Throne and Shepherd

Those who come through the great tribulation need white robes. Their own robes aren’t white, and their own blood isn’t enough to wash them. But once they have shed their blood and been washed in the blood of the Lamb, their robes are white enough to pass inspection in the throne room (Revelation 7:14). 

These are Old Covenant saints, come from the “great tribulation” of Israel’s history. They have had to wait to enter the presence of God because there was no detergent strong enough to cleanse them. Now that the Lamb has shed His blood, they can be clean.

Cleansed and positioned before the throne, they are given seven privileges, which match the gifts of the days of creation. The list of seven gifts is also neatly symmetrical:

-They serve in the temple day and night.

A. The One on the throne spreads His tabernacle over them.

B. They no longer hunger or thirst (there’s food and water in the tent).

C. The sun doesn’t beat down anymore (the tabernacle shades).

A’. The Lamb will be their shepherd.

B’. He will guide them to springs of water (so they won’t thirst).

C’. God will wipe away tears (they will be protected from the “sun” of affliction).

These gifts obviously have a double source – the Enthroned Father and the Lamb. The Father’s gifts are extensions of the imagery of the tabernacle, and imply a static life. The Lamb’s gifts are gifts are extensions of the promise that He will be shepherd and they imply movement. The Father’s gifts are, we might say, priestly gifts for witnesses in the temple; the Lamb is the chief Shepherd-King over a royal people. Together, the Father and the Lamb form a kingdom of priests.