Continued/ from 109
The closing part of the study "the great multitude in heaven"........
Restlessness, discontent, dissatisfaction; these are the features of the present world; not so in heaven where all is calm and all are satisfied. In the same way as the washing of robes in blood is not to be understood in the physical or material sense, so here the hungering and thirsting are to be understood spiritually. Jesus, in the extremity of His fasting in the desert said ""man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." To the disciples in John 4v31-32 He said, as they returned with food, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of..... My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His work."
Modern man is concerned mostly with the things of the body, but our bodies are merely a casket for our inward souls. Scripture is very clear that God knows, that a living soul, created by God, can only be ultimately satisfied with the Creator Himself. Created things exists for our material needs, but the Creator alone can satisfy the soul. Jesus spoke in Matthew 5v6 of "hungering and thirsting after righteousness." In John 4v14 He said to the woman of Samaria "whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." He is speaking about spiritual food and drink for the soul that can only come directly from God. In John chapter 6 He repeats over and over "I am the bread of life;" in John chapter 7 He says "He is the living water." What does He mean? It is that the human soul needs something beyond the bodily needs, which only God can provide. In Jeremiah chapter 2 the Lord describes Himself as "the fountain of living waters" and, in contrast to that, all other fountains are broken and temporary: His are life giving and eternal.
What is being portrayed here is the absolute satisfaction of all in heaven for all eternity. "Hunger no more; thirst no more; no more darkness, no more suffering" is I believe what is meant here. The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them..... the word is "shepherd them." This is a reference to Isaiah 40v9-11 "behold your God, behold the Lord God will come with a strong hand and His arm shall rule for him, behold His reward is with Him and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, He shall carry His lambs in His bosom." The imagery is phenomenal. The saints of God, every one of them fully satisfied, fully sheltered and fully employed by the highest and most loving being in the universe, the Lamb of Calvary.
He shall lead them into the future, with fresh waters, and fresh experiences of the soul. He shall also deal with all their past "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." There are many things on earth we cannot understand and which God does not explain. Many of these have caused heartache and tears, but God shall wipe them all away. He will erase the painful past, He will explain all, He will comfort His people, He will wipe away their tears.
In closing one thing we should note, that mostly in the book of Revelation when God will act, He uses His angels for the task; but when it comes to dealing with the tears of His people, He will wipe them away personally!
The closing part of the study "the great multitude in heaven"........
Their satisfaction
"They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light upon them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" Rev.7v16-17.
Restlessness, discontent, dissatisfaction; these are the features of the present world; not so in heaven where all is calm and all are satisfied. In the same way as the washing of robes in blood is not to be understood in the physical or material sense, so here the hungering and thirsting are to be understood spiritually. Jesus, in the extremity of His fasting in the desert said ""man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." To the disciples in John 4v31-32 He said, as they returned with food, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of..... My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His work."
Modern man is concerned mostly with the things of the body, but our bodies are merely a casket for our inward souls. Scripture is very clear that God knows, that a living soul, created by God, can only be ultimately satisfied with the Creator Himself. Created things exists for our material needs, but the Creator alone can satisfy the soul. Jesus spoke in Matthew 5v6 of "hungering and thirsting after righteousness." In John 4v14 He said to the woman of Samaria "whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." He is speaking about spiritual food and drink for the soul that can only come directly from God. In John chapter 6 He repeats over and over "I am the bread of life;" in John chapter 7 He says "He is the living water." What does He mean? It is that the human soul needs something beyond the bodily needs, which only God can provide. In Jeremiah chapter 2 the Lord describes Himself as "the fountain of living waters" and, in contrast to that, all other fountains are broken and temporary: His are life giving and eternal.
What is being portrayed here is the absolute satisfaction of all in heaven for all eternity. "Hunger no more; thirst no more; no more darkness, no more suffering" is I believe what is meant here. The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them..... the word is "shepherd them." This is a reference to Isaiah 40v9-11 "behold your God, behold the Lord God will come with a strong hand and His arm shall rule for him, behold His reward is with Him and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, He shall carry His lambs in His bosom." The imagery is phenomenal. The saints of God, every one of them fully satisfied, fully sheltered and fully employed by the highest and most loving being in the universe, the Lamb of Calvary.
He shall lead them into the future, with fresh waters, and fresh experiences of the soul. He shall also deal with all their past "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." There are many things on earth we cannot understand and which God does not explain. Many of these have caused heartache and tears, but God shall wipe them all away. He will erase the painful past, He will explain all, He will comfort His people, He will wipe away their tears.
In closing one thing we should note, that mostly in the book of Revelation when God will act, He uses His angels for the task; but when it comes to dealing with the tears of His people, He will wipe them away personally!
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