Oh, What a Day That Will Be

Revelation gives a glimpse of a celebration greater than any earthly crowd can muster: a multitude no one can number, gathered before the throne and the Lamb. All Saints Day remembers those who have gone before in the faith, not merely for their kindness, character, or lessons learned through difficult lives, but for the faith they confessed. The church’s liturgy, hymns, and reception of the Lord’s Supper give a foretaste of the marriage feast of the Lamb. Heaven and earth are connected as God’s saints join in praise.

John sees the redeemed clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. Their robes are white because they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. These are God’s beloved children, once lost and now found, who have come out of the great tribulation and live with their Lord.

That promise meets the hard reality of life this side of heaven. Family troubles, burdens at work, sickness, and grief can overwhelm. Sin runs deeper still. No amount of goodness, kindness, or self-righteousness can remove guilt or escape God’s righteous judgment. On their own, sinners have everything to fear.

But Christ has already done what sinners cannot do. He took on human flesh, bore sin, lived perfectly, gave his life, rose again, and ascended into heaven. His victory opens the way to everlasting life. When he comes again, the dead in Christ will rise, and his people will join that unending hymn of praise.

The Lamb will be their shepherd. Hunger, thirst, suffering, and scorching heat will be gone. God will wipe away every tear. The saints’ hope rests not in how good they were, but in Jesus, whom they will see face to face. Oh, what a day that will be.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Remembrance Reaches Beyond a Good Life. All Saints Day honors more than admirable character or treasured family memories. The deepest gift left by those who died in Christ is the faith they confessed and passed on through ordinary, sometimes difficult lives. Their place with Jesus rests on his life, sacrifice, and resurrection, not on a record of good deeds. [44:57]
• 2. Earthly Worship Anticipates Heaven’s Great Celebration. The liturgy, hymns, and Lord’s Supper give the church a foretaste of the marriage feast of the Lamb. The church’s praise is joined to the praise of those who have gone before in faith. Grief remains real, but worship places that grief alongside the promise of being with Christ and all his saints. [38:24]
• 3. Human Goodness Cannot Wash Away Sin. Kindness and outward holiness cannot make sinners righteous before God. Beneath every attempt at self-righteousness remains guilt that human effort cannot remove. The white robes of the redeemed point instead to the blood of the Lamb, because Jesus has already done what sinners could never accomplish. [42:30]
• 4. The Lamb Shepherds Beyond Every Sorrow. Revelation’s promise is concrete: no hunger, no thirst, no scorching heat, and no tears left unwiped. The burdens that make earthly life so difficult will not follow Christ’s people into their heavenly home. Its greatest joy is not simply the absence of suffering, but the presence of Jesus, the Lamb who shepherds his people. [44:04]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [23:56] - Praise to God and the Lamb
• [35:09] - An Earthly Celebration and Heaven’s Joy
• [37:15] - Remembering Those Who Died in Faith
• [38:24] - Heaven and Earth Joined in Worship
• [38:53] - John Sees the Countless Multitude
• [40:28] - Earthly Burdens and the Reality of Sin
• [42:12] - Christ Has Done What Sinners Cannot
• [43:12] - Christ’s Return and the Resurrection
• [43:45] - The Lamb’s Presence and Every Tear Removed
• [44:57] - The Saints’ Hope Rests in Jesus

Bible Reading

Revelation 7:9-17
“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, 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.” 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.” [34:48]

1 Corinthians 15:51-52
“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” [43:23]

John 14:2-3
“In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” [43:56]

Observation questions

1. In Revelation 7:9–14, what details describe the multitude’s background, appearance, and experience before arriving before God’s throne? [39:17]
2. What contrast is drawn between human attempts to become righteous and what Jesus has done for sinners? [42:32]
3. How do the liturgy, hymns, and Lord’s Supper connect the church’s worship now with the celebration pictured in Revelation 7? [38:24]
4. In Revelation 7:15–17, which hardships end, and what care do God and the Lamb provide for the redeemed? [44:04]

Interpretation questions

1. Why does the image of robes made clean through the Lamb’s blood challenge the belief that being a good person is enough to enter heaven? [42:32]
2. How does remembering a departed believer’s faith differ from remembering only that person’s kindness or accomplishments? What difference does this make when that person’s failures are also remembered? [45:04]
3. What does the Lamb’s role as shepherd reveal about the kind of care Christ gives his people? Why is being with Jesus more than simply escaping suffering? [44:08]
4. How can the promise of resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 give a grieving believer genuine hope without suggesting that grief or present suffering is unimportant? [43:23]

Application questions

1. Who helped pass the Christian faith on to you through an ordinary or difficult life? What specific example of that person’s trust in Jesus would you like to pass on to someone else? [38:09]
2. When guilt troubles you, do you tend to defend yourself by thinking about the good things you have done? What might it look like to confess that sin honestly and rest in what Jesus has already done for you? [41:16]
3. Earthly worship gives a foretaste of being with Christ and all his saints. How might that promise shape the way you participate in a hymn, the liturgy, or the Lord’s Supper the next time you gather for worship? [38:24]
4. What burden in your family, work, or health feels especially heavy right now, if you are comfortable sharing? Which part of Christ’s promised care gives you hope as you face it this week? [40:30]
5. God’s promise to remove suffering does not require people to hide their tears today. Is there someone grieving whom you could sit with, listen to, or help in a practical way this week? How could you offer Christ’s hope without rushing that person’s grief? [44:21]
6. Jesus himself is the greatest joy of the life to come. When you think about heaven, what do you most look forward to? How might the promise of seeing Jesus face to face shape your prayers during the coming week? [44:57]