The Church Triumphant


Revelation 7:9-8:6
9After 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,
10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
11And 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,
12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”
14I 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.
15“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.
16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
17For 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.”

During this interlude after John has seen the first six seals opened he sees both the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant. As described yesterday, the Church Militant is empowered by God to fulfill the mission He has given to spread the Gospel across the entire world. Next John is given a look at the Church Triumphant. This seems to be the view of Heaven after Christ has drawn all believers unto Himself and together we join with all the angels to praise God for what He has done for us.

“The purpose of Revelation 7, the interlude between the sixth and seventh seals, is to encourage John and his hearers—despite the fears and horrors already introduced by the first six seals and also in view of all the tribulations yet to be revealed.”
Brighton, L. A. ©1999. Revelation (p. 204). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Pub. House.
There are some beautiful details in this description that need to be noted. All of those details are mentioned in verse 9 and expounded upon in the next few verses.

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.

The population of heaven includes every nationality and ethnic group you can imagine; all tribes and people and languages. While the number of Church Militant was listed as 144,000, this group is greater than one can count. Heaven will be full! Everyone in this crowd will be dressed in a white robe, gained for them through the blood of the Lamb. White symbolizes here the purity and righteousness of God that is given to us in the sacrifice of Christ for our sins. Our purity is won by Jesus and worn by us. And all those people are waving palm branches.

As the Gospel writers tell of what we now call “Palm Sunday” we find the people of Jerusalem creating a mini parade for Jesus as He enters town on the back of donkey a week before His death. Only in the Gospel of John do find the detail given that they people were waving palm branches before Him as He rode along. Matthew says “they cut branches from trees”. Mark says “others spread branches they had cut in the fields.” Luke doesn’t mention tree branches at all. John tells that part of the story like this:

John 12:13
So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

Is it possible John mentions palm branches specifically because he has also seen the Church Triumphant waving palm branches before the throne of the Lamb in the courts of Heaven? My “sanctified imagination” says 'yes' to that one. This practice of palm waving goes clear back into the days when Israel was first learning how to walk with God in the book of Leviticus. During the Festival of Booths they were to use palm branches as part of the celebration of what God had done for them in freeing them from slavery in Egypt.

Leviticus 23:40
And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.

As I was reading this passage today the 23rd Psalm came to mind. I have to say, reading this psalm with Revelation 7 and the Church Triumphant in mind is rather an interesting experience. Look at all of the same language and verbal concepts that are mirrored between these two passages. You’ll never hear this Psalm the same  way again!

Psalm 23
1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

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