Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The great rescue

⁹ After this I looked, and lo and behold a huge gathering which nobody could possibly count, from every nation and tribe and people and language. They were standing in front of the throne, and in front of the lamb. They were dressed in white robes, holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ They were shouting out at the tops of their voices, “Salvation belongs to our God, to the one who sits on the throne, and to the lamb!” ¹¹ All the angels who were standing around the throne and the elders and the four creatures fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God. ¹² “Yes, Amen!” they were saying. “Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever! Amen!”

¹³ One of the elders spoke to me. “Who are these people dressed all in white?” he said. “Where have they come from?”

¹⁴ “Sir,” I replied, “you know!”

“These are the ones,” he said, “who have come out of the great suffering. They have washed their clothes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. ¹⁵ That is why they are there in front of God’s throne, serving him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. ¹⁶ They will never be hungry again, or thirsty again. The sun will not scorch them, nor will any fierce heat. ¹⁷ The lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of running water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”