No more fears: A homiletic excursion into Revelation 7

The Apocalypse of John, as strange and foreboding and filled with terror as it seems, was not designed to frighten believers, but to remind them that present troubles would not last forever, and to comfort them with images of a new age. Readers can better appreciate the book of Revelation when they recognize the highly symbolic nature of apocalyptic literature and look for its meaning, not in a literal reading, but in its underlying message. Revelation 7:1–17 offers assurance that believers, however severe their trials, need not fear, for God is here: the promise of a new age is a reminder that God is eternally present and in control