Blessed are the dead

Revelation 14:13

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

The statement contained in this verse is one of enormous proportions. It goes against every fiber of our natural being, and runs counter to the propensities of our human mind. We can barely digest it! It upsets our stomachs at first, and makes our belly bitter. But oh how sweet it actually is! Oh how sublime is its soothing comfort and its emanating peace. It is one of deep meaning and and abundant blessing. It is only for the wise to understand. It is a beautiful phrase. Blessed are the dead! The dead are blessed! They have attained what all of us wish to attain. They have obtained what every one of us in our right minds would also desire. They are blessed beyond measure, lavished with the greatest state of mind, soul, spirit, and being. It is the greatest of all blessings. For the dead spoken of here are the dead which die in the Lord. It is not the general number of the dead. It is not the majority of people. It is only those who die in the Lord. It is those who believed in Christ, and were washed in the blood of the Lamb. It is those who lived for the Lord, served the Lord, loved the Lord, and longed to see the Lord. They are blessed! And if we would be candid with ourselves to our fullest ability, we would readily recognize that we do not compare to them. For they are blessed beyond measure!

For you see! The Spirit saith that they do rest from their labors. After many hours, days, and years of hard labor and arduous toil, they now rest! They no longer have pain, suffering, sorrow, perspiration, and the frustration of uncompleted work. They no longer must work anymore, as of the work that we know in this world. They are resting. They are in a state of repose and calmness. They have no intruding annoyances, no upending pain, and no bombarding distractions. Nothing that thwarts rest is present with them. Nothing that impedes the complete rest of their souls exists. They are at perfect peace. They are blessed!

But, you see, the Spirit also has said that their works do follow them. This means he being dead yet speaketh. Their lives continue in the hearts and lives of their followers. Their work has not ceased. “God buries His workmen,” as Charles Wesley has reminded us, “but carries on His work.” How does He do this? Through those who have seen their works. Their works do follow them! They leave a lasting impact, a continuing legacy, a multigenerational wealth. Their work continues! But not through themselves, but through those whom the Lord appoints. Oh, may the Lord appoint many to carry on the work of those that have gone before us! May their works follow them as they rest from their labors!

Dear friend, do you know someone who has died in the Lord? You will see them soon. They are in a place of rest. They no longer labor as they did. Will you take on their labors? Will you continue their lives? Will you be the vessel through whom their labor continues? Let us take comfort today concerning those who have gone before us. And may their lives spur in us the impulse to carry their work on in their absence. And if the Lord calls you or me to Himself, that will be the highest honor, the greatest privilege, the most wonderful assignment. For blessed are the dead which die in the Lord!

“Thank you, Father, for those who have died in the Lord that have left for us a marvelous legacy of blessings and instruction. What teaching they have bequeathed, and what learning they have imparted! They are now resting. And we thank you for that great company of men and women that we will one day join. Keep us faithful until that day. Keep us comforted. Keep us strengthened in you that we may carry on their labor with tenacity and fortitude as they so aptly did. May their example be our pattern. And if we go home, it will be an honor above all others to rejoice with them. We crave the blessing! But only in your time. Keep us faithful until then in our constant labors. In Jesus’ name we pray and ask, Amen.”