I love Jaemor Farms. Jellies, jams, honeys, and syrups; and of course fresh fruit and veggies. Their homemade breads are a personal favorite, and the family HAS to have ice cream when we go. A few weekends ago the place was packed. There were fresh peaches everywhere and samples of seasonal favorites up and down the front porch. Honestly, people know a good thing when they see it and they want to be a part of it. When I saw the crowds, I just smiled. I actually said to myself, “This is Jaemor as it should be—full.”
‘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.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come 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. ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”’ —Revelation 7.9-17 NIV
Revelation is gift that keeps on giving because its picture of worship. When the worship of God takes place, Christ is at the center and all eyes are on Him; all words, and praise, and singing are about Him. The scene depicted above is one of the victorious. They are victorious because Christ is THE victor, winning the fight against sin and death, and they wave branches in praise, and their clothes are white as snow because Christ has taken the punishment. Through Jesus’ work on the cross, those who have put their faith in Him have been grafted into His victory.
The picture of the multitude is a picture of a full heaven; of people of all kinds, from all places, sharing in the same focus—Jesus. Just like Jaemor was packed with bounty and gifts, packed with those celebrating their harvest and offerings, so Heaven will be full of those who will praise the name of Jesus for His bounty and gifts. But faith must be placed in Him in order to have a place with Him. They will wave branches of praise because they waived their loyalty to a world that only wanted to serve itself.
May YOU be found as one who will praise Jesus and worship Him only. May you enjoy God’s bounty and know Him as victor and Lord. Like Jaemor, the Revelation text tells us, “This is Heaven as it should be—full.”
—Pastor Whit