The Great Tribulation
Today’s Bible Verse:
Revelation 7:14 ESV
I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Revelation 7:14 presents a powerful image of endurance, redemption, and the gracious cleansing power of Christ. This verse reminds us that, through faith, we’re not merely enduring life’s challenges alone; we’re being led through them, clothed in the righteousness of Christ. When we think of “the great tribulation,” we may picture intense suffering or personal trials. And we each know what it’s like to face struggles that test our faith. Yet, this vision assures us that those who trust in Jesus emerge from every tribulation victorious, purified, and claimed by God’s grace.
Our "robes," representing our lives and actions, are stained by sin. But through Jesus’ sacrifice—“the blood of the Lamb,” these robes are washed, symbolizing our forgiveness and the righteousness we receive. Christ’s blood does what we cannot: purifies, restores, and assures us of our eternal place with God. His death and resurrection mean our failures or struggles no longer define us. We are seen as holy, beloved children of God.
Lutheran theology emphasizes that this cleansing is a gift received through faith, not by our works. Like the multitude in Revelation, we are called to receive it with gratitude and trust. We rest in the work of Christ, who endured suffering on our behalf, and we find courage knowing we don’t walk alone.
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Gracious Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son, who endured suffering and death to bring me to life. In my tribulations, help me to trust in the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.