Last week, our discussion included war, famine, death, pestilence, earthquake, blackened sun, red moon, and falling stars (not the romantic kind that people wish upon). The first six seals were opened.
“Revelation 7 serves as an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals. It carries forth the grand narrative of God’s cosmic plan, providing a moment of hope and comfort amidst the turmoil and tribulation previously revealed.”[i] Think of this as a commercial break in the midst of an intense movie scene.
Chapter 7 begins with “after this.” As a refresher, let’s look back at the end of chapter 6.
Revelation 6:17 NKJV “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
It’s really a rhetorical question. It’s a question that is posed, not expecting an answer because we are told that kings, military officials, people of authority, as well as slaves, and everyone in between find themselves hiding from God’s wrath. But chapter 7 gives us an answer and tells us who will be able to stand.
Revelation 7:1 NIV “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.”
The four angels at the four corners of the Earth are thought to represent the four points of the compass: North, South, East, and West. Angels are posted at each point to hold back the winds which represent God’s judgment. This reassures us that there is mercy during judgment.
A fifth angel comes from the East which is significant because where does the sun rise each day? The East. The angel comes into a dark world from a place where light is born each day. This fifth angel speaks to the other four angels and tells them to hold back the winds (judgments) until God’s people are sealed.
There is one seal left to be broken and that will take place in chapter 8. Once that seal is broken, seven trumpets will unleash wrath and judgments that will affect the ecosystem of the Earth.
“Stopping the winds implies a ‘lull before the storm’.” “During the day of His wrath, He [God] will use the forces of nature to judge mankind.”[ii] God’s people will be protected, but they need to be sealed first.
This fifth angel comes bearing the seal of God. We know that a seal is indicative of ownership as well as protection. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit which identifies us as a child of God and offers protection from the evil one. But what seal will they receive? We can look ahead to Revelation 14 for that answer.
Revelation 14:1 “Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.”
It will come as no surprise to us later in Revelation that the antichrist will also have a mark. It’s reasonable to assume that the unholy trinity will mimic much of what the Holy Trinity will do as to cause confusion. “Both the saved and the lost will bear some kind of mark in their foreheads/hands – one for salvation and the other for destruction.”[iii]
Here’s something to think about. There won’t be any more fooling people or fooling oneself anymore. A choice will have to be made and each person will be marked according to their choice. There will be no confusion as to whether people are Christ-followers or Satan-followers. It will be one or the other; no lukewarm devotion.
There is much debate on who the 144,000 are.
“Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that only 144,000 persons since the time of Jesus can ever go to heaven, there to be co-rulers with Christ Jesus over the inhabitants of a paradise earth.”[iv]
Roman Catholics believe that the number 144,000 is not meant to be taken literally, but rather symbolically.[v]
Seventh-Day Adventist have had a tumultuous history of defining the 144,000. In the past, beliefs ranged from the 144,000 being people who rose with Christ at His resurrection to the belief that the 144,000 refers to babies killed by Herod. Others thought that the 144,000 were Jewish Christians in the first century. Today, it appears, Seventh-Day Adventists seem to shy away from discussing the topic, especially with outsiders.[vi]
Some interpret 144,000 to be representative of the church as a whole.
It appears that we are told precisely who the 144,000 are. They are Jews. Verses 5-8 of Revelation give us a detailed tally.
Now, if you’re like me, you skim over that list of names and think, “OK, it’s the 12 tribes of Israel.” Not so fast! Let’s do a comparison.
“12 When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. 13 And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.” (Deuteronomy 27:12 NIV)
The originals are Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, Benjamin, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
Now, look at verses 5 through 8 of Revelation 7.
The tribes listed are Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.
There’s a little difference there. Manasseh, who is Joseph’s oldest son, is now listed as a tribe. Joseph had two sons that Jacob blessed. Manasseh was one, and Ephraim was the other. Jacob blessed these two grandsons in the same manner that he blessed his own sons.
Did you notice Dan was left off the list in Revelation? His tribe, and his descendants are not among the 144,000. But why? Here are some theories on that.
“The tribe of Dan is where one of the pagan altars was set up after the Northern Kingdom split from the South (1 Kings 12:29). Therefore some scholars believe God held Dan responsible for bringing idolatry into the North, causing the people to stumble and fall back into idolatry, as Genesis 49:17 indicates. They use this to explain why no one from Dan is included among the 144,000 witnesses of Rev. 7:4-8.”[vii]
Another thought on why Dan is excluded stems from the curse that Jacob gave Dan as Jacob was dying. In Genesis 49:17 CEV, Jacob says to his son Dan, “17 You are a snake that bites
the heel of a horse,
making its rider fall.
18 Our Lord, I am waiting
for you to save us.”
Jacob refers to his son Dan as a snake or serpent which is not complimentary, and then Jacob makes a statement that he is waiting on God to save them. He doesn’t use this phrase any other time as he’s addressing his sons and grandsons, so it is a bit peculiar. The fact that Dan is referred to as a snake by his father who was also a prophet, along with the plea to God for salvation, leads to a theory that the antichrist or the false prophet comes out of the tribe of Dan.
What’s interesting is that the tribe of Dan was included in Ezekiel’s prophecy. Ezekiel 48 confirms that the tribe of Dan will be given land sometime in the millennial kingdom. In fact, the tribe of Dan is the first tribe that’s mentioned.
So there are a few thoughts as to why the tribe of Dan will not be among the 144,000, but the real reason may be something altogether different.
There are several things we glean from verses in Revelation regarding the characteristics of the 144,000.
i. They are called the children of Israel (Revelation 7:4).
ii. Their tribal affiliation is specific (Revelation 7:4-8).
iii. They seem to be protected and triumphant through the period of God’s wrath, meeting with Jesus at Mount Zion at His return (Revelation 14:1).
iv. They are celibate (Revelation 14:4).
v. They are the beginning of a greater harvest (Revelation 14:4).
vi. They are marked by integrity and faithfulness (Revelation 14:5).
Taken together, these facts make it difficult to say that the 144,000 are a symbolic picture of the church.
It is best to see the 144,000 as specifically chosen Jewish people who come to faith in Jesus, protectively sealed throughout the tribulation as a sign.”[viii]
Revelation 7:9 NKJV “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.”
This is just a beautiful image. John sees this mass of people, so many people that they can’t be counted. And this great multitude represents ALL nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues. This is John 3:16 personified! For God so loved the world! Not just the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France! God so loved every corner of the world, including Hum, Croatia, believed to be the smallest town in the world with a population of 30 people.[ix] Every nation, tribe, people, and tongue will be there. Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 NIV “14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” The diversity that John witnesses is evidence that the Great Commission that Jesus gave before He ascended into Heaven will be fulfilled.
And it’s a standing ovation. We are told they are all standing while the angels, elders, and the four living creatures fall in worship. They are clothed in white robes, holding palm branches in their hands. Palm branches were a symbol of triumph and victory. This is why Jesus was greeted by a crowd carrying palm branches as He entered Jerusalem. This diversified multitude is celebrating and praying because of the victory they are experiencing in God’s presence.
John is witnessing a revival in Heaven!
While judgments and wrath are happening on Earth, there’s great joy in Heaven.
Revelation 7:13 ERV “13 Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these people in white robes? Where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “You know who they are, sir.”
And the elder said, “These are the ones who have come out of the great suffering. They have washed their robes with the blood of the Lamb, and they are clean and white. 15 So now these people are before the throne of God. They worship God day and night in his temple. And the one who sits on the throne will protect them. 16 They will never be hungry again. They will never be thirsty again. The sun will not hurt them. No heat will burn them. 17 The Lamb in front of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of water that give life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
John doesn’t know who these people are, but the elder tells him these are those “who have been saved through faith in Christ during the tribulation.”[x] They would have been those who were refused food, water, and shelter because of their faith in God during the reign of the antichrist. They would have been tormented, abused, and killed because they chose Christ. We’re told they are a multitude that no one could count. Does that mean thousands? Tens of thousands? Millions? We don’t know. We only know the number is great.
Don’t miss that piece of information. The number of people saved during the Tribulation (after the rapture of the Church!) will be massive. So massive, they can’t be counted. Here’s why that gets to me. This is how merciful God is. Even after His children are brought to Him, He still desires more to join Him. As 2 Peter 3:9 NIV tells us, “Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Even after the train has left the station, the Great Conductor offers another ride. That’s unconditional love wrapped in mercy.
That other ride will come to the unsaved during the Tribulation period in three different ways. The first is what we talked about today – the 144,000. These are God’s servants. They are His messengers. They are evangelists who will scatter the Earth to share the gospel.
Jesus worked with 12 apostles who started churches and spread the gospel. Every one of us is saved today because of what the apostles did many years ago. If 12 apostles can have that kind of effect on the world, imagine what 144,000 can do?
God will seal those 144,000 to secure them, save them, and send them because He is merciful and will still give people a chance to be saved. Can you imagine the gratitude that those saved during the Tribulation will experience? Oh, what a day that will be!
[i] Revelation 7 Chapter Summary (biblehub.com)
[ii][ii] Be Victorious by Warren W. Wiersbe
[iii] What is the seal on the forehead of the 144,000? – BibleAsk
[iv] What do the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe about the 144,000 and a heavenly/earthly hope? | GotQuestions.org
[v] catholicism – Who are the 144,000 according to the Roman Catholic Church? – Christianity Stack Exchange
[vi] Thoughts on the 144,000 (andrews.edu)
[vii] Dan And The Anti-Christ – Grace thru faith
[viii] Enduring Word Bible Commentary Revelation Chapter 7
[ix] Hum – The Smallest Town in the World (attractionsineurope.com)
[x] Be Victorious by Warren W. Wiersbe
Beacons of Light 