fruit and foliage give health and life to those who eat as Christ leads His people to life-giving waters. It is a life that measures with the life of God, with no pain, sorrow, sickness or death, but only peace and harmony and love. Entrance requires preparing the white robe of character, and the glorious things of nature are only a mere shadow of this original in the paradise of God, which eye has not seen and which imagination can only faintly grasp from earthly beauty.

God wiping away all tears from their eyes means ending their sorrow and grief and removing every cause of tears and grief. Their suffering and need and hunger and thirst and scorching heat are over in the joy of heaven in God's presence, as also described with Revelation 21:4. This vision of future comfort and life beyond suffering helps believers value eternal things above temporary ones and influence others toward the higher life.

Redeemed Before the Throne

They are a great multitude that no one can number, from all nations and kindreds and peoples and tongues and from all classes, standing before the throne and before the Lamb in white robes with palms in their hands. They cry salvation to God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, while angels and elders and living creatures fall down and worship God with blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might forever. In spotless white shining robes richer than any kingly robe, with jeweled crowns and harps and palm branches of victory, they sing victory and loud hosannas, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain and salvation to God and to the Lamb, while angels and archangels, covering cherub and glorious seraph, echo Amen.

They are those who came out of great tribulation and the fiery furnace of earthly affliction when heated intensely hot, from destitution, hunger, torture, deep self-denial and bitter disappointments. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, while lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, the self-indulgent and disobedient, lose both worlds. Therefore they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple, with Him dwelling among them, hungering no more and thirsting no more with neither sun nor heat falling on them. The conflict and all tribulation and strife are now over as they stand around the throne in victory, with every cause of death and sorrow and crying and pain ended.

The promise belongs to the 144,000 who endured suffering, hunger, thirst, and scorching heat through the great tribulation, whose future relief answers the suffering they endured on earth. Their differences do not prevent their admission before the throne, for they stand as one company gathered from every division of humanity. Those once hated, despised, helpless, poor, weak, and defenseless on earth, hated of all men for Christ's sake, are no longer poor, no longer in sorrow and affliction, no longer a scattered, feeble company.

They are gathered before the throne and receive lasting comfort and relief, connected with the family in heaven and near the throne girt with purity and garments of eternal righteousness, with the beams of the Sun of righteousness reflected upon them. Once regarded as weak and defenseless for loyalty to God, they become victorious and secure in Christ's presence, crowned conquerors and more than conquerors when righteousness receives the palm of victory and triumph. They stand before the throne among ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands upon thousands, no longer having anything to fear from force or fraud, with all power and greatness and excellence of character given to those who believed and stood in defense of the truth and the laws of God.

Martyrs are close about the throne in that vast assembly. In the future world the record of the great victories won by the prayer of faith will be opened before the redeemed, including subduing kingdoms, working righteousness, obtaining promises, stopping the mouths of lions, quenching fire, escaping the sword, strength out of weakness, valiance in fight, and turning armies to flight, with the reports of martyrs who died for faith.

Promised End of Suffering

The redeemed shall hunger no more and thirst no more, and neither sun nor heat shall fall upon them. This will be fulfilled when they reach the mansions above, where before the throne of God they serve Him day and night in His temple while He dwells among them. It is the reward that follows when the period of toil soon ends for those who came out of great tribulation with robes washed white in the blood of the Lamb.

There will be no more death, sorrow, crying, pain, mourning, sickness, or tears, because the former things are passed away and every cause of them is ended. In their place there is only peace and harmony and love, with Jesus present and peace reigning on a new earth wherein dwells righteousness, without curse, disappointment, sin, burial trains, partings, or broken hearts. All tribulation and strife are at an end, and songs of victory fill heaven as the redeemed stand around the throne of God.

They enjoy the sunless splendors of eternal day because Christ is the light of the city of God. There is no night there, for the eternal morning has come when the dead awakened to die no more are refreshed with the water of life. They no longer have anything to fear from force or fraud as long as they are loyal and true, for One mightier than the strong man armed is set for their defense, and all power and greatness and excellence of character are given to those who believed and stood in defense of the truth and the laws of God.

They shall see Jesus and be made like Him. He is no longer veiled from sight but is seen as He is with their own eyes, and they are renewed, transformed, and glorified with Christ so they can look upon Him with delight every moment. They share companionship with holy loved ones who have been cleansed and sanctified and glorified, with human affection not destroyed but sanctified, purified, uplifted, and balanced into right channels. Jesus Himself dwelling with His people through the ceaseless ages is the most prized treasure and powerful attraction of heaven, without whom heaven would be nothing, and seeing Him is their joy and the crown of their rejoicing.

Eternal Home and Life

The promise is life itself, eternal life in the kingdom of glory, everlasting life in Christ, a life that measures with the life of God. It belongs to every soul warring the good warfare for eternal life and for the crown of glory that fades not away, and calls for praise with heart and soul and voice because it will verily and certainly be fulfilled. Those who gain it are led step by step heavenward through self-sacrifice, proved and sanctified and numbered with the host described there, Christ Himself leading them to the living waters, explaining His Word to them, feeding them, and wiping away all tears. It is the final comfort of the multitude come through great tribulation, washed in the Lamb's blood and serving before the throne, with hunger, thirst, heat, and sorrow gone. The reward cannot afford to be lost, and high or low, rich or poor are called to advance heavenward, gain a precious victory every day, keep hearts open to understand what is laid up for the faithful, and be ready clothed in Christ's righteousness and reflecting His character, free from sorrow and the effects of sin.

It is the inheritance in the heavenly Canaan among the sanctified, on new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. It is a real country and home, a sweet home and the rest remaining for the people of God, with peaceful plains, hills of beauty, mountains of God, shaded paths and waving fruitful trees, clear ever-flowing crystal streams and living fountains beside which God's people find rest. There is no more curse as on the present earth darkened with the shadow of death, but Jesus present and peace reigning, with no disappointment, no sorrow, no sin, no sickness, no mourning, no death, no partings, no broken hearts, no burial trains, and God dwelling among them and wiping away all tears so they hunger no more and thirst no more and sun and heat do not fall on them. It belongs to the redeemed host saved, eternally saved, arrayed in white robes around the throne, come out of great tribulation with robes of character washed white in the blood of the Lamb, serving day and night in His temple, where they shall see Jesus whom their souls love. This home will be enjoyed all the more because they have been pilgrims and strangers and wanderers on earth.

It is a continuation of drawing near to God through Christ and a ceaseless approaching to Him, serving before His throne day and night and living in His presence. Coming to Jesus and learning of Him begins eternal life now, with heaven beginning here as believers are filled with His love and satisfied with His presence as much as human nature can bear, but the fullness to come is far greater than the rest entered now and greater than the fullest joy that can be received in this life. There the longer the redeemed live in bliss the more glory is opened to them, and the more they know God the more intense their happiness becomes. It is a place of happy, harmonious communion among holy beings, including angels and the redeemed with robes washed white in the Lamb's blood, standing in God's presence before His throne, nourished and guided by the Lamb at the center of the throne to life-giving water with all sorrow removed.

When Christ comes He will personally gather the redeemed from every nation, people, and language and lead them to the fountains. He promises that after earthly trials are over the faithful will drink its water, pointing to the Lamb's care for His people in the heavenly home and their future joy with Him.

Heavenly Teaching Explained

Leading them beside living waters is the continuation through eternity of the work of instruction begun on earth. In the higher school above in the heavenly courts Christ walks and talks with His people as Teacher under His personal supervision, leading them to the tree of life and to fountains of living waters. There they meet with God and are taught of God, and Christ opens to them the Word and the difficult portions of the Scriptures they could not understand. Diligent and faithful study of the Word secures the highest education and alone fits people for that place, and faithful service in this life prepares them for immortal life. Parents are to set this before their children so they will be fitted to be transferred to that school.

In eternal life learning will continue without end as Christ imparts rich stores of knowledge. He will teach them the pure principles of heavenly love and grand lessons of heavenly order. He leads them by rivers of living water and teaches them the meaning of the providences they did not understand on earth, telling them the meaning of the dark providences through which they were called to pass in this life. Then they discern the love of God in what now seem to be adversities and see that trials were permitted to remove unchristlike traits of character and to strengthen weak points. There He will open to their minds glories they have not been able to comprehend in this life.

He unravels the mysteries in the providences of God that in this life cannot be understood, explaining what prayer and study and a lifetime of prayer and research fail to learn. Matters on which God now keeps silence will be explained, the ways of Providence made clear, and the mysteries of grace through Christ unfolded, so that what the mind cannot now grasp will be made orderly and clear, controversies ended and all difficulties solved. He opens to them the treasures and riches of Bible truth that are not appreciated now and seem hidden from eyes, and explains Bible mysteries, dark passages of Scripture never understood in this life, and what was mysterious and not understood in the Bible and in life. Earth's history will not be fully understood until people walk with their Redeemer there in the paradise of God. This belongs to those who are preparing for eternity to become members of the heavenly family, living now in unselfishness, kindness, and peace with no strife, and all true knowledge gained in this life will be kept in heaven, where the education of the redeemed will be made perfect.

God's wisdom and love in the plan of redemption and His works of creation and sustaining power are revealed more fully, and mysteries that are now beyond understanding will disappear. Christ will reveal the beauty and glory of nature and show them what He is to them and what they are to Him, and truths and glories beyond their present, finite understanding will become known. The soul will see the beauty and simplicity of what it could not previously comprehend. He opens before them the eternal weight of glory that is theirs and lessons they do not know now, which is part of the higher learning awaiting those prepared through a life of Christian character. Those whose passion for money-getting dulls their comprehension of eternal truth will not be among that number, for farms, real estate, bank stock, and money investments absorb their time and attention, and in anxiety to obtain temporal advantages they lose life, eternal life, leaving them unprepared if death comes suddenly.

Prophecy and Final Crisis

Revelation 7 is given for consideration and comfort and encouragement as mercy amid divine judgments, for God has a chosen people purchased by Christ giving Himself as a ransom, those keeping all the commandments of God and having the faith of Jesus, whom He will preserve and seal as servants of God in their foreheads while the four angels hold the four winds until the sealing work is done. The chapter with Revelation 6 is full of meaning, revealing the terrible judgments of God with the Lord going forth to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth disclosing her blood and no more covering her slain, yet judgments are restrained while His servants are sealed. In that setting the Lamb cares for the redeemed, feeding them and leading them to life and ending their sorrow.

Revelation 7:9-17 with Revelation 6:12-17 is of great importance to those acting a part in the work of God for the last days and must be closely studied to realize what is coming on the earth. Together they bring to view two parties when God pronounces judgment upon men according to their works. One party permitted themselves to be deceived and beclouded about what constitutes sin, transgressed the law and broke the everlasting covenant, took sides with those with whom the Lord has a controversy, misinterpreted the messages sent them, clothed themselves in robes of self-righteousness, did not see sin as sinful, taught falsehood as truth, and led many souls astray. The same description beginning in Revelation 7:9 sets forth the solemn condition of the people and their unprepared state for the judgment, calling for genuine sanctification prepared to stand in the judgment in contrast to the spurious sanctification that is common.

It is a solemn prediction that will speedily be fulfilled and must be impressed on every heart, showing the reward of the overcomers who sigh and cry for the abominations done among God's professed people, receive the sign and mark of God in their foreheads, and are registered in the books of heaven as overcomers. When the ministers of destruction are commanded to smite without pity, beginning at God's sanctuary, these marked ones are spared and enter the worship and blessedness described in Revelation 7:12-17. It likewise shows the reward of those who stay loyal through the time of trouble and refuse to worship the beast and his image or revere an idol sabbath, even when they cannot buy or sell and are mocked, poor, distressed, and threatened with destruction. They will stand before the throne of God among ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands upon thousands, with the martyrs close about the throne, and Jesus seated upon the throne who gave His life as a sacrifice to redeem them from the power of Satan and exalt them to His throne, crowning those the world counted weak, unworthy, and defenseless as conquerors and more than conquerors when righteousness receives the palm of victory and triumph. Though the masters of iniquity in the world under Satan's control have become strong and terrible, with Satanic passions expressing the sentiments, doctrines, and counsels of demons, the Lord God who judges Babylon is strong, and the just who are loyal and true have no longer anything to fear from force or fraud, for One mightier than the strong man armed is set for their defense, and all power and greatness and excellence of character are given to those who believed and stood in defense of the truth and firmly defended the laws of God, enjoying the sunless splendors of eternal day as no longer a scattered, feeble company.

Its words will be verily and certainly fulfilled when the redeemed reach the mansions above, with Jesus Himself leading the white-robed ones made white in the blood of the Lamb to the Father, where before the throne of God they serve Him day and night in His temple while He dwells among them, hungering and thirsting no more with no sun or heat falling on them, for the Lamb in the midst of the throne feeds them and leads them to living fountains of waters and God wipes away all tears from their eyes. They concern the future reward of the great multitude from all nations and kindreds and peoples and tongues who stand before the throne and before the Lamb clothed in white robes with palms in their hands, crying salvation to God and the Lamb while angels and elders and living creatures worship God, those who came out of great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. These are wonderful things about to transpire, most important things that will transpire before long, full of intense interest to every soul who shall live upon the earth, belonging to a heaven to win and to every soul warring the good warfare for eternal life in the kingdom of glory and for the crown of glory that fadeth not away, requiring hearts open to understand what is laid up for the faithful. They call for praise with heart and soul and voice for this assurance, and for God's people not to draw apart but to be of one heart and of one mind with the salvation of souls as their one object, with Jesus with His arms extended to draw them together, looking to the soon-coming resurrection morning and to the New Earth when there is no night in the city of God. With Revelation 21:4 the promise describes the end of hunger, thirst, sorrow, and suffering for those who came through great tribulation, when the Lamb cares for the redeemed in God's presence and God wipes away every tear.

Preparation and Comfort Today

The promise belongs to those who now wash the robe of character white in the blood of the Lamb through repentance, put on the white robe of Christ's righteousness as fitness for the society of heavenly angels and the homes prepared for those who love Him, and keep God's commandments on earth. It is the inheritance among the sanctified in the heavenly Canaan, enjoyed all the more because they have been pilgrims and strangers here, saved, eternally saved, arrayed in white robes around the throne where they hunger no more, thirst no more, and sun and heat do not fall on them. Gaining it requires having names in the Lamb's Book of Life, holding fast the faith, obeying the moral standard, letting Christ rule, loving one another, growing step by step, and living by faith with sanctified souls, being led on and proved and sanctified through self-sacrifice. The living-water fountain cleanses every stain of impurity, and the promise is held out as a blessing for those ready for eternal life, clothed in Christ's righteousness, with a hope and faith the world can neither give nor take away. The chapter is a message to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, calling to be among the sealed number, and the important work now is to make sure robes are washed and made white, with families called to be earnest, self-possessed, firm, decided, persevering overcomers who shall see Jesus whom their souls love in the sweet home and rest that remains for the people of God. High or low, rich or poor are called to advance heavenward to be of that number and gain a precious victory every day, for the reward cannot be afforded to lose when Christ Himself leads them to the living waters, explains His Word to them, feeds them, and wipes away all tears.

It will not profit to bury talents in worldly business or commercialism, nor to become so engrossed in the things of this world as to have neither time nor thought for preparing for Christ's coming. Those whose passion for money-getting dulls comprehension of eternal truth will not be among that number, for farms, real estate, bank stock, and money investments absorb time and attention, and in anxiety for temporal advantage they lose life, even eternal life, leaving them unprepared if death comes suddenly.

Fitness for that life requires truthful speech rather than guile, for those who speak deceit cannot be counted among the faultless before God's throne who have come through great tribulation with robes washed in the Lamb's blood to serve in His temple and live in His presence. It requires living now in unselfishness, kindness, and peace with no strife, with a character lovely in Christ without suspicion or criticism, in perfect trust, as those preparing for eternity to become members of the heavenly family where the Great Physician wipes tears from every eye. Diligent and faithful study of the Word of God and elevating reading secures the highest education and alone fits for a place where Christ walks and talks with His people in the school above, leading them to the tree of life and fountains of living waters. The promises are to be personally claimed, heaven's songs must be learned on earth for a life everlasting with health, immortality, strength, light, and enduring love where sorrow and grief are gone, and parents are to set this before children so they will be fitted to be transferred to that school. The schooling of this life below prepares for the highest grade above, becoming refined in conversation, manners, habits, and clean and pure in language, for Christ especially leads and instructs those who made the best use of time to carry all sanctified knowledge to the courts above and to help others.

The verse points the afflicted to Jesus as the future of a great multitude no one can number, from all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb in white robes with palms, crying salvation to God and to the Lamb while angels and elders and living creatures fall and worship God. They are those who came out of great tribulation and the fiery furnace of earthly affliction, hated, despised, helpless, poor, and defenseless on earth, who washed their robes white in the Lamb's blood and therefore are before the throne serving day and night with Him dwelling among them. The Lamb in the midst of the throne shepherds, sustains, feeds, and cares for them, leading them to living waters unto life and refreshment, while God removes every cause of tears and ends sorrow, with no more hunger, thirst, sun, or scorching heat. When the period of toil soon ends they will see Jesus and be made like Him, and all these blessings will surely be seen and realized by those who trust in the Lord in affliction, endure trials with eyes fixed on Him, are of good courage without fainting, look from self to Jesus who is touched with their infirmities, and value eternal things above temporary ones. This future fullness is greater than the love and satisfaction from Christ's presence that may be experienced in this life.

To the bereaved it gives hope mingled with sorrow that in the soon-coming resurrection morning the broken family chain will be reunited and together meet Jesus as the center and foundation of all hope and the Author and Finisher of faith, with joy in the morning such as never before has been known. That hope gathers around God's throne where the redeemed stand before Him.

These words belong in strength and freedom before large congregations of believers, concerning most important things about to transpire and a heaven to win. They call God's people not to draw apart but to be of one heart and mind with the salvation of souls as the one object, with Jesus with arms extended to draw them together. Those seeking the Lord are to cherish faith, hope, and love planted and cultivated in the garden of the soul as bright, shining lights growing in grace and knowledge, facing the light and talking faith to have faith rather than talking darkness. Like pastors feeding the flock with God's Word and leading to its living fountains, believers are to draw daily from the living fountain to give fresh spiritual food, and those who helped lead souls to salvation will share the Shepherd's joy when the Lamb welcomes the white-robed saved into the great Shepherd's fold and leads them to the tree of life and fountain of living waters. The Lamb in the midst of the throne greets both the faithful worker and the souls saved by his labors, making them sharers of the Redeemer's throne to live in the presence of Him who died to elevate, ennoble, and give the overcomer a royal diadem, and heaven is more precious to those faithful in saving others as they behold the redeemed and remember self-denying labors, persevering efforts, patience, and earnest yearning that kept those souls from being lost.