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Revelation 7 and 10 - 11 / Parallels

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Revelation 7

Scripture Reading : Revelation 6.12-17

Revelation 6:12–17 NKJV

12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Me - So, Revelation 7 comes after the sixth seal, with 6.12-17 being the intro or context for chapter 7. All of this having strong echoes of what Jesus says in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21. Paulien gives this helpful parallelism with Mark 13.24-27 in particular:

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens 1 will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.” Mark 13:24-25 parallels Revelation 6:12-14. Mark 13:26 parallels Revelation 6:15-17 and Mark 13:27 parallels Revelation 7:1-3.

https://thebattleofarmageddon.com/fb_com/Facebook%20Comm%20on%20Rev%207.pdf

Context

The context of Revelation 7 in the book in the flow of events in the book is following the sixth seal. Chapter 6 containing the seals, no’s 1 - 6, which no man could open save the Lamb. The Lion of the tribe Judah, the Root of David.

Extempore on the horses of chapter 6...

The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation Chapter VII—The Seal of the Living God

THE TIME of the work here introduced is established beyond mistake. The sixth chapter closed with the events of the sixth seal, and the seventh seal is not mentioned until we reach the beginning of

Verse 1-2

Revelation 7:1–2 NKJV

1 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. 2 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,

Verse 1

The four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, are the Lord’s angels, and that they stand on the four corners shows that this has global impact - affecting all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues.

This for me is connected to Rev. 14.6-7, the 1st angels message - a message that reaches everywhere followed by a judgment that reaches everywhere....

"After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth. . .” Winds sweep away chaff and purify the atmosphere, so they are fitting symbols of God’s judgement actions throughout Scripture (1 Kings 19:11; Job 1:19; 21:18; 2 30:15; Psalm 1:4; 147:18; Isaiah 11:15; 27:8; 32:2; 41:16; Jeremiah 22:22; 49:36-37; 51:1-2; Daniel 2:35; 7:2). Winds are also called God’s chariots (Jer 4:13), which God uses to execute judgement (Isa 66:15-16). In the extra-canonical book Psalms of Solomon 8:1-2, a strong wind is associated with the sound of many people, so it can be symbolic of human activity, both positive or negative. Since the winds in Revelation 7 have the purpose to hurt (Rev 7:2), they are negative images, it is a hurtful blowing that is being restrained. The four winds represent a final, worldwide catastrophe in the context of the disasters in the sixth seal (on winds as catastrophes see Jeremiah 18:17). So the four angels are depicted as “holding back” (Greek: kratountas) the four winds, to delay their actions and the consequences of their actions. The angels are not the creators of these winds, but they have power over them and are restraining them from blowing over the earth.

Q. Why are these winds being held back? The answer will come… let’s read on.

“In order that the wind might not blow upon the earth, upon the sea, or upon any tree.

The winds are not to blow on the earth, the sea, or any tree. The earth and sea together are negative symbols, they are the sources of the two beasts of Revelation 13. The trees, on the other hand, represent God's people (Rev 9:4, see also Psalms of Solomon 14:3). Both the wicked and the righteous seem to be in view here.

Revelation 9:4 NKJV

4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

Psalms of Solomon 14:3 LES

2 The holy ones of the Lord will live in it forever. His holy ones are the garden of the Lord, the trees of life.

The final end-time events are not to begin until all of God's people are sealed Rev 7:2-3).

Revelation 7:2–3 NKJV

2 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.”

Verse 2

The Sealing

What is the seal of God

2 Timothy 2:19 NKJV

19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

Ephesians 1:13–14 NKJV

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 4:30 NKJV

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

From John’s prophetic sealing (Eph. 4:30). From John’s prophetic standpoint, at the time of the end, a seal on the forehead was used to distinguish those who were on God’s side from those who were not. The others having the mark of the beast on their foreheads or their right hands (Rev. 13:16-17). However, those worshipping God were to be sealed only on their foreheads (14:1).

The faithfulness of the sealed has been tested in every generation. Revelation presents the test in the final crisis as being the keeping of God’s commandments (see Rev. being the test of obedience to God (14:7). As the Sabbath was the sign of God’s people in biblical times (Ex. 31:12-17; Ezek. 20:12, 20), so John presented it as the sign of loyalty to God in the final crisis. Andrews Bible Commentary, 2022, p. 1958

Unlike the general New Testament view, the sealing in this passage seems to function as a protection more than a validation (Ezekiel 9 not Ephesians 1:13). While recognising those who are God’s, the primary purpose of the seal is to shelter them from the tribulations to come (Rev 7:14). In interpreting Revelation, we should not forget the fundamental meaning of sealing-- that which distinguishes genuine Christians from all other people (2 Tim 2:19). But in the final crisis of earth's history, it will take on an additional importance in the sense that it will also be a mark of protection--a protective aura around the follower of Jesus as he or she faces the terrible final events of earth's history. Stefanovic points out that the opposite of the seal of God in Revelation is the mark of the beast. That mark is received by those who oppose God, His people and the gospel in the final days of earth’s history (Rev 13:16-17, see also 14:9; 16:2; 19:20 and 20:4). While the seal of God consists of the name or character of God being applied in the lives of end-time believers, the mark of the beast consists of the name and character of the beast being applied in the lives of his end-time followers. Some of the followers of the beast embrace his character willingly (mark on the forehead), others simply go along for economic and other benefits (mark on the hand). The seal and the mark denote conformity to the character of the respective “God” that 6 human beings worship at the End. In the final crisis everyone one earth will bear “the image of the demonic or the divine.” (Beatrice Neall, quoted in Stefanovic, second edition, 262). Paulien, The Facebook Commentary on Revelation, p. 6-7

Verse 3 - 8

Revelation 7:3–8 NKJV

3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 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: 5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

The earth and the sea bring to mind the wicked (the beast from sea and the beast from the earth of Rev. 13), whereas trees would be the righteous, the saints.

2)—People suffering in hospital beds often ask the question of chaplains, “Is God punishing me? Is that why I am here?” At times like that it is good to be able to say, “No, God is not punishing you. In the words of Jesus, ‘An enemy has done this’” (). There is a grand cosmic conflict going on over the character of God. God chooses to win that conflict, not by force, but by demonstration of who He is. The Enemy accuses God of having a character like his. The trials we experience are a “theatre of the universe” (Eph 3:10) in which God and Satan are exposing what they are like so that the true character of God can be seen. The little battles we fight every day are part of a much larger conflict. Paulien, The Facebook Commentary on Revelation, p. 7

The 144,000

Is there any consensus amongst Adventist scholars on the identity of the 144k? Their identity must matter, for Christ himself comes to seal them.

The general consensus seems to be that these are the same group as the Remnant, who then go through the great tribulation. An army of believers who are sealed by God, in preparation for the great tribulation.

John hears and then sees....

John hears the army (in symbolic formation / 144k) and then sees the multitude arrayed in white robes. One is a symbol of war, and the other a symbol of victory. Could it be that these are the same group? Heard, and then seen by John.

John hearing and seeing the same thing, with it appearing differently, appears in other places in Revelation (See 1.10-12; 5.5-6 and 17.1-5, 15)

The number twelve is the root number behind 144,000. It is made up of three times four. Four is the number of the creation, with a view to the whole universe or the whole earth, 8 as can be clearly seen in Revelation 7:1-3. Three is the number related to God and to spiritual things. Numerically twelve (4 x 3) is related to the number seven (4 + 3). They are the two most frequent numbers in Revelation, expressing completion. As a combination of four and three, the number twelve itself represents the totality of God’s people. It appears more than a hundred times in Scripture and consistently represents the people of God. Israel was made up of twelve tribes (Gen 35:22; 49:28), Jesus had twelve disciples (Matt 10:1-5, Mark 3:14; Luke 6:13, John 6:70-71, etc.), the New Jerusalem has twelve gates and twelve foundations (Rev 21:12-14), and the Tree of Life has twelve fruits (Rev 22:2). Less well known are the twelve sons of Ishmael, all of whom were princes (Gen 17:20; 25:16), the twelve chiefs of Israel (Num 1:44), the twelve spies of Israel (Deut 1:23), the twelve stones of the Jordan River (Josh 4:2-9), the twelve cities of the Levites (Josh 21:40), the twelve governors of Solomon (1 Kings 4:7), the twelve bronze oxen that held up the bronze sea in Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 7:44; 2 Chr 4:2-4; Jer 52:20), the twelve lions in front of Solomon’s throne (1 Kings 10:18-20; 2 Chr 9:17-19), the twelve stones of Elijah (1 Kings 18:31), the twenty-four courses of priests each had twelve trained musicians (1 Chr 25:1-31), the twelve thrones upon which Jesus’ disciples would one day sit (Matt 19:28), and the twelve patriarchs (Acts 7:8). Paulien p. 8-9

12 x 1000 - A unique tribal list (See Steve Wohlberg on the 144,000, parallelisms to Numbers 31)

Dan and Ephraim are missing, whereas Joseph and Benjamin are added. It is also of note that Judah is first, the tribe of the Messiah.

That said, there are various tribal lists in the OT.

An aside...

Rev 7:4— “And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000, sealed from all the tribes of the sons of Israel.” The phrase, "I heard the number" appears two times in the book of Revelation (7:4 and 9:16). Revelation 9:16 reads as follows: "The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number." The Greek behind both phrases is identical (Greek of 7:4: êkousan ton arithmon; Greek of 9:16: êkousa ton arithmon). In context, the two groups in the last crisis of earth's history are 1) the people of God, and 2) the opponents of God. The final proclamation of two competing gospels (Rev 14:6-7 and 16:13-14) results in the entire world being gathered into two opposite groupings at the end of time. The 144,000 and the two hundred million are symbolic, rather than literal, numbers which represent the two outcomes of the final proclamation of the gospel. Probation closes because people on both sides are so settled in their beliefs they would rather die than change.

Who will be able to stand?

Verse 9-13

Revelation 7:9–13 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 worshipped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honour and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”

With this verse we come to the second part of the answer to the question of Revelation 6:17: When the great day of God’s wrath comes, who will be able to stand? The answer to that question is two-fold, the 144,000 (Rev 7:4) and the great multitude (Rev 7:9). At first glance, the two groups are completely opposite. The first group is numbered exactly, the second cannot be counted. The first group is drawn from the twelve tribes of Israel, the second is made up of every nation and tribe. The first group is depicted on earth (Rev 7:1-3) while the second is seen standing before the throne of God and the Lamb (Rev 7:9). The first group is sheltered from the Great Tribulation (Rev 7:1-3), the second group has passed through it (Rev 7:14). So the immediate impression is that the two groups are as opposite as they can be.

This literary strategy is important for understanding chapter seven of Revelation. John never sees the 144,000. He hears the number (Rev 7:4). But when he looks he sees a great multitude that no one can number (Rev 7:9). The one group is made up of people from the twelve tribes. The other is people from every nation. But as opposite as the two groups appear, they are the same group but in different roles. These two groups together answer the question: "Who will be able to stand? (Rev 6:17)?” They are clearly the same group in different circumstances. The key may be found in Revelation 7:1-3, 14. The context of the 144,000 is the time of restraint before the loosing of the winds (7:1-3), so the announcement of the 144,000 (7:4) comes as the world is entering into tribulation. The great multitude is seen after the tribulation (7:14) and so assures us that the end-time people of God is not a limited but quite vast and diversified. This is in contrast to the opinion that only a few will be saved. Paulien p. 17

The Great Multitude

White robes and palm branches in their hands...

John saw that the great multitude were clothed in white robes, had palm branches (signs of triumph and victory) in their hands, were praising God and the Lamb for their salvation (v. 9). In ancient times, Roman generals and soldiers were clothed in white robes and palm branches were used to celebrate a successful military victory. Here we see the fulfilment of the promise to the overcomers in Sardis that they would walk before Christ clothed in they would walk before Christ clothed in the robes of the multitude were made white by the blood of the Lamb. Andrew Bible Commentary p. 1960

“Having palm branches in their hands.” In the Greco-Roman context, palm branches were emblems of victory, given to winners at athletic events. They are, therefore, quite appropriate in this context. Palm branches only appear twice in the New Testament. One of those appearances is here. The other occasion is the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (John 12:13). In both instances, palm branches are associated with acclamation of Jesus. In John Jesus was being acclaimed as he approached the city of Jerusalem, here He is being acclaimed by the great multitude of God's people before the throne in heaven. By mentioning palm branches here, the author connects the two scenes. Just as in the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, Jesus is here being acclaimed by His people for His final victory and His role as King of the Universe. In the Old Testament, palm branches are associated with the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:40; Neh 8:14-15), which reminded a people settled in Canaan of the hardships they endured to reach the promised land. Since Revelation portrays a New Exodus motif, Feast of Tabernacles imagery is appropriate to this depiction of end-time victory. Paulien 19

…of all nations, tribes, tongues, and peoples.

“From every nation; tribes, peoples and languages.” The word “nation” (Greek: ethnous) in English means territories with a common government, like the United States or Japan. The Greek word ethnos, however, is the root of the English “ethnic,” referring more to races of people. As noted earlier, the singular suggests a focus on the human race as a whole. The word “tribes” (Greek: phuôn) refers to people descended from a common and verifiable ancestry, a greatly extended family, or a related subgroup within a nation. The word “peoples” (Greek: laôn) refers to masses of people or communities distinguished by location or other features rather than common ancestry or language. The word “languages” (Greek: glôssôn) refers to groups of people who share a common way of speaking, whether or not they share a common ancestry or are located together. With this designation the human race is divided by speech rather than national boundaries, kinship or location. The combined meaning of this four-fold grouping is that people from all over the earth and of all types will be among the redeemed. God makes no distinctions in terms of who can be saved. Paulien p. 18

Verse 13

Revelation 7:13 (NKJV)

13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”

Answering a question with a question...

Verse 14

Revelation 7:14 NKJV

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.

Another aside...

“And I said to him, ‘My Lord, you know,’ and he said to me, ‘These are the ones who are coming out of the Great Tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’” The “are coming out of” phrase expresses the Greek participle (oi erchomenoi). This an extremely continuous expression whose time is governed by the main verb “are” (Greek: eisin), which is a present indicative. So the great multitude’s experience of the Great Tribulation is not described in past tense: “have come out of” (NIV, RSV, NRSV, see also KJV). Instead, they “are coming out of” the Great Tribulation (more accurately translated in ESV and NASB). They don’t come out of the Great Tribulation all at once, but gradually. The 23 focus is more on the process than the conclusion. The tense of the participle supports the idea that the visionary location of the great multitude is anticipatory, their dwelling in heaven is not literal at that moment, but spiritual. They are counted as already being “in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6) and “having already passed from death to life” (John 5:24), even while in the midst of suffering. This is very compatible with the “already, not yet” perspective of the New Testament. Paulien p. 23-24

The Great Tribulation

If we can understand the tribulation - when and what - then we can understand the necessity for the sealing?

“These are the ones who are coming out of the Great Tribulation. . .” “Great tribulation” without the article (Greek: thlipsin megalen) appears in Revelation 2:22 (and also Acts 7:11, which refers to the slavery in Egypt before the Exodus). This is a reference to a severe, but local and limited tribulation. “The” Great Tribulation (Greek: tês thlipseos tês megalês) means that not just any persecution is in view here, but a particular one that readers would already know about, one associated with the very end of time. It is for this reason that I capitalize the phrase in the above translation. The repeated article is especially emphatic: “The Tribulation, the Great One” (tês thlipseos tês megalês). The word “tribulation” in general means oppression and affliction (Matt 24:9; Acts 11:19; Col 1:24), or in some instances simply difficult circumstances (2 Cor 8:13; Jam 1:27). It is not limited to religious persecution. But in this location, building on the experience of the martyrs in the fifth seal, persecution and martyrdom seems particularly in focus. The phrase “the Great Tribulation” does not occur before this in Revelation, but 3:10 does refer to “the hour of trial” (Greek: tês hôras tou peirasmou). The choice of words here is more likely a reference to Matthew 24:21, where Jesus speaks of “great tribulation” (Greek: thlipsis megalê). He follows that reference in Matthew 24:29 with heavenly signs similar to those in the sixth seal, so a direct allusion to Jesus’ Olivet discourse is probable. In Matthew Jesus may have been building on Daniel 12:1, which speaks of a “time of trouble” (Heb: êth tzara; LXX: hê hêmera thlipseôs) unlike any other. A similar use of the article is in Revelation 1:7, where Jesus Christ comes with “the clouds” (Greek: tôn nephelôn), implying specific clouds, not just any clouds. So this is a very specific tribulation, the one alluded to in the fifth seal (Rev 6:9-11), where the list of martyrs was waiting to be completed. In this verse, the list is now complete. Paulien p. 24

…and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

The great multitude is said to have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (7:14). As the blood of the paschal lamb on the door of the house protected the Israelite's from the Exodus plagues, just before they were delivered from the Egyptians, so the blood of the Lamb, Christ himself, provides the deliverance of the eschatological Israel (cf. Rev. 22:14). Their triumph is a result of Christ’s great victory achieved on the cross. The great promise given in Revelation 3:21 has now come to its realisation. The overcomers from all ages have their share with Christ on his throne. Stefanovic, Revelation of Jesus Christ, 2009, p. 272

Endings...

Revelation 7:15–17 NKJV

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. 16 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.”

End