REV. #25~7:9-17 SAVED IN THE TRIBULATION 10-3-09
Last time we read and talked about the 144000 Jews, 12000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel that have received Gods seal in their foreheads and that they become Missionary’s the world over.
So today we’ll read and talk about the innumerable multitude that are saved in the Tribulation because of the preaching of “the gospel of the Kingdom”** that they’ll hear from these Jewish Missionary’s.
Ø Remember that 1:19 is the key verse of the Revelation;
19Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
John was told to write the things he had seen, and he saw the vision of the glorified Christ, there in chapter 1:
Then he was to write about “the things which are.” John himself was in the church period, and we are still in it today, as the rapture has not yet happened, 2:& 3: are talking about the things whice are, the church age.-the 7 different churches that are named there, also represent 7 different “temperatures” you could say, of the church from Pentecost until the rapture, as the last day church is depicted by Laodicea.
We saw in chapters 4–5 that the church was in heaven, it’s removed from the earth in 4:1-2—
Jesus will not allow His Bride to be to suffer any part of the Tribulation, so He takes her out of harms way.
From chapters 4:-19:7 the church is never mentioned again, and the reason is She is not on earth. What John is telling about here is what will take place on the earth dwellers.
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The book of “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” is a book with seven seals, and the seals are being removed or opened by the Lord Jesus as He was the Only One found that was worthy to open the book through out all creation.
Ø Six seals have been removed in chapter 6:
There the four horsemen introduce the Great Tribulation period, and the seven seals give an overall picture of that seven-year period.
As was pointed out last time that Chapter 7 is a parenthesis in the chronology of Revelation, showing God’s program of grace and salvation during this period of judgment.
In other words God halts His judgments for a short time in order to seal His special Servants, the 144000, as He has a minister for them to carry out.
Ø The opening of the 7th seal is seen in chapter 8: and verse 1 as the chronological order of the tribulation resumes.
Ø Listen as I read the 1st 3 verses again in order to get our thought line back on track.
7:1-3 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
The winds depict God’s judgment of the earth, and the four angels are restraining agents who hold back the judgment until God’s special servants can be sealed.
The parenthesis probably looks back to the same time period as that covered by the six seals, so that the 144,000 must be “sealed” before the Great Tribulation judgments begin.
The 6th seal is a Minnie picture of the Great Tribulation, the last three and one-half years. At this point, one-fourth of the population of the earth has been destroyed in judgment.
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Jesus said in Matt. 24: 14 And this gospel of the kingdom*{not gospel of grace} shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come-{end of the Tribulation.}
These 144000 will be preaching “the gospel of the Kingdom”, that is, King Jesus is very soon to set up His 1000-year Kingdom reign, and its now or never for you that have never heard the truth to do with Jesus and receiving Him as Lord and Saviour.
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We learned from the first eight verses of chapter 7: that there will be souls saved during the tribulation, and that the first group will be 144000 Jews.
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And in our text verses, 9-17 we’re told of another great multitude, and these are all Gentiles,
Ø Listen as I read verses 9-17
9After 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;
10And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
3And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Verse 9-After this*{after the Jews are sealed} 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;**
The palms may be in celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, which is about to be kept in the land when blessing comes upon both Jew and Gentile.
Here we see Gods orderly plan;
Rom.1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek-
So this redeemed company is neither Israel nor the Church. During this time of Gentile salvation the Church is with the Lord, having been caught away by Him. She is seen “sitting” around the throne (4:4);
This “great multitude” of Revelation 7:9-17 are the “sheep nations” of whom Christ spoke of in Matthew 25:31-40. –As He puts the sheep on His right and the goats on His left, and this great company are people {sheep} are in their natural bodies and they will enter into the Lords Millennial Kingdom, they will populate the earth again as there will be people living very long lives, remember these are in their natural bodies, they are the Tribulation saints, not the Tribulation Martyrs that we read about back in 6:9-11., however if people are found to be without the mark of the beast they’ll be beheaded according to Rev. 20:4.
So the tribulation saints will have to endure the plagues that will be coming on the earth dwellers during this horrible time.
The 144,000 witnessing Israelites will be persecuted for their testimony. They will be hungry, thirsty, lonely, in need of clothing, and cast into prison. But Satan cannot destroy these because they have the Seal of God in their foreheads.
But those Gentiles who believe their message will stand with them and minister to them, and so it is to them Jesus will say, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me” (Matthew 25:40).—please read Matt. 25:31-46 and you’ll have much light on what I’m talking about, and remember that the Throne of His Glory that you’ll find there is just after the tribulation, but just before He sets up His Kingdom, these sheep from every nation are the believing gentiles of the tribulation, the goats are cast into hell.
Ø This great company will be preserved through the tribulation, not kept out.
We’re told that these “stood before the throne, and before the Lamb” (7:9). The number of this great company is beyond all counting as far as man is concerned. God only knows the number.
They are the Gentile converts won to the Messiah as the result of the 144000 preaching “the gospel of the Kingdom” during the Tribulation period.
Ø Isaiah wrote about the great company of converts.
Isaiah 49:10-12 10They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. 11And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. 12Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
Let me remind us that all these that are saved in the Tribulation period will be people that never heard the truth to do with Christ and their need of salvation before the rapture, people that hear the gospel of grace today, on this side of the rapture and reject it can never be saved after the rapture, these that are redeemed here, never heard the truth until now and they gladly receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
This great company heard the good news of the gospel of the kingdom for the first time through the preaching of the redeemed children of Israel.-144000-
These are an elect Gentile remnant in addition to the elect of the Church and of Israel. They “stood before the throne, and before the Lamb” (verse 9).
The redeemed of this Church age of grace is typified by the four and twenty elders, and are seen sitting in chapter 4:4 on thrones round about God’s throne.
But this “great multitude” is standing. The important fact is that they are in the presence of Him who is seated on His throne. To be permitted to stand before His throne as His redeemed ones is an honor, a great privilege, afforded to none but His own willing subjects. It means that they share in the honor of the Lamb.
Ø Lets not confuse these with the Church, these are not the Church.
There are 5 different companies of saved people in the Bible.
The Church, the 144000 Jewish missionaries, the tribulation Martyred saints, the saved gentiles of the tribulation, and the O.T. believers, they are not all seen together until the tribulation is over.
Here in verse 10 the Tribulation saints are praising God for their salvation.
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
They are celebrating the triumph of having been brought through that awful period of tribulation. Not one of them is silent.
And then when the Angels hear this great praise and adoration it causes the angelic hosts of Heaven to fall on their faces and worship God.
11-12 all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 aying, Amen:*Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
We see 7 shouts of adoration from the angels, 7 being the number of completion and perfection; God deserves the complete and perfect worship of all His creation.
These are unfallen angels, they have never known the joy of experiencing salvation; but they always rejoice in the salvation of sinners on earth.
Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
