After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; -- Revelation 7:9 (KJV)
Luke counted. At the end of the day of Pentecost he gives a number: "about three thousand souls." John, looking at the end of all things, gives up counting. The crowd he sees is a multitude "which no man could number."
One sentence Peter spoke that day stretches between those two scenes.
Afar Off
"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." The crowd in front of Peter had traveled to Jerusalem. The phrase "afar off" reached people who had not traveled anywhere and would not hear his voice.
Paul later wrote of Gentiles in nearly the same words: "ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Most of us reading this live a long way from Jerusalem and many centuries after Peter. We were part of the distance he described. The promise had our address on it before anyone told us about Jesus.
Where It Arrives
John sees that promise reach its end. The multitude stands before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white with palms in their hands. Their nations, kindreds and tongues are still named. They cry with a loud voice, "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."
Someone carried the word across part of that distance to you. A grandmother, a pastor, a coworker, a stranger who would not let a conversation drop. Many of them never learned what came of it. Peter preached to one crowd and never stood where John stood.
The same will likely be true of you. You may speak of Jesus to someone and never hear how it ends. Speak anyway. Think of one person near you who is still far off. Pray for that person by name today, and look this week for a natural moment to tell them what Jesus has done for you.
You do not have to keep the count. John could not, and the Lamb knows every name.
