Daily Devotions
Revelation 7:9-10, 13-17 – 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!” … 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.”
I’m intrigued by that little word “Therefore.” John is having a vision of the whole Christian church gathered together in heaven, and he says, “Therefore they are before the throne of God.” And he lists all these wonderful, heavenly things that will happen to them. They will never be hungry or hurt again, and God Himself will shelter and comfort and care for them forever.
How wonderful! But what does the “Therefore” mean? What is the reason why all these good things are happening to them?
The elder tells John: it’s because “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
What does he mean? These people are ordinary Christians just like us—they are us. Like all of us, they were sinners, and they had lives full of trouble and pain—but Jesus called them and us to be His own. And to make that happen, Jesus laid down His life on the cross, pouring out His blood so that we might be forgiven and set free to be children of God.
Now that He has risen from the dead and lives forever, all of us who trust in Him can be with Him forever, in His kingdom, and have all these good gifts. Jesus is the “Therefore.” His blood has made us clean and pure, fit to stand in God’s presence and celebrate forever.
WE PRAY: Jesus my Savior, take away my own dirty robes of self-righteousness, and give me the clean robes of Your forgiving love. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you think you would feel comfortable standing before the holy God? Why or why not?
2. What would it take to make you feel comfortable, happy, and at home there?
3. Who could do that for you? Would He? How do you know?