Catholic Commentary on Revelation 7

"For the Lamb at the centre 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 7:17)

The Sealed and the Saved

Between the sixth and seventh seals, Revelation pauses for a vision of security and salvation. Four angels hold back the four winds of the earth. Another angel comes from the east carrying the seal of the living God, crying out to the four angels not to harm the earth until the servants of God have been sealed on their foreheads. Then 144,000 are sealed from every tribe of Israel: twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes. The number is symbolic: twelve times twelve times one thousand, the fullness of the fullness, the complete people of God. This is not a literal count of literal Israelites but the Church in its completeness, sealed and protected through the tribulation that is coming.

After this John looks and there before him is a great multitude that no one can count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They are wearing white robes and holding palm branches, crying out: salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. One of the elders explains: these are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For the Lamb at the centre 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. The Catechism identifies the wiping of every tear as the final fulfilment of all human hope: every grief, every loss, every unjust suffering will be answered (CCC 1044).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Every tear. The tears of grief over lost children, over broken marriages, over unanswered prayers, over the suffering you endured alone: he will wipe them away himself, personally, with his own hand. This is the end of the story. The Lamb who was slain becomes the shepherd who leads to springs of living water. Hold this promise through every dark chapter before it.

Prayer

Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Wipe away our tears, lead us to springs of living water, and bring us through the great tribulation to stand before your throne. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

7
144,000 Sealed
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back its four winds so that no wind would blow on land or sea or on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, with the seal of the living God. And he called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or sea or trees until we have sealed the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
 
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel:
 
5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
 
6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
 
7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
 
8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
and from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
Praise from the Great Multitude
 
9 After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
 
“Salvation to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!”
 
11 And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. And they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
 
13 Then one of the elders addressed me: “These in white robes,” he asked, “who are they, and where have they come from?”
 
14 “Sir,” I answered, “you know.”
 
So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 For this reason,
 
they are before the throne of God
and serve Him day and night in His temple;
and the One seated on the throne
will spread His tabernacle over them.
16 ‘Never again will they hunger,
and never will they thirst;
nor will the sun beat down upon them,
nor any scorching heat.’* 7:16 Isaiah 49:10
17 For the Lamb in the center of the throne
will be their shepherd.† 7:17 See Psalms 23:1.
‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’‡ 7:17 Isaiah 49:10
and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’§ 7:17 Isaiah 25:8”

*7:16 7:16 Isaiah 49:10

†7:17 7:17 See Psalms 23:1.

‡7:17 7:17 Isaiah 49:10

§7:17 7:17 Isaiah 25:8

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