Close-up :
The Jewish elect in the wilderness
(7:1-8, 14:1-5, 12:6, 12:13-16)
I’ll say it again: We have already covered most of the entire scope of the Book of Revelation, that is, the Scroll in the hand of the Lamb, in one short chapter. By chapter 7, we have come to the end of human history this side of the 2nd coming. We will not advance beyond this moment until chapter 19. That means that everything that follows from chapters 7 through 18 is nothing more than a review and a close-up of what we have already seen. In chapters 7-18 we will learn the time frame of the seals, the political background, the state of the people of God (both Jewish and Christian) during this time, the origin of the trouble, God’s preliminary judgments on it all, and more. But it is important to keep the understanding before us that with these six seals we have seen an outline of most of the Book.
Where do we go from here? Though chapter 7 begins, “after these things”, we need to understand, as with all such phrases in the book, that we are talking about the sequence of visions John saw, and not the sequence of history that took place. After the whirlwind tour of the Tribulation, John is now given a close-up, a piece of background, so that the setting of the Book starts coming into sharper focus. As you see above, I have linked the first portion of chapter 7 with events in chapters 12 and 14 where we will discuss these matters again. But, put all of these verses of chapters 7, 12, and 14 together, and here is the picture:
For three and one half years (12:6), a “woman” (12:1) is securely hidden by God (12:14) from a Dragon (12:9). She has a Child, whom the Dragon immediately attempts to destroy. She is taken to the wilderness by air (12:14). There, the Enemy makes an all-out attempt to destroy her also (12:15), fails (12:16) , and begins persecuting the other children of the woman (12:17). The woman is described much like the images of Joseph’s dream, found in Genesis 37:9. “The sun, the moon, and 12 stars” can only be the family known as Israel, in its end-time form. Only Israel combines the activities said to be performed by the woman: she gives birth to the Messiah, gives birth to Messiah’s followers and the remnant, and hides awhile from the wrath of Satan.
Consider the promise of God through Hosea in this regard (2:14): “I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her.” Also, Zechariah: (12:10) “I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for him as one mourns for his only son…”
This is why I suggest that this final “elect” of Israel, hidden away and spoken to by none other than Jesus Himself, are the 144,000. It seems that 7:1-8 is just another way of telling this wilderness story. We read here of the sealing of 144,000 special Jews. This happens early in the Tribulation before the harm caused by the destroying angels (7:3). So the entire sealing period could be the first three and one half years. Israel is called into the wilderness and into the “sealing” process in unbelief. This is why they cannot be a part of the great ingathering of the second half of chapter 7: They are not His yet! They are not ready to die the martyr’s death yet. They do not have a song of salvation, yet. But they emerge from the wilderness (14:1-5) truly converted to Jesus.
Does not Paul help us here by saying that “even at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace” ? And, “...hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:5, 25). And in the second half of chapter 7, we see those Gentiles indeed being brought in!
The announcement (7:1-4). It is worth noting that there are four angels responsible for the preservation of earth. Four. And four corners and four winds. Could this “four-ness” correspond to the devastation of the four horsemen of chapter 6?
Timing of the sealing (7:3). We know that there is incredible harm done to the earth, sea, and trees in chapter 6, so it is clear that the sealing takes place before the worst of the Great Tribulation. To be specific, the trumpets, which take place during the latter seals, sound forth their judgments first on these very things mentioned here: earth, trees, and sea (8:7-9)! So somewhere after man’s inhumanity to man brings the peoples of earth to war and poverty, and sometime before God Himself hurts the natural creation, the 144,000 are sealed.
What is the sealing (7:3)? Ezekiel talks of a mark placed on the foreheads of those who were truly caring Israelites, those who hated evil and were willing to intercede for their nation. Jesus Himself was “sealed”, or authorized, made publicly approved, by the Father. Through the words of the Baptist and through God’s sovereign power on the mountain of transfiguration, Jesus was sealed before His followers (John 6:27). Following in His train, we too are sealed by means of that same Spirit of God. We are set apart, with God’s special mark on our spirit from the day that Jesus comes into our lives. Paul is the messenger of this teaching: II Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13, 4:30. We assume that the sealing of these Jews will be similar to our own.
Who are the servants of God being sealed here (7:14)? Their number is 144,000, as in 12 tribes of Israel times 12,000 per tribe. This is a Jewish thing. This is the final remnant of Israel, drawn to Christ here, soon to be filled with the Spirit. Later, after the Gentiles are brought in, as in the last section of this chapter, these Jews come into their own. “And so, all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26). God begins with the Jew and ends with him. Thank God, Gentiles are allowed in, but they must always remember that they were brought in because Israel failed to see Messiah at first. The Kingdom is not to be taken over by Gentile culture and thought, but will remain ever, Jewish. See further on this special group at the beginning of chapter 14.
The list (7:5-8) . The counting of Jacob’s 12 sons has always been a bit confusing. The original 12, in order of their birth, are: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin. Very little of this order is preserved in the final listing before us.
Notice that Judah (7:5), from whom came the Messiah, is now first, fulfilling the prophecy about his favored status and praiseworthiness (Genesis 49:8). Firstborn Reuben (7:5) is second here. Numbers 7 and 8 of the originals, Gad and Asher (7:5-6), are now 3 and 4. Dan is missing altogether, giving rise to the speculation that antichrist will be Jewish, and from that very tribe. I think it safer to look at the behavior of the tribe of Dan, described in the book of Judges, to discover why Dan might not be in favor now. Naphtali (7:6) moves then from 6 to 5. Manasseh (7:6) is actually, with Ephraim, a grandson of Jacob, a son of Joseph. And though Manasseh appears next in this list, Ephraim is replaced by dad Joseph (7:8), who is still in the 11th place! Joseph usually does not appear in a listing of tribes. Brothers Simeon and Levi (7:7) are 7 and 8, instead of 2 and 3. Levi’s appearance, like Joseph’s, is unusual, as that tribe was to be a special group of priests spread out over the entire nation. They were therefore not given territory of their own, except certain cities. To see them once more as a “normal” tribe lets us know that the Aaronic priesthood that stems from Levi, is now being replaced once and for all by the priesthood of Melchizedec, a type of Jesus in Genesis 14.
Issachar and Zebulun (7:7-8) retain their places as the last of Leah’s children. And Benjamin (7:8), born from dying Rachel, is still the final son, like his descendant Saul/Paul, “one born out of due time” (I Corinthians 15:8).
Close-up :
The persecuted Church
(7:9-17, 12:9-11, Daniel 7:25, 8:24)
The scene changes dramatically in the last half of chapter 7 (7:9-12). The 144,000 Jews are sealed on earth, before the main events of the Tribulation. But this latter scene seems Heavenly, and it is far more than Jews who are being blessed now, although saved Jews must be in their number. All nations are before the Lamb. John is quizzed as to their identity (7:13). When the apostle hesitates, the elder who asks him, also answers him (7:14): All of the multitude John sees, he is told, has come from the Great Tribulation.
Is this scene taking place at the final rapture at the coming of Jesus? The way John describes the crowd in 7:9 seems to point that way, though the Heavenly circumstances do not, necessarily. That is, it is difficult to say whether the Throne before which they stand (7:15) is still in Heaven or has come to earth (22:3). And, are they there by martyrdom? Well, we know that most of the assembled surely are. As their companions from the fifth seal (6:11), their robes are white. Their presence before the Throne is permanent and secure (7:15-16). The Lamb is to be their eternal Shepherd (7:17). The promise had been made at the 5th seal that more slaughtered saints were on the way. They were to wait “a little while.” Here, after the fifth and presumably some of the sixth seal are being acted out, they arrive, and the prophecy is fulfilled. It would seem then that at least we are near the end of all things here.
Is chapter 14 a key to chapter 7? We will discuss it more when we get there, but consider for now that chapter 14 also begins with talk of the 144,000, who in that chapter are securely with Jesus around His Throne! Then there is mention of a Gospel that will be preached to all nations, just like the “all nations” assembled here in chapter 7 . But in chapter 14, there is no question as to the timing. In rapid-fire succession we see the Gospel preached, Babylon down, Jesus descending, the earth harvested. All we know for sure is that the end of chapter 7, at least in part, is somewhere towards the end of the Tribulation, very near the final return of Christ.
There is one other way to see this scene. This could well be a gathering of the believers just after the Matthew 25 division of sheep and goats. That would explain why they are all around the Throne. It could be, as stated above, that the Throne has come to earth, as promised in 2:23. The dead in Christ have been raised. Then, those alive and remaining have been caught up, and return to earth with Jesus. And perhaps, at the forefront of the meeting are those who so unselfishly gave themselves as martyrs during the bloodbath of antichrist.
The picture of persecuted believers (7:14), is a background shot of situations that prevail over the entire Tribulation period. Daniel saw it clearly even in his day, a king that would arise and destroy the holy people (Daniel 8:24). Let’s piece together the other parts of the puzzle and see what we come up with.
Following a brief episode of heavenly conflict, Satan and all of his own are deposited here on the planet (12:9). One speaking from Heaven tells how believers overcame Satan by Jesus’ blood and their testimony (12:11). Tell me who but the Church does such things, by the way? The Jews, 144,000 of them, are in hiding, as Christ reveals Himself to them. So the church takes the brunt of Satan’s hits, being faithful even to death. We will see later the exact manifestation Satan chooses to use for the end-time masquerade. But the players are obvious. First, Demons. Then, Christians, that is, those who keep God’s commandments and have the testimony of Jesus, the “other” children of the woman Israel. It is important to recall that the first Church was Jewish, that the Gospel was first preached to the Jews, and that when all is said and done, the tree to which we Gentiles have been grafted is Israel.
In summary then, Chapter 7 portrays two background pictures, two separate groups of people. The first is a selected group of end-time Israelites, who by their calling here to salvation will fulfill the ultimate purposes of the Lord for the Jewish people. God heals their backsliding, and loves them freely, as He promised He would do (Hosea 14:4). The second group is clearly Gentile, although already-saved Jews cannot be ruled out as one of the “nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” gathered in on that day. This is the international church of the living God that has in the last days overcome the onslaught of Satan and has arrived at the very presence of God, never to leave Him again.
Having shown us where the story is going, the Spirit now takes us back into the dark days of the Tribulation, to focus in on the climactic disasters of the latter seals. We call this next series of events the “seven trumpets.”
