They which came out of great tribulation

Revelation 7:14

And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

This response of the elder to John came after John beholds a great scene of an innumerable multitude of people before the throne. They are of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues. They are standing with white robes, and palms in their hands. The elder asked John from whence they had come, and, instead of venturing a guess, John simply says, “Sir, thou knowest.” The answer is of great significance. For you see! These people are not any ordinary people. They are not commonplace folk. They are not run-of-the-mill men and women; they are not of the general populace. There is something different about these men and women. There is a distinction; something that sets them apart from all others. They are head and shoulders above the rest. They are of their own category.

And what is the characteristic that sets them apart? The elder answers, because we otherwise are not privy to such privileged information. They are those which have come out of great tribulation. They are those who have not lived ordinary lives. They have not had lives of comfort and ease. They have not had the luxury of friendly company and men’s applause. They don’t have the approbation or commendation of men. They never have! They have never lived for that! They lived lives of great tribulation! They were hated by the world, but of them the world was not worthy! For they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. But what a place they have before the throne! What an honor it is to stand in the very presence of God! To be His ministers! To be His eternal company! There is no place like this place. But, my dear friend, make no mistake about it, this place of honor only comes through great tribulation.

Let us think about the truth of this as it impacts each of us. Let us think about the value of tribulation, yea, let us think of its power. For tribulation brings us into the presence of God. It brings us the greatest honor! It is the greatest purifier, the most supreme refiner, the sublimest preparer. It is of God. Great tribulation is a gift. It brings us before great men, and moreover, to a higher standing with God. Let us not despise tribulation! Let us embrace it, let us love it, let us glory in our infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon us.

What tribulation are you experiencing now? What opposition? What discouragement? Have you asked God to remove it? For that may be a danger. He may remove it to your peril. You may never know Him as you could know Him without the tribulation. It is a gift from Him. For His grace is sufficient for Thee. And in the moments of downcast despondency, remember that there is a place for you at the throne, and encourage your heart with these final words from this portion of Holy Writ:

Verses 16-17:

“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

What a promise of eternal proportions! What an eraser of our woes and sorrows! What a remover of doubt and fear! Because, dear friends, the tears of this life are temporary, and the sorrows are only earthly. Do not place your eyes on them, but think of the future we have with Christ! Let us be encouraged that one day all tribulation will be removed, and God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes! But until then, we may have great tribulation. But that will purchase for us a great degree, and will acquire for us a place at the throne of God!

“And now, dear Father, we must thank you for our tribulations. For without them, we would not be tried by fire. We would be unfit to stand before the presence of your great throne. We would not be of this number. But instead, we would not receive the greatest blessing of all. May we not loose sight of this great truth. May your grace be all-sufficient this day to remind us and comfort us and console us in our trouble. For one day, all tears will be wiped away. We thank God! We praise God! We glorify His holy and wonderful name. In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.”