Revelation 7

The Great Tribulation:

Why would God chose to bring about tribulation?

To wake up sinners/unbelievers

Talk about an opportunity to repent.

To shake up the nation of Israel

Talk about replacement theory, that the church has replaced the kingdom of Israel. That is heresy and incorrect.

To make up the kingdom of God

Those who repent and serve God will be the final Kingdom of God.

Revelation 7:1–3

“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.

Talk through what this means? Ask what this verse means. Talk about it being the judgement of God.

Table Time: Is it possible for Angels to hold back God’s judgement?

Galatians 6:7–10 NIV

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Its probably much more likely that this is kind the earth reaping the generational curse that is caused by sin. It is a means of God’s mercy.

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.””

What Significant words do you see in these two verses?

ΖΑΏ- (pronounced ZO A) Living

Θεός- (Theos) God

Revelation 9:1–4 NIV

1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

Matthew 16:15–16 NIV

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

*** Talk about how this is a separation, being sealed by God is belonging to God***

Revelation 7:4–8 NIV

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.

There are some troubles with this list:

(1) it parallels no other biblical or non-biblical list

(2) Judah—instead of Reuben—heads it

(3) it includes Levi, an unusual, but not unique, phenomenon

(4) it does not include Dan; and

(5) it includes both Joseph and Manasseh, but not Ephraim

So then who are the 144,000?

I have no idea!!

Here is what we know!

They are servants of God.

They are sealed by God

They are Jewish Christians.

John 14:5–7 NIV

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Revelation 7:9–12

“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 before 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.”

****Talk about the significance of the palm branches, and crying out in a loud voice****

Matthew 21:6–8 NIV

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

Luke 19:37–40 NIV

37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

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!””

This is a benediction, a going forth in praise!

Revelation 7:13–17

“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.

*****Talk about the translation here. Why does it matter*****

The NIV does a poor Job of translating verse 14.

The word translated sir is, “kurie” but follows with the possessive pronoun mou so that to translate to “my sir” However most of the time kurie is translated lord, and the combination of kurie and mou is translated my lord or my sovereign lord.

14 I answered, “my Lord, 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.

Is there a difference between the great tribulation and the tribulation?

Matthew 24:21–22 NIV

21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

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 ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on 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.’””