God is at work in hope
by Josh Hauser
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These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14b).
Read Revelation 7:9–17
What are the best movie or book endings of all time? Think of your favourite and how it ended. Was it the princess and prince living happily ever after? Was it a shock twist where the words ‘I am your father’ were said? Was it the triumphant victory over the enemy that occurred when all hope seemed lost just minutes ago? Your heart is moved, maybe a few tears are shed.
The ending changes everything that came before it.
The ending is what John, who wrote the Book of Revelation, was writing about to churches at the time. They were facing persecution, exclusion and suffering for their faith. The present was painful. And John gives them a vision of hope, like turning to the last chapter of a book and reading it so you know how it ends.
John sees ‘a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands’ and crying out: ‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ (Revelation 7:9–10)
One of the elders asks: ‘Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?’ (Revelation 7:13)
The answer comes: ‘These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’ (Revelation 7:14).
This is a picture of God’s promised future. A future where every tear is wiped away. Where hunger and thirst and scorching heat are gone. Where ‘the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life’ (Revelation 7:17).
God is at work in hope.
This vision was given to people in the middle of a struggle. It lifted their eyes from present suffering to future glory. It reminded them that the story does not end here.
Hope is an amazing thing. In dark times, it is a beacon, holding out a promise of something better. This is what God is giving us. God says the ending has already been written.
In this hope, God is at work. God has been at work since the fall, making real the vision of a future where all things are made new. God is at work in this hope. God holds the future in his hands and shares it with his people through his word. The ending is certain (we have been given the last chapter after all), because Christ the Lord has won, the Lamb who gathers, restores and brings his people home.
So, if you are in the middle of something difficult, hold on to this: the story is not over. God is at work, and God finishes what he starts.
Dear God, thank you for the hope we have in you. When the present feels heavy, lift our eyes to your promised future. Remind us that you hold all things together, and that one day, every tear will be wiped away. Keep us trusting in you until that day comes. Amen.
Josh lives in the western suburbs of Melbourne with his wife, Alice, and their two children. Josh enjoys time with his family, the beach and sports of any kind. Josh works at a school, where he feels it is a privilege to share the gospel with the next generation.
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