Revelation Study Week 18: Revelations 7:1-17

Revelation 7:1-17 The New Revised Standard Version

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 could blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2 I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.”4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel:

5 From the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,

6 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,

7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,

8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed.

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out in a loud voice, saying,“Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

11 And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 singing,“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.

16 They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat;

17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Vs. 1-3: 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 could blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2 I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.”

Throughout the judgment scenes of chapters 6–16 there are three interludes: 7:1–17; 10:1–11:13; and 12:1–14:20. These are scenes that interrupt the flow of the seals, trumpets, and bowls. They have multiple purposes:

1. the first two occur between the sixth and seventh seals and trumpets and are closely linked to the sixth judgment that precedes each. The third interlude (12:1–14:20) is separate and provides a transition from the trumpet to the bowl judgments, signifying the great conflict between the Satanic realm and God’s people.

2. The seals, trumpets, and bowls describe the judgments that are happening to the sinners, while the interludes provide information about the place of the saints in the action of this period.

3. They stress even more God’s sovereign reign over the whole process; he is watching over and protecting the saints at every stage.

Grant R. Osborne, Revelation: Verse by Verse, Osborne New Testament Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), 136.

The wind played a significant role in the previous seal judgement. If God was pouring out his wrath, how could he now be holding back the wind? This interlude is not chronological in the story. What John saw in these versus had transpired before the seal judgements were to take place.

Vs. 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel:

5 From the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,

6 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,

7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,

8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed.

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out in a loud voice, saying,“Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Who are those being sealed? The 144,000.

Two options

a literal number meaning only 144,000 jews (12,000 from each tribe) ** The tribe of Dan is missing - idolatry - some think the antichrist will come from the tribe of Dan,

a representation of all believers

12 squared by 10 cubed = 144,000

12 X 12 X 1,000 = 144,000 - 1,000 represents a garrison of troops

What he heard, the number being sealed...

What he saw, the multitude, that no one could count. From every nation, tribe, peoples, and languages.

Standing before the throne and before the lamb

They are robed in white

have palm branches in their hands

Vs. 11-14: 11 And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 singing,“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.

16 They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat;

17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Worship begins

It is interesting that there is an article in from of each of the items of worship to God…It should read

“the blessing, and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the honor and the power and the might....”

These are those who have come out of the great ordeal, or the great tribulation. Questions arise to whether this is all who suffer tribulation or only those who go through “THE” tribulation...

Also, only by washing in the blood of the lamb can their robes be made white!

The reward for their faithfulness

The one seated on the throne will be their shepherd and as their shepherd...

no more hunger

no more thirst

no more excessive heat

guided to springs of the water of life

every tear from their eyes will be wiped away