Your Future Is Bright and Glorious for paper Mar 25 

In Revelation John is given a vision of the church in heaven, we call it the Church Triumphant.  “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.” Revelation 7: 9  One of the “elders” there asks John  “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” John replies that the elder knows who they are, and the elder tells John  “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation” Revelation 14: 7

Why did God give this vision to John to share with the seven churches and many others in future generations? Because he knew that the faithful saints of these congregations had struggles in the past, they were going through struggles in the present, and they would encounter more in the future. Sin was alive and well in these pagan cities of ancient Rome. In the seven letters that Jesus dictates in Revelation, we hear of false apostles, false teaching, sexual immortality, the Jezebel-like priestess, spiritual lukewarmness, and much more.

This sounds a lot like the world today! Even much of the church is confused on what marriage is, how sexuality should be experienced, and who created this world in the first place. Jesus promised his faithful church would face challenges, “In this world you will have trouble.” John 16: 33 This is why the elder said  “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation”

Although we may think of “great tribulation” as living in Gaza or Lebanon these days, it is actually describing the whole church age. Although we live in peace and comfort here in Canada, we are daily being assaulted by Satan, his cohorts, and our sinful nature. Every one of us has a target on our backs because of our baptism. And the target gets larger and larger the more we serve our Lord. Every one of us is fighting some kind of war inside us against these enemies of the church. So despite the relative ease of our existence here in Canada, compared to the bright and glorious future that awaits us when Christ returns, we are presently living in “the great tribulation”.

God gave this vision of the future, of the Church Triumphant, to encourage us about what our future is. This is your future: risen, living, worshiping, and singing for all eternity “Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen”. Knowing this is our future encourages us to be faithful and active witnesses in the present.

What is the reason given here for these saints being in heaven? Are they there because of the great lives they lived, the number of boards on which they served, or the church voters meetings that they attended? No, there is only one reason given for their status, “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb”. Revelation 7:14

Your future in the Church Triumphant in heaven is based upon the blood of the Lamb, Jesus the Christ, that was shed on Calvary’s cross to atone for your sin, for all sin! We are saints, holy ones, now and forever through the holy blood of Jesus.

This vision is one of the most extensive descriptions in the Scriptures of what we as the Church will do after Christ’s return into eternity. That future is described as:  “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7: 15 – 17

None of our years on earth have been without tears of pain and struggle; there will be more tears in the years you have left in your earthly journey; of that you can be sure. But one day sin will be no more—no more hunger and thirst and struggle or tribulation. Our baptismal garments will be exchanged for the permanent robe of resurrected glory, and God will wipe every tear of pain and suffering from our eyes.

Revelation 7 helps you to see your ultimate and certain future as forgiven saints through the blood of Christ: God himself will be with you, and he will wipe every tear from your eyes. Death will be no more, neither shall there be any mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore—and you will see his face! That is your bright and glorious future as saints through the blood of Jesus.

Blessings,