Scripture: "Thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with Thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation," —REV. v. 9.
The Song of the Lamb tells us that the redeemed shall come from all the different tribes and nations of the whole earth. The many languages into which the Bible has been translated, and the still greater number into which the New Testament or portions of the Bible have been translated, gives us some idea of how strenuous work by missionaries in many lands is making known Christ and His Gospel.
Think for a little while of the extent of blessed work done by missionaries all over the earth! Christ came as a propitiation, not for our sins alone, but for the sins of the whole world, and to complete the great work of the redemption of mankind. When He had accomplished His share of the work, He entrusted the rest of the work to His people, trusting them to take the message of redemption to all parts of the world. As holy and divine as was Christ's part, as an indispensable beginning, so equally holy is the second part of the work—to bring souls everywhere to know of and accept this great salvation.
In the Song of the Lamb we find this twofold truth—the Lamb upon the Throne has brought salvation to all the nations and tribes of the earth and to the Church of the Lamb has been entrusted the distribution of the salvation by the power of the Holy Spirit. Unspeakably glorious is the task of the Missionary!
We shall only be able to understand this aright when we have seen the great multitude which no man can number, out of every nation, and of all tribes and peoples, and tongues, standing before the Throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, with palms in their hands; and they cry, saying: "Salvation unto our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb."
May the Holy Spirit imprint deeply in our hearts the wonder of missionary work! Just as the Lamb of God gave Himself to die, that He might send the glad tidings to all, let us so offer ourselves wholly and without reserve to live and to die that souls may be led to join in the Song of the Lamb before the Throne of God.
