Tribulation Saints Revelation 7:9-17 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
Tribulation Saints
The church age saints appeared in heaven in Revelation 5. These saints that appear in Revelation 7 are tribulation saints according to verse 14. Church age saints are raptured in 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Tribulation saints are raptured in Matthew 24:31 and Revelation 11:12. These raptures are not the same. People who assume they are the same are the ones who believe that the church is going to go through some part or all of the tribulation. They are mistaken.
From the following outline, we can learn some things about the tribulation saints and their rapture.
Verse 9 – they comprise an innumerable multitude – they are from all over the world – and they are identified by their nationality, kindred, people and language [unlike church age saints Galatians 3:28] – most of them are Gentile Isaiah 49:6
Verse 9 – they are in heaven because they are standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, who is in heaven Revelation 5:6 – they are wearing white robes because they are saints Revelation 19:8 – and they are holding palms because the King is getting ready to make his triumphal entry at the 2nd Advent, compare John 12:13
Verse 10 – they shout about salvation to our God and to the Lamb because salvation originated with God and Jesus is the one who offered himself that we might be saved Psalms 3:8; John 3:16
Verse 11 – the angles, elders and beasts all fall down before the throne to worship God
Verse 12 – they say:
- Blessing – Psalms 103:1-2
- Glory – Revelation 14:6-7
- Wisdom – 1 Corinthians 2:5-6
- Thanksgiving – Romans 1:21
- Honor – Psalms 104:1
- Power – Jeremiah 27:5
- Might – Isaiah 40:26
Verse 13 – an elder asks John who these people are and where they came from
Verse 14 – John doesn’t know so the elder tells him, they “came out of great tribulation” – so we know absolutely that they are tribulation saints – they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb – Mark 9:2-3 the raiment of the Lord at his 2nd Advent is exceeding white; Isaiah 1:18 when saints are cleansed from their sins they are as white as snow
Verse 15 – the saints are before the throne of God – they serve him day and night [so no more physical need to sleep] – they serve him in his temple [so the Lord has a temple in heaven Revelation 11:19] – and God dwells among them Revelation 21:3
Verse 16 – they shall hunger and thirst no more – this indicates that they were starving to death in the famine [Revelation 6:6] and couldn’t buy food because they hadn’t taken the mark [Revelation 13:16-17] – they are now protected from the sun and heat indicating that the earth does go through extreme global warming [Revelation 16:8-9] but not caused by a carbon footprint – note that the tribulation saints go through the same torment that the rest of the world suffers 1 Peter 5:9
Verse 17 – from now on the Lamb feeds and waters them [Psalms 23] and wipes away their tears like he will do in Revelation 21:4