In front of the heavenly throne of God (recall what Revelation 4:1–11 said about who is seated on this throne) and in front of the Lamb beside the throne (recall what Revelation 5:1–14 said about this Lamb), John saw “a great multitude.” This is the same crowd symbolized by the number 144,000 in the previous vision (Revelation 7:4). So enormous is this crowd that “no one could number” it—in keeping with God’s promise to Abraham that his offspring could be more than the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5; Genesis 22:17).
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,