“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” (Rev 1:3)
The 144,000 Sealed Servants of God (7:117) I. The Identity of the 144.000 A. “The stage has been set and the unveiling of God’s ultimate victory formally begins. This section marks the first of a series of three judgment visions (seals, trumpets, and bowls), each with seven elements. Crucial to understanding the larger story is the question in the opening of the sixth seal: ‘Who can stand?’ (as the Lamb pours out his wrath). The answer comes in Revelation 7 with two visions of people belonging to God – the 144,000 on earth, sealed with divine protection, and the great multitude in heaven standing before God’s throne.” (Hayes, Duvall, and Pate, Dictionary of Biblical Prophecy, 377) 1. They are sealed with “the seal of the living God” (7:2; 9:4; 14:1; and see Ezek 9:4 on the letter tav). 2. This “seal” (sfragi÷ß, sphragis) is in contrast to the “mark” (ca¿ragma, charagma) of the beast. 3. The function of the seal was to mark God’s people for protection from His judgment (7:1-3). B. The 144,000 is not a symbolic reference to the church. 1. “Posttribulationalists identify the 144,000 as ‘spiritual Israel,’ i.e., the church, though some suggest that they form a Jewish remnant—not members of the church and therefore not to be raptured at the end of the Tribulation. They are orthodox but unconverted Jews who will resist the seductions of the Antichrist.” (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 604). 2. “No clear-cut example of the church being called “Israel” exists in the NT or in ancient church writings until A.D. 160. Galatians 6:16, where “the Israel of God” can and probably does refer to some group other than the church as a whole, is no exception. This fact is crippling to any attempt to identify Israel as the church in Rev 7:4. Such an attempt becomes even more ridiculous because it necessitates typological interpretation that divides the church into twelve tribes to coincide with the listing of Rev 7:5-8, even with all the irregularities in that list. . . . The approach is so misconceived that it does serious violence to the context (Beasley-Murray). It cannot be exegetically sustained.” (Thomas, Revelation, 476). C. The 144,000 is a reference to ethnic Israel—the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
II. The Activity of the 144.000 (see 14:1-5)
III. The Identity of the Great Multitude A. To whom does this multitude refer? Martyred Tribulation Saints? Raptured Church Age Believers? the Elect of Every Age? B. “The ‘great multitude’ is described as consisting of those ‘from every nation, tribe, people and language’ (v. 9). They are thus non-Israelites who have ‘come out of the great tribulation’ (v. 14), It seems clear from this passage that many will turn to Christ during the Tribulation period and will suffer martyrdom for the sake of the Gospel. The scene that John sees here appears to come after the end of the Tribulation. It finds its parallel in the scene at ch. 21, the new Jerusalem.” (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 604-605).
IV. The Activity of the Great Multitude A. Wearing white robes (7:9, 14)—an allusion to the purification needed to serve as priests (Exod 19:10, 14, “where the people must consecrate themselves by “washing their garments” in order to dwell in Gods’ presence. . . . see Lev 8:30, where the priests’ garments also are sprinkled with blood to signify consecration to serve God in the tabernacle.” (Beale, Revelation, 440). B. Holding palm branches (7:9)—“Palms were a longstanding sign of victory in the Greek world, and the Roman authors Livy, Vergil and Cicero made use of them based upon this significance as well. Palm branches were associated with the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:40). Together with the myrtle, willow and citron, they formed the lulab, an object the rabbis tell us was shaken at the recitation of Psalm 118:25: ‘O LORD, save us!’ (Hebrew, Hosanna!). In John 12:13 the crowds waved their palm branches while shouting this same verse. The Maccabees used palm branches as part of the rededication ceremony for the temple (2Mc 10:7) and minted coins picturing palm trees along with the inscription ‘For the redemption of Zion.’ These symbols were also employed by the Jews of the failed Bar Kokhba rebellion when they attempted to overthrow the Romans and set up a Messianic kingdom. Palm branches thus vividly depicted God’s victory and the deliverance of his people. Revelation 7:9 portrays Christians who have overcome the persecutions of this world as waving palm branches and wearing white robes. The symbolism of the palm branches would have been meaningful to any ancient reader, but especially to one familiar with the place of palm branches in Jewish tradition and worship.” (Archaeological Study Bible) C. Service before the throne (7:10-15) D. Recipients of God’s promises: “The sufferings on earth of those mentioned in vv. 13–14 are left behind, showing that John now reflects on the future heavenly inheritance. They hunger no more, neither thirst anymore. As priests, they serve God in his temple, in which he will shelter them from sun and scorching heat (cf. Isa. 49:10), spreading his tent over them and “dwelling” with them (cf. Ezek. 37:27; John 1:14). Under the protective care of the Lamb, their shepherd, they find refreshment in springs of living water (Ps. 23:1–2), tasting the promised joys of the new Jerusalem even before its final descent from heaven (Rev. 22:1), their every tear dried by God himself (Isa. 25:8; Rev. 21:4). Such comfort gives martyrs and other deceased believers rest as they await their resurrection and their persecutors' destruction (6:11; 14:13).” (ESV Study Bible)
Lesson Eight © 2009 Tim M. Sigler, Ph.D.
Revelation 7:117
1 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.
9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the THRONE and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the THRONE, and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the THRONE and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the THRONE and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes — who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have 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 spread his tent over them. 16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the THRONE will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (NIV)