Do people keep their earthly nationality in heaven? (Rev 7:9)
Andy Warren-Rothlin · Jul 15, 2021, 9:41 PM · Last modified: Sep 28, 2026, 11:39 AMThe public-relations materials of Bible translation organisations frequently reference this text:
"After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb." (Rev 7:9a NLT)
Interpreted as meaning that every human language is spoken in heaven, this text is variously used to affirm that linguistic diversity is a blessing not a curse (contra Babel), that every language is valuable in God's sight (supporting Bible translation statistics based on languages translated into rather than people served), and that the new covenant community is about linguistic diversity not homogeneity (see also the multiple languages spoken at Pentecost, as against the Hebrew-centrism of Nehemiah and as referenced in 1 Cor 14). Echoes of such arguments can be found even in high-level vision and mission statements, multi-million-dollar funding initiatives, scholarly forums on God and language, and in discussions about personal and community identity and multilingual approaches to scripture engagement.
But if this text is saying that people keep their languages in heaven, surely it is also saying that they keep their nationalities?! Many MAP-users may find this more problematic, wherever they stand on whether there's such a thing as a Christian nation, or on the scale of attitudes to Christian engagement in public life. Bordered geographic nation-states in the modern sense are not normative in history. The terms ἔθνος, φυλή and λαός are notoriously difficult key terms to translate (Which term corresponds to my Britishness? Which to my ¾ Englishness and ¼ Scottishness? Which to my Norwegian/French Norman and Celtic descent? Which to my passports? Which to my 'white'-ness? ... etc.). The secular world attributes nationality at birth or by naturalisation, and invalidates passports and identity cards at death (though corpses can strangely be 'repatriated'). Why would God be more committed to my earthly nationalities than are the very nations that gave them to me?!
These questions have importance for:
- translation ("... who bore every nationality ... and spoke every language" or perhaps better "who had come from every nation ... and language group"?)
- Bible translation organisations' public-relations and fundraising materials
- discussions of 'Patriotic Bibles'
- ... and, last but not least, the sermon I'm preparing for my adoptive country's national day next month!
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I guess from the perspective of eternal God and the creator of the universe, languages, nationality, translation, or our planetship(if we have) are instrumental. I think some of us asking questions with our preoccupied occupation as translators and linguists. I am not sure how sufficient the exegesis of the scriptural text about heaven is for dealing with linguistics and cultural issues in detail. Personally, I have enough questions and concerns about the earth, let heaven's concern be His.😁
However, I think the Patriotic Bibles and contextualized Translation would be relevant and down-to-earth issues.
Does the preposition "from" suggestion origin, but not neccessarily current status? In other words, Jesus redeemed people from every language, but that doesn't mean they speak their language in Heaven. It's clear that the redeemed in heaven are identified by their ethnic background, but it doesn't mean that they are of that ethnicity in Heaven in any meaningful sense. Remember the question about the woman who married several men? Jesus said, in short, there isn't such a thing as marriage as we know it now in Heaven. So, I take these references to the redeemed from every people, tribe, and language as showing the greatness of what Christ accomplished, and when we behold his greatness in heaven, I don't think our ethnicity, nationality, or language will matter any more. We'll have more to focus on, worshiping around the throne!
Andy, the questions you are asking are tough exegetical and philosophical questions relevant to both our earthly existence and heavenly 'existence'. Fundamental to your questions is the question: What of the earthly 'things' continue/pass into the heavenly 'realm'? Just keep in mind that the genre of the verse you are referencing is 'perceived' to be a 'vision' by some people.
Jonadob I largely presume that the word 'heaven' is used metaphorically to help to pass on the message of eschatological hope. Every religion somehow has an aspect on this message which is embedded in their dogma. I personally like the Hinduism "reincarnation based on Karma" where life is recycled either for best or for the worst based on the work in the present life and thus makes the life eternal. Rev.Dr. Jonadob Please don't print this mail unless you really need to. Save Paper, Save
Most of these comments apply well to my other recent post on 'Patriotic Bibles'. This post is on a different topic (with a completely separate background in my thinking, incidentally) - the translation of Rev 7:9 and how that text is used in BTOs' PR and policy materials.
Absolutely, Jeremiah - "what it's like in heaven" is something little children ask their parents and Sunday School teachers all the time ("I know there'll be lions, lambs and snakes, but will I get to see my dog ... and will there be butterflies?"), but it's of limited pastoral value for adults (only perhaps sometimes when a child has died), not relevant for MAP, and, as you say, we should ultimately leave such heavenly matters to the One who knows, unless we receive a specific revelation.
So this post is of course not about theology, but about the exegesis and translation of Rev 7:9. This text happens to be usually translated in a rather ambiguous way - "from every nation and language" could mean "... who [currently, in heaven] bore every nationality ... and spoke every language" or "who had [previously, on earth] come from every nation ... and language group". It seems to me important for translation that we clarify what the text means (avoiding, of course, the silly arguments of those who will tell us the people must have been speaking their different languages for John to know what their languages were. As Baloyi and Rick remind us, this is a vision.).
Unfortunately, non-technical staff in BTOs may use unclear translations of biblical texts in rather facile (and embarrassing!) ways to support communications and fund-raising efforts. "The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it." (Psalm 68:11 KJV) is of course popular with Bible publishing companies, and the above text (Rev 7:9) with language development organisations!
This question reminds me of the Tom Hanks movie, The Terminal. Tom Hanks' character is from the fictitious country of Krakozhia, which erupts in civil war while he is in transit, and the U.S. no longer recognizes the country. Thus, Tom Hanks' character is stuck at the airport indefinitely. Yet, even though his country is no longer recognized, he is still from Krakozhia.
I think the analogy works for our earthly nationality and citizenship. When Jesus returns, he will rule, and the rule of earthly nations will pass away, and our citizenship will be in heaven (Phil 3:20).
I'd still be interested to receive scholarly linguistic and exegetical input on Rev 7:9 (I believe there are several senior Greek and NT scholars on MAP - perhaps they've been put off by the title of this post?), comments from anyone involved in initiatives such as the God and Language Forum, and any engagement on BT organisations' use of questionable readings of biblical texts in PR and policy documents.
The text in Revelation seems to suggest the redeemed remain aware of their language and nationality. Let's leave aside the question exactly what either term means, but assume that the diversity involved is a blessing (even if it arrived through judgement), that every language or nationality has some unique gift to share in the kingdom. In that case these things will have been transformed and glorified and will enhance heaven.
This is, however, very different from saying my language, culture, nation is better than yours - US,UK, Swiss whatever, we all have things in our history, culture and nation which are positively embarrassing and will need to be chucked in the fire.
HMM - been quiet for a while but a quick comment. If the curses (judgements) in Genesis are blessings in disguise, does every culture, language and nation maybe uniquely reflect some facet of God's glory? I'm suggesting (picking at random) France and the French language , despite obvious flaws, offer some unique insight which will indeed be somehow preserved and built on in heaven.