“For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” vs17

God’s going to wipe away every tear. We have a glorious promise, and a sure inheritance. We have something to live for, and die for, which is the gospel.

God’s going to save his elect, do it by himself, and he’s going to reward us forever. Give him the glory of faith. Hold on to the gospel, and spread it.

First, God saves [Vs1-8]. "After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:"

No wrath will come until all the elect are saved. He knows us by name before the foundation of the world. He has chosen us for salvation, and nothing can stop it. God will hold back his fury. "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." He’ll be patient and long-suffering. His purpose of grace will not fail, and evil will not cause him to return abruptly. He’ll come back when all is finished, and the elect are in the barn.

Give God glory, and preach this gospel. There is no time that he cannot save. There is no time when evil is winning, or in control. God is always mindful of his elect, and he’ll get us the gospel. He will bring us out.

Secondly, God gets glory [vs9-12]. "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice," Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.""

God is the One who saved us. It is not something that we contributed to. We did nothing, so he gets the glory. He chose us, called us, and redeemed us. He did for us what he did not do for others, and what we could not do for ourselves. It is not because of us that we are saved. Psalms 115:1, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,

for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness."

Our perseverance, growth in grace, and all godliness are the direct result of God’s predestination. God’s Spirit has overcome our sinfulness, and given us joy. He has saved us all by himself. At the cross, he cried out, “It is finished,” and when he called us, we could not resist [2 Thessalonians 2:13-14].

He chastises us, but he keeps his perfect love [Psalms 89:31-33]. There is no failure in salvation - no one that he loses, and no one who contributes anything. Everything good in us is from the Lord. James 1:17, “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

Even our praises originate with him, for he opens our eyes, ears, and mouths. He opens our hearts [Acts 16:14]. Without him, we’d never receive the truth. Apart from him, we'd fall back into the lowest despair and ungodliness. Only he sustains us. Therefore, our praise is for God alone.

Do not think this gospel is by human contribution. Faith isn’t in ourselves; it is in the finished work of Christ, and the promise of God’s grace. He gives us a complete salvation, which includes holiness and perseverance. He gives us the commanded love.

Thirdly, God rewards [vs13-17]. "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ... Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?" I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They 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 who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.""

The blood of the Lamb has given us our reward, and it includes heaven’s bliss. Not only are we holy and acceptable, but we’ve entered the land of God’s favor, where promises will be enjoyed, forever. We’ve come out of the great tribulation, and overcome the trials of life. We’ve proven that our faith is real. Perseverance has always come with promises, and now they are fully enjoyed. We have better coming than we’ve ever conceived on earth.

In heaven, we are near to God and serve him forever. Now, we can do what we so long for, which is serve him perfectly in heavenly bliss. There’ll be no more temptation or sorrow. There’ll be nothing to disturb us. We’ll finally enjoy God without sin. This is the greatest reward - to give him 100% glory without any taint of hypocrisy or unbelief. To serve him in perfect love in Paradise is perfect pleasure.

We find perfect satisfaction. The sun doesn’t beat on us, and there’s no more thirst. The curse is gone. No longer does the earth bring forth thorns and thistles. There’s no more arguing, no more plague, and no more sin. The Devil and his evil companions have been cast into hell. All persecution has ceased. Hallelujah, and praise God. We have so much to look forward to.

God will wipe away every tear! All the sorrows of earth are forgotten. We have no lingering memory of sin. There are no tears in heaven. Our wickedness has been punished, we are rewarded by the Lamb’s blood, and our good works follow us. Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.” We praise God for everything that hurt us, as we see his glorious end, and the wisdom and love of his dealings. Oh, how wonderful heaven will be with the Lamb, and all of his benefits.

Finally, saints preach this gospel. Do not despair. Keep your hope up. The Revelation is designed to encourage us to persevere with joy. We know that God wins, and he rewards us marvelously. We know that he keeps us, and salvation is all of his doing. Therefore, be bold.