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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/john-meekin/revelation-7/
Let's turn to the book of Revelation, please. I'm going to ask you to take a reading with me in the book of Revelation, and in chapter 7. Revelation 7, and we read at verse number 9. Revelation 7, and verse number 9.
After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongue, 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 fell before the throne, and on their faces worshipped God. Verse 13, one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes?
And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which come out of great tribulation, and 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 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. God bless that reading from the Sacred Scriptures.
What I've read to you tonight is a scene from the future. I hardly need to tell that to an audience here in stout tonight, that when we get to Revelation chapter 7, we really are projecting our minds away into the future.
In fact, Revelation chapter 7 occurs after the coming of the Lord Jesus to the air to call those who are saved home to be with himself. Before I go any further, let me just remind this audience tonight that the Lord Jesus is coming.
I look across an audience, and I see people here, and I see those who are not saved. I would say to each and all tonight, dear beloved people here, the Lord Jesus is coming. The Bible, it tells it very clearly.
The Bible records the words of the Lord Jesus with regard to this. He said in John's Gospel chapter 14, I go away. He said, if I go away, I will come again. And for those who are saved, he said, I will receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
I say tonight in this Gospel meeting, the Lord Jesus is coming. Are you ready? The great question tonight is this, the Lord Jesus Christ is coming. And beloved people tonight, the question that resonates just at this moment in this Gospel hall is this, are you ready for the imminence, the any moment coming of the Lord Jesus?
Revelation 7 takes place after that. There will be judgments poured from God out of heaven. There are going to be people that are alive on earth just at that point. And Revelation 7, most interestingly, splits into two parts.
From verse number 1 to verse number 8 is the first part of the chapter. Then from verse number 9 right through to the end of the chapter is a second section. The most interesting thing is this, that those two sections, they parallel each other.
They are a contrast, one with another. In fact, in verses 1 through 8, our seeing is directed to earth. When we're looking from verse number 9 to the end, our vision is directed to heaven. When we're looking at the first 8 verses, it is Jewish people.
When we're looking at the last 9 verses, it is Gentiles before the throne of God. When we're looking at the first 8 verses, it is Jewish people and they are not dead. In fact, they cannot die. 144 ,000 and they cannot die.
They will be divinely preserved for 7 years through the tribulation. And you say, what about these people at the end of the chapter? They have died. In fact, they are already before the throne of God in heaven.
And that's what I want to speak to our hearts about tonight. In fact, the great subject that I have in my mind for this gospel meeting is this, the blood of the Lamb. There is a holy being. One of these holy angelic beings looks at John as he sees a multitude, the throne of God, the very epicenter of heaven.
One of these holy beings looks at John and John looks at this multitude gathered right around heaven. One of the holy beings says to John, who are these that are arrayed in white garments? Whence came they?
And John says to him, you know, thou knowest. And he says, these are they. They have been saved. They come out of great tribulation. They have washed their robes. They made their robes white. And listen to the expression now, in the blood of the Lamb.
What I want to speak about for a few minutes at the opening of this gathering is this, I want to speak to our hearts on the blood of the Lamb. It is quite a subject. It thrills. I say again, folks, it thrills every gospel preacher's spirit, the blood of the Lamb.
If you are not saved tonight, just in case I don't communicate this the way I hope to communicate it, if you are not saved tonight, you could be saved tonight. If you are still on your way to hell tonight, that could change in this gathering.
And you say, what is it that could change my destiny forever? It's only one thing, the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross and the great provision that he made through the blood of the Lamb.
And here they are gathered, multitudes of them. I don't want you to miss the picture now, multitudes of them. Multitudes upon multitudes gathered around the throne. And as they are gathered there, the sole focus of heaven is this, the blood of the Lamb.
I want to use this just as a picture. Because what is true of them in the future is true of me presently and could be true of you if you get saved. The first thing that I want to speak about tonight is this.
I want you to notice the position of the redeemed. In fact, we read in verse number 9 that as John sees this multitude, the text of Scripture says this. Now listen to it. The text of Scripture says this.
They stood before the throne. And you say, why is that so significant? The position of the redeemed, they stood before the throne. You see, one time and at one point in my life, I was sinking deep in sin.
There was a time in my life when I wasn't saved. You know this. I hardly need to preach this tonight, this Saturday evening in Stout Gospel Hall. There was a time in my life when I was perishing because of my sins.
As a poor, helpless, perishing sinner, I was sinking in my sins. There might be some sinner tonight, and that's just where you are. You have come to this Gospel meeting tonight. And when you came through those doors, as you were moving through the doors, you were thinking to yourself, oh God, I hope that these men have a message from God tonight.
Because I would like to be saved. Is there a sinner like that here tonight? Oh God, I'm in my sin. Oh God, I'm perishing. Oh God, I would like to be delivered. Is there someone that I'm speaking to tonight?
And that's the echo of your heart. I am sinking deep in my sins. It was the echo of Peter's heart. You remember the story. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 14. There are the man and the boat. And you know they're going across the sea, the Sea of Galilee.
And there comes a moment when the Lord Jesus is stepping forward to come to the man and the boat. And Peter says to the Lord Jesus, he says, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come. And the call rings across the sea that night.
Just as the call is ringing through this meeting on this Saturday night. The call from Christ was this, Come! Is there a soul that wants to be saved tonight? Come! The story of the Gospel. The emancipating power of the Gospel we preach.
Listen folks. Come! For all things are now ready. And it rang across the sea. Come! And I see Peter. Mind you, I always admire Peter in this scenario. You think of what you would do. The wind is blowing.
The white caps are pushing the little boat each and every way. And the man, Peter, he gets to the gunwale of the boat. And he steps out to go to Jesus. Do you remember the next thing that happened? It says in the story, beginning to sink.
And you know what Peter realized? I'm going down. Is there a sinner here tonight? And you've realized, I'm going down. Peter understood, if I go down, I'll perish. Is there a sinner here tonight? And you've realized, if I go down, I'll perish.
And I'll perish forever. Do you know one of the reasons why we preach the way we do? We look into the faces of men and women bound for eternity. And the reality is this. Dan and I might never preach to you again.
And there are people in this gathering tonight and you're perishing. And there are people in this gospel meeting and you're going down. Dear folks tonight, you stay the way you are. You will perish. And you'll perish forever.
In the reality of a burning hell. Is it any wonder the call came from Christ? Come. Do you know what I say to you tonight? Come. I was like that man one time, sinking deep in my sins. But the Lord saved me.
In fact, I was on a vacation to England. I didn't intend to tell this. Quite close to where our brother Dan lives. I was on a vacation to London. And we kept what we thought was the crowning moment of that vacation.
Just to the last day. And we went to see the Tower of London. As we were going to see the Tower of London, we went to purchase the tickets. And when we had just purchased the tickets, making our way back to do our tour.
We heard someone preaching. I didn't expect it. And the dear gentleman that I was with said, That's someone preaching the gospel. We should go and see him. And so we made our way through the crowds trying to locate the voice.
And at last, here's a man standing on a little box. Not far from the Tower of London. And he was preaching the gospel. And as he was preaching the gospel, people were cat calling him. And they were heckling him.
And so we stepped forward. And we were standing there. And we tried to encourage him. Smiled at him. Nodded as he was preaching. And he also thought that we were just mocking him. And so he stopped. And of course there's a crowd that's gathered around.
He stopped and he looked at the two of us. And he pointed at me and he said, Are you saved? Well what would you tell him? I looked at him and I smiled and I said, Yes sir. And he didn't believe me. I could hardly believe it.
He thought then at that point I was really poking fun at him. Oh he said, If you're saved then tell me how you got saved. And a crowd is gathering all around us now. I said to him, Sir. I was 16. I said, Sir.
I realized I was going to be in hell. I said there came a night in my life when I got down on my knees and I cried for mercy. And I realized through Isaiah chapter 53 and verse number 5 that the Lord Jesus died for me.
And there was silence. And he looked at me. And he said, Praise God, he said, folks. Here's a man and he's ready for heaven. The position of the redeemed. They were once sinking. They were once going down.
They were once in their sins. But listen now. They stood before God. The second thing that I want to preach about is not only the position of the redeemed, but you will notice the purity of the redeemed.
Who are these? Why are they clothed in white garments? Whence came they? And John is told, These are they that have washed their robes and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb. You know what we are preaching tonight, folks?
Listen to it now. We are preaching the cleansing power of the blood of the Lamb. It is the most remarkable thing that we can preach in the gospel. The cleansing efficiency and the cleansing agency and the cleansing power of the blood of Christ.
You know the story of the cross. He was crucified early in the morning. They took him from the garden. They bound him. They took him out to the three religious trials. They took him to the three political trials.
And at last he stands crowned with thorns and with blood and spittle running down his face. Pilate said to the multitude that day, Behold the man! Ekehomo! Behold the man! And at last they take him and they bring him and they lead him out through the gates of the city.
And you say, where are they going? They are going to Golgotha. When they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him. 9 a .m. in the morning. From 9 a .m. in the morning until 3 p .m. on that Friday afternoon.
He was upon the cross. Just as the darkness was receding, there came that monumental cry, It is finished. And he bowed his head. You and I would say, Everything is over now. God in His providence said, There is something that I want to see occur here that they have never taken account of.
And a soldier comes forth and he breaks the legs of the malefactor here. He does the same to the other here. And he comes to the Lord Jesus. And the Bible says, He was dead already. They break not his legs.
But so that the Scripture could be fulfilled, a bone of him shall not be broken. That soldier took that spear, pierced it into his side, and listen to what the Bible says, forthwith came thereof blood and water.
You know the wonderful story of Golgotha tonight? There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins, and sinners plunge beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains. I now believe, I will believe, that Jesus died for me, that on the cross, He shed His blood from sin to set me free.
Would you like to be saved tonight? The cleansing power of the blood of Christ can forgive every sin. I have a brother. He was saved when he was 33 years of age. He's not 33 now. He was coming to Gospel meetings when he was 33 years of age.
God started to work with him. He went to do a delivery one day with my brother David. And as they were making their way to do the delivery, they passed a church. The sign on the church said, Living Hope.
And my brother Alexander said, I've got no hope. They got to where they were going to make the delivery. My brother sat in the truck, and he said to himself, It's hell for me. I can't get this. I would like to be saved, but I can't get this.
And he pulled the lever to open the door, and he stepped onto the sidewalk. And as he stepped onto the sidewalk, it was the words of a hymn that came to him. Oh, the blood of Jesus. The precious blood of Jesus.
Oh, the blood of Jesus. It cleanses us from all sin. Standing there on the sidewalk, he said, The blood of Jesus. And the next thing that came to him, The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.
He says, My. And he opened the door of the truck, and he said to David, Don't tell anyone, but I think I've just got saved. And he went to make the delivery. As soon as he closed the door, David called my sister Grace.
He said, Don't tell anyone, but we think he's just got saved. Grace called me. It was one of the greatest calls I ever took. Sitting in a little office, alone that morning, my sister Grace called and she says, John, don't tell anyone.
I wonder who she thought I was going to tell. Don't tell anyone, but we think he's just got saved. He went to the meeting that night. So I can finish the story for you. The first man that stepped forward, he gave out two hymns.
The last hymn. What was the second hymn he gave out? Oh, the blood of Jesus. The precious blood of Jesus. Oh, the blood of Jesus. It cleanses us from all sin. He stepped forward to a podium like this, and he read one verse.
Do I need to tell you the verse tonight? Come on, folks. Do I need to tell you the verse tonight? He read the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin. Would you like to be saved tonight?
Right here in this gospel gathering, would you like to be saved tonight? There are people here, young people here. Would you like to be saved tonight, folks? We are preaching the sin-atoning power of the blood of Christ.
You adults that are here, there may be men here, and you've been in your sins for years. Let me tell you again, there is power. There is power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb. The position of the redeemed, they stood before God.
The purity of the redeemed, white robes, through the blood of Christ. Let me speak to you for a moment about the prospect of the redeemed. Maybe I'll leave that one just for sake of time. Let me speak about the praise of the redeemed.
Did you notice what's going on in heaven? I read it there in verse number 12. What is going on in heaven? They all bow before the throne. They bow before the throne sitter and listen to what they say.
Salvation to our God. And the multitudes are raising the song. And the song is raging. And you can feel it rising and rising and rising. And the great anthem of glory rising still. You know, there's a day that I'm looking forward to.
You say, what is that? Heaven's throne. Christ is there. The very center of glory. Heaven's throne. Do you ever think what it's going to be when we step from this world of sin and tragedy and turmoil and violence and everything around us?
All of those things. And we take a step from this world and we take a step into the next world. And as we stand in that first moment, we hear it for the first time. The great paean of praise rising to the throne.
It is going to be absolutely tremendous. Salvation to our God. The throne of glory. The throng of glory. Just as I step down tonight. The tragedy of glory. Do you know the tragedy of glory? There are people in this gathering and you're not going to be there.
Your mom will be there. Your father will be there. Grandparents will be there. Do you know the tragedy of glory is this? When they are gathered around heaven's throne. When they hear the great anthem of heaven's throng.
The tragedy is this. You will not be there. If I could give you any advice tonight. Any advice. You know if you're not there it will be the reality of hell. Yonder is heaven. And it's far far away. And I am lost.
Closed are its gates. Far off its bright day. But I am lost. Harps. Crowns. Angels. I bid thee farewell. On yonder bright scenes it torments me to dwell. Ye lightnings. Ye echoes. That blast me in hell.
Echo. I'm lost. I'm lost. That won't be the worst thing about hell.
The worst thing about hell is this. You will know forever. I didn't have to be here.
The Lamb's blood was shed at Calvary. The power of the blood of Christ could have cleansed me. And I pushed on in my sins. Don't push on anymore. I plead with you tonight as Dan comes up to preach. Trust the Lord Jesus.
And experience his cleansing power.