Chapter Twenty - The Multitudinous Great Crowd

Conclusion of The Blessings of the Great Crowd

Further, they have become zealous witnesses of Jehovah -"rendering him sacred service day and  night in his temple."  Are you one of this dedicated great crowd?  If so, it is your privilege to serve Jehovah without letup in the earthly courtyard of his great spiritual temple. Today, under the direction of the anointed ones, the great crowd is performing by far the greater part of the witness work. Despite secular responsibilities, hundreds of thousands of them have made room for the full-time ministry as pioneers.  But whether you are in that group or not, as a dedicated member of the great crowd, you can rejoice that because of your faith and works you are declared  righteous as a friend of  God and are welcomed as a guest in his tent.  (Psalm 15:1-5; James 2:21-26)  Jehovah thus 'spreads his tent' over those who love him and, as a good host, protects them. -Proverbs 18:10. 

 The elder continues:  "They will hunger no more nor thirst anymore, neither will the sun beat down upon them nor any scorching heat, because the Lamb , who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them, and will guide them to fountains of  waters of life.  And God will wipe out ever tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:16, 17)  Yes, Jehovah is truly hospitable! But what depth of meaning is there to these words? 

Let us consider a similarly worded prophecy:  "This is what Jehovah has said:  "In the time of goodwill I have answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you . . . They will not go hungry, neither will they go thirsty, nor will parching heat or sun strike them. For the One who is having pity upon them will lead them, and by the springs of water he will conduct them.' "(Isaiah 49:8, 10; see Psalm 121: 5,  6)   The apostle Paul quoted part of this prophecy and applied it to the "day of salvation" that began in Pentecost 33 C.E. He wrote:  "For he [Jehovah]] says 'In an acceptable time I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.' Look! Now is the acceptable time. Look!  Now is the acceptable day of salvation." -1 Corinthians 6:2. 

What application did the promise about not getting hungry or thirsty or suffering parching heat have back then?  Certainly, Christians in the first century did suffer literal hunger and thirst at times.  (2 Corinthians 11:23-27_  In a spiritual way, though, they had an abundance.  They were richly  provided for, so that they did not go hungry or thirsty for spiritual things. Moreover, Jehovah did not  cause the heat of his anger to blaze against them when he destroyed the Jewish system of things in 70 C.E. The words of Revelation 7:16 have a similar spiritual fulfillment for the great crowd today. Along with the anointed Christians, they enjoy bounteous spiritual provisions. -Isaiah 65:13; Nahum 1:6, 7.

If you are one of that great crowd, your good condition of heart will make you "cry out joyfully," no matter what you have to endure in the way of privations and pressures during the twilight years of Satan's system.  (Isaiah 65:14)  In that sense, even now, the Lamb can 'wipe out every tear from your eyes' No longer does God's torrid "sun" of adverse judgment threaten you, and when the four winds of destruction are unleashed you may be spared the "scorching heat" of Jehovah's displeasure. After that destruction is over, the Lamb will guide you to benefit fully from the revitalizing "fountains of waters of lie," these representing all the provisions that Jehovah makes for your gaining everlasting life. Your faith in the blood of the Lamb will be vindicated in that you will gradually be raised to human perfection. You of the great crowd will be unique among mankind as the "millions" that did not even have to die!  In the fulllest sense, every tear will have been wiped from your eyes. -Revelation 21:4.  

Next time: Chapter Twenty - The Multitudinous Great Crowd - Making the Calling Sure

From the book of Revelation