Heaven is open to all people

“Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea. ‘Do not harm the land or the sea or trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

“…After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”         – Revelation 7:2-4, 9-10

Sunday past, we celebrated All Saints Day. This is a day when the Christian church commemorates the saints who have passed from this life to life eternal. It is celebrated on November 1, or the Sunday following Reformation Sunday.

In the above text, the author of the book of Revelation, the apostle John, gives us hope as we struggle to cope with our losses in this world of pain and sorrow. He gives us a picture of God’s final victory in Christ.

Unfortunately, too many Christians read the book of Revelation with its many images and symbols as a book of mystery. Christians in the early church experienced much hostility and persecution, thus, this book was given as a book of comfort.

John speaks to us from his vision. He gives us a comforting picture of Christ and his church. The triumphant saints change their circumstances.

John describes a number that no one can count – people of every nation, tribe and language.

Yes! Heaven is open to all people, regardless of who you are. Jesus came to save us all.

The author paints a picture of full deliverance. This deliverance is represented by hunger and thirst. They are the desire for food and drink, which are necessary for life.

During the writing of Revelation, many died of hunger and thirst because they refused to give up their faith in the triune God and bow to a false master. Consequently, hunger and thirst for them was starvation.

However, in the text, John tells us of a land where there will be no more hunger. There will be no more thirst. All the desires of life will be satisfied in the great deliverance, when we shall pass from this life through death.

In verse 17 of the chapter, John gives a glimpse of the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne.

He is now in a place of supreme power, no longer the humiliated, but the exalted.

He is also the shepherd of the victorious saints. Here, John gives a reference of the 23rd Psalm.

The victorious saints are cared for and protected by the shepherd. He will lead us to springs of living water.

In that land, there will be no more tears. Yes, here on earth we shed many tears during our lifetime. We constantly live in brokenness, pain, suffering and disappointment. During this year, 2020, many have shed tears of sorrow as they experienced the death of their loved ones from this COVID-19 pandemic.

Death is most horrifying, whether it is of a loved one or ourselves. But in this land of victory, where the lamb who was slain rules, there will not be any pain or sorrow. Amen.

• Rev. Samuel M. Boodle, pastor at the Lutheran Church of Nassau, 119 John F. Kennedy Drive, can be reached at P.O. Box N 4794, Nassau, Bahamas; or telephone: 426-9084; E-mail: lutheranchurch@coralwave.com; website: www.nassaulutheranchurch.org. 

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