DEVOTION – DAY 535

Revelation 7:16-17 “Wipe Away Every Tear”

Revelation 7:16-17 “Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 7 follows the opening of the 7 seals judgment that brought much hardships upon the world as part of God’s judgment during the Great Tribulation period of 7 years as described in Revelation 6. Then, there was a brief lull and Revelation 7 records how God has plans for His people of Israel. During this time of Great Tribulation, there would be some who would turn back to Him as Lord. As a result, God promised to mark these end-times believers with a seal on their foreheads and they would number 144,000. The 144,000 people would be from the tribes of Israel and the tribes are listed in Rev.7:5-8. 

Then, the apostle John saw a vision of a great multitude of saints standing before Jesus’ throne during His millennial reign. They were all dressed in white. During that time, the Lord promised that those who served Him as He reigned and ruled in the Millennium will never hunger or thirst. They will not suffer and the Lord would lead them to springs of living water and there would be no more tears. That is a wonderful promise. This promise has sometimes been misunderstood. Followers of the Jehovah’s Witness cult claim that the 144,000 saints apply only to their members. Others think it is a general reference to all believers. A careful reading of Rev.7 especially the listing of the tribes of Israel would point to the 144,000 saints to be from Israel selected during the period of the Great Tribulation. It is the most straightforward reading of the text.

The above verses are often quoted that God will provide for us and that all suffering will end when the Lord Jesus returns to reign and to rule. This general promise is certainly something all believers can trust in that will happen literally one day. But for now, believers can experience this in a spiritual sense. We know someone who is battling a serious medical condition. Yet, she remains at peace. This is because she prays regularly to the Lord and she reads the Bible. As a result, she receives spiritual strength. This enables her to face her physical battles with her medical condition with grace and quiet strength. The Word of God is her springs of Living Water. She is not fearful because she knows that the Lord Jesus is her faithful Shepherd. He will watch over her. He will take care of her. That knowledge is the source of her inner peace. 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we look to you as our faithful Shepherd. May you continue to feed us daily through your Word. May you strengthen us spiritually and physically as we give you all the glory. In the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Questions

  1. Are you facing times of pain, sorrow and shortage of funds? 
  2. Have you been holding onto the promises of Rev.7:16-17 without fully understanding its context? Has this devotion been helpful in helping you see this passage more clearly?
  3. How has the Lord been your Shepherd lately?

How can you shepherd others to be closer to the Lord? It could be your children, or grandchildren. It could be your friends or Connect Group members.