The Great Multitude of Revelation: Who Are They?

📖 UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE

🌍 THE END TIMES

End Times Timeline

The Great Tribulation

The Antichrist

The Mark of the Beast (666)

Armageddon

The Second Coming of Jesus

Revelation Explained

✝️ THE RAPTURE

What Is the Rapture?

Who Will Be Taken?

When Will the Rapture Happen?

Can You Miss the Rapture?

What Happens After the Rapture?

📖 The Church = the Bride

The Church as the Bride of Christ

In the Bible, the Church is presented as the Bride of Christ. This image draws on the marriage customs of biblical times and helps explain why the Rapture is presented as the moment when Christ comes to take His Bride to Himself.

The Marriage Picture in the Bible

In the marriage customs of ancient Israel, the father of the bridegroom had an important role in the marriage arrangement. After the engagement, the bridegroom would leave to prepare a place for his future bride.

He would later return at the appointed time to take her to himself. The bride therefore had to remain ready and wait for the bridegroom’s arrival. This imagery helps us understand the words of Jesus:

“I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” — John 14:3

Jesus is the Bridegroom, and the Church is His Bride. It is therefore significant that He says He will return to receive His Bride to Himself.

The Role of the Father

Jesus also spoke about the exact timing of His coming:

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” — Matthew 24:36

Within the marriage imagery, this corresponds to the traditional role of the father in determining when the son would go to receive his bride. The Son knew that He would return, but the exact timing was in the Father’s hands.

However, an important distinction should be made: the Bible does not explicitly state that Christian marriage reproduces every detail of an ancient Jewish wedding ceremony. Rather, these similarities help us understand the biblical imagery surrounding Christ and His Church.

Why This Concerns the Church

This picture also explains why it is important not to simply use the expression “all believers” when speaking about the Rapture.

The Church is the Bride of Christ. Jesus will come to take His Bride so that she may be with Him. People who turn to Jesus Christ during the Tribulation can still be saved, but they will not become part of the Church that has already been raptured.

The Rapture can therefore be understood as the moment when the Bridegroom comes to receive His Bride. The Church Age then comes to an end, while God continues His prophetic plan concerning Israel and the nations.

This also gives special meaning to Revelation 19:7:

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”

The picture is therefore consistent: Christ is the Bridegroom, the Church is His Bride, the Rapture is the gathering of the Bride to her Bridegroom, and the marriage of the Lamb follows.

📖 Revelation 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; »

In this verse, John sees a vast multitude of believers from every nation, tribe, people, and language. Clothed in white robes, symbolizing their cleansing through the blood of Jesus Christ, they stand before the throne of God and worship the Lamb with joy and thanksgiving.

This vision takes place during the first half of the Tribulation, after the sealing of the 144,000 (Revelation 7:1-8). This great multitude represents those who place their faith in Jesus Christ during the Tribulation and are now in the presence of God. Many of them will have been martyred for refusing to deny their faith.

This verse shows that even in the midst of the Tribulation’s judgments, God will continue to offer salvation. Men and women from every part of the world will trust in Jesus Christ, demonstrating that His grace is available to all who turn to Him, even during the darkest period of human history.

📖 Matthew 24:21

« For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. »

In this verse, Jesus announces the beginning of the Great Tribulation, a period of distress unlike anything the world has ever experienced. This period begins after the abomination of desolation, when the Antichrist desecrates the Temple and intensifies his persecution of those who remain faithful to God.

The Great Tribulation refers to the second half of the seven-year Tribulation. During this time, God’s judgments and the persecution carried out by the Antichrist will reach an unprecedented level.

This verse emphasizes the unique severity of this period. Jesus warns that this time of suffering will be unparalleled in human history. Yet it will not last forever, for God has set its limits and will bring it to an end with the glorious return of Jesus Christ.

📖 Revelation 7:14

« And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. »

In this verse, John learns that the great multitude standing before the throne of God is made up of those who placed their faith in Jesus Christ during the Great Tribulation. Despite the persecution and suffering they endured, they were saved because their sins were forgiven through the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.

This prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. According to the prophetic chronology presented on this website, it will be fulfilled during the Great Tribulation, when countless people will come to faith in Jesus Christ despite the persecution of the Antichrist. Many of them will be martyred for refusing to worship the Beast or receive his mark.

This verse demonstrates that even during the Great Tribulation, God will continue to offer salvation to all who turn to Jesus Christ. This great multitude is a testimony to God’s grace and to the power of the Lamb’s sacrifice, which cleanses everyone who places their faith in Him.

📖 Revelation 7:15-17

15 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.

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

17 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.

In this passage, John describes what will happen to those who come out of the Great Tribulation. After placing their faith in Jesus and persevering through their trials, they stand before God's throne and serve Him day and night. Their service shows that they are not merely saved; they are now devoted to God.

God promises them complete protection and comfort. They will no longer experience hunger, thirst, or suffering from the heat. Jesus, the Lamb, will lead them to the fountains of the waters of life, while God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

These people are Tribulation survivors and martyrs who are saved, rather than members of the Church, the Bride of Jesus, because the Church will already have been raptured before the Tribulation begins. Nevertheless, they will have a place in God's presence and will fully experience His salvation and His care.

The Great Multitude of Revelation

Understanding the Great Multitude

The great multitude is made up of people from every nation, tribe, people, and language. Unlike the 144,000 who come from the twelve tribes of Israel, this multitude represents redeemed people from all over the world.

They appear before the throne of God and before the Lamb, showing that they belong to Jesus. This vision reveals that God’s plan of salvation extends to every nation and that He gathers people from all backgrounds for His glory, even during the last days.

Revelation 7:9

Who are they?

Where do they come from?

The great multitude is identified as those who come out of the Great Tribulation. They have experienced a time of suffering, persecution, and unprecedented trials, but they have been saved and now stand before God.

This vision shows that even after the Rapture of the Church, God will continue to call people to Himself during this difficult period. Many will remain faithful to Jesus despite the opposition of the Antichrist and the pressure to follow the system of the Beast.

Matthew 24:21

How are they saved?

The great multitude appears wearing white robes, representing purification and victory. These people have been washed by the blood of the Lamb and are welcomed into God’s presence after the trials they have endured.

Their salvation shows that God’s grace remains available even during the most difficult events in human history. Their presence before the throne reveals the power of Jesus’ sacrifice and the fulfillment of His work of redemption.

Revelation 7:14

What is their destiny?

The great multitude stands before the throne of God and serves Him in His temple. They are no longer facing the suffering of the earth, because God now protects them and leads them into eternal life.

This scene reveals the final victory of those who belong to Jesus. The tears, hunger, thirst, and suffering of the past are gone because God Himself brings comfort and eternal peace to His people.

Revelation 7:15-17

❓ FAQ

Want to Know Who Is the Great Multitude of Revelation?

→ Read the Full Explanation

Who is the great multitude of Revelation?

The great multitude represents those who come out of the Great Tribulation and appear before the throne of God after being redeemed by Jesus. They come from every nation and worship God and the Lamb.

Does the great multitude belong to the Church?

The great multitude is distinguished from the Church, the Bride* of Christ, which will have been taken in the Rapture before the Tribulation. They represent those who will be saved during this period and who will appear before God after coming through the Great Tribulation.

What will they do during the Millennium?

The Bible does not provide specific details about all the activities of the great multitude during the Millennium, but it shows that they will be among the redeemed who enter into the reign of Jesus and receive the blessings of His kingdom.

Continue Your Discovery

1. The 144,000

2. The 7 Seals

3. The Souls Under the Altar

4. The Great Tribulation

5. The 3 Angels

6. The Millennial Kingdom