Whence Came They?

Exposition of Revelation 7:13 - Where did the Great Multitude come from?

WHENCE CAME THEY?: FROM A FAR COUNTRY - EGYPT, MOAB, BABYLON, CANAAN…?

Re 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

Re 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence <4159> came they <2064>?

Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence <4159> it cometh <2064>, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Joh 8:14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence <4159> I came <2064>, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence <4159> I come <2064>, and whither I go.

2Ki 20:14 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah (good king), and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon (salvation side?).

Ru 1:22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Ru 2:5 Then said Boaz (type of Christ) unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

Ru 5:6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

Ge 42:7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

De 11:10 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:

Mt 12:44 Then he (unclean spirit) saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. (Lot’s wife picture?)

Jude 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

Ho 7:13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

Jos 9:8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?

Jos 9:9 And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

Jos 9:15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.

2Ch 6:32 Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name’s sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house;

Ho 2:23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

Ro 9:25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God (chosen generation, royal priesthood): which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Isa 49:11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.

Isa 49:12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim (thorns).

HUNGER NO MORE: ELECT ESCAPE THE FAMINE OF TRIBULATION?

Re 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

Isa 49:10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

Am 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

1Co 4:11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;

La 2:19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.

Eze 34:29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.

CAME OUT OF GREAT TRIBULATION: REDEMPTION OF THE BODY?

Re 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

Re 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of <1537> great tribulation <2347>, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Ac 7:10 And delivered him (Joseph) out of <1537> all his afflictions <2347>, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

2Co 2:4 For out of <1537> much affliction <2347> and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

Re 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of <1537> you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation <2347> ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Re 2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation <2347>, except they repent of <1537> their deeds.

Re 2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

Re 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

Re 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Mt 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted <2347>, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

Ro 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

2Th 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Mr 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Ge 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

Ps 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Ac 7:34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.

Jud 10:14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.

1Sa 26:24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

Ps 18:27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.

Zep 3:19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.

Pr 12:13 The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.

SUMMARY CONCLUSION

The Bible appears to be associating “these are they which came out of great tribulation” with the redemption of the body of Christ. The question raised of the great multitude “whence came they?” seems to point to the afflicted body coming out of tribulation where God had forsaken it by hiding His face.