November 3, 2020

Daddy, I Wanna Go Home!

Revelation 7

George Dalton
Tuesday's Devo

November 3, 2020

Tuesday's Devo

November 3, 2020

Central Truth

A great multitude from every nation, all tribes, and peoples, speaking different languages, will one day stand together in worship of the one true God. Salvation comes from and belongs to the God of all creation and to the Lamb.

Key Verse | Revelation 7:9-10

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

The 144,000 of Israel Sealed

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

A Great Multitude from Every Nation

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, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And 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, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 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.

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.
16  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
    the sun shall not strike them,
    nor any scorching heat.
17  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.”

Dive Deeper | Revelation 7

Have you ever just wanted to go home? There is something about home that brings peace and rest to me that no other place really can. However, home isn't truly "home" without the people. By the Lord's grace, He shows me that being in His presence (Revelation 7:15) is the best place to be, and nothing in this world can satisfy me more than He can. I used to think heaven was made up of lollipops and donuts and all things a little girl would want, but the more I come to know my Savior, I see that it's not about the "things," it's about the One.

It has always been about Jesus. It's all about our heavenly home.

All Scripture points to salvation, and salvation only comes from Jesus, the Lamb. My son's Jesus Storybook Bible ends every story with the anticipation of the hero entering in to rescue and redeem His people. It says we are lovely because He loves us. He is the center of every story, Jesus, the Lamb!

What I love about this chapter in Revelation is the description of who is standing before the throne. We live in a culture that is constantly telling us our differences, and—whether we realize it or not—we look at differences naturally because of it. However, this chapter points to our wholeness, as one body, one people, all unified because of our faith in and love for Jesus!

When we begin to live life focused on knowing God and making Him known, rather than ourselves, we are given new eyes to see. The Holy Spirit gives us eyes to see truth. We gain eyes that see a bunch of humans, all one race, who need to know this God who created us all in His image. "[T]he LORD is God, there is no other." (1 Kings 8:60) May we all be in our heavenly home one day, standing before God's throne and before the Lamb, "crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'" (Revelation 7:10)

Discussion Questions

1. Do you know where you will be after you die? If you're questioning, I implore you to check out these other parts of Scripture: Romans 10:9-10; John 5:24; 1 John 5:11-13.

2. What makes home "home" to you? How does Revelation 7:15-17 describe those who are home in the presence of God?

3. Knowing God brings action. When you love someone, there is an eagerness to serve and devote time and attention to them. This is how we have been made to love the Lord our God. The Creator defines His creation. Are you actively loving God with your whole heart? Check out this message: How to Never Hear, "Depart From Me, I Never Knew You." Write these verses on your heart to aid you in that pursuit: Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 1 Kings 8:61; Psalms 33:5; Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:28-34.

4. What are your thoughts on unity in the midst of a culture that is set on being divided, and what does Scripture say about it? Check out Ephesians 4 and Galatians 3:28 to get started.

5. My husband and I try to read Revelation 21-22 once a month to set our minds on what will be. Would you join us?