Good evening and welcome to EBible Fellowship's Bible study in the Book of Revelation. Tonight is study #16 of Revelation, chapter 7, and we are going to be reading Revelation 7:15-17:
Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on 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.
We have been going through these verses for the last few studies and we saw, in verse 16, that the reference to hungering and thirsting has to do with seeking righteousness, because the great multitude (which are the last of God’s elect to become saved) has obtained the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, they no longer hungered and thirsted after righteousness.
And, because they were saved and had Christ’s righteousness as a covering for their sin, the sun would not “fall” upon them, nor any heat, and that was language referring to the wrath of God.
But now we are in verse 17 and it says in Revelation 7:17:
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters…
Of course, the Lamb in the midst of the throne is Jesus Himself; He is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world; He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world and He made payment for the sins of his people, including this great multitude, from before the world began. Here, as we noted previously, this passage is describing God’s elect which “came out of great tribulation,” because verse 15 spoke of this great multitude serving Him “day and night,” and that is a time reference and, therefore, there must still be time on earth. (There is not time in heaven in eternity future: “And there shall be no night there,” the Bible says.) So we have been able to see how verses 15 and 16 apply to God’s elect living on the earth during the Day of Judgment.
Now, what about verse 17? Is the Lord Jesus, the Lamb in the midst of the throne, going to feed them? Is He going to feed the great multitude? Right away, our ears perk up and, really, they should, because this language matches exactly what we have learned from John 21. But, first, keep in mind that as John 20 concluded in verses 30 and 31, it said: And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
Now that would be a wonderful point to end the Gospel of John, but God did not end John’s Gospel there, but we have John 21, and it is a very interesting chapter; it is unlike anything else in the other Gospels. This “addendum,” or additional information, that God gives us in John 21 concerns a “fishing expedition” in which they, at first, caught nothing, but then at the direction of the Lord Jesus, they let down their nets and there was a great catch of fish. We read in John 21:5-6:
Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
That is a “great multitude.” Then it goes on to say in John 21:7-11:
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
Do you see how God is emphasizing the multitude of the catch of fish and that it was a great catch of fish? We have a picture of a “great multitude.” The Bible likens men to “fish.” Remember when Jesus, at the beginning of His ministry, chose His apostles and He said to some of them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They had been fisherman and, so, it was something Jesus would say to them that they would understand, but it also has “spiritual” application, where men are likened to fish and, here, there are 153 fish, or 9 x 17; or to break it down a little further: 3 x 3 x 17 = 153. As we have learned, numbers in the Bible have spiritual meaning and, here, the number “3” points to the “purpose of God.” It is God’s purpose (and this is doubled) that this great catch of fish, which represent God’s elect, be brought to heaven, as the number “17” in the Bible identifies with heaven.
So, here, we have the “great multitude,” just as we have them in Revelation, chapter 7. God gave us that glorious picture of the great multitude clothed in white (as they had their robes washed in the blood of the Lamb) and they were before the throne of God, serving Him day and night in His temple. That is a picture of the great multitude coming out of great tribulation, as May 21, 2011, ended the 23-year Great Tribulation period and they are serving God on the earth in the Day of Judgment.
Here, too, we have the “great multitude” brought to the Lord Jesus, just as the great multitude was before the throne of God where the Lamb was in the midst of the throne. So, here, in John 21, the great catch of fish (153 = 3 x 3 x 17) is brought to the Lord Jesus. So that ends it. That completes the Gospel of John. God has brought the great catch of fish and there is no more to be said and no more to be done. But, no, He does not end the Gospel of John there. After telling the disciples to come and dine, then Jesus begins to speak to them in John 21:14:
This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
Now, we should not “miss” that either. The number of fish was 3 x 3 x 17 and now it is the “third” time that Christ is showing Himself to His disciples: “This is my purpose. This is something that is according to my will. It is my purpose that these things take place and that these things will be done.” Then it says in John 21:15-17:
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me?
Once, again, this is not all that incredible, because this is the Bible and when God wrote His Word and when He wanted to emphasize a particular truth, He “pulled out all the stops” to make sure we do not miss it. Remember the number of fish? (3 x 3 x 17): God’s purpose, doubled, plus it was “”the third time that Jesus shewed himself,” and now He says to Peter, three times, asking the question, “Lovest thou me?” Three times Peter responds, “Thou knowest that I love thee.” Three times, Christ answered, “Feed my sheep” or “Feed my lambs.” So, that is a series of “three” within these statements. Jesus, addressing Peter, asks a question three times. Peter, in response, answers the question three times. Jesus, in turn, responds, again, three times. Three, three and three.
Are you wondering, perhaps, what God’s purpose is for you during this Day of Judgment and during this time period after the tribulation, when God’s program of evangelization is finished and all of God’s sheep have been found? The lost sheep of the house of Israel are no longer lost but they are all found and gathered together before the throne of God. All the elect are safe and secure. Are you wondering what it is that God would now have you to do? What is God’s purpose for your life (and for my life) at this time? What is God’s will for you and for me, as we live on the earth in the Day of Judgment? Are you just to struggle through? Are we just to endure, by the skin of our teeth? Are we just to hold on for dear life and get through the day and then make it through another day?
We are to continue to endure, yes, and we can only to do that by the grace of God. We are not to go back. We are not to return to church. We are not to return to former doctrine. We are not to turn back from following the Lord Jesus Christ. But, more than that, God gives us some positive commands. He tells us what we are to do and what our task is – what our job is and what our business should be during this time period – and what we should be using our resources to accomplish. Our resources would be our time, our effort and our finances, the same things we did in carrying out the task to get the Gospel out into the world in order that the lost sheep of the house of Israel would be found, so that they could become saved while it was (still) the day of salvation.
But, now, we are to use our resources – our time, our finances and our efforts – to “feed the sheep” that God has gathered together (those He saved). This is the purpose of God. This idea of feeding sheep is not that exciting or dramatic; it is not as interesting to some people. They despise it; they feel it is beneath them; they feel it is not worthy of service. Well, I am sorry if anyone feels that way. I am very sorry if anyone feels that they know better than God – that they know what is worthy of effort, or they know what is worthy of labour and where to put their efforts. They know better than God – they are wiser than God. They know that, yes, it was a wonderful and worthy endeavor to utilize their resources and to give up their lives in service to the Lord Jesus in getting the Gospel out to the world in order to warn them and in order that God might reach His elect.
That was truly worthy for them to do, but this task (of feeding God’s sheep) does not qualify. This does not meet their expectations; this is somehow beneath them. And, of course, this is not true. This is not true, if we are thinking properly and if we are not thinking too highly of ourselves. If we are thinking as we ought to think and we realize that we are “nobody” and we are not the ones that determine the task; we are not the ones that plot the course; we are not the ones that decide what the people of God ought to do or what direction the Gospel is to go. We are not the ones to make those kinds of decisions. We are sinners that have been saved by the grace of God – and only by His grace – and we are deserving of nothing; we have earned nothing. We are, certainly, not the ones in charge. It is not our decision what kind of Gospel is to be preached or what the object or target of that Gospel is to be. God determines these things and He has.
As the great multitude is brought in, typified by this catch of fish, then there is a discussion with the disciples and the Lord Jesus lays it out three times in “series of three’s: “Do not miss this. This is my purpose for you in this post-Tribulation time, after the great multitude is brought in: Feed my sheep. This will reveal whether, or not, you truly love me. This will be an indicator of your love.”
That is because “love” is not a feeling in the Bible. The Bible does not define “love” as an emotional feeling. Love is an act of obedience. Love is action: “If you love me, keep my commandments, even if you may not fully understand my commandments, or even if we are entering into a time wherein the commandments are unlike anything I have commanded previously.”
Nonetheless, your role and my role, as servants of the Lord that “serve him day and night in his temple,” is to keep His commandments and the commandment is very specific and the commandment is very direct. It leaves no room for discussion. It is a command to “feed the sheep,” to feed the great multitude. That is what we see in Revelation, chapter 7:17:
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters.
But, it says that the Lamb feeds them. Why do we have to feed them? It is because the Lord Jesus accomplishes His purposes through His people. Even though it is the true believers that carry the truth from the Bible at this time and they share information from the Word of God widely to all (because we do not know who God saved or where the sheep are), so we are basically in the same position we were in during the day of salvation. We did not know who the elect were and we had to share (the Gospel) with everyone and God would use His Word to find those lost sheep.
Now, similarly, we have to share with everyone so that God can use His Word to feed the sheep that have been found. This is what God would have us to do; it is the purpose of God. As we accomplish this task and as the child of God is faithful as God moves within us to “will and to do of his good pleasure,” finally, it will be said that the Lord Jesus fed His sheep. He did it through His people, just as He has done everything else through His people: “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace.” And, yet, in another place, it says “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings.” As the believers went forth with the Word of God into the world, they are the ones that physically carried the Word, yet, Christ is the one that was moving and enabling them and opening doors and causing this to happen. Therefore, it was He doing it. Likewise, now, as we do whatever we can (as God gives opportunity) and we endeavor to “feed the sheep,” finally, it will be the Lord Jesus feeding His sheep.
This word “feed” is Strong’s #4165. It is the same word as found 1st Corinthians 9:7:
Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
The word “feedeth” is the same word as “feed” in Revelation 7:17: “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them.” It is the word that is used to describe the feeding of the flock, just as in John 21:16.
By the way, when Christ said to Peter, “Lovest thou me?” and then Jesus would say, “Feed my sheep,” only once is the word “feed” the same Greek word as is found in Revelation 7:17, and that is in John 21:16.
It also says in 1st Peter 5:2:
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
Again, it says, “Feed the flock,” so we can definitely see the connection to the language of Revelation 7. It is really amazing that as the great multitude is before God, they are brought before the Lord Jesus and He begins to feed them. It is really parallel to John 21 and the great catch of fish and the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not just a request and it is not just an option of many options, but it is one command – one directive – to each child of God: “Feed my sheep. Feed my sheep. Feed my sheep.” It is said three times to indicate the purpose of God for “those days after that tribulation.”