“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.'”
– Revelation 7:9–10
This is a very similar passage to Revelation 5:9–10, a very similar vision.
And again, there’s so much we could talk about here, but I don’t feel like I can emphasize it enough. This is the end of the Bible. Revelation 7:9–10, giving us a vision of where all of eternity is headed and it all culminates in one picture, God on his throne, Jesus at his right hand, receiving praise from a multitude that no one can number from every nation, from all tribes, from all peoples, from all languages.
Revelation 7:9–10 Reminds Us of the Diversity of God’s People
This is where the train of history is headed. Every nation, tribe, people, and language represented around the throne, singing praises to God for his salvation in them. This is where the train of history is headed. So if you want your life to count in this world, if you want your life to count on the grand scale of human history, then live for this purpose. Pray for this purpose. Give for this purpose. Live your life. Lead your family. Be a part of a church that is focused on this purpose on seeing every nation, every tribe, every people, every language gathered around the throne of God.
Sing his praises for his salvation. Live for this. Die for this. Spend your life toward this end. This is what Jesus told us right before he ascended. He said, “You’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you to be my witnesses to the ends of the earth, go. Make disciples of all the nations, all the tribes, all the peoples, all the languages.” Live for this. To be a follower of Jesus is to let his global purpose dictate every single thing you think, you desire, you do in your life.
This Verse Leads Us to Pray for Every Christian
It’s the life that counts. It’s the life that’s lived for this vision. So God, I pray in my own life and I pray in the life of every single person listening right now that you would help us to live for this vision, to be captivated by this picture of you receiving glory from every nation, tribe, people, and language, that this would not be a compartmentalized program in our minds, in the church for a select few people who are called to missions.
God, that we would see that we have breath on this earth right now that you have saved us for the spread of your salvation, to every nation, tribe, people, and language. God, help us to live for this today. Even as we pray right now for the spread of the gospel, to the people of the Philippines, hundreds of thousands of them follow Islam, not following you, Lord Jesus. You from whom salvation alone comes.
Revelation 7:9–10 Leads Us to Pray for the Spread of the Gospel in the Philippines
God, we pray for the spread of the gospel to the people of the Philippines. We ask for that now. God, please bring it about we pray. And God, we pray for the same to be true among thousands of other people groups that are not yet reached with the gospel. God, we pray that you would use our resources we give to, whether it’s urgent or some kind of avenue, where we are a part of spreading the gospel on the front lines of unreached people. God, we pray that you would help us to be faithful with the resources you’ve given us.
We pray that you’d forgive us. 99% of our resources, even when we give to missions, going to places in the world where the gospel’s already gone, 1% we’re practically ignoring. Places where the gospel hasn’t gone. God forgive us and help us to rectify this great imbalance. Help us to give for the spread of the gospel to more tribes and more peoples and more languages where the gospel hasn’t gone.
This Verse Leads Us to Make Disciples of All Nations
And God, help us to live toward that end, to live to share the gospel with the nations you have brought to us. God, we pray that you would open our eyes to the opportunities. We have to make disciples of the nations right around us. And God, we pray that you would send out multitudes more laborers and help us to sacrifice to get them there for the spread of the gospel, to every nation, every tribe, every people, every language.
And in anticipation of the day when this vision will be a reality. God, we know this is where all of history is headed. So help us. Help us to put aside lesser purposes and to live. Spend our lives, our families, our churches, raising our kids, and raising up the next generation. God, all toward the end that you might be glorified among all the nations. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
