LSB #676 "Behold a Host, Arrayed in White"

Biblical citations in the hymnal:  Revelation 7:9-17, Hebrews 9:14, 1 John 1:7, Revelation 6:11-13

Revelation 7:9-17:  "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, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'  11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'

"13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, 'Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?'  14 I said to him, 'Sir, you know.'  And he said to me, 'These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

"15 'Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.  16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.  17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'"

Hebrews 9:14:  "how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God."

1 John 1:7:  "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."

Revelation 6:11-13:  "11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

"12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale."

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The text is public domain:

Behold a host, arrayed in white,

Like thousand snowclad mountains bright!

With palms they stand;

Who is this band

Before the throne of light?

These are the saints of glorious fame,

Who from the great affliction came

And in the flood

Of Jesus' blood

Are cleansed from guilt and shame.

They now serve God both day and night;

They sing their songs in endless light.

Their anthems ring

As they all sing

With angels shining bright.

Despised and scorned, they sojourned here;

But now, how glorious they appear!

Those martyrs stand,

A priestly band,

God's throne forever near.

On earth they wept through bitter years;

Now God has wiped away their tears,

Transformed their strife

To heav'nly life,

And freed them from their fears.

They now enjoy the Sabbath rest,

The heav'nly banquet of the blest;

The Lamb, their Lord,

At festive board

Himself is host and guest.

O blessed saints in bright array

Now safely home in endless day,

Extol the Lord,

Who with His Word

Sustained you on the way.

The steep and narrow path you trod;

You toiled and sowed the Word abroad;

Rejoice and bring

Your fruits and sing

Before the throne of God.

The myriad angels raise their song;

O saints, sing with the happy throng!

Lift up one voice;

Let heav'n rejoice

In our Redeemer's song!

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Most of the hymn text is drawn from the passage from Revelation 7; some parts are even paraphrases.  Hebrews 9:14 and 1 John 1:7 overlap with Revelation 7:14 in the lines "And in the flood / Of Jesus' blood / Are cleansed from guilt and shame" in the first verse.

1 John 1:7 (specifically the light mentioned in it) seems to appear also in the line "They sing their songs in endless light" in the first verse, although the line could also refer to Revelation 21:23:  "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb."

Some of Revelation 6:11-13 ("they were each given a white robe") overlaps with the passage from Revelation 7 in the title line, but part of verse 11 ("who were to be killed as they themselves had been") seems to be referred to in the lines "Those martyrs stand, / A priestly band, / God's throne forever near" in the second verse.