After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Comment: Some people think they know exactly with perfect understanding what is going to happen at the time of Jesus coming again and returning to reign on the earth. Others think differently but are just as certain that their understanding is the correct one. The point of this passage, while it mentions the words ‘the great tribulation’, does not go into a detailed time chart of what happens when, but clearly presents i) a great multitude standing with the previously mentioned elders, living creatures and masses of angels. ii) these people have become an entity through the ‘great tribulation’. iii) Their white clothing (which means their pure character) has been obtained by the only means, as the Bible presents, for any one to become holy in the sight of God. – that is through the shedding of the blood of Jesus at Easter time on the Cross! The message of the gospel – repent and believe in what Jesus has done by His death as the perfect representative – who was sacrificed for all sinners.
We are not told how many verses there are in their hymn of praise but one goes like this “Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” This may be the chorus sung between the verses. The passage ends by giving us a summary of how God continues to care for them!
Prayer: Help me to live with an understanding that this is Your world and that You have the future perfectly planned out!
As I read it! 