Take Courage

(Helpful to Sunday School Lesson of March 21, 1920, Revelation 7:9–17)

“And palms in their hands.” Let us look at another scene of palms where Jesus rode into Jerusalem as king of the Jews, to be rejected. The whole multitude of disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.” As this scene the multitude cast their garments on the ground for the ass on which Jesus was seated to walk upon, and they threw palm branches in the air. The Pharisees wished Jesus to rebuke His disciples for this demonstration, but He said, “I tell you that if these should hold their peace the very stones would immediately cry out.” Jesus is here repeating the Scripture. It is Habakkuk 2:11, “For the stones shall cry out of the wall and the beam of the timber shall answer.”

Again it is recorded that Jesus beheld the city and wept. Then He went into the temple and cast out them that sold therein. After these things the chief priests and the scribes and the chiefs of the people sought to destroy Him. Then came His cruel trial and mockery, the Jews crying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” This glorious king was rejected. Out to Calvary He went. The Earth was dark from the sixth to the ninth hour. Sin was paid for. Triumphantly He arose from the tomb and is now sitting in His Father’s throne, soon to come and sit in His own throne on the earth.

The lesson before us pictures Jesus in His glory on the earth with the nations gathered before Him, those who have come through the great tribulation—multitudes out of all nations, peoples, kindreds and tongues, singing of the salvation of God now seated on an earthly throne—praises to “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” Even angels attend this glorious rejoicing and millennial feast, falling before the throne on their faces, worshipping God. How marvelous must be the music round about the throne as the angel cry again, “Blessing, and glory and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God forever and ever, Amen.”

“What are these?” This is the natural question of John as he sees a great company, a great multitude which no man could number, standing round about this seraphic throne with the iridescent life of glory sparkling from the Son of God, this tender Lamb in the midst, this glorious Man of Galilee who is God of the earth, King of kings, and Lord of lords. Naturally comes the question, “Who are these? Why this great multitude arrayed in white robes, and how did they come here?”

An elder answers, “These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” You see in the very last scenes pictured on Earth, when Christ is triumphant, and King of kings and Lord of lords, it is still the Blood, the Blood, the Precious Blood that is praised, the blood of the Lamb that washed men out of every kindred and tribe and brought them into the presence of this Holy Lamb of God.

“Dwell among them.” How marvelous is this wording. Think of it! The God who is sitting on this throne, the Christ of Galilee, the despised and rejected Jesus, the Lord of lords and King of kings, Creator of worlds, in whom “all things consist,” and “By Whom and for Whom all things are made”—this glorious One is to dwell among men. He is to be on this Earth! Winter shall be always summer; springtime shall be constant, “The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” Poison and disease and those frightful things of famine and pestilence shall be done away forever, just because He dwells among us!

He is the answer to all the earth’s economic problems. “They shall hunger no more; neither thirst any more.” The question of cold and heat is settled, for “neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.” There are to be opened up—not only food supplies, but the very supplies of life itself, “Into living fountains of waters.”

Then comes a statement to close the lesson, which, if there were no other words in the Bible, should make this Bible the most precious book in the world. Think how much is included in these few words: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” Not “Some tears,”—“ALL TEARS.” How can He do it? Ah, He is God, and He will right everything that was wrong. There will be nothing over which a Son of God will ever shed a tear. Think of it! Enter in!