GOI Mission Camp 1:A Glimpse of Heaven’s Applause
14 December 2025
By Pastor Frank - Mandarin Congregation Pastor
At the opening ceremony of the Malaysia Mission Camp, more than 80 missionaries from around the world entered the hall holding the flags of the countries they serve. In that moment, the whole room erupted with continuous applause and waves of cheers. Everyone stood up to honour these faithful servants of the Lord. The entire entrance lasted more than five minutes.
To be honest, I’m not someone who naturally appreciates “ceremony.” I don’t feel particularly drawn to formal events or rituals, and I couldn’t even enjoy my own graduation ceremony. During the first few minutes of the missionaries’ entrance, although I clapped along with everyone else, I still felt a bit uncomfortable and wasn’t quite sure how to engage myself fully.
But during my slight awkward feeling, the scene described in Revelation 7:9–12 suddenly became vivid in my mind. The passage depicts a worship scene in the new heaven and new earth: people from every nation, tribe standing before the throne worshiping together, and surrounding them were countless angels encircling, responding, and crying out. That multi-ethnic, multi-lingual yet united worship of God somehow connected itself to the scene unfolding before me as the missionaries entered.
In that moment I realized: the applause in our hall was a shadow of a much greater and more glorious picture. One day, in the new heaven and new earth, those who applaud will not merely be people on earth, but the heavenly hosts; and the ones being welcomed and honoured will be all of God’s people who have faithfully run their race, followed the Lamb to the end, and completed the tasks God entrusted to them. The glory of that day will far surpass anything we can imagine now.
So what about us today?
As we wait for that day to come, are we still willing to remain faithful, obedient, and steady on our own posts — no matter how big or small they may seem? When that glorious day finally arrives, may we also stand in that great procession, counted among those who are welcomed, embraced, and called “good and faithful servants.” May the Lord lead us toward places that are further, and ever more fully His.