Sunday, 13 December 2020
and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Revelation 7:10
The words of this verse complete the thought of the previous verse. Taken together, they say, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”
With this context understood, a better evaluation of the words can be made. John sees the great multitude and now he hears their joyous cry – “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne.” As already noted, this is referring to Jesus. Jesus is the One who is “sitting at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).
The right hand is not a physical position, as if God has parts. Rather, God is Spirit. What this means is that Jesus Christ is sitting in the position of power and authority, represented by the right hand. Thus, He is “our God who sits on the throne.” It speaks of the deity of Jesus Christ. Next, John says, “and to the Lamb!”
This now speaks of the humanity of Christ, taking us back to Chapter 5, where Christ is described as the “Lamb as though it had been slain.” It refers to the substitutionary death that Christ suffered for His people. It is this act that is highlighted out of His human existence. Yes, He fulfilled the law, but dying was a part of the law. As the law would not be fulfilled without His death, the epitome of the work of Jesus Christ is His crucifixion. This is what the saints here, and indeed all of the saints for all of eternity, will consider above all else when interacting with Christ Jesus.
The terminology in this verse goes back to many occurrences in the Old Testament, but specifically to Psalm 3:8 which says –
“Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah”
Salvation is of the Lord, meaning “Yehovah” of the Old Testament. This is yet another example of the deity of Jesus Christ being proclaimed. It is He who sits on the throne as the Creator, and it is He who is the Lamb as our Redeemer. The pattern of Creation/Redemption that is so notably seen in Scripture continues on in this verse. He fills both roles – He is the Beginning and the End of our walk with God. He is the One who calls us and the one who completes the work in us.
In a pun demonstrated throughout the New Testament, the word “salvation” is used in conjunction with Jesus. The name “Jesus” is the Hebrew name Yeshua which specifically means “salvation.” Therefore, the play on words is saying that Jesus is the One who is God and who is also the Lamb – Salvation belongs to our God. He is the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form and the One who reveals the Father to us.
Life application: As a point of doctrine, and as a point to apply to one’s life because it pertains to almost all of us, we wonder what will happen to those who do not receive Christ after the rapture. The answer is that the same options are available to them then as are available to them now – salvation or condemnation.
There is a horrifying lie taught in Christianity that if a person has heard the gospel and rejects it prior to the rapture, that person can never be saved. The Bible never even hints at that. As a seeming proof, the words concerning the strong delusion found in 2 Thessalonians 2 is brought forth as some sort of proof text.
This is a very poor interpretation of those verses; it is utter nonsense; it dismisses other parts of Scripture (such as the verses we are now evaluating); it completely overlooks the nature of God; and it diminishes the significance of the cross of Jesus Christ. To understand the meaning of those verses in 2 Thessalonians, you are invited to read the Superior Word commentary on them.
When considering such points of theology, or indeed any other that are the pet peeves of some supposed scholar, teacher, or pastor, the easiest way to determine if it is probably wrong is to simply try to insert that precept into John3:16. For example –
*For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him before the rapture should not perish but have everlasting life.
*For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him – and is baptized into the Church of Christ – should not perish but have everlasting life.
*For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him – and only reads the King James Version – should not perish but have everlasting life.
*For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him – and proves it by speaking in tongues – should not perish but have everlasting life.
As you can see, the ideas do not sync with what Christ Jesus has said. They are false notions that are unsupported elsewhere in Scripture, and they are the inane ramblings of those who have a perverse agenda that is being pushed.
Have sound theology, don’t get caught up in every wind of doctrine that blows across the waters, and don’t allow such things to cast you to and fro. Instead, realize that this book – the Holy Bible – is given to reveal God’s love for the people of the world as is found in Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ because it is revealing Him. To find any other doctrine than that which is laid out in Scripture, or to find any other symbolism than the Person and work of Jesus, is to deny the very foundation of the Christian faith. He is our Lord! He is our God! He is JESUS!
Truly salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb! It is to Jesus that we direct our hope, our love, our devotion, and our praise. Glory to God in the highest for having revealed Himself to us in such a beautiful and loving way! May we as faithful Christians ever praise the beauty of the Lord in the Person of Jesus Christ! Amen.