Expounding on yesterday's study a bit--
Revelation 7- Verse 9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a
great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and
people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with
white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 and cried with a loud voice, saying,
Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And
all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four
beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12
saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and
power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
After the sealing is accomplished, John beholds a
countless multitude worshiping God in rapture before His throne. This vast
throng is undoubtedly the saved out of every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue
raised from the dead at the second coming of Christ, showing that the sealing
is the last work accomplished for the people of God prior to translation.
(Excerpt from Daniel and Revelation- by Uriah Smith)
*******
From the beginning, from Adam and Eve on down to
whoever is the very last person saved before Christ returns, just how many
people will belong to God is unknown.
If we stop and think about it a little bit we have to
realize a few things. The earth was
created unpopulated. The earth was meant to be populated by the human creatures
God created and God would rule the earth and His creatures would be its
steward. Man gave up his stewardship to
the earth when he chose to stop obeying God and listen to the Devil. The Devil
then took over stewardship of the earth.
Meanwhile, mankind began to populate the earth, then the flood came and
still, mankind went on to populate the earth. It wasn't like it is now, mankind
lived a lot longer then and they were a lot healthier as well. Sin hadn't
degraded mankind as it has now. Over the next 6000 some years just how many
people belonging to God, choosing God as their Creator, their redeemer have
died in Him is unknown, but we can only imagine that there have been a lot. There have been people who are truly God's,
truly following the truth as He has revealed it throughout time. Yes, Noah alone along with His family - eight
people- only were following God at one point, but remember this--
Elijah -
1Ki 19:14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the
LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant,
thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I
only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
1Ki 19:15 And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy
way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be
king over Syria:
1Ki 19:16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint
to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou
anoint to be prophet in thy room.
1Ki 19:17 And it shall come to pass, that him that
escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the
sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
1Ki 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel,
all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not
kissed him.
Elijah said he was the only one left- yet God countered with- 'Yet I have left me seven thousand in
Israel…'
We might think we walk alone. We might believe that
there have only been a few throughout each generation, but we don't really
know, only God knows. However, using our
imagination isn't it easy to imagine that there will be so many people from
every nation, kindred, and tongue that we can't count them easily? A great
multitude, NO MAN can number, but God would know. People from the beginning until thousands of
years later, all the dead in God will be alive again. Every person that is
sleeping death's sleep will be raised from the dead and given an immortal,
incorruptible body. They will all stand before the throne of God and before the
Lamb of God.
Imagine it…
'…clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb.'
Dead and risen or alive and taken- I long to be among
those who are numbered as Christ's!
Please, by YOUR will Lord, and through YOU alone may
we be YOURS!
All in YOUR love!
Amen!
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