Revelation - Part 8
Notes
Transcript
Heavenly Interlude
Heavenly Interlude
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea,
3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
7 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
Look back at verse 4…
4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
I’ve pulled verse 4 back up, because I want to point out that you can count the sons of Israel that will be saved.
This is an easy passage to just read over, and not think anything about it, but the more you dig, the more questions arise.
Some questions gave you last week are:
1. Is it exactly 144,000 on the nose, or do these numbers mean something symbolic?
2. Are these tribes still on earth, or in Heaven?
3. Does it really mean Jews, or is that symbolic?
4. Why is Joseph listed instead of Ephraim?
5. Why are the Levites listed at all?
6. Where is Dan?
7. Why is Judah listed first, when he was the 4th brother?
I have some possible answers to some of these question, but some parts still remain a mystery to me. Let’s take them one question at a time.
1. Is it exactly 144,000 on the nose, or do these numbers mean something symbolic?
1. Is it exactly 144,000 on the nose, or do these numbers mean something symbolic?
There is an ongoing debate on this, and I do not have a hard position either way. The deciding factor is whether or not this represents actual Jews, or the church in general. If the latter, then it cannot be 144,000 as we have more people in the church than that, and John says later in this chapter that the church cannot be numbered.
2. Are these tribes still on earth, or in Heaven?
2. Are these tribes still on earth, or in Heaven?
I lean toward earth. We see the Gentiles described later in this chapter as being before the throne. Here, we see the Tribes of Isreal being protected on the Earth. So, the scene does not change to Heaven until verse 9 in my opinion.
3. Does it really mean Jews, or is that symbolic?
3. Does it really mean Jews, or is that symbolic?
This is highly debated. There many who think this isn’t really referring to actual Jews, but instead to something else like the entire church during the tribulation. It calls them Sons of Isreal in verse 4. So, it does seem plausible to take it at face value.
4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
I would not consider myself a son of Isreal. I’m a son of God. Isreal is a Son of God. However, we are their brothers by adoption according to Romans 8. And
7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.
=Gal 3.26-29
26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
So, I think it is either a literal remnant of Jews who will be protected during the tribulation, and will be literal “servants of God” like verse 3 says…
3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
Or, the other more compelling idea to me is that this is symbolic of the church, the ones of us adopted as brothers of Isreal, grafted into the Branch of Jesse, The real Isreal, and here depicted as still being on Earth. And then, the latter half of this chapter is a vision of all of them, from every nation, standing in Heaven…. which is more than 144,000. So, that number would have to be symbolic if the Sons of Isreal are also symbolic. Which I think it is. 144,000 is the multiplication 12 squared and 10 cubed. It cannot be a literal limitation of those saved, as we know there are more than this. It must represent a completeness. All people of the real Isreal, church, will be sealed, and saved during the coming tribulation.
Stars vs Sand
15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven
16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,
17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,
18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
Back to Revelation 7… Again This chapter shows us that we have stepped out of chronological order in chapter 7. This vision is an interlude. It is already overlapping the first 6 seals. Remember Seal 6 is the end of the world as we know it, so why would we then talk about protecting these sons of Isreal on the earth? We are now having somewhat of a flashback to Seal 5.5 or so. And it is a flashback to the great tribulation, and a remnant being protected during that tribulation.
This obviously flys in the face of any pre-trib Rapture theories, but holding a hard position on the timing of the Rapture is very difficult to do. There are just too many pieces of evidence that contradict any one position, and that is for a reason. We aren’t supposed to know when it happens. It is nice to think we will not be here when the tribulation takes place, but in this same chapter we will see a verse that says otherwise.
3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
The comfort we must take from this is, that we are “sealed”, and that “sealing” identifies us as God’s people. And I know God isn’t going to pour out any wrath on his own people. The Bible clearly says that. When the plagues were dropped on Egypt, God’s people were protected in Goshen. When the 10th plague came, and that death angel flew over, God’s people had blood on their doorpost. So, if we are here, we might be persecuted by Man, but God’s wrath is not for us.
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
4. Why is Joseph listed instead of Ephraim?
4. Why is Joseph listed instead of Ephraim?
For this, I do not know. It is somewhat of a mystery to me. Joseph always had a double portion. His two sons became 2 of the 12 tribes since Levi took the role of priesthood. Manasseh was the eldest brother, but Jacob blessed Ephraim as the firstborn. It is an recurring theme in the Bible, that the eldest would serve the youngest. So perhaps, Ephraim earned the right to take Joseph’s place and name? This is the best I can surmise, and most commentaries are silent on this oddity. Joseph is still getting a double portion, he is just replacing the tribe of Dan instead of the tribe of Levi. Which leads us to the next question.
5. Why are the Levites listed at all?
5. Why are the Levites listed at all?
The short answer, the levitical priesthood is no longer needed. Jesus is the high priest, and we are a royal priesthood. Levi can finally give up the ephod, and go back to being a son of Isreal.
Paul teaches this concept throughout the book of Hebrews, most clearly here:
22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office,
24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.
So, Jesus is the High Priest forever. Levi can just be a Son of Isreal again.
6. Where is Dan?
6. Where is Dan?
This one is the easiest for me to answer. Dan abandoned his inheritance. The tribe left the land God gave him, didn’t fight the Philistines, and never conquered what is now known as the Gaza strip. To this day, that strip is fought over. Dan left that fight, and went east of the Jordan river, which never went well for anyone, and then stole land that was not promised to them from a peaceful people. The Tribe of Dan willingly disinherited themselves. There is a whole message wrapped up in that story.
7. Why is Judah listed first, when he was the 4th brother?
7. Why is Judah listed first, when he was the 4th brother?
This should be obvious. From the time of David, Judah took the throne, and Jesus is forever on that throne. The Mighty God in Christ.
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
It should be noted that in General Semitic the basic meaning of שֵׁבֶט is stick, staff, sceptre.
The substantive then develops in meaning from “the sceptre of authority” to signify a group of people under the command of “the one who holds the sceptre”
Back to chapter 7.
From Sand To Stars
From Sand To Stars
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
11 And all the angels were standing 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 saying, “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, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”
14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming 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 shelter them with his presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
From Every Nation
From Every Nation
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
So, are we talking about a different set of people, or the same set of people?
If you take the “Sons of Isreal” to figuratively represent the church, then we are talking about the same people. One of the biggest clues is that the tribe of Levi is listed among the sons, and the Tribe of Judah is listed First. This tips us off that the Sons of Isreal are no longer the OT tribes. Judah is firstborn now, and Levi is no longer the priest.
Let’s take notice in verse one some differences that have taken place.
The church can no longer be numbered.
We could count the Sons of Isreal, but the church is impossible to count. It is huge!
2. The church is multicultural.
The church is not going to be one race with 12 tribes, it will be every race, every tribe, and every language.
This was promised to Abraham, and spoken many times by all the prophets. God never intended for this to be contained in Jerusalem. The church is a Global force of billions and billions of souls.
3. Standing before the Throne
Now, they are in heaven where John is at. Something has shifted. The opening scene shows the earth in trouble and the church being protected and sealed. Now we see them before the throne in white robes. We will see why their robes are white in just a second.
10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
From verse 10-12, we see a celebration taking place. The church is saved, and they credit their salvation to God and the Lamb. Remember, the one sitting on the Throne is Jesus, and the Lamb represents the incarnation, and the sacrifice Jesus made for our sins to bring us salvation. They are standing in heaven because of that sacrifice.
In verse 13, we see an elder asking John a 2 questions
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”
Who are they, and where did they come from?
John doesn’t know, but is certain the elder knows.
14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Notice it says they came “out of the great tribulation”.
This verse can only be reconciled with a pretribulation rapture theory one way, and that is if there will be people saved after the Rapture. I do not feel comfortable teaching that. I know the left behind books and movies teach that concept, but I do not know of a single verse that can corroborate that theory, and I have searched for it.
So, then the only other coheasive theory is that the church will have to endure some Tribulations. I do not believe it will be all of it, because we must be gone by the time Jesus returns for the battle of Armageddon. I also believe that the wrath of God will not affect us. We are “Sealed” and therefore protected from that wrath according to this very chapter.
Remember they have white robes on. This is how. They washed their robes white by the blood of the Lamb. So, this is the church, no doubt about that, and they came “out” of the tribulation.
A Glimpse at Heaven
A Glimpse at Heaven
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 shelter them with his presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
