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“These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” Revelation 7:14-17

In this world, the battle rages between those in the kingdom of darkness and those who are in the kingdom of light. And the battle is fierce as the devil and those allied with him seek to destroy the faith of all who hope in Jesus. With his lies and temptations to turn us away from the truth, he seeks to separate us from Christ Jesus and the mercy and forgiveness Jesus won for us when He lived a holy and sinless life in our stead and then went to the cross to pay in full the penalty for the sins of the world.

At times it may appear to us that the battle is lost as we struggle against the forces of evil and are tempted from within and without. We watch as friends and family members fall and turn away from Christ and His Word. Even our own hearts and desires would lead us to eternal ruin. We are spoken against and persecuted for clinging to Jesus and the comfort of His Word.

But the battle is not lost. As the battle rages on here in this world and the Scriptures warn us of the suffering yet ahead for believers, Jesus shows us a vision and picture of the end. He wants us to know we have the victory in Him. The eternal joys of heaven are certain for all who trust in His shed blood.

John writes by inspiration of the Holy Ghost (Revelation 7:9-12): “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; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 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, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.”

After we are shown God sealing His elect in this world to protect and keep them unto eternal life, we are lifted up into heaven, to the very throne of God, to see a great host beyond number arrayed in white. They are from every nation and kindred and people and language. They, together with the angels, stand before the throne and worship the LORD God and the Lamb of God who has taken away the sin of the world.

And who are these arrayed in white? And from where did they come? One of the elders answered John: “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.”

Who is it that we see in heaven around the throne of God? It is you and me and believers of all time who have come out of the great tribulation going on here in this world. They are the ones who “have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” They have placed their faith and hope in Jesus; they have come to the cross of Jesus and had all their sins washed away in His blood which was shed for the sins of the world. They have, by the gracious working of the Holy Ghost, come to believe the Gospel – that the blood of Jesus, their crucified and risen Savior, cleanses them from all sin (cf. 1 John 1:7 – 2:2).

It is with all their sins washed away by the blood of Jesus and clothed in the perfect righteousness of Christ that they stand before the throne of God and before the Lamb and serve God day and night in His temple. It is because they have been cleansed in the blood of Jesus that God dwells among them and removes from them all the troubles of this fallen world.

As the Scripture reveals to us, “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

Though the battle rages on here in this world, we have seen the end. In Jesus and for the sake of His blood shed for us on the cross, we have the victory. He has shown us a glimpse into heaven and the glory that is ours there for Jesus’ sake. In Him, we trust and rejoice!

O dearest Jesus, holy and precious Lamb of God sacrificed upon the cross for the sins of the world, keep us through the tribulations of this world and preserve us unto the everlasting joys of heaven, for the sake of Your cleansing blood. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible]

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” Colossians 3:22-25

Though people may joke about being slaves to their work, not many would actually count themselves as servants. Yet, this word of God applies to employees and all who work for others; so this would take in almost every one of us at some time or another.

God would have servants and employees obey their earthly masters in all things — unless, of course, such obedience would cause them to disobey God (cf. Acts 5:29). And such service should not be just when the boss is watching but all the time. The Bible says it should be “in singleness of heart,” which means wholeheartedly and fully devoted to serving those over us. Such obedience should be rendered in respect and honor for the almighty God who has both created and redeemed us.

The Apostle Paul adds the words: “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

Whatever we do here in this world should be done for the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed His holy and precious blood to redeem us from sin and eternal damnation and make us His own. Though we may work for other people, yet we who believe in the Lord Jesus really live for and work for Him.

And we know that, even if our earthly masters and employers do not justly reward us for our labors, Jesus will. He won for us forgiveness of sins and a place in His eternal kingdom, and He has promised to graciously reward those who trust in Him and live for Him. Earthly masters may give us little credit for our labors and even treat us unfairly for their own selfish ends, but the Lord of the whole earth who died for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life will not treat us so.

On the other hand, those who do not obey and wholeheartedly serve their masters and employers, even if they are not found out and punished here, are known of the Lord and will be punished by Him.

God’s Word says: “But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”

God does not show partiality. His judgment is fair and true. Those who rebel against Him and disobey Him — which includes disobedience and dishonesty toward earthly employers and masters — He will punish with everlasting punishment and torment in hell. God will not let some “slide” or get away with disobedience while He punishes others.

But those who repent — acknowledging their disobedience and sinfulness and trusting in the shed blood of Jesus for forgiveness and life — God will pardon and grant life everlasting in His eternal kingdom. And those who sincerely repent will also, with the help and aid of God the Holy Spirit, seek to amend their evil ways and live in obedience to the LORD God who created and redeemed them. And such obedience, of course, includes obedience to earthly masters and employers.

Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me for the many times I have not served my earthly employer wholeheartedly and given an honest day’s work for my wages. Forgive my sin and disobedience toward You for the sake of Your holy and precious blood shed for me upon the cross. And, with the help and aid of Your Holy Spirit, give me the desire and strength to serve and do my best at my job for those whom You have placed over me. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them….” Revelation 7:14-15 (Read v. 9-17)

In the opening verses of “For All the Saints” (by William W. How), we sing: “For all the saints, who from their labors rest, who Thee by faith before the world confessed, Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed … Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might; Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight; Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light. Alleluia, Alleluia!” (Lutheran Service Book, Hymn 677).

Who are these saints? They’re not only the apostles and other prominent Christians over the past centuries; they’re all who have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – all who trust in Him and His cross for forgiveness and life everlasting (cf. Eph. 2:11-22; Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2).

And for these and all the saints we give Jesus glory and praise, for He paid the price for our sins and sent His Holy Spirit to regenerate us and bring us to faith in His cross, thus making us His saints – holy and righteous in God’s sight through faith in His blood shed upon the cross for the sins of the world (cf. Eph. 1:3ff.; Rev. 7:9-12).

As His elect, we are sealed and preserved in the faith by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit. He keeps and protects us as we face persecution and trouble in this evil world which is under the judgment of the Almighty (Cf. Rev. 7:1ff.; 12:1ff.; 2 Tim. 4:18; Phil. 1:6; Eph. 6:10ff.).

We sing: “And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long, steals on the ear the distant triumph song, and hearts are brave again, and arms are strong. Alleluia! Alleluia! The golden evening brightens in the west; soon, soon to faithful warriors cometh rest; sweet is the calm of paradise the blest. Alleluia! Alleluia!” (v. 5-6 in LSB).

And when we die – whether martyred or of natural causes – we who trust in Christ leave the tribulations of this world to join all the saints who have gone before us into heaven, to be with those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb who suffered and died to take away the sin of the world (Cf. Rev. 7:9ff.; Phil. 1:23; John 1:29).

And there we await that day when Christ returns to judge the living and the dead and to raise up and give eternal life to all the saints, to all who have trusted in Him for salvation (cf. 1 Thess. 4:13ff.; John 14:1ff.; 1 John 3:2).

In the words of the hymn: “But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day; the saints triumphant rise in bright array; the King of glory passes on His way. … From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast, through gates of pearl streams in the countless host, singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: Alleluia, Alleluia!”

We thank and praise You, O Christ, for redeeming us and bringing us to know and trust in You for forgiveness and life everlasting. Preserve us in the true and saving faith until we join the saints in heaven singing Your eternal praises. Amen.

[Scripture quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” Revelation 6:9-11

We are living in the period of the first four seals, with the fifth revealing the souls of the saints waiting in heaven for Judgment Day, and the sixth seal about to be opened, leading into the seven trumpets and seven vials of wrath (Cf. Rev. 6:1ff.; Matt. 24:1ff.).

“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held….”

Here, much like in Rev. 7:9-17, we see the souls of those in heaven who had been persecuted and even suffered death for their witness to the truths revealed in God’s Word and for their faith in Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice upon the cross for the forgiveness of their sins and life eternal.

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:10-12): “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

And the saints in heaven “are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14; cf. 1 Thess. 4:13-18).

“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”

They prayed for the day of judgment upon the ungodly who opposed God and His Word and rejected His Son, our Messiah and Savior (cf. Psalm 2). They sought God’s perfect vengeance on those who persecuted them for their faith in Christ and took their lives from them.

This should not surprise us, for we too pray for God’s eternal kingdom to come, for His will to be done and for His deliverance from all evil in the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13; cf. Luther’s explanation in the Small Catechism).

And our psalm for All Saints Day requests this (Psalm 149:6-9): “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.” Cf. Psalm 139:19-22.

“And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”

Here we see God’s patience, His longsuffering, with this evil and sin-sick world. As Peter writes (2 Pet. 3:9), “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

God says, “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezek. 33:11).

Thus, we see that God’s will and desire are that all would repent of their evil ways and look to Christ Jesus and His cross for mercy and forgiveness!

And note that these martyrs were told “that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”

The Bible clearly tells us “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” and that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:12,13). It is why it is so important that we hold fast to Christ in faith and continue in His Word (cf. 2 Tim. 3:12-17; John 8:31-32).

And the number of those who will be slain for their faith in Christ and their testimony to the truth of God’s Word is not yet complete. It could be that we too, or our children, could face severe persecution and even death to follow Jesus and to trust in His name.

We heed Jesus’ warning: “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38; cf. Matt. 10:28).

And we hold fast to Christ because He alone is our Light and our Salvation (Psalm 27:1ff.). “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Act 4:12; John 14:6).

O Lord Jesus, I give You thanks for preserving in the true faith the multitudes of those who have been martyred or died in the faith before me. Keep me in the true and saving faith, trusting alone in You and Your cross for my salvation, and grant that I remain faithful to You unto death that I may receive the crown of life which You won for all by Your death upon the cross and will give to all who hold fast to Your name. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]

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“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32

How can we know the truth? Of course, many choose not to know the truth. The Democrats might not want the truth revealed about emails found on a laptop. The Republicans, too, might have truths they would rather not be known at election time.

Where can we find the truth? People look for truth in many places but, as we’ve seen, especially in recent times, even sources that should be trustworthy have become dishonest and slanted, often hiding the truth.

But “Jesus said to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

What truth does Jesus reveal in His Word? To His Jewish hearers, His Word revealed their sinfulness and their guilt and condemnation under the Law. Jesus told His hearers: “Ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24). He told them, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:34-36).

The truth Jesus revealed to His hearers is that it wasn’t enough to be children of Abraham and entrusted with God’s law. Their heritage did not make them true children of Abraham because they were guilty under the law of God and were servants of sin. Unless they repented of their sinful ways and looked in faith to Jesus as their Messiah and Savior, they would die in their sins and be lost forever!

Our epistle lesson today reveals the same truth. After Paul cited the Scriptures to show that “there is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10-12; cf. 9-18), he writes: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (3:19-20).

But then he speaks of another righteousness, a righteousness which avails before God, a righteousness which is imputed by God to those who place their faith in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ and His innocent sufferings and death in their stead: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:21-26).

This is the righteousness of which Martin Luther learned as he studied the Scriptures. He discovered this truth in the words of Romans 1:16-17, where St. Paul writes: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”

This truth freed Luther from the condemnation of God’s law and gave him the assurance that through faith in Christ Jesus, his sins were all forgiven, that God accepted him as His own dear child and that he had a place in heaven.

This is the everlasting Gospel proclaimed by the angel in Revelation 14:6-7, where it says: “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

The message for us is the same. It will do us no good to claim Luther as our father or to pride ourselves in our Lutheran heritage if we do not share in the faith of Luther and of the Lutheran reformers. Like the Jews who believed in Jesus, like Luther who despaired of his own righteousness before God and placed his faith in the perfect righteousness of Christ Jesus (Christ’s active and passive obedience), Jesus invites us to continue in His word that we might learn the truth and that the truth might set us free.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).

And what is that truth? What does God’s Word reveal to us as it shines its bright light upon us?

Again, I think of the words of the Apostle John in his first epistle (1 John 1:8 — 2:2): “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. … And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

What truth do we learn from the Scriptures? As we read and study God’s law, we see our utter sinfulness before God. We see our failures to measure up to God’s standards. We stand guilty and condemned before God. But we also see in the Gospel that God sent His only-begotten Son into this world a true man to fulfill the demands of God’s law for us and then to bear upon the cross the just punishment for our sins and the sins of all that we might look to Him in faith and be justified, forgiven and counted righteous and acceptable in God’s eyes. We see that through faith in Jesus we have been made “accepted in the beloved,” that “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:6,7).

And this truth sets us free from the guilt and condemnation of God’s law. It gives us the assurance that through faith in the Son, we have forgiveness for all our sins and life everlasting!

As Jesus says, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Grant, O Lord Jesus, that we might continue in Your life-giving Word, learn the truth and be made free through faith in You as our God and Savior. We ask this for the sake of Your blood, shed upon the cross for our sins. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]