Thinking Thursday

[Rev 7:9-17 ESV] 9 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!" 

John has just witnessed the sealing of the 144,000.  Now he sees an uncountable diversified multitude standing before God the Father and Jesus wearing white robes and holding palm branches, worshiping and praising.

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." 

Angels, elders and the 4 living creatures are on their faces before the throne, also engaged in worship and praise.  This makes me think of Beth Moore or Anne Graham Lotz Bible conferences that I have attended and I was just awed by all the people gathered to pay tribute to their God.  I multiply those scenes by billions/trillions and get a picture of what John is viewing.

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.

An elder asks John a question.  John probably overwhelmed by this vision basically says "You know better than I do."  The elder does know and explains they come out of great tribulation which seems to indicate they endured mightily for the gospel and God's kingdom and were covered with Jesus' robes of righteousness. 

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."

Now they are reaping eternal rewards of serving their Lord, enjoying His protection, never knowing hunger or thirst or scorching heat; never being parted from the Chief Shepherd; always having that living water and never knowing sorrow ever again.