The Saturday after Jubilate Sunday
Posted on May 17, 2025 by under
Scripture: Revelation 7:9-17 (NKJV)
7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and 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 dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Devotion
In last Sunday’s Gospel reading (John 16:16-23), Jesus told the Apostles that He would soon be taken away from them. Later that Maundy Thursday evening, He would be seized by the chief priests, condemned, and put to death. This separation would cause the Apostles sorrow, but only for a little while. After Jesus’ resurrection, their sorrow would be taken away since they would see Him again. Their hearts would rejoice and their joy no one would take from them.
There is a parallel (and even greater) joy coming for the whole Christian Church. After the resurrection of all flesh we will see Jesus with our own eyes! Our hearts will rejoice because we will enjoy the fullness of fellowship with God—not for a little while, but for eternity. Thus our text says: “they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.” This is a joy which no one will take from us. We shall weep and lament no more, because the tribulations of this world will be ended. We shall see God, and God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
Collect: Almighty God, Who showest to them that be in error the light of Thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness: Grant unto all them that are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Religion that they may eschew those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
