Revelation 7:9

b. The number of NEW TESTAMENT SAINTS too great to be numbered, with song, Revelation 7:9-10 .

9. A great multitude The question is debated, what do the above twelve tribes and this great multitude symbolize? Dusterdieck makes the former s ignify the natural Israel; Alford, the saints alive at Christ’s coming; Hengstenberg and Wordsworth identify both tribes and multitude as being, in fact, one body, and that the one Christian Church. Our view, as above stated, is, that they are the one universal Church, yet viewed under Old Testament and New Testament aspects. It is thus the twenty-four elders are representatives of the two-fold one Church, and these tribes and multitude are the constituency in mass of those twenty-four representatives. St. John thus is loyal to the old Church, from whom Christ sprang, yet expands the scope so as to take in the Church universal. And in this great multitude we are inclined to include, not only the redeemed since Christ, but all the redeemed before Christ without the pale of circumcision, even the patriarchal Church before Abraham, who was, in fact, a Gentile until he was circumcised. We find in the New Jerusalem a parallel to the twenty-four elders in the twelve apostolic names on its foundations, and its twelve tribal gates, Revelation 21:12; Revelation 21:14, where see notes.

No man could number The twelve tribes could be definitely, though symbolically, numbered; but the universal Church is innumerable. Bengel finely remarks, “The sealed were a great number, and the number of angels in Revelation 5:11 was greater, and of the horsemen in Revelation 9:16, where there are hundreds of millions; still, these companies were capable of being numbered; but the one before us could neither John nor any one number.” The idea that few are saved is probably true of the present age of the world, but not of the millennial ages, or of the whole final number. Note on Revelation 20:4.

Nations… tongues The creational four.

Before the throne The symbolic and temporary theophanic throne of this apocalypse, not the eternal throne of the eternal heavens. Yet this is symbolic of that, showing, in momentary exhibition, the eternal relations of things.

White robes Emblems of spotless purity. Note on Revelation 3:4.

Palms Usually held here as emblems of victory. To this Hengstenberg objects as a pagan symbolism, palms being the prize of victors in palestric games. He maintains that the allusion is to the palms of the feast of tabernacles, (Leviticus 23:40,) which were a token of harvest joy at the autumn ingathering. The yearly labour, at this feast, was done, the fruit was stored, and the ease and enjoyment of winter commenced. This feast also commemorated the taking possession of the Promised Land, after the journey through the wilderness. Hengstenberg’s finding the allusion to be drawn from the festal palms is right, and there is a double reference to the joy of the arrival in Canaan and to the yearly harvest. But this festal joy was also a joy of victory; victory over the foes and obstacles of the wilderness sojourn, and over the difficulties and dangers of agriculture. And so these palms betokened victory in the pilgrimage and battle of life. The Israelite use of festal palms was earlier than the pagan, and was doubtless appropriated by the latter from the Hebrews. The palm may still, therefore, be held in our Christian hymnology as symbol of heavenly triumph over foes.

I asked them whence their victory came;

They, with united breath,

Ascribed their conquest to the Lamb,

Their triumph to his death. Watts.