Put debated eschatology aside for a moment. Put a pause on the business of life. Take a break from worrying about the present circumstances. For a moment, look to the future hope that we receive in the last pages of God’s story for us.
“And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe, and language, and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10)
“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)
Growing up, from the earliest time I can remember, my mom would read me all kinds of fiction books. At this time of my life, one of my greatest temptations was to read the last page of the book while my mom wasn’t looking. As human beings, we want to know the end of the story. We want to know what comes of our favorite characters, and what terrible demise comes of the bad guy. It’s why I always bite my nails in the movie theater! In scripture, God graciously gives us a glimpse of the end of His narrative by providing us with these beautiful pictures in the book of Revelation.
So, if we know the end of God’s story, if we know that people from every nation, tongue, language, and tribe will worship God at the end of time, what does this mean for Christians today?
A Need for Salvation
First, it means that there are souls in the world in need of saving. The scope of God’s plan for who He saves is worldwide. We, as believers, will play a role in accomplishing this great task. We receive passages like the Great Commission (Matthew 28), Jesus’ last words to be a witness to the ends of the Earth (Acts 1), and Romans 10:14-15, which says that without hearing the gospel, one can’t believe. We should be driven towards loving obedience in sharing the salvation we have received by the grace of God.
My favorite part of Jesus’ words to be a witness and make disciples of all nations is what it foreshadows. Jesus gives this charge to His disciples with great expectation and confidence in what is to come. People from every nation, tongue, tribe, and people are being saved by the irresistible grace that He offers. Jesus, in these moments of instruction, is not merely HOPING that this message of salvation changes hearts. He gives these instructions KNOWING the result of what He has accomplished and who He is calling to Himself. We humbly get to be a vessel in taking His saving grace to the world.
A Future Hope
Second, this picture from Revelation means there is a future hope to cling to. See Hebrews 6:9-12. Here the author is encouraging the audience to have the full assurance of hope and eagerness until the last days. Hope here is not waiting around hoping that something happens… Instead, it is moving forward, living the Christian life with great confidence knowing that the result of what Christ has done will be people from every nation, tongue and tribe saved by His sacrifice.
We often use the word hope in ways like, “I really hope that’s not the case…” or “I hope this works out”. In this picture of hope that we have, looking forward to the last days, I picture the family of God, heads held high, moving in steadfast confidence, knowing that the Lord is redeeming people by His shed blood. We know what the result of this will be! This result is something to look forward to with anticipation.
Initiator, Achiever, Finisher
Lastly let's rest in that God is the initiator, achiever, and finisher of this story. Look to the fall of man in Genesis 3. Think about how long it took God to initiate His plan for redemption. In Genesis 3:15, we receive the protoevangelium, a fancy way of saying the first mention of the gospel. Here, God initiates His plan for the redemption of humanity. It is the first telling of who is to come. Christ. The seed of the woman is Christ, who will come, die an undeserving sinner's death, rise three days later, conquer sin and death, and then ascend to the right hand of the Father in heaven. As the consummation of this great plan, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and several other passages tell us that Christ will then come for His own to bring them home to heaven.
We do not initiate, achieve, or finish God’s plan. God does. While God gives us clear instructions on how to play a part in this plan, we will fail, defy the Lord, rest in our own ability and knowledge, and fall short of the task he has set in front of us. Yet, we still have these images in the book of Revelation. So, it must still happen. It must still be accomplished, not by our merit, ability, or strength, but by that which Jesus gives us and the power of His gospel to save sinners.
Let’s rest in Jesus being the initiator, achiever, and finisher of our redemption and look forward in a confident hope of what is to come… People from all nations, tribes, and tongues singing, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:10)
Cole Baker
Junior High Minister