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DECEMBER 18
of the tribe of Benjamin twelve Be to our God forever and ever.
thousand were sealed. Amen.”
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to
great multitude which no one could number, me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes,
of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, and where did they come from?”
standing before the throne and before the 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm So he said to me, “These are the ones who
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branches in their hands, and crying out with come out of the great tribulation, and washed
a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our their robes and made them white in the blood of
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God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” the Lamb. Therefore they are before the
11 All the angels stood around the throne and throne of God, and serve Him day and night in
the elders and the four living creatures, and His temple. And He who sits on the throne will
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fell on their faces before the throne and wor- dwell among them. They shall neither hunger
shiped God, saying: anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not
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strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is
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“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, in the midst of the throne will shepherd them
Thanksgiving and honor and power and lead them to living fountains of waters. And
and might, God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
DAY 17:Who make up the “great multitude”of Revelation 7:9?
While the tribulation period will be a time of judgment,it will also be a time of unprecedented
redemption (v. 14; 6:9–11; 20:4; Is. 11:10; Matt. 24:14).This is noted in v. 9 with the “great multitude
which no one could number,of all nations,tribes,peoples,and tongues,standing before the throne
and before the Lamb.”
John is told that “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation”(v.14).These peo-
ple didn’t go with the raptured church, since they were not yet saved. During the 7-year period,
they will be saved, martyred, and enter heaven.Though it is a time of unparalleled judgment, it is
also a time of unparalleled grace in salvation (Matt. 24:12–14).“And washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14). Salvation’s cleansing is in relationship to the
atoning sacrifice of Christ (1:5; 5:9; Rom. 3:24,25; 5:9).
“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple” (v.
15).This refers to the heavenly throne of God.During the Millennium,there will also be a temple on
earth—a special holy place where God dwells in a partially restored, but still fallen universe (see
Ezek. 40–48). In the final, eternal state with its new heavens and earth, there is no temple; God
Himself, who will fill all, will be its temple (21:22).“And He who sits on the throne will dwell among
them.”The preferred reading is that He “will spread His tent over them.”God’s presence will become
their canopy of shelter to protect them from all the terrors of a fallen world and the indescribable
horrors they have experienced on the earth during the time of tribulation.

December 18
1:3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish. This
is the only recorded instance of a prophet
Jonah 1:1–4:11 refusing God’s commission (Jer. 20:7–9). The
location of Tarshish, known for its wealth (Ps.
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the 72:10;Jer.10:9;Ezek.27:12,25),is uncertain.The
1 son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, Greek historian Herodotus identified it with
2
that great city, and cry out against it; for their Tartessus, a merchant city in southern Spain.
3
wickedness has come up before Me.” But The prophet went as far west in the opposite
Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the pres- direction as possible, showing his reluctance
ence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and to bring salvation blessing to Gentiles. from
found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the the presence of the LORD. While no one can
fare, and went down into it, to go with them to escape from the Lord’s omnipresence (Ps.
Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. 139:7–12), it is thought that the prophet was
4
But the LORD sent out a great wind on the attempting to flee His manifest presence in
sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, the temple at Jerusalem (Gen. 4:16; Jon. 2:4).
so that the ship was about to be broken up.

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