15 Therefore they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.

16 ‘Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst; nor will the sun beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat.’

17 For the Lamb in 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 7:15-17

And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.

— Exodus 25:8

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

— John 1:14

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

— Revelation 21:3

They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them. For He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.

— Isaiah 49:10

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace and mercy of Jesus Christ be with you.

The people, coming out of the great tribulation and having washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, will live in God’s presence. They have loved God and suffered for the Lamb through tribulation on earth. With every trace of sin washed away by the blood of the Lamb, we, God’s people, are new and whole. We will experience God’s promises of protection because of His faithfulness. God spreads His tent over and shelter His people with His presence. In the Old Testament time, after freeing His people from slavery in Egypt, God dwelt in their midst in the tabernacle. Then Jesus came in the flesh to “tabernacle” among His people, bringing believers the freedom from slavery to sin. Today, He lives with us, as His Spirit dwells within us. Finally we God’s children will dwell with the Lord eternally, free from the presence of sin, in the new heaven and earth to come.

At that time, before God’s throne, no one experiences hunger, thirst, or a lack of shade. Overflowing joy abounds in the shelter of God’s presence. The Lamb of God is also the Good Shepherd who knows, leads, and laid down His life for us. His Spirit, the ultimate fulfillment of the living water, will bring us everlasting refreshment unto eternity. God also promised that He will wipe away every tear and every trace of sadness. We will see heaven’s praises exalt God and Jesus Christ, His Son. God’s love and protection for us ensure our eternal deliverance, even though we face difficulties and death in this world. Hallelujah! The Lamb secures the salvation of us, God’s children.