The Lamb Shepherding The Nations

“His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the shepherd of your souls.”

Who here thinks they need a shepherd for their soul?

If your hand is not up either you are not paying attention or you are lying to yourself.

All of us desperately need a shepherd for our souls.

Not just all of us here this morning.

All of us from every nation and tribe and language and people.

So, Who do we have to shepherd our souls?

In Revelation 7 God reveals that He gives us the Lamb to shepherd our souls.

This is our passage this morning,

It is the Story of the Lamb Shepherding the Nations.

This story is broken up into three parts;

Sealed and Protected (vs. 1-8)

Saved and Purified (vs. 9-12)

Satisfied and Provided For (vs. 13-17)

Sin is in us.

We need the Lamb to shepherd our souls and to cover us with His blood.

This chapter, specifically the first section, has been subject of much scrutiny.

The 144,000 mentioned in vs. 4 is the primary source of contention and we will look at that in a little more detail this morning.

Chapter seven serves as an interlude that answers the questions from chapter six.

While giving a reprieve from the judgments that will resume in ch. 8.

Listen to the way Robert Mounce introduces this chapter:

“The vision contrasts the security and blessedness that await the faithful with the panic of a pagan world fleeing from judgment.”

During this reprieve we see an angelic vision speaking words of protection for the benefit of God’s servants.

God’s servants will be protected from God’s wrath.

These servants are numbered,

Represented by the number, 144,000.

And described as those who are sealed by God.

So, when we ask who will be protected from the wrath of God?

The answer is, those who are sealed,

That is, the Church!

WE: Sealed and Protected (vs. 1-8)

Let us begin looking at how we are sealed and protected in Revelation 7:1-8

Revelation 7:1–8 ESV

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

In chapter six the Lamb began unfolding the scroll that was first seen in ch. 5.

As the scroll was unfolded, seals were being broken.

As seals were being broken destruction and martyrdom and terror of the Lord were sweeping across the entire world.

Then the chapter ended with the sixth seal being broken,

Which entailed the sixth judgment,

Described as a great earthquake,

And the sun and moon being darkened,

And the stars falling out of the sky and the sky being rolled up like a scroll.

Everything in the universe as we know it falling apart.

This judgment is so severe that people desperately try to hide in vain,

Hoping to die instead of facing this judgment.

It describes such a dire situation that none could possibly survive the wrath of God.

Then, instead of going right into the seventh seal,

God delays the revelation of His judgments to offer assurance to His saints.

He wants us to know in the midst of the calamities revealed in ch. 6:

Conquer, war, famine, death, and martyrdom,

That He knows us and protects us.

That He protects those whom He seals.

He communicates His protection with two visions in our chapter this morning.

The sealing of His servants and the countless multitude worshiping in heaven.

After the wrath of God from ch. 6, John sees an angelic appearance in vs. 1.

Showing four angels in the four corners of the earth holding back the four winds.

The four corners is a figure of speech referencing the four points of a compass,

Or more specifically, the totality of the whole world.

We learn this from a variety of OT passages: Jer. 49:36; Dan 8:8; and Zech 2:6.

In light of the surrounding chapters, the four winds seem to represent the final judgment that would engulf the entire worlds.

So, these four angels then, are restraining the four winds,

Preventing the judgment from being unleashed on the earth.

But they are ready to let it go when they are told.

However, they are delayed from releasing in.

In vs. 2, another angel rises from the east with the seal of the living God.

We know it is the east because the sun rises in the east and it says he is ascending from the rising of the sun.

This angel seems to be unlike the other angels of death and destruction,

This is an angel of grace and mercy.

This angel calls out to the first four angels,

Commanding that they do not harm the earth until the seal that he is holding is placed on the foreheads of the servants of God.

The only command we see in all of chapter seven,

Is this prohibition to harm.

It is a command of protection.

All of the judgments from chapter 6,

The earthquake, the moving of mountains and islands,

All of it, causes serious harm to the earth.

Suddenly, here in ch. 7, we are seeing this harm prohibited,

And instead, a command of protection is being communicated.

Specifically protecting those who are sealed.

We have examined what these seals are in the past,

It is a small object, often the face of a ring,

Used to mark or identify something as official as well as ownership.

In our context, it would be similar to getting something notarized.

In this case, those who are faithful to God have this seal placed right onto our foreheads,

Which is God’s way of making it official that we are His.

We are slaves to His righteousness.

He presses His seal into our foreheads to signify that we are protected by Him,

And we are under His authority and ownership.

This is in direct contrast to the mark of the beast seen in Rev. 13:6-7.

Gordon Fee explains;

“The ‘seal’ in this case is a stamp of divine ownership and authenticity; thus it functions as a divine commitment that God’s own people will not experience the divine wrath when it is poured out.”

Now this is not a literal seal being pressed into our foreheads.

It is a symbol of God’s protection being granted.

This seal becomes important later in Revelation,

Because, as Fee notes, it reveals who will survive God’s wrath.

As we see in Rev. 9:4;

Revelation 9:4 ESV

They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

This seal is an allusion to Ezekiel 9 where Jerusalem is set to be judged by executioners because of their wickedness.

Ezek. 9:4 says that those who sigh and groan over the abominations of Jerusalem have a mark put on their foreheads.

Then, in vs. 6, it says those with the mark remain untouched.

So, now in Rev., John is saying,

In the same way, God’s servants are marked with His seal.

Even in His wrath, God shows His mercy.

Vs. 4-8 shows a count of those who receive this seal of God.

144,000 from every tribe of the sons of Israel it says.

This is a primary text where some of the false teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses comes from.

That the 144,000 are the exact number of Jehovah’s Witnesses that will reign in heaven.

Some believe this number references only Jewish believers who have been saved and sealed for service during the great tribulation.

But if you remember our Family Letter study,

Ephesians 2:11-22, we learned that Jesus Christ tore down the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile,

And in Eph. 1:13, we were promised that all who believe in Christ are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

So, now the servants of God, referenced here in vs. 3, are not limited to only the Jews.

According to the entire NT, the promises associated with the 144,000 are given to both the Jew and the Gentile.

The promises are given to all who are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

When these verses are viewed in light of the Bible as a whole,

What seems more likely,

Is this is communicating the fact that God knows every single one of His saints individually,

The 144,000 represents all Christians throughout history.

We are all numbered by God,

In fact, as Jesus says in Matthew 10:30;

Matthew 10:30 ESV

But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

The use of different forms of the base number 1,000 is frequently used to refer to a large and often uncountable number.

Back in Rev. 5:5, John hears about a Lion, then sees a Lamb in vs. 6.

Here, notice John hears the 144,000,

Then, if we look ahead in vs. 9, John sees a great multitude.

In both ch. 5 and now in this chapter,

John is giving two different ways of describing the same entity.

The great multitude is the 144,000, which is all believers.

So, while we cannot count our number, God has us all numbered,

He even has the hairs on our head numbered.

He knows all of us, He cares for all of us.

It is worth commenting on the tribes listed in these verses and their order.

In vs. 5, Judah is the first tribe listed.

Judah is likely mentioned first because it is the tribe into which Jesus was born,

Back in ch. 5, we saw He is referred to as the lion of Judah.

Then, Reuben, the oldest of Israel’s children, is listed.

If you know your twelve tribes well,

You might also catch that the tribe of Dan is missing.

The reason for this is believed to be related to the idolatry of Dan recorded in Judges 18.

Instead we see the tribes of Joseph and Manasseh.

Which is also interesting because Manasseh descended from Joseph,

So, we would expect the tribe of Ephraim, but instead, we have Manasseh.

The fact that the twelve tribes of Israel are not all listed,

And instead we have a close but different grouping of tribes listed,

Would suggest that this list can be understood symbolically,

Further supporting the fact that this is a symbolic reference to all believers.

However, Danny Akin argues in his commentary that the 144,00 is a specific reference to Jewish believers who are included in the people of God.

So even though we would not agree in our interpretation,

I would agree with his conclusion,

After giving the reasons why he believes the 144,000 are Jewish believers,

He writes:

“However, we miss the main point if we fail to see that our God in this day, in that day, and in every day, has His faithful servants who are His possession and have His protection. As unfaithful as Israel has been, and as unfaithful as we have been, our God, on the other hand, is completely and utterly faithful. Having sealed us with the Holy Spirit. He maintains His covenant promises to His people. We find ourselves saved, safe, and secure. In the Lamb we have His stamp of approval!”

I would simply add that,

We do not want to get so hung up on trying to figure out who this 144,000 is that we miss what they are doing,

And that is, worshipping the Lamb Who shepherds the nations.

The reality is that this passage is a hugely missional passage,

Because every nation will worship the Lamb who shepherds us!

Believers from every nation are those who are sealed and protected by God.

We are the only ones who will survive His wrath,

Because He is the One Who protects us.

The reality is that we deserve to received the wrath of God,

But by His grace and mercy, we are spared.

In response, we give God praise and thanks!

It is such a wonderful blessing to be numbered among His servants.

As His servants we must preach peace and love through the Lamb that has died and now lives.

GOD: Saved and Purified (vs. 9-12)

It is through the Lamb that all slaves of God are both saved and purified.

This is what John has heard in vs. 1-8,

Now he turns His attention to see what he just heard.

In this second vision, John sees not an exact number, but a great multitude of worshipers of God.

Worshipers from every nation and tribe and people and language.

As Craig Keener says of this passage,

“The hope of the gospel has touched all people.”

This multitude in heaven with God is experiencing the reward of eternal life,

The reward of praising God and the Lamb for their salvation and purification.

We see this in Revelation 7:9-12;

Revelation 7:9–12 ESV

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!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

After hearing the 144,000

John now sees a similar scene to the scene he saw back in ch. 5.

A great multitude that cannot be numbered,

Myriads of myriads, thousands of thousands.

But now, the countless number is not made up of angels,

Instead, it is comprised of some from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.

This means that the Lamb who died and now stands redeems some from every nation and tribe and people and language.

Which also means the 144,000 symbolizes the people of God from every nation and tribe and people and nation.

This is revealing the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham in Gen. 12:3; 15:5; 32:12 ,

To bless all nations and to make their number like the stars of heaven and the sand of the sea.

In this picture of the redeemed in heaven,

There is no bigotry or prejudice or racism.

It is estimated that there are 11, 243 people groups in the world,

In this scene, each of these groups are represented.

Presently, the International Mission Board approximates that over 3,000 of these people groups are still unengaged!

That means approximately 3.7 billion people in the world have not had an adequate opportunity to hear the Gospel!

But their presence in the throne room tells us that the Lamb reaches out to all of them,

Calling some from every group to trust in the blood of His sacrifice.

And this revelation promises that the gospel will be heard and believed among every nation.

When the nations are shepherded by the Lamb,

The nations rejoice!

The nations worship the Lamb!

If you remember, ch. six ended with the question, who can stand?

The answer is no person can.

But here, the great multitude from every nation and tribe and people and language,

Are standing before the throne!

So, if no one can stand, how are they standing?

Because their white robes show them as righteous and clean before God.

White, we have discussed in the past,

Is symbolic for purity.

It is the total opposite of the black horse from Ch. 6,

These white robes are of maximum light.

We saw martyrs given this white robe back in ch. 6 as well.

Peeking ahead to vs. 14, we see these robes are made white because they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Just like the angels from earlier chapters,

They are present before the throne and the Lamb worshipping Him with palm branches,

A symbol of joy in the Lord’s triumph.

Unlike those who sought to hide out of fear of God’s wrath in ch. 6,

The multitude is standing before the Lord with great joy and adoration!

They are singing out this chorus of praise in vs. 10:

That salvation belongs to our God on the throne and to the Lamb.

Just like the Psalmist sand out in Psalm 47:8;

Psalm 47:8 ESV

God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.

They are declaring that their salvation and deliverance from God’s wrath is because of the Lamb.

The multitude deserves no credit for being able to withstand the wrath of God.

All praise and honor and glory goes to the Lamb,

Because His blood spares them from the wrath of God.

Salvation is entirely a work of God,

We see this all over the Bible.

This is not the last we see of this great multitude singing praises to God.

Twice in Rev. 19:1 and 6 we see them again.

This is a glance into the fulfillment of the Great Commission in Matthew 28,

Where disciples are made of all nations.

These verses reveal that the people of God are both saved and purified by the Lamb.

In response, the great multitude of every nation clothed in white worships God and the Lamb.

And their worship is contagious.

In vs. 11, we see the angels and the four living creatures from chs. 4-5 present as well,

Just like the great multitude from every nation,

The angels and creatures join in on this worship.

Notice they are praising God for His character.

Singing out the chorus of Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen!

The greatness of God fills the angels and creatures with awe and wonder,

Resulting in them falling on their faces in worship of God.

Their first “amen” is in response to the salvation of the multitude.

They then punctuate the blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might of God with a second amen!

Danny Akin notes;

“All of this has one focus, one direction, one and only one deserving object: ‘to our God forever and ever’ (7:12)…This is the praise of all nations and angels that is ringing through the corridors of heaven.”

Their praise is not prescribing these attributes to God,

God is already these things.

Their praise is a recognition of these attributes of God.

And this is not a one time thing,

This is eternal worship.

YOU: Satisfied and Provided For (vs. 13-17)

From the praise and worship of God for the salvation and purification accomplished by the Lamb,

John’s narration of all the nations reaches an unexpected climax.

He brings our attention to a discussion with an elder teaching that God’s people are satisfied and provided for in Revelation 7:13-17;

Revelation 7:13–17 ESV

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

John is quizzed here by an elder,

Asking John to identify who these worshippers in white robes are.

The question draws your attention as the reader to the answer.

John likely does not have the answer,

But he understands the wisdom of the elder.

So, he directs his response back toward the elder.

This is essentially a real time interpretation of the vision John is seeing.

The elder reveals that these worshippers in white are saints that have come out of the great tribulation.

This great tribulation we have been looking at the past couple weeks,

Is the period of persecution before the second coming of Christ.

2 Tim. 3:1 explains;

2 Timothy 3:1 ESV

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.

The multitude of worshippers coming out of the great tribulation could be a reference to those whom God raptures from persecution.

Because persecution is not limited only to this time of tribulation.

Christians have been persecuted since the Church has been instituted.

In fact, it is a privileged honor for you to suffer persecution.

2 Thess 1:5 explains;

2 Thessalonians 1:5 ESV

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—

Later in Rev. 11:2, this great tribulation is referred to as a time of 42 months,

That is 3.5 years.

It is a time of distress and intense conflict between the people of God and those in opposition to God.

Later, this conflict is described in Rev. 13:5;

Revelation 13:5 ESV

And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.

This time frame of 42 months is not the only time frame given,

A similar time frame is 1,260 days, referenced in Rev. 11:3; 12:6;

Or a time, times, and half a time, is seen in Rev. 12:4.

All of these numbers and time frames are very similar approximating 3.5 years.

3.5 years, is obviously one half of seven,

Which the symbolic significance of seven we have seen throughout Revelation,

Represents a period of complete suffering.

So, 3.5 years would represent only a part of complete suffering.

This comes from the OT allusions we looked at earlier this year in Dan. 7:25; 12:7;

As a result of the frequency and similarities in the time frames given,

Many have concluded that this 3.5 year time frame will take place shortly before Christ’s Second Coming.

Then the servants of God will be raptured followed by the completion of the seven years of tribulation.

Others understand these numbers to be much more symbolic as many other numbers in Revelation are.

For example, they point to the fact that 3.5 days is also used in Rev. 11:9, 11.

In all of these instances, the symbolism of these numbers would indicate a persecution of limited time.

Instead of a persecution of specific time.

But what is of the utmost importance is that John’s interaction with the elder in vs. 13-14 offers great comfort to Christians in the first century,

To you today,

And to all Christians who find themselves in tribulation.

Because if you are a Christian, you belong to God.

And if you belong to God, you are rescued and your robe is washed white in the blood of the Lamb.

This phrase is an intentional paradox because you cannot literally wash a white robe in blood and expect it to come out white.

But this phrase is purposeful.

Because your robe is not white due to your inherent righteousness.

It is white only as a result of the cleansing work of the Lamb who died for your sins.

The ultimate reason you can be made righteous and endure the great tribulation,

Is due to salvation made possible by the blood of the Lamb,

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

God has taken our filthy garments that have been stained by our sin,

He covers them in the pure red blood of Christ,

And somehow, they come out clean and white.

Corrie ten Boom, who survived the Holocaust comments on this miraculous work of the Lamb:

“The blood of Jesus Christ has great power! There is perhaps not a phrase in the Bible that is so full of secret truth as is ‘the blood of Jesus.’ It is the secret of His incarnation, when Jesus took on flesh and blood; the secret of His obedience unto death, when He gave His life at the cross of Calvary; the secret of His love that went beyond all understanding when He bought us with His blood; the secret of the enemy and the secret of our eternal salvation.”

It is why we sing this truth:

“There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins. And sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.”

Therefore, vs. 15 says,

We see the eternal blessings shared by all the redeemed.

These eternal blessings begin with the realization that you will be before His throne.

After enduring the great tribulation,

You are granted this privileged access to God!

Why?

Because your robe is made white by the blood of the Lamb.

Ans what are you doing in the presence of God?

You get to worshipfully serve in His temple day and night.

This is not the physical temple of OT times,

Look what John recognizes about the temple in Rev. 21:22;

Revelation 21:22 ESV

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.

God and the Lamb are now the temple.

This is talking about heaven.

For all eternity and with complete joy and delight,

You will worship in service of The Lamb who saved you with the washing of His blood.

Vs. 15 goes on to say that God will shelter you in heaven.

You will personally dwell eternally in His presence.

This means you will no longer have to endure persecution in any capacity.

Never again will you feel rejected or alone,

Never again will you be tormented or traumatized.

In heaven, nothing can harm you, God is protecting you.

Your days of suffering will be over.

This dwelling with God is expanded in vs. 16 to explain what this life is like.

You will never be hungry again,

You will never be thirsty again,

You will never feel intense heat with no relief in sight.

Why?

Because the Lamb, Jesus Christ, whose blood purifies you,

Will be in your midst,

He will protect you,

He will provide for you.

This is in direct contrast to the suffering and sadness brought on by the seals of ch. 6

Every need you have ever and will ever have,

Will be met by the Lamb before God’s throne.

He will shepherd you,

He will care for you.

This imagery of a Lamb shepherding is striking.

Lamb’s are not the ones who shepherd, they are the sheep.

But not so with Christ the Lamb.

Remember Jesus taught about this in ch. 10 of the Gospel of John,

Where He said “I Am the Good Shepherd.”

His role of Shepherd is a fulfilment of OT expectations regarding the Messiah.

As the Shepherd, the Lamb will guide you to springs of living water.

This living water is the well of spiritual satisfaction.

As Ps. 36:8 says, those who belong to Jesus, “drink from the river of [the Lord’s] delights.”

But The Lamb is still not done,

He goes on in vs. 17, promising to wipe away every tear from your eye,

He comforts you.

These actions of the Lamb are a fulfilment of prophecies about the Messiah.

Look at Is 25:8; 49:10;

Isaiah 25:8 ESV

He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 49:10 ESV

they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.

When the nation of Israel was in exile,

Having endured abuse by those who should have been shepherding them,

God made this promise in Ezekiel 34:23;

Ezekiel 34:23 ESV

And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.

This shepherd imagery is one of the most powerful and wonderful depictions in all of the Bible.

Back in 1 Sam. God called this simple shepherd boy, David, to be a king for His people.

Why David?

Because David was a man after God’s own heart.

This shepherd-king famously penned Psalm 23,

Which beautifully declares, the Lord is your Shepherd,

He makes you lie down in green pastures,

He leads you beside still waters.

He is all you need.

Micah 5:4 says about the Shepherd-King that came from the line of David;

Micah 5:4 ESV

And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.

All of these OT promises of a Shepherd-King find their fulfillment in the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Hebrews 13:20 calls Him the great Shepherd.

1 Peter 2:25 says He is the Shepherd of souls.

And 1 Peter 5:4 says He is the Chief Shepherd.

Here in Revelation, we see that this Shepherd-King is Jesus Christ.

Near the start of our time this morning, I asked who needs a Shepherd for their soul.

The answer is we all do.

Revelation 7 teaches that those whom God seals and protects are saved and purified.

And if you are saved and purified, you will be satisfied and provided for.

Because the Lamb will shepherd your soul into the presence of God in heaven for all eternity.

God is promising that He will be the One to satisfy your every need and provide for you!

WE: Conclusion

When we are enjoying that satisfaction,

The sorrows of this present evil age will be a faded memory.

At this moment, we still have sin in us.

Our robes are not yet white.

And there is still more sin we will do.

This is why our souls need a shepherd.

Praise God, we have a Lamb that shepherds our souls,

He covers us with His blood.

He is washing the sin that is still in us,

And the sin that we have yet to do.

Praise the Lamb that shepherds our souls!

Praise God for the countless multitude that will be in the new creation!

Praise God that His salvation is not limited to a few, but instead,

He lavishes it upon an incalculable number from every nation!

We are granted access into heaven,

Because the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb, was shed for us.

We are guilty of what the Bible calls sin.

The punishment for sin is death.

So, when Jesus sacrificed His life for us,

The stain of our sin is washed away by His blood.

As a result of the grace of God in Jesus Christ,

We are saved from that death!

We are purified into righteous creatures through the work of God!

In response to the marvelous beauty of this gospel truth,

We swell up with praise and worship and adoration of God!

We overflow with joy!

Because our sorrows and our sins of our present life are only temporary.

Revelation 7 shows us that a day is coming where our universe will be made new and God will wipe away every tear from our eye,

The Lamb will be our shepherd and He will satisfy our every need,

And we will be filled with overwhelming joy!

That is the future that is available to us all.

But at this moment,

Sin is in us,

For that reason, we need a Lamb to shepherd our souls and cover us with His blood.