Revelation 7:9-10 9After these things, I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one is able to number, from all nations and tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation is to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
John’s vision expands and he notices others he describes in five ways. First, the number of God’s people expands exponentially from 144,000 to countless numbers from every nation. This reference suggests that the earlier numbers were symbolic for completeness. People from all over the world will be part of this great cloud of witnesses (see the similar description in 5:9). This statement is significant for the mission of the church because it shows that “this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). The gospel is intended for more than Jews but for all people. The idea of “Israel” is expanded to include all believers.
Second, this throng of people stands before the throne and the Lamb, signifying Father and Son. Third, the reason for this is that they have been given white robes, representing holiness, which qualifies them to be in God’s presence. Verse 14 shows that they have been faithful to Jesus on earth. They have been found worthy because their dirt and stains have been washed away by the blood of the Lamb (Isaiah 1:18). Fourth, the palm branches in their hands indicate praise and worship (Psalm 118:27), like the crowd during Jesus’ triumphal entry (John 12:13). Instead of cowering because of judgment, they celebrate the fulfillment of their hopes. They join the living creatures, elders, and angels who praise the Triune God, as described in chapters 4-5. Fifth, their praise is for the salvation that God has provided through the Lamb. They have experienced this salvation and now are full of praise.
Salvation is attributed to both God and the Lamb. God used the Lamb to bring salvation to humanity. That the throng worshiped both Father and Son does not mean two Gods but one God revealed in two ways. Echoes of Psalm 110 stand in the background, with the Lamb seated at the highest place of honor possible.