Revelation Chapter 7:1-8 Revelation 7:1-8 “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind should blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. 2And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads." 4And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 5from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 6from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, 7from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 8from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed”. At the end of chapter six everything seems ready for God to unleash His judgments, yet in this chapter we find these judgments being put on hold until the faithful are sealed, indicating that the woes described in the previous chapter are against the wicked and those who oppose God’s people. The end of chapter six asked the question, “Who is able to stand?” (6:17), that is, stand God’s day of wrath. “The reader wishes to know whether the saints on earth are able to stand and what happens to those underneath the altar” (Hailey p. 200). This chapter serves as an interlude between the opening of the sixth seal (6:12) and the opening of the seventh seal (8:1). “During this interlude John sees a vision of two parts which answers our questions about the saints on earth and those underneath the altar. The saints on earth are sealed unto God and those who had died for Him are before His throne praising Him in glory” (p. 200). Different Views Some who see this book referring to God’s judgment upon Jerusalem in A.D. 70 interpret this section as describing God protecting Christians during the siege. 1
Premillennialists argue that the 144,000 are Jews converted after the supposed rapture and during a supposed great tribulation prior to the Second Coming. 7:1 “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth”: The expression “four corners of the earth” does not mean that the Biblical writers believed that the earth was flat, for Isaiah describes the earth as a circle (Isaiah 40:22). Rather the “four corners” indicate that judgment will be universal and come from every direction, that is, the entire surface of the earth. Some here see this expression as indicating a larger judgment than simply the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, for is says the four corners of the earth and not the four corners of Palestine. 7:1 “Holding back the four winds of the earth”: “Wind” is an Old Testament symbol for God’s activity and power, including His power to destroy (Jeremiah 49:36; 51:1-2). See also (Daniel 7:2; Jeremiah 13:24; 18:17; 22:22; Ezekiel 1:4; 13:11-16). “John’s use of the four winds here was to picture the impending storm that was on the horizon. These winds were being held in the vision by four angels who were keeping the wind’s destructive forces from being released” (Ogden p. 211). “It’s not really surprising that ‘wind’ should be used as symbolic of God’s activity, since it is both powerful and invisible” (McGuiggan p. 113). 7:1 “So that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree”: God’s judgment was about to fall, but in everything He is in control. God has complete control over and the use of His creation. “The trees are probably mentioned because of their usefulness to man and their susceptibility to destruction by storms” (Hailey p. 202). 7:2 “And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun”: Here mercy is extended. God is often associated with “light” in Scripture (Psalm 84:11; Malachi 4:2). “Suddenly, dramatically, John sees another angel ascending from the east. He cries to the four angels who are controlling or holding in check the four winds of judgment” (Hendriksen p. 109). “From ‘the sunrising’ points to the directions of morning light, suggesting that this angel brings a message of cheer and encouragement” (Hailey p. 202). 7:2 “Having the seal of the living God”: The angel is coming with God’s seal in his hand to act on His behalf in sealing those who are His. Notice that this sealing is not the act of converting people. Those who are sealed; are already saints. 7:2 “And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea”: The earth was not to be “hurt” until these saints were sealed. The reader needs to compare this section to Ezekiel 9:1-8. In that section God’s people were marked or sealed, they were protected
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from destruction, but not necessarily from persecution. A seal denotes not only ownership and certifies genuine character. Point to Note: Premillennialists have a major problem with these verses referring to Jews converted during a supposed great tribulation at the end of time: 1. These people are sealed before God’s judgment is unleashed, and according to Premillennial theory, all those who are Christians prior to the great tribulation will be raptured from the earth. 2. If it is argued that those sealed are Jews converted during the great tribulation, the text specifies that those sealed are already Christians when they are sealed. 3. Many Premillennialists are also Calvinists who believe that conversion is the result of the direct operation of the Holy Spirit, but they also argue that during the great tribulation the Holy Spirit has been removed from the earth. 7:3 “Saying, ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads” In Ezekiel the Lord sent one of His cherubs through Jerusalem to set a mark upon the forehead of men who sighed and cried for all the abominations done in their midst (Ezekiel 9:1-11). God is assuring His people that He knows exactly which people belong to Him (2 Timothy 2:19). This sealing does not guarantee protection from persecution, for God already noted that other Christians would die in the near future (6:11). Rather, this sealing will protect them from God’s wrath that is about to come upon the earth. They would be, like all other men, caught up in the upheaval of a nation, but they would be spiritually preserved. The reader should note that the devil also “seals” or “marks” those who follow him (Revelation 13:16f; 14:9; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). Therefore: 1. Those sealed are not just a segment of God’s people (does the devil only mark a segment of those who follow him?); rather they represent all of God’s people on the earth. 2. This sealing is not something miraculous or against our will. The devil cannot force people to serve him rather, we can resist him (James 4:1ff; 1 Peter 5:8). The 144,000 Hal Lindsey claims that this section is speaking about literal Jews who are converted during the great tribulation. Yet, from the context of the book, we are not talking in this book about the end of the world (Revelation 1:3). Other Premillennialists misapply this verse and Matthew 24:14, and seek to argue that these are 144,000 Jewish preachers who spread the gospel to the entire world right before the Second Coming. Yet Matthew 24:14 is not talking about the Second Coming (see 24:35), and the gospel has been spread to the entire world in the First Century (Colossians 1:23).
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Hendriksen notes, “the fact that exactly twelve thousand are sealed out of every tribe---harmony in the midst of variety—should be sufficient to indicate that we are dealing with a symbol” (p. 111). The reader should be aware that Ogden believes that the 144,000 represent all the faithful Jews who died before the cross of Christ, and who are now the spirits of just men made perfect (Hebrews 12:23). Yet such an interpretation with this context seems out of order chronologically. The text is not looking back to the past, but rather to the future, and is not addressing the fate of those who lived decades and centuries ago, but the fate of Christians (6:9-11). 7:4 “And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel” The number 12 is often associated with God’s people, for example, the 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 patriarchs, and the 12 apostles. McGuiggan feels that 12x12x1000 simply underscores “all of My saints are under My care” (p. 117). Twelve multiplied by itself and then by one thousand, indicating fullness or completeness, “the total number of saints on earth at any given time” (Hailey p. 204). 7:4 “From every tribe of the sons of Israel”: Some feel that the 144,000 symbolize redeemed Jews, while the great multitude (7:9) represents redeemed Gentiles. “Based on this supposition that the 144,000 were Jews from the twelve tribes, an argument is made for the early date of Revelation, that it must have been written before the destruction of Jerusalem, A.D. 70. The argument holds that these Jews ‘by nature’ are from the historical tribes, hence tribal identity was yet possible, implying that the Jewish nation still existed and occupied its own land. Therefore the sealing must have taken place before the destruction of Jerusalem” (Hailey p. 204). In response it is noted: 1. The “earth” was to be hurt and not merely Judea. 2. Those sealed are on the earth, while the great multitude is in heaven (7:9). 3. There is neither Jew nor Gentile in Christ (Galatians 3:28). 4. Even prior to Revelation, the term “Israel”, when speaking of the saved, applies to all Christians (Galatians 6:15; Romans 2:28; Philippians 3:3). Point to Note The 144,000 are spoken of again in 14:1-5, where it is noted that they are “virgins”. That is they are virgins in the religious sense, as pure and committed to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2). They are also identified as being purchased from among men (14:4). Every Christian has been purchased with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28; Revelation 5:9-10). They are equally spoken of being as “first fruits” (14:4), and every Christian is a “first fruit” (James 1:18).
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Jehovah Witnesses argue that the 144,000 are some group of elite or extra special believers who get to be with God in heaven while the rest of the believers remain on the earth. Yet the 144,000 are not in heaven in the Revelation letter, rather they are on earth (14:1). Secondly, God repeatedly notes that all believers have an inheritance in heaven (1 Peter 1:4), for there is only one hope (Ephesians 4:4), and not an earthly hope and then a heavenly hope. Thus the 144,000 here are all of God’s people who are going to undergo the coming persecution and this period of pressure. 7:4 “Israel”: Christians are here called Israel, which should not surprise us, for Christians have been called “Israel” before (Galatians 6:15). They are true Israel, the true believers and the true inheritors of the promise given to Abraham (Galatians 3:26-29). 7:5 “From the tribe of Judah”: Consider the arrangement of these names. The tribe of Judah through whom the Messiah came, is listed first, even though he was not the firstborn. Benjamin, the youngest of the twelve, is listed last. The tribes of Ephraim and Dan are not listed, though Manasseh and Joseph are. The term Joseph may pick up the tribe of Ephraim, and the term Ephraim may be omitted because Jeroboam I, a descendant of Ephraim (1 Kings 11:26), lead God’s people into idolatry (12:25-33). The tribe of Dan left their inheritance and also practiced idolatry (Judges 18). Chilton compares the tribe of Dan to Judas of the New Testament. “We cannot suppose that Iscariot’s would stand there, any more than Dan’s” (p. 212). Hailey notes, “The 144,000 who are sealed to God, probably represent the active faithful church on earth at any time, called by some expositors ‘the militant church on earth’” (p. 206).
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