Revelation 7

Revelation 7

Being a disciple is a lot like the history of the Exodus. In the Exodus, God’s people were assembled, led, and cared for by God through a difficult and what, from a human perspective, seemed to be a helpless scenario or journey. The Exodus is a useful metaphor for being a disciple. In Revelation 6 we see the world through which we travel as disciples, which can also seem to be a hapless journey. But in Revelation 7 we see the rest of the metaphor. We see the complete number of God's people sealed and protected. We see that numerically they can't be counted. We see these people are the worshipping community who have been made righteous because of the cross of Christ. We see them protected in God's presence. We see them free from hunger, thirst, and the sun's misery and heat because of the Lamb’s care. We see the Lamb as the Shepherd taking them to water and setting them free from anything that would cause a tear.

When we look at this passage with the lenses of the Exodus, it becomes simply beautiful. As disciples, we are traveling through our own Exodus and wilderness wanderings. Living as a disciple is not easy. We are not blind to nor immune from the hardships of life, just as Israel was not immune from the hardships of the desert. But as Israel was cared for in the Exodus, so we are cared for in our life as a disciple.

It has been said that it took God 10 plagues to get Israel out of Egypt, but it took Him 40 years to get Egypt out of Israel. Why is it that we do not experience a total life of bliss as soon as we become a follower of Christ? Why do we face so many struggles as we follow? The answer is in the symbol of the Exodus; in the process, God is changing us. Sometimes in the process we become discouraged. When that happens, we turn to Revelation 7, and we see that we will make it. Cared for, protected, and comforted by the Lamb, we are not alone on this journey.

It is interesting to note that in this chapter of the tribes, Dan and Ephraim are not mentioned. We can't say specifically why, but we can say viewing this chapter through the lenses of the Exodus, when it came time for Dan and Ephraim to receive their inheritance, they rejected God's provision for them. By not including the tribes of Dan and Ephraim in this list, we see a fantastic symbol that even though God can and will lead us through our Exodus, there are some that will not remain faithful and will miss out.

“Lord, help me to embrace the process by which You will change me. AMEN”