After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’
Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
You know those songs that have a way of giving you goosebumps every time? This song, a classic Christmas carol from the eighteenth century, is one of those for me. Maybe it’s the swelling strains of the instruments, each note somehow more beautiful than the last … or maybe it’s that what we see in Revelation 7 is the fulfillment of what hymnwriter Charles Wesley called the “dear desire of every nation.”
When Adam and Eve chose to sin, the harmony they experienced with God in the Garden of Eden was shattered. The consequence was separation from God, truly the most heartbreaking and terrifying result imaginable. But God. In his mercy, at just the right time, he sent his Son, Jesus, to be born “a child and yet a king.” Jesus, who is himself the thread running throughout the whole of redemptive history. His birth made possible the fulfillment of God’s long-ago promise to Abraham: “In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:18).
We see the culmination of this blessing in the powerful scene of worship recorded in Revelation 7:9–10. A great multitude, so many people that it’s impossible to even count them, gathered around the throne. People from every nation, every language, every socioeconomic background.
We’re still waiting for this magnificent vision to be made reality, of course. But we don’t just sit idly as we wait. While we wait, we worship and witness. We celebrate the coming of the one true King, born as a baby. We anticipate when he will return in victory, making all things new. And we go into all the world to tell them the King has come and is coming again soon. May all who hear joyfully receive our King.
Respond
Listen to the song “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” (Summit Worship has a great version!) and contemplate the lyrics. How do Jesus’ first and second coming bring you “strength and consolation” this Christmas? How does that motivate you to tell others?