Title: Three Confidences for a Blessed Life
Revelation (40) Three great assurances for a blessed life (Revelation 7:9-12)
1. Assurance of Salvation
The text records the fifth vision that Jesus the Lamb had when the sixth seal was opened. The vision in the text is similar to the vision of heaven in Revelation 5. In the process of opening the sealed scroll 6 times, God showed another vision of the kingdom of heaven so that the Apostle John and the saints reading the book of Revelation would not fall into deep despair as terrible disasters continued to appear in vision. In that heavenly vision, the 144,000 who were saved and commissioned were wearing white robes, holding palm branches, and praising God and the Lamb Jesus in a loud voice (verses 9-10).
Upon hearing the praise, countless angels in heaven responded to the praise and worshiped together (verse 12). What a majestic scene. There will be wars, famines, and great calamities in the last days, but if you die with faith, you will go to heaven. As such, salvation is not lost under any circumstances. For the saints, even disasters are measures to brighten the grace of salvation.
The apostle John had a terrifying vision, but he was never afraid or discouraged. It is because even in the terrible visions, the saved crowds of the kingdom of heaven were seen and the most important theme they praised God was salvation (verse 10). Why is assurance of salvation important? It is because if you have the assurance of salvation, you can overcome any anxiety, worry, and pain. So, what is needed above all else is trust, not money or fame. If I have the assurance of salvation that even death cannot swallow up my life, I will not be shaken by any trials and tribulations and will eventually succeed.
2. Confidence of final victory
In verse 9, the great crowd who was saved wears white robes and holds palm branches in their hands, praising God and the Lamb, symbolizing the ultimate victory of the saints. That the victory of the saints is guaranteed is the core message of the book of Revelation. In fact, it's okay if you're not very good at interpreting the many visions in the book of Revelation. After all, human knowledge has its limits. But never forget the concluding message of victory in this book of Revelation. For the saints, difficulties are opportunities for blessing and victory, as well as opportunities for spiritual advancement.
Do not be discouraged or discouraged when sometimes difficult things happen at home, at church, and at work. After going through that difficult process, you will eventually bear good fruits. In most movies, the main character goes through extreme difficulties, but in the end, he always wins. Sometimes, even when the protagonist dies tragically, some precious message remains. In the end, that too was a victory.
Don't be afraid to be insulted and don't be afraid of hardship. Those trials and tribulations can be a shortcut to living longer. The darker the night, the brighter the light. So, “Now it’s over. Don't even think and say, "There's no hope." As a ship travels faster with a storm and a kite soars higher with the wind, sublimate your difficulties into an ‘appointment of spiritual rapture’ that will be lifted up higher toward tomorrow’s glorious time of blessing.
3. Confidence in God's Goodness
In the book of Revelation, even in the midst of severe tribulation and calamity, we see the energy of praise flowing from time to time. Also in the text, the saved people confess “Amen!” and praise God for the blessing, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength for ever and ever, and say “Amen!” again (verse 12). The life of Amen overflowing with praise and thanks should be the life of the saints. All the great forefathers of faith were those who embodied a life of praise and thanksgiving.
The only thing saved saints can offer to God is praise. When reality is painful, people usually look for a reason for the pain. But do introspection, but don't look for precise philosophical reasons and apologetics for why suffering comes. It is not possible to believe in or praise God well if we can find the cause of suffering and explain everything in a way that makes sense to our mind and reason. There are many unexplained mysteries in the world. The difficulty of the saints is a mystery. Therefore, even in the midst of suffering, look and praise only the goodness and greatness of God.
How can we confess our praise and thanks even in the midst of suffering? In the midst of a difficult reality, how can you change the 'eyes of judgment' into the 'eyes of love' and the 'loud voices of the lips' into the 'loud voices of the soul' to gradually expand your influence without making a loud noise? What is most necessary for that is a life of worship. If you overcome the heavy burden of life that weighs on you through the life of worship, this kind of confession will come automatically. "God! Thank you. Because of God, there is not a single day when I am not happy and there is not a day in which I am not thankful.”