The Great Multitude in Heaven
“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could count, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. They cried with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before his throne, and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might, be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” One of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are arrayed in the white robes, who are they, and from where did they come?” I told him, “My lord, you know.” He said to me, “These are those who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb’s blood. Therefore they are before the throne of God, they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tabernacle over them.” (Revelation 7:9-15 WEB)
The passage above depicts the scene of the saints arriving in Heaven right after the Rapture.
The main confusion for most people here regarding the timeline of this event is because of the words “came out of the great tribulation”, making them think that it happens in the middle or end of the Tribulation.
However, I believe that the Rapture happens once the appointed time for the Tribulation begins.
Whether someone comes out of the Tribulation at the start, in the middle, or at the end of it does not matter—it is still coming out of the Tribulation.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say you go and watch a movie at a cinema. You did not like the movie immediately, so you left the cinema shortly after arriving. The fact is, you still came out of the cinema, even if it was at the start of the movie. Makes sense?
Additionally, the Tribulation saints who miss the Rapture and only believe in Jesus during the Tribulation will not receive salvation immediately, but only at the end of the Tribulation when Jesus returns. They have to endure to the end (without receiving the mark of the beast) to be saved.
Read the following passage which takes place after the Tribulation, at the start of the Millennial reign of Christ. It shows that the martyred Tribulation saints will only come alive again and receive eternal life after the Tribulation has ended:
“I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” (Revelation 20:4-5 WEB)
Jesus said the following words to the church of Philadelphia (all of them have fallen asleep since then):
“Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” (Revelation 3:10 WEB)
There is an hour of testing coming upon the whole world, which is the seven years of Tribulation, but it is not for the church. Jesus’ message is true for the church today as well. We will not be going through the Tribulation.
“But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” (1 Thessalonians 5:8-10 WEB)
We are not waiting for the Antichrist to appear. Instead, we are looking forward to Jesus’ return. We will obtain the last part of our salvation: the transformation of our mortal bodies into glorified bodies. Those who have fallen asleep will be raised from the dead first, and then we will all be transformed in the twinkling of an eye, to have immortal bodies that match our righteous spirits.
We are not appointed to go through the time of wrath. God knows how to separate the righteous from the wicked, just as He made a distinction between the children of Israel and the Egyptians during the ten plagues in Egypt. The children of Israel were preserved alive, and so were their flocks, but the Egyptians and their flocks suffered/died.
So do not fear—lift your head and confidently expect Jesus to return for us any day now!
Let me end off with a poem I wrote called “Jesus I Need You”. As you read, tune your heart to expect His imminent return. It is a hope that purifies you!
Jesus I’d be lost without Your love,
everyday would be so hard.
When things don’t go my way,
I fall into Your embrace,
I am forever Yours.
I can’t imagine life without You,
that would be Hell for sure.
I need grace and mercy that’s from You,
by myself I’m powerless.
Let me abide in the Vine,
I’ll hear of You and be fine.
Faith will rise—I’ll speak forth life,
fruitfulness is sure.
Take my hand and guide me through life,
I know you’ll never let me go.
With You I’ll walk on water,
we’ll rise above every power.
Lord Jesus,
you’ll catch me when I fall.
Amidst every trial,
You are there through it all.
I just want to see You,
I long for that perfect day.
Where we’ll meet in the clouds,
and I’ll see Your lovely face.
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