“Who Are All These People?”
Text: Revelation 7:2-17
11-2-2025
In the name of Him who clothes us in the white robe of His righteousness, dear saints of God. Have you ever looked at an old photo of a family gathering and then wondered, “Who are all these people?” If the names aren’t written on the back of the picture, you may have to ask someone who was there. And you had better hope that Granny can still remember who all of them were! Even with a more recent photo that may be a bit difficult. I remember looking at a picture of a wedding my wife and I attended back in Omaha during the 1980's. It was taken from the church balcony and I could identify some relatives we were seated next to. I even picked out Gayleen. But I couldn’t figure out who she was sitting next to. I knew I was there, but the guy in the photo had a rather large bald spot on the top of his head. Much to my chagrin I came to the shocking realization that it was me! I had never seen myself from that perspective before.
Today we observe All Saints’ Day, and it would be rather interesting to take you into a gallery of saints and ask you “Who are all these people?” Kind of like an old family photo you may be able to identify a fair number of the saints of old. And yet there would certainly be a large number that you didn’t recognize. Hebrews chapter 11 walks us through just a small section of that gallery of saints from the Old Testament. Some of their names you are quite familiar with, like: Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Samson, and King David. But there are others that many Christians would have trouble identifying. And perhaps that’s because we either know very little about them or we don’t see their lives as falling into the category of a “heroic” saint of old. For example, what mighty deeds of faith did St. Barak do? No, I’m not referring to the former President. This Barak was one of the Old Testament judges who led the people of Israel. Fact of the matter is, he wasn’t all that heroic. And yet Hebrews 11 includes him in the gallery of saints.
The same thing can be seen in the New Testament. Of the 12 disciples, about half of them remain a mystery to us. However, Jesus chose them for a very important purpose in spreading the Gospel, and so, the Church rightly refers to them by the title of “saint.” Of course, then there’s St. Paul. We know lots about his heroic efforts as a missionary for Christ. But what about Phoebe and Tychius? They worked side by side with Paul. Certainly, they would be in the gallery of saints, even though we don’t recognize them.
If we trace the history of the Christian Church over the centuries this scenario is repeated over and over. We recognize the names of St. Augustine and St. Bernard (the Church father, not the dog.) And of course, since we celebrated the Reformation last week, we Lutherans would recognize St. Martin (Luther.) In just the past 150 years we could come up with a list of brave men and women who dedicated their lives to preserving the pure doctrine of God’s Word and spreading it. Names like C.F.W. Walther and Dietrich Bonhoeffer come to mind along with many others. Some of these folks were martyred for their faith. And yet, that’s just a tiny fraction of the gallery of saints. There are thousands of others who never became famous, and millions more who are nameless to us. But they’re saints just the same. So why don’t we recognize them? The problem is in our definition.
Which leads us to our reading from Revelation 7. St. John describes for us there a vision he saw of heaven. In the first part he tells us of the 144,000 saints from the tribes of Israel. Don’t get hung up on the literal number there like the Jehovah’s Witnesses do. John is using figurative language to portray the complete and vast number of believers who are a part of the true Israel, which is the Christian Church. But notice how those saints are identified in verse 3. They have the seal of God on their foreheads. Once again, this is figurative language so don’t think of a visible mark. However, this seal of God on the forehead is significant for us as you’ll see in just a few moments.
Then, John sees a great multitude of saints which is so large that it cannot be numbered. They come from every nation, language, and era. They are dressed in white robes and are standing before the Throne of God in heaven. In essence, one of the elders asks John, “Who are all these people?” For John, it was like looking at an ancient photograph of people he never knew. How could he possibly know the answer? Well, actually he did know the answer and the elder voices it for him. These are the myriad of saints who have been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. And they are now wrapped in His holy righteousness. Because of that, they are enjoying the peace and bliss of being with God forever in heaven.
You see, those descriptions are the exact opposite of how we would normally categorize a saint. We think of a saint as someone who performed a heroic deed or was martyred for their faith. But that’s not how God identifies someone as a saint. God’s definition is based upon what HE has done for these souls in saving them. That’s what the seal on the forehead is all about. God places it there to signify His ownership of that person. So really, the question of the elder could be changed slightly to ask, “Whose are all these people?” And the answer is that they belong to God. He rescued them from sin and death by the sacrifice of the His only Son, Jesus Christ. By His innocent blood that was shed on the cross, the saints are now washed clean of their sins and made worthy to stand before God in heaven.
Okay, so using God’s definition of a saint, let’s look again at that gallery and ask, “Who are all these people?” They are the souls that have received the seal of God and have been washed clean of their sins by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. That’s what happened when you were Baptized. It is no coincidence that at the beginning of the Baptismal Rite the sign of the cross is made over the person’s forehead and their heart. Why? “Tomark you as one redeemed by Christ the Crucified.” When we make the sign of the cross upon ourselves during the worship service or as we pray, we’re retracing that mark of God by which He sealed us as His own. In Holy Baptism God has said, “You belong to me!” In those holy waters He washes you with the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. You are then wrapped in that holy robe of His righteousness. If you believe and are Baptized then you are one of the many faces in that multitude of white robed saints which St. John saw in heaven.
Knowing that, can you now recognize some more of the faces of those saints in the gallery? Your God-fearing parents and grandparents are there in the crowd along with all your ancestors who believed and remained faithful to the Lord. Your loving husband or wife who trusted in Christ as their Savior is there. Your Sunday School teacher who took the time to share the love of Jesus with you is there. Your dear friends who prayed for you and with you are there. Your fellow believers who worshiped beside you and sought the pure truth of God’s Word are there. Your children who have followed your lead and remain active in the one, true faith are there. Yes, even small infants who are newly Baptized are also in that glorious throng. These, and many more have received the seal of God upon them, identifying them as one of His redeemed children. The question is, are you there with them? I pray that by virtue of your faith you too can see your face in that heavenly crowd.
You see, it’s not heroic deeds that make you a part of that multitude of saints. Your name doesn’t have to be recognized in Church history. Rather, it’s what the Lord has done for you through Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. That includes all Baptized Believers from all nations, languages, and every era; all who trusted in their Savior, Jesus. They are part of that countless multitude of the faithful who stand before God in heaven. As we sing our praises to God here on earth, our voices are blended in perfect harmony with the saints in heaven, thanking Him for our salvation. As we humbly come to the Lord’s Table here on earth, to eat the mysterious feast of Christ’s body and blood, we are joining with the saints in heaven as they feast at the Lord’s banquet. Through His Word and Sacrament which we receive here in worship, may God keep us faithful until He unites us with all the saints in heaven who have gone before us. May God grant this to us for Jesus’ sake. Amen!
Soli Deo Gloria!