Revelation 7

In our last lesson, we studied the 5^th and 6^th seals.

So we are ready for the 7^th seal, right?

(Rev 8:1-2 NKJV) When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. {2} And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.

One problem! We are in chapter 8, and we are supposed to be in chapter 7. What happens in Chapter 7? Some have called it parenthetical. It deals with important information, but where does it fit in? Some say here, others say, “Don’t know.”

(Rev 7:1 NKJV) 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 four winds of the earth:

Anything that would interfere with the process that God has in mind. Some make these forces of evil. That would make sense in light of what is said in verse 3. It is apparent that God will not allow any thing or force to interfere with His purpose.

(Rev 7:2-3 NKJV) 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 on their foreheads."

A Seal denotes ownership or authority. In this case, it is God’s seal, indicating that He is marking those who are His.

1^st, there are the 144,000 described in Rev 7:4-8

Then there is a great multitude described in Rev. 7:9-10 and other details are added after this.

Notice Paul’s statement:

(Rom 1:16 NKJV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

I think we have the same pattern here: Jew first, then Gentile.

(Rev 7:4 NKJV) 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:

Who are the tribes of the children of Israel? Are they physical Israel or Spiritual Israel? I believe we are talking about physical Israel because of what follows:

(Rev 7:5-8 NKJV) of the tribe of [1] Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of [2] Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of [3] Gad twelve thousand were sealed; {6} of the tribe of [4] Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of [5] Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of [6] Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; {7} of the tribe of [7] Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of [8] Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of [9] Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; {8} of the tribe of [10] Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of [11] Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of [12] Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

How is there 12 if one is missing? Joseph had two sons: Ephraim and Manasseh. 2) Here Joseph is listed instead of Ephraim, why? Usually Ephraim and Manasseh were listed because Levi was not listed because the Levites lived among the people and did not have a special parcel of land. 3) Why 12,000 for each tribe? 4) Why is the order changed?

Who are the tribes of the children of Israel? Are they physical Israel or Spiritual Israel? I believe we are talking about physical Israel because God has listed 12 of the tribes. How can you divide “Spiritual Israel,” the church, into 12 tribes? There is no possible way of deciding what Christians could be assigned to which tribe.

Many in the church would give an emphatic, “Yes!” The problem with a yes answer is that it seems to contradict, or at least leave unexplained numerous other passages. For example: Ezekiel 37.

(Ezek 37:1-3 NKJV) The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. {2} Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. {3} And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know."

(Ezek 37:11-14 NKJV) Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, 'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!' {12} "Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. {13} "Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. {14} "I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it," says the LORD.'"

What can we say about these? 1) It hasn’t happened yet! 3) To say it won’t happen is to make God’s Word meaningless, unless it is somehow “spiritualized” which I don’t know how to do.

(Rom 11:25-33 NKJV) For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. {26} And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; {27} For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins." {28} Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. {29} For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. {30} For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, {31} even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. {32} For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. {33} Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

Returning to Revelation 7:

The Great Multitude: The Gentiles!

(Rev 7:9-12 NKJV) 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."

(Rev 7:13-15 NKJV) Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?"

(Rev 7:14) 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.

(Rev 6:9-11 NKJV) When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. {10} And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" {11} Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

Now the white robes have been put on! Now they are rejoicing in the presence of God!

(Rev 7:16-17 NKJV) "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."

(Rev 21:3-4 NKJV) And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. {4} "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."