Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and may our Lord and Savior sanctify you in the truth, for His word is truth. Amen

All Saints Day (2009)

The Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints Rev. Toby Byrd

Rev. 7:9 (ESV)

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,

As the church faced fierce persecution from the world, our Lord Jesus blessed St. John with His revelation of what truly awaits each and every person whom God has granted the gift of faith. Thus, through this Revelation, each of us, who believe in the promises of the Gospel, have been given this marvelous glimpse of what awaits us in our heavenly Father’s home. Moreover, it also pleased Him to provide us with this vision so we could be comforted in our time of sorrow when a loved one of ours is taken from here to eternity.

Each time one of our family members is called to their heavenly rest, our Lord Jesus is a witness to our deep sorrow and heavy grief. However, He does not permit us to sorrow as if we have no hope. Rather, by His Word He brings us a rich consolation, that in spite of our sadness, we readily recognize that He grants us a peace that the world cannot give. Through His Word, we come to know and love Him as the Helper of the helpless. Through His Word, He draws us closer to our gracious heavenly Father. Therefore, knowing that our loved ones in the Lord are reaping the great reward of the Gospel, eternal life in heaven, let us treasure their memory knowing that we, with them, are members of the Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints.

The Book of Revelation is the last great prophecy of our Lord regarding this world and its affairs. Throughout it our Lord provides us with a number of visions; visions that illustrate the ongoing struggle between the church and the forces of evil; forces so evil that simply reading about them causes a cold shudder of fear to penetrate our hearts at the thought of their ruthlessness and relentless cruelty by which they inflict eternal death upon the children of God. However, less we faint from fright, this same series of prophecies also foretells of the inevitable victory of our Lord Jesus Christ and His church over the forces of evil. In particular, today’s reading of Revelation shows us our Lord’s Church, both the Church Militant on earth and the Church Triumphant in heaven where all believers will live for eternity in indescribable happiness and peace.

The revelation of Jesus Christ to St. John if not understood properly can cause confusion. Our text today is no exception, especially the first half. Far too many, when they read of the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel who are sealed by an angel as slaves of God, believe that this refers solely to the nation of Israel and they cite it as proof that the Jews will be converted before the end of the world. However, such an understanding of this passage is a mistaken view. The 144,000 spoken of by Christ simply represents the Church Militant, the church on earth. These are all those who are sealed; who are given the gift of faith to believe in the atoning sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ. There is nothing more mysterious than that implied by these words. To be among this number is truly a glorious and blessed gift.

Then, in the second half of our text, our Lord Jesus gives yet another vision to St. John, telling him to write it down so that all future generations, who would still be engaged in the struggle between good and evil, could be comforted with the realities of heaven and assured of our Lord’s triumphant victory over the forces of evil. Thus, St. John wrote: “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” (v. 9). What a marvelous description of the Church Triumphant. This vision is the goal of the Church Militant.

Never in the history of mankind has any organized effort so successfully leaped all barriers as has the Church of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Commanded by her Lord to make disciples of all nations, the church has bridged the wall of nationality, peoples, languages, and customs. Regardless of the evil forces of the world who rail against her, nothing can hinder her advance among all people. Regardless of the hardness of the hearts of men, the church completes her task through the soul-saving Gospel and with the love of Christ; a love which radiates from her to touch all men wherever they are found. It has been her glorious mission to proclaim the Gospel and thereby to aid sinners in becoming saints. For the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe (Rom. 1:16).

St. John reveals this glorious truth as he describes how the saints are robed in white which illustrates the victory of our Lord Jesus. His victory fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, who wrote, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18 ESV). How marvelous it is to be included in this great multitude of saints who have been washed by the precious, sin-cleansing blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Moreover, this truth is also substantiated by one of the twenty-four elders who sit around the throne of God, when he said to St. John, “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” (v. 14). Here, Holy Scripture verifies that the forgiveness of sins is secured only through the blood of Christ. Therefore, each time you kneel at the chancel rail to receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist; you are reminded of this fundamental truth of Holy Scripture. Moreover, these grateful saints responded to the Lamb on the throne in the same manner as did God’s people when our Lord triumphantly rode into Jerusalem a week before His crucifixion. St. John says they were standing with palm branches in their hands symbolizing the salvation and eternal life secured for us through the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, St. John sees a continuously joyous church; one that can no longer be plagued by the problems of this life and the world. The elder told St. John that these saints, “shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat” (v. 16). The cares and woes of this world are completely removed. Strife, argument, dissension, division, gossip, slander, all the ugly, mean, and evil ways of the world are forever gone. We simply do not have the ability with language to describe the eternal bliss in which the saints in heaven live. Yet, we rejoice with St. John at the words of the elder who said, “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” (v. 17). This is truly the company of the blessed, to be with all the saints and the angels in heaven. Who can measure what that will truly be like; to be continually face to face with God the Father, to be face to face with our blessed Savior, Jesus Christ, and to be face to face with the Holy Spirit, who led us to such bliss? This is the blessed reward of heaven.

In contemplating the bliss of the saints in heavens light, among whom are our beloved departed in the faith, you cannot help but have a sense of heavenly peace in your heart. Although we miss our loved ones, we are convinced of their eternal happiness and we would not wish them back with us. There is nothing on this earth that can compare with their surpassing richness in heaven and we could not ask for anything more than what they have received at the hand of God. Our heavenly Father achieved the divine goal He had always established for them; rewarding their faith and receiving them into His heavenly home making them eternal members of the Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints.

From time to time people will ask me if I believe what is written in Revelation. They ask, is all this stuff really true? When I hear such questions I know that behind them is the one who would destroy our souls. In questions like these, Satan is sowing seeds of doubt in the hope of destroying faith. The truth is if life eternal is not possible, then all that we hope for is futile nonsense. The question must then be asked, is life worth living? Is life that is filled with strife and sorrow worth enduring? Our Lord Jesus answers this question when He grants to St. John His Revelation which opens our hearts and minds to a vision of gates studded with pearls, streets lined with gold, a river that grants life, and a light that never dims as our eternal peace from this veil of sorrow and strife. If for a single moment we doubt, then we need only to listen to the great anthem of redemption sung with such gusto by the saints of the Church Triumphant surrounding the throne to dismiss that doubt.

Mesmerized by the sight of the throng of saints surrounding the throne, St. John is further delighted as he hears their voices ring out in praise to the Lord. That great multitude before the throne of God was, “crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (v.10). These voices of the saints rang out with a sincere gratitude to God who had revealed His plan of salvation to them and gave them the gift of faith to believe. They were there where they could behold with their own eyes what our Lord revealed to them by His Word and promised them through the means of Grace. They could see the five scars from the holy wounds of their blessed Savior placed there when He gave His life on Calvary for their redemption. They knew, first hand, that God was, “in Christ . . . reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Cor. 5:19 ESV). They can see what a glorious reconciliation, redemption, and salvation God had accomplished through our Lord, Jesus Christ, in those bitter hours of suffering ― an eternal salvation offered to all mankind. To be free from sin, to know that Satan with all his wiles and cunning could no longer touch them, to be certain that the horrors of eternal death could nevermore engulf them ― this was the great theme of their song. Only in heaven could they properly thank their glorious Lord, their Champion who had utterly crushed the serpent’s head. This is a group who also understood perfectly what it meant to be redeemed that they might be in heaven. Their song has not a syllable in it of any merit or worthiness on their part. There are no synergists in heaven. Instead, they praise and continue to praise the endless love of God for them in Christ. They realize they have done nothing to be restored to the image in which God created them. They were simply recipients of God’s love through His gift of faith. Moreover, they were overjoyed to know that as saints in God’s heavenly home, their will was completely in sync with His will once again. Thus, they could never tire of serving the Lord with gladness. This is their lasting happiness.

Listening to St. John’s account of the saints in the Church Triumphant, one must ask, “What brings us to the certainty of our great hope that we should sing the same anthem of redemption?” We have in our hand that Word which in clear and precise statements reveals to us this truth. Holy Scripture testifies to us, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV). Now, is it not wonderful that as we read the Word of the Gospel, or hear it proclaimed; God’s Holy Spirit brings us to saving faith? It is the Holy Spirit who makes this song of redemption effective in us. We believe that at the time of our baptism we were brought to such saving faith. God has been very busy since that time confirming that faith. He does this day by day as He leads us along the righteous path that terminates in heaven. This path that leads to the only life there can or will ever be an everlasting life with the Lord.

Therefore, on this day we not only remember our beloved departed, but we see them in the light of this blessed revelation as a member of the great multitude around the throne of God. As such, could we ever weep for them? Especially in the light of our God who promises not only to wipe away every tear from our eyes, but who also promises that we, too, shall ever be with the Him in His heavenly home. Therefore, if this is the memory we have of our departed loved ones, then our eyes will be ever fixed on God’s great goal for us. Today we sing our anthems of redemption with feeble voices, but a day will come when we will lift our voices in the heavenly choir, singing;

All blessing, honor, thanks, and praise

To Father, Son, and Spirit,

The God who saved us by His grace;

All glory to His merit (LSB 555) Amen.

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.