Every Nation
Scripture Reading — Revelation 7:9-12
I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language. . . .
Picture this scene—a great multitude of people wearing white and holding palm branches and singing before the throne of God with all the angels and elders and other living creatures in heaven. They all sing great praise to God and bow down to worship him.
The sheer size of this choir is amazing. There are so many people in this multitude that “no one could count” them. It would be like trying to count the stars in the night sky or the grains of sand on a seashore (see Genesis 22:17). God’s gift of salvation is indeed given to a great multitude.
Even more amazing than the size of the choir is the composition of the crowd that the Lord has gathered. This gigantic crowd is made up “from every nation, tribe, people and language.” It is amazing how God’s gift of salvation creates a bond of unity that reaches to the ends of the earth and breaks down the walls and divisions that we set up in our societies and cultures around the world.
This is a powerful picture of what God’s salvation looks like in the lives of real people. It is more than a picture of the unity God will create in the new heaven and earth. This is a call for the church today as well—to be faithful in welcoming God’s servants “from every nation, tribe, people and language.” God’s amazing grace brings us together from every people and nation.
Open our hearts, Lord Jesus, to the truth that your salvation breaks down the walls that divide us. Amen.
About the author — Jim Poelman
Pastor Jim Poelman and his wife, Linda, served five churches in Ontario and British Columbia for thirty-nine years. They enjoy family gatherings with their extended household of children and grandchildren—29 members in all—often creating lots of happy noise.
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