Revelation 7: 1 – 17
To Be Or Not To Be
1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: 5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed. 9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and 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 dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
As I mentioned in some previous teaching on the book of Revelation many teachers have taught that John had undergone one continuous vision. This is not so. We are going to take a look at today’s vision which is actually another vision thrown at John.
The more I study our Precious Holy Spirit’s Word the more I am in awe of El Shaddai’s, Almighty God’s Majesty. With all the apocalyptic devastation described in the end times we have to stop and understand how Great and Merciful our Wonder Creator Is.
In Chapter 7 we see an interlude in God’s Judgment on a sinful evil world. Please take note that this will happen throughout this book. John is going to receive numerous visions of devastation and in order for him to not be overwhelmed our Holy God will interject some visions of good things that will happen. In this chapter we are going to see how our Holy Father Is going to take care of believers.
There are many teachers who take a position that there is going to be a thing called the ‘Rapture’. There are many who teach that after chapter 3 the ‘Rapture has occurred. I believe as this chapter indicates our God has not indicated that He Is going to take out believers from the earth. No, He Is going to ‘Seal’ them with His Name. They [we] are His people. So, before we take a look at those who are sealed, we are going to discuss how this term – Rapture – came about. We are then going to look at some Scripture that might speak on behalf or against this theory.
I grew up in my Christian life being taught about and accepting as fact this position of a two part return of my Savior to earth. I even had a bumper sticker that showed a pair of sneakers with a puff of smoke. This displayed the instant disappearance. I am sure you have also seen a bumper sticker that says, ‘Warning, in the event of the Rapture, this vehicle will be unmanned.’
Without holding you in suspense any further let me say that I believe that this theory is false. There will not be a ‘Rapture’, even though this theory is presently being taught by many bible colleges and pulpits. Now before you get your gander up and ready to argue let us look together at God’s Word for the correct answers. That is why I said that I am going to dedicate some time going over this idea. After we have looked at all possible Scripture and you still believe in the ‘Rapture’, then God bless you.
It is not heresy to disagree with the Rapture position. It does not go against the truth that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Is coming back to earth a second time.
However, what if we come to learn through what God’s Word reveals that this idea is a fabrication of biblical truth. Would it not be qualified as a ‘strong delusion’ that bible teachers and Pastors have incorrectly been feeding their sheep. Would it not qualify in the warning that our Lord and Savior gave to us as listed in the book of Revelation chapter 22 which states, “18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” Would accepting this theory as fact and teaching this theory to our Lord’s flock be liable as adding to God’s word. I know I do not want to mess around with what my Supreme Holy Ruler says. So, with this powerful challenge let us begin.
In the book of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 we read, ‘9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Please note the term – ‘Strong Delusion’. It would be good for us to understand what this word means. In life we read a lot of things and sometimes take for granted that we know what the word means. So what does our favorite dictionary say about a ‘delusion’.
1a. The act or process of deluding.
b. The state of being deluded.
2. A false belief or opinion:
3. Psychiatry - A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness:
So what do you think it means when our Lord says that He will send a ‘strong delusion’. You do not have to be a brain surgeon to know that what is listed above as ‘delusion’ is greatly intensified. Throughout the book of Revelation we see the warning of not being deceived.
If you are a new believer in our Great and Wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ forgive me for getting into this dialogue. Yet I do believe that you need to be informed about what is circulating out in Christian circles. I have come to understand the amazing grace it took our Savior to get us ‘Saved’. We live in a cursed world. Before our feet step out of bed we fight the world, the flesh, and the devil. Our Faithful Lord broke through these tough sinful defenses and revealed Himself to us. Thank you Lord. Then once we are ‘Saved’ we aren’t able to kick back. We are now exposed to every wacky religious cult and dead organization out there. So, how can you be sure what is true? The answer is – God’s word is true. Don’t trust me or any other teacher. Check everything out yourselves from God’s Word. People were complemented by the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts because they did just this. Look at what it said in chapter 17, “10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”
So, the description of the Rapture teaches that all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who are alive will be physically removed from this earth at some unknown time. To the naked eye they will vanish. These people will instantly be beamed wherever they are up to meet the Lord Jesus Who Is positioned somewhere above the earth in outer space.
Now to add confusion great theological scholars cannot come up with the same conclusions. Some biblical experts say that this event will occur before what the bible calls the Great Tribulation. People who accept this position are called Pre-Tribulation Rapture or Pre-Tribers. Since many biblical scholars have come up with the idea that the Tribulation will be a period of 7 years some have taken a position that believers will be ‘Raptured’ halfway into the 7 years or after 3 and ½ years after the Great Tribulation begins. Those who hold this position are called Mid-Tribers. Lastly, there are those who take up a position that all believers will have to go through the whole seven years of the Great Tribulation and then be ‘Raptured’ out. They are referred to as Post Tribers.
Does this sound a tad bit confusing? Again forgive me for getting into this stupid worthless debate. The book of 1 Corinthians chapter 14 says about our Precious Holy Spirit this, “33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.’
In all truth the doctrine of a ‘Rapture’ is the most divisive of modern day positions.
Where did the idea of the ‘Rapture’ came from. You will be quite amazed that this is a modern day discovery.
This idea was birthed back in the 1800’s. Here is what I discovered.
In early 1830, Margaret McDonald, a 15 year old Scottish Girl had visions [we’re in trouble now!, one girl has a ‘vision’ which winds up setting church policy. I thought the bible was complete. Haven’t the Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses been correctly labeled as cults for their visions?] that included a Secret Rapture of believers before the appearance of the Antichrist
Edward Irving (1792-1834) her Scottish Presbyterian pastor and forerunner of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, attended prophecy conferences that began in Dublin Ireland in that same year, 1830, at Powerscourt Castle. There he promoted the doctrine of the Secret Rapture.
John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), a minister of the Church of Ireland, who later became a member of the Plymouth Brethren, also promoted a Secret Rapture after attending the same Powerscourt Bible Prophecy meeting in 1830 where he learned of Margaret McDonald's vision. He visited Margaret McDonald at her home in Port Glasgow, Scotland, and then later visited America several times where his Secret Rapture theology was quite well accepted.
As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation.
The writings of John Darby greatly influenced Cyrus Scofield (1843-1921) who incorporated this doctrine in the notes of his Scofield Reference Bible, first published by Oxford University Press in 1909. One million copies were printed by 1930, firmly establishing this Futurist interpretation in the Bible schools and denominations of the United States in the 20th Century.
The beliefs Darby disseminated were then propagated with Scofield’s Reference Bible at such places as Dallas Theological Seminary and Bob Jones University and by authors and preachers such as Hal Lindsey who wrote a best seller called ‘The Late Great Planet Earth. and Tim LaHaye who I am sure you know, became a huge success co-authoring his ‘Left Behind’ stories.
Can you see how this idea was adopted and thereby infiltrated into our churches?’
Yet, before we end I want you to see right away that from God’s word that this doctrine is false.
Remember, the idea of a ‘Rapture’ is that our Precious Lord and Savior is coming to take His church out before the Great time of Tribulation that will strike the earth. So what does our Lord really say? Let’s take a look at the Gospel of John chapter 17.
Many people think that the Lord ’s Prayer is ‘Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen!’ Is this what you think? Sorry you are wrong. As recorded in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 6 and Luke chapter 11 our Lord Jesus Christ was asked by His disciples how to pray. Here our Lord gives them and us a model on how to pray. If you want to read about the Lord ’s Prayer than that is just what we are about to do in the Gospel of John chapter 17,
1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. 9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We Are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, Are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare It, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Please note the words of our Master, Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of John chapter 17 verse 15 He Is praying for all His church or saints. Did He say, ‘Father please take My Bride out of the earth before, during, or after the Great Tribulation? Then, what does He say? He asks the Father to protect us from the evil one so that when all this Tribulation comes upon us we will not fall away.
We will note that the trumpet and bowl judgments that come upon the earth dwellers are similar to the ones that were unleashed upon the Egyptians. My question is this, ‘Did our Holy God unleash the plagues upon the Israelites also?
Turn with me to the book of Exodus chapter 8 and take a look at what our Great Holy Maker says,
“20 And the LORD said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 21 Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22 And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land. 23 I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.” ’ ” 24 And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies. 25 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.” 26 And Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God. If we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not stone us? 27 We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He will command us.” 28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Intercede for me.” 29 Then Moses said, “Indeed I am going out from you, and I will entreat the LORD, that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.” 30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated the LORD. 31 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.
Well, anyway let us get back to today’s study of God ‘Sealing’ His people.
1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.
The term ‘After this’ signifies a new vision. The timing of this vision is before the seventh seal is opened. As the seventh seal runs parallel to the first six seals this means that its occurrence is seen as immediate. John is assuring God’s people in his day that God has sealed them prior to the events ahead.
‘The four winds of the earth’. In Jeremiah 49.36 ‘the four winds from the four quarters of heaven’ cause desolation to Elam and in Daniel 7.2 ‘the four winds of heaven broke forth on the great sea’ resulting in the emergence of the four beasts which represented world empires. In those cases they represented the activity of God. Those were from heaven. But these are the four winds ‘of earth’ which suggests that they are to be seen as representing the activities, not of God, but of the forces of earth ready to bring desolation to the earth. How satisfying that they are seen as controlled by God through His angels. We see in Revelation 20.8, the nations gathered to war come from the four corners of the earth. But here at this stage they are restrained by the four angels.
‘In order that no wind should blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.’ What is also being restrained is what occurs on the sounding of the first four trumpets, for it is they which cause the attack on the earth, the trees and the sea. Thus they are restrained until God allows. The number four is the number of earth. The stillness on earth resulting from their restraint may parallel the silence in Heaven of 8.1. John saw them as ready to become active in his day.
I do not know if you understand that the wind plays an important role in the earth’s balance.
The turbulence created by wind increase CO2 supply and the increase in photosynthesis. The hot and dry wind makes the cells expanding and early maturity, it results in the dwarfing of plants. Under the influence of strong wind the shoots are pressurized and get deformed. In other words, strong winds affect the plants life both mechanically and physiologically.
2 Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”
Nothing on earth can hurt the people of God without God’s permission, for all that would do so is restrained in one way or another by His power. The seal is intended to be recognized by angels and is thus invisible. Satan has tried to copy what our Lord does. Please notice how our Holy Father ‘marks’ believers as His own. So, Satan says in effect, ‘So, I will mark all those who belong to me. This is shown in chapter 13 verse 16 as the the mark of the Beast
‘The sunrising’. The idea may be that this takes place right at the beginning of events. As the sun begins to rise so the servants of God are sealed, before the activities of ‘the day’ begin.
‘The trees’. The trees were important as providing sustenance to mankind. Even invading armies were wary about destroying trees. Now it seems that that restraint is to be removed. This interlude is clearly preparatory for the contents of the seventh seal, where the earth, the trees, and the sea come under attack, but only to an extent limited by God which we will see in chapter 8 verses 7 and 8.
Please take notice of the verse, ‘Until we have sealed the servants of God in their foreheads’. The picture is taken from Ezekiel 9 verses 3 and 4. There great slaughter is to come on Jerusalem but it is restrained until a mark is set on the foreheads ‘of the men who sigh and cry of all the abominations that are performed in its midst’, by the man clothed in linen holding the inkhorn’. They would be saved from the slaughter. The mark was not visible to men, only to God and the angels.
It can be compared with the mark in blood put on the houses of the Israelites to protect them from the angel of death (which, however, was visible) (Exodus 12.13). It is the mark of protection.
Notice that it is ‘the seal of the living God’. It is not just a seal. It is the seal of One Who, as the ‘living’ God, watches over His own. They belong to Him. It reminds us that nothing can touch God’s people without His permission
The implication from the description ‘the servants of God’ is that it is all God’s servants who are on earth who will be sealed. The sealing saves them from the direct effects of attacks by spiritual forces, not from persecution. So while they will suffer tribulation, they will not be subject to the wrath of God. What is important is that the men themselves know they are sealed by God. It is not suggested that there will be a visible sign.
It is interesting to me the importance of how a word can change the meaning of a verse. For example, the Kings James version reads, ‘until we have sealed the servants of God ‘in’ their foreheads.’ Your bibles might have the statement, ‘on’ their foreheads.’ Can you see how just this one word can change the meaning of the verse in an amazing unique way? This is why I believe there are a lot of teachers who are saying that people will be going around with a visible mark on their foreheads. I do not agree.
If the word is ‘in’ as the King James Version lists, then what is inside your forehead? Some people might respond ‘nothing but space.’ For a few people that might be true, but all kidding aside, we have our brains behind our foreheads. To accept the Lord Jesus Sacrifice of His Precious Blood and death on our behalf takes willful thinking. We are saved by Grace through Faith and that is not of ourselves. Everything has been accomplished and done by our Holy God.
Now I am thinking to myself that many of you are not satisfied with just this description of ‘God’s Sealing’ and Satan’s Mark of the Beast.
We are going to go into a lot of depth of the Mark of the Beast when we come to chapter 13 and 14. However, to not keep you in total suspense let me take some time to explain these two.
Please note that our Holy Father ‘seals’ all believers where? – In their ‘foreheads’. Satan wants the ‘Mark’ placed where? – either on the forehead or on the right hand.
So, first of all let’s see what the significance of the ‘forehead’ means and secondly what is the ‘seal of God?’Now stop and consider what the significance of the ‘forehead’ means? Are you starting to perceive where I am going with this idea? I just gave you a clue, what was it? It was the idea of ‘thinking’. Turn with me to the Gospel of John chapter 3 verse 33. I do not think there is any accident that we are at 333 [Father, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit].
33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Now please look at the book of Ephesians chapter 4, “25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Once you are ‘Born Again’ our Great and Wonderful Holy God gives us The Holy Spirit. He Is God’s Seal. He will stay with us until we die or until our Lord Jesus Christ returns.
Now before we go on let me ask to you know for sure you are ‘sealed’ by the Holy Spirit. If not let us pray right now. This is your prayer. Get on your knees and ask our Lord Jesus to receive this prayer as yours.
Dear Father God I believe in everything the Bible says is true. I know now that You Dear Jesus poured out your blood on the cross and died for me. I know that You arose again from the dead and You are in Heaven. I am sorry for all my sins. I ask Your Forgiveness and accept Your forgiveness due to Your Sacrifice for me. Please come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. As the Song of Songs chapter 8 states, ‘Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm’ Please seal me with Your Holy Spirit which promises me that I am Yours and will be able to live with You for eternity.
Now what about the right hand? Take a look at chapter 10 of Revelation, ‘1 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me,fn “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.” 5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets
What do you do when you take an oath? You raise your right hand and swear that you are telling the truth or affirming that you are giving allegiance to something. If a person will decide to take ‘The Beast’s Mark’ in effect he or she is swearing allegiance to the beast.
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed
There is divided opinion on whether the one hundred and forty four thousand represent the whole church of God or the faithful remnant of Israel.
5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.
Now some teachers will say that this cannot be talking about Jews because in verse 4 it mentions that the 144,000 came from ‘all’ the tribes, 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed
The tribes of Dan and Ephraim are missing. So, if it is talking about all the tribes does that mean if you come from the tribe of Dan or Ephraim you are not going be selected for eternal life.
The exclusion of Dan is presumably because he is a tool of the Serpent as we learn in the book of Genesis 49.17, ‘Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider shall fall backward..
Dan was the first to get involved in idols.
In the book of Hosea chapter 14 we read, “Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.”
The exclusion of the two names is because of their specific connection with idolatry.
In Deuteronomy 29.17-20 the warning was given that God would ‘blot out his name from under heaven’, when speaking of those who gave themselves up to idolatrous worship and belief, “14 “I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, 15 but with him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today 16 (for you know that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we came through the nations which you passed by, 17 and you saw their abominations and their idols which were among them—wood and stone and silver and gold); 18 so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; 19 and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart’—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober. 20 “The LORD would not spare him; for then the anger of the LORD and His jealousy would burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this book would settle on him, and the LORD would blot out his name from under heaven. 21 And the LORD would separate him from all the tribes of Israel for adversity, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of the Law, 22 so that the coming generation of your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, would say, when they see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses which the LORD has laid on it: 23 ‘The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and His wrath.’ 24 All nations would say, ‘Why has the LORD done so to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?’ 25 Then people would say: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; 26 for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. 27 Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book. 28 And the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.’ 29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Thus the exclusion of the names of Ephraim and Dan are a further warning against such things.
If you notice that instead of the name Ephraim his Father Joseph is mentioned. Since Manasseh is mentioned, it stands for reason that all the people listed in the tribe of Joseph has to be Ephraim. One great faithful leader of the people after Moses was Joshua. Guess what tribe he is from? – Ephraim. Do you think he will be left out? Of course the answer is a hearty, ‘no way’. So, as our Lord has described because as a tribe these two were cursed, the individual people from the tribes were not. This is why we will see that the 144,000 are referred to as ‘the first fruits’. It means that this was a small portion offered to the Lord which points out that many will follow.
So, I believe that the 144,000 are in reality Jews from the 12 tribes as listed in the Scripture.
Following you will see that believers in our Lord Jesus Christ are added to God’s family.
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
‘After these things’ usually infers a new vision. They are in Heaven. The Resurrection has taken place. The multitude consists of any (or all) of those who have been sealed who have died or otherwise been taken up in the resurrection.
Please notice the description, ‘Standing before the throne and before the Lamb’. They are there to receive the rewards due to them for faithful service prior to sharing Christ’s throne, and to be ‘confessed before the Father’. They stand before the throne of the Father, in contrast with the Lamb Who stands in the midst of the throne (5.6), for He alone can share the Father’s throne (Revelation 3.21). Indeed they have received their white robes indicating their heavenly standing (Revelation 3.5). As the palms indicate it is a time of celebration, of victory, and of acclamation of the Messiah (John 12.13).
We are told later (7.14) that these are ‘the coming ones out of the great tribulation’. This is in order to provide an incentive to the church in the face of the coming tribulation anticipated by John’s visions and his letters to the churches. They are not necessarily all martyrs, for some will suffer tribulation and die naturally, but they have all suffered tribulation.
10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
This basically means “our deliverance is due to our enthroned God to Whom we give praise”. The idea is taken from the words of Psalm 3.8, ‘Salvation belongs to the Lord’. He alone is the Deliverer, the Savior. This immediately evokes a response in Heaven, and demonstrates that the whole court is seen as being there.
11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
This sevenfold praise by the angels is parallel to that in the earlier chapter (5.12) except that ‘riches’ have been replaced by ‘thanksgiving’, and the order of the words has changed. In 5.12 the praise was offered to the Lamb. The ‘riches’ there were what He had bought through His cross, ‘the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints’ (Ephesians 1.18), ‘the exceeding riches of His grace’ (Ephesians 2.7). This is therefore changed here to thanksgiving to the One Who has bestowed these riches on Him now that the inheritance is realized.
12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
It is indicative of John’s state that it is not he who asks the question. He is struck dumb by what he is observing. Thus the elder is responding to his unspoken question as he asks his questions about those clothed in white robes. And to his question John can only say humbly, “Sir, you know”.
So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
The elder answers his own questions. All through the present tribulation and the greater tribulations to come Christians will be dying, but now they know that they need not fear. For it is to this that they will come.
If you look at the statement ‘Those who are coming’, we may be intended to read it as ‘the coming ones who have come’. It is quite probable that this scene occurs after the resurrection, and includes all God’s people, for they are now not ‘under the altar’ (6.9) but active in Heaven ‘The great tribulation’. As mentioned above this refers to the period that John is forecasting as soon to come for the people of his day, and the definite article (‘the’) refers back to the message to the church at Thyatira. This is not specifically the ‘great tribulation’ spoken of by Jesus, for that referred to events in Palestine. It is looking at what John will later describe in more detail, the great tribulation which would necessarily affect the church in the near future through both persecution and tumultuous events.
John wants God’s people to know that although such great tribulation is coming, and persecution is coming for them, they need not be afraid because of Whose they are. This ‘great tribulation’ is thus wider in scope than tribulation already experienced by the churches. Later in the book we will indeed see the great tribulation that the world must face, and would face constantly through the ages. Christians also must experience some of its effects. But we know from this chapter that they are under God’s protection.
We can compare how Jesus Himself spoke of the tribulation that would come on the Jews through the ages (Luke 21.24). Thus tribulation will come to the church, to the world and to the Jews.
‘They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ These are not the white robes given to over comers. These are representative of their own inner and outward appearance. While these garments had been somewhat marred, they are now pure and clean. But how did they wash them? Not through baptism for baptism is never directly stated to be a washing. The washing here is ‘the washing of water by the word’ which sanctifies and cleanses (Ephesians 5.26), and ‘the washing of regeneration’ (Titus 3.5). It is the new birth that cleanses the people of God, followed by their receiving and obeying the word of God. This is why the church as the bride of Christ will wear garments which represent ‘the righteous doings of the saints’ (19.8), for true faith results in true action. It is this new birth that has made them fit to stand before God.
Furthermore they have used a special whitener; they have been ‘made white in the blood of the Lamb’. The blood is not seen as washing but as adding extra whiteness. In the words of Isaiah 1.18, ‘though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow’. It is ultimately through Christ’s death that they are fitted for the Father’s presence.
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 dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
This description would seem to confirm that we have here the resurrected people of God, for it is describing the same as happens at the end in the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 21.3-4). They are ‘before the throne of God’, that is are welcomed into His presence. ‘They serve Him day and night in His Temple’, for they are a royal priesthood, showing forth His Excellencies (1 Peter 2.9), offering worship, praise and thanksgiving to Him (Hebrews 13.15). But now there will be no dividing curtain for they will see the fullness of His glory.
He ‘will tabernacle over them’. The verb is skeno-o (as in John 1.14) and has in mind the divine Shekinah (sekinah), a post Biblical concept which referred to the radiance, glory and presence of God which dwelt among His people. It is the symbol of the divine Presence. It is mirrored in the use of the verb sakan (‘to dwell’) in His sanctuary and among His people (Exodus 25.8; 29.45-46). So they will live in the glory of the divine Presence.
‘They will hunger no more, nor thirst any more, nor will the sun light on them (‘strike’ is a suggested amendment but has no manuscript backing. However, the meaning is the same) or any heat.’ These were the common problems of mankind in hot places; lack of essential foods, thirst, the burning sun, excessive heat. When the weary exiles began their journey back through the hot wildernesses with short provisions and insufficient water, God made a similar promise to them - ‘they shall not hunger or thirst, nor will the heat or sun smite them, for he has mercy on them and will lead them, he will guide them by springs of water’ - and that is the promise on which this passage is based as Isaiah teaches us in chapter 49.10. So it has especially in mind those who travel through desert regions, a picture of the Christian journey, for Christians are seen as aliens and pilgrims on the earth (1 Peter 2.11 and Hebrews 11.9-10. Now, however, their wanderings, with all their attendant problems, are over.
‘For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to fountains of waters of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ Previously the Lion became a Lamb (5.5), now the Lamb becomes a Shepherd. Such are the wonders of God’s ways. Thus our Shepherd Is the One in the midst of the throne, the King Himself.
John elsewhere refers to our Lord Jesus as the Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep in John 10.11, so the connection with the slain Lamb is appropriate. The work of the Good Shepherd in John 10 is now satisfactorily completed, and still as the Good Shepherd He will satisfy them with the water of life from abundant fountains (Psalm 23.2; Isaiah 41.18; 49.10). Not only so but God will also be there to wipe away the tears from every eye. Our tribulation will not have been in vain. This thought is taken from Isaiah 25.8, where death is swallowed up forever. It is repeated in Revelation 21.4.
Before we finish I want one final comment on the beginning of this chapter. It began talking about the wind which affects agriculture. I would like to end by explaining to you how our Great God has put all this together in an amazing way. We started out speaking about the wind then about the selection of 144,000 young Jewish men being picked by our Lord Jesus to serve as His evangelists in these last days. We will read in an upcoming chapter that these chosen men are referred to as the Lord’s ‘First fruits.’ Of course you can see the connection relative to a harvest. Then the chapter ends talking about the Great Harvest which our Lord will take from amongst all peoples, nations, ]please note] tribes, and tongues.
When you do a little research into Jewish cultures you will see that out Lord has shown that He will do exactly what we have just read.
In the Land of Israel, the most basic sense of faith stems from an agricultural dependence on God. The Jewish farmer, whose livelihood is entirely dependent on God's blessing, must live in a perpetual state of faith and appreciation. This faith is even indicated in the kind of fruit farmers brought as bikkurim; they only offered the seven species for which the Land is praised--wheat, barley, grape, fig, pomegranate, olive, and dates. These species are native to Israel and are especially dependent on the blessing of rainwater for their growth.
The Hebrew term bikkurim and related terms for the "first fruits" derive from the same root as bekhor, "firstborn (see *Firstborn). On the same general principle that the firstborn of man and beast belonged to the God of Israel and were to be devoted to Him, the first fruits, including the first grains to ripen each season, were to be brought as an offering to God. Every Israelite who possessed the means of agricultural productivity was under this obligation (Ex. 23:19; 34:26, Num. 15:17–21; 18:12–13; Deut. 26:1–11). A frequent synonym for bikkurim is reshit, "the first [fruits]."
The agricultural enterprise does more than just sharpen one's awareness of God. Agriculture also has the power to unify the Jewish nation. The ideal Jewish society is one based on an agricultural rather than a mercantile economy.
Commenting on the bikkurim ceremony described by the Mishnah (Bikkurim 3:2), he writes that "the first fruits symbolize the special love the nation (of Israel) has for agriculture… As opposed to the nations of the world where cohesion is fostered by trade fairs, here (in an agricultural ritual) it is built through the common denominator of pure worship of God."
Shavu’ot, the Festival of Weeks, is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Passover and Sukkot). On the calendar, it come 50 days after Passover. The Feast is one of the three times when all young men were required to appear before the Lord, a pilgrim festival (Exod. 23:17; 34:23, Deut. 16:16).
As the new disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit on Shavuot, which marks the beginning of the church, it seems significant that another set of new disciples should be chosen on Shavuot to signal the end of the church age, end of the possession of the kingdom by the saints, and the onset of the tribulation, the final week of the 70 weeks, to fulfill the prophecy in Daniel 7:21 “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; The tribulation, then will be followed by the kingdom of the Messiah, as Messiah rescues his people Israel.
