Revelation Chapter 7

The Initial Questions________(Strauss)

1. From where was the angel ascending who had "the seal" of God__verse two?

2. For how long were the angels of destruction to be detained ___verse three?

3. How many were sealed__verse four?

4. Were there any Gentiles sealed __verse four?

5. Was there a tribe of Joseph__verse eight?

Chapter 6 closes with a horrendous picture of judgment on earth. The question is asked, "Who can stand" the wrath of the Father and the Son? Chapter 7 is an answer to that question. In the first section it gives the sealing being performed and the latter section we are shown how effective the sealing was. I agree with McGuiggan that Ezekiel 9 is in the background and ought to be read first.

Another important consideration in this section concerns suffering. It is here we find that all suffering is not the judgment of God. Sometimes the innocent suffer with the guilty. As Jim writes, just look in the days of Noah. It is almost certain that many innocent babies suffered with the guilty. God was not punishing those babies since that is prohibited in Ezekiel 18. Did not many babies die at the "Battle of Jericho?" Here is the point: Suffering cannot always be linked with personal judgment. They are not synonyms. In the case of Revelation, two different people may have well been involved in the promised famine but to one person it is judgment what the other it is just suffering.  We are told that it "rains on the just and the unjust" (Matthew 5:45).

Though the righteous may be exempt from a given judgment often times the righteous suffer along with the un-Godly. In Ezekiel 9 we read that judgment is about to fall on the wicked but the executors are told to delay until the righteous are sealed. After the righteous are sealed then all without the mark are to be executed. At first glance it seems that what we are being told is that when judgment falls the righteous will not be harmed but that is not what happens. In Ezekiel 21:3, 4 we read that the righteous died along with the wicked. In this case we must then reconcile the two ideas. When God says that people are sealed, in many cases it is a statement to the effect that the righteous are not being judged.

Here is the point:

1. The sealing visions do not guarantee physical preservation to the righteous, and;

2. The sealing visions teach that the righteous are exempt from the judgments about to fall (Jim Mc.).

An Interlude and the Sealing of the 144,000 from the Tribes of Israel 7:1-8.

I like to try to keep where we are in the story in mind. In chapter 6 we understand that the "church" is being persecuted. (6:9-11). It seems to me as if at this juncture we might expect John to tell us that the church will ultimately be victorious but we here the note of victory after the seven trumpets have sounded. But now we have the answer to the questions; who will be able to stand?

Verse 1__Vision of the 4 angels. God's complete power over the universe. If you have not noticed by now, almost everything in the book of Revelation has an angel. As discussed early on in our study, the number 4 stands for the earth (really the universe is more accurate). In this case the angels hold back the 4 winds of the earth. Winds are often used to indicate the activity of God. Just look an any good concordance. See for yourself how God uses the wind (Isaiah 57:13/Jeremiah 18:17). If we remember, in Daniel 7 we have the wind blowing out of the sea and 4 beasts arising out of it, indicating the divine activity as to how God raises kingdoms (nations).

Wind is powerful and invisible. In fact, it is not always clear if a given translation ought to be wind or spirit.

Verse 2___ God sent another messenger (authorized messenger) from the East (the rising sun).

Verse 3__They were commanded not to harm the earth "until we may seal" (place a seal on their foreheads). This comes from Zech 6:1-8. Here is what John is saying. Here, as in Ezekiel 9, all the righteous are sealed (not just some of them). This passage is very specific. The "tribulation" is not to take place until after the sealing. This creates great difficulty for the dispensationalists. They teach that the tribulation takes place "after the rapture" (when the church is called up) thus the sealing in their scheme must take place during the tribulation.

In other words, the 144,000 are sealed during the tribulation, as they see it, and not before. In Millennial jargon, this would have to be prior to the rapture. But if it were "prior" to the rapture, the 144,000 would be members of the church and they would have to be raptured. What to do? Easy, they split the 70th week of Daniel (ie. a literal 7 years) into two 3 1/2 periods. Hold that the sealing of the 144,000 takes place at the beginning of the 7 years before the judgment falls.

Verse 4___The 144,000______

According to the Bible John " heard" the 144,000 being sealed.

The sealing took place during the life of John. The means that the JW's are not among the 144,000 as they claim. The sealing took place during the NT period. The symbolism is 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. If taken completely literally, this means only Jews are saved. Keep in mind the New Testament definition of the the term "Israel" as found in Galatians 3 and Roman 9-11. The 144,000 represent all the saints who go through this period of persecution.

Verses 5-8__The list of the twelve tribes of Israel as found in John is not in the OT. Levi (v.7) is mentioned here and Levi was not a tribe. Dan is omitted and Manasseh is put in his place. As a son of Joseph he is included in the Joseph tribe mentioned in verse 8. What is the "seal"? Most millennialists must make it mean something! They call it tattoos, marks of the beast, marks on the forehead and one the hands. The "seal" here is not literal here anymore than it was in Ezekiel 9. It is a literary device and God's way of setting forth a truth. We have already discussed how the ancients viewed the seal. In this vision J0hn is telling us that God knows who belongs to Him.

Will the great crowd of Jehovah's Witnesses inherit the earth and only 144,000 go to heaven? The WATCHTOWER says, "YES, "but what does the Bible say ?

Who Is the Great crowd?

Revelation 7:9-1 5. The great crowd is the kingdom of God, or all of God's people. 

What is the location of the great crowd?

"Before the throne" of God. Revelation 7:9, 15. Where are the 144,000? In exactly the same place, "before the throne" Revelation 14:1, 3. Compare 6:8-9; 6:9,11; 11:16.

Could being "before the throne" possibly be integrated in the sense of be in a before the queen of England while living In North America? No. The great crowd will serve God "in his temple." Revelation 7:1 5.

And where is the tabernacle of God which is spread over the great crowd? Heaven! Revelation 7:9,15a; 13:6; 15:5-6.

And where is the temple of God where the great crowd will serve? The temple of God is "in heaven." Revelation 11:19; 14:17; 15:5-6.

Couldn't we say the great crowd is really to be on earth, in the outer courts of the temple? No. The great crowd is going to be "in heaven." Revelation 19:1.

Oh. but couldn't the great crowd in heaven be a different great crowd than the great crowd of chapter 7 ?

1) Notice who is a part of the great crowd in chapter 7 and chapter 19. Chapter 19 - 24 elders, 4 beasts, servants, the bride or the saints, angels and an army (people). Chapter 7 - people from around the earth who live during the great tribulation, angels, the elders, four beasts.

2)Notice what the great crowd Is saying in chapter 7 keeping in mind chapter 19. Chapter 7 Salvation, glory, honor, power. Chapter 19 -- salvation, glory, honor, power. 3) Notice what the great crowd is wearing in chapter I and chapter 19. Chapter 7 - Vs. 9 white robes, vs. 13 white robes, vs. 13 white robes washed in the blood. Chapter 19 Verse 8 fine linen clean and white which is the righteousness of the saints, Verse 14 fine linen white and clean (the blood washing is implied in verse 13 referring to the blood of Jesus).

The burden of proof is on the Watchtower to prove the great crowd-for some reason cannot go to heaven… What is this "proof "?

"The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever." Psalm 37:29. So will the great crowd never go to heaven? Are not 144,000 righteous ? Don’t they go to heaven ? Then we could say they don’t inherit the earth. Jesus said my kingdom is not of this world !Then where is it until it comes to earth ?

But haven't you heard, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5. Are the meek, J.W.'s who miss heaven? Then why aren't J.W.s "poor in spirit" verse 3, or "pure in heart" verse 8, "persecuted for righteousness sake" Verse 10, or reviled, persecuted or spoken evil against falsely, verses 11-12? These go to heaven and see God!

Don't you think God had a purpose in creating this earth a paradise for man to dwell In?

The inspired Scriptures declare "heaven" and "paradise" are synonymous  to be used interchangeably since the resurrection of Christ ( 11 Corinthians 12:2, 4). Is there really a verse of Scripture which reads, "paradise earth"? No.

For someone to inherit the "new Earth" somebody has to be here to live on it.

Revelation 22:1. Indeed, but does God slam the door of heaven shut and say, "Now you will never leave here again?" No. "The gates of it shall not be shut at all," verse 25 explains. Those who claim to have an earthly hope, also hope their names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. There is better news. Those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will enter "it." Revelation 21:27. "It" in the context of the chapter refers to heavenly Jerusalem. Believers get BOTH the new heaven and the new earth in the salvation package! "It" comes down from heaven with God to earth at the end of the Millennium.

Aim the 144.000 rule as kings and priests over the earth, don't they have to have somebody to rule over ?

Wrong question! The 144,000 rule "on" the earth. Revelation 6:10. The New World Translation says "over" but the Greek says "upon." The Watchtower insists a resurrected and glorified body could not go to heaven, so it tries to keep the kings and priests above the earth as only spirit creatures. Living Christians at the end of the great tribulation will populate the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ. Isn't it reasonable that the kings and priests will reign over them? Secondly, the 144,000 are never spoken of as being kings, priests or the bride of Christ in Revelation 7:3-8 or 14:1-6. They are a whole new group taken from Israel all at one time in the tribulation.

Didn't Jesus say He had other sheep of a different fold who would remain on the earth? John 10:16.1

No. Jesus was talking to Jews and introducing them to the world-wide evangelism of Gentiles,who are the other sheep. Jesus did NOT say they would remain separate. Quite the opposite! "There shall be one fold, and one shepherd." Not 2 folds, one in heaven and one on earth. Eph. 2 says he broke down the middle wall of partition making them one. All the sheep are in 1 fold and have 1 shepherd, not 2 shepherds (John 10:11): one in heaven and one on earth. To take this Scripture and still insist there will remain 2 folds is to distort and misrepresent the Lord Jesus Christ and Scripture! Ephesians 1:1 0.

Isn't there an earthly hope for one group of Christians and a heavenly hope for a different group!

No. There is "one hope." Ephesians 4:4. The hope, or confidence, is to be wherever Jesus is. There is only one body. I Corinthians 12:12,13,27; Ephesians 4:1116; Colossians 1:6. Scripture emphasizes "heavenly places." Ephesians 2:6. We become like our heavenly Jesus. Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2. We go to a heavenly kingdom(II Timothy 4:18). We go to the Father's house and be with Jesus. Where is the Father? Heaven. John 14:1-3. Those who sleep in Jesus will come with Him. I Thessalonians 4-14. After our earthly body is gone we get an immortal body in heaven. I Corinthians 15:42-66; 11 Corinthians 5:1,6-9. If you have believed on Jesus through the testimony of the apostles, you will be with Jesus. John 17:20, 24. J.W’s teach people from five different areas were all destined for heaven. I Peter 1:1, 4. Conservatively speaking, 144,000 people were saved from Acts 2:41-6:7, before Judge Rutherford took away the heavenly hope in the 1930's. Matthew 23:13. The church at Ephesus alone was estimated from 20,000 to 26,000 people! The church of Jerusalem was larger than that. History tells us in 70 AD over 100,000 Jews fled Jerusalem to Pela because they remembered Jesus words of Jerusalem surrounded by armies. We have is heavenly calling, our citizenship is in heaven. Heb.11:13 tells us all who die in faith (not some) were strangers and pilgrims on earth, vs.16 they desired a heavenly country of which God has prepared a city for them.

But believers from before the time of Christ cannot go to heaven, so won't they be resurrected to life on earth with the great crowd?

No. Old Testament saints will be in "heaven"! Matthew 8:1 1; Job 19: 25-26; Psalm 23:6; 73:24-25.  The Bible does not contradict itself. Abraham looked for a city made by God, was a stranger on earth, and goes to the heavenly city prepared by God, Heavenly Jerusalem! Hebrews 11:8-16; 12:22.

Are the 144,000 really the J.W. grandpas and grandmas who claim to be anointed?.

The 144,000 will be virgins, not grandparents. Revelation 14:1, 4. They will be too busy serving God during the great tribulation to focus on watching out for the welfare of a family.  The 144,000 will be sealed in the future after the 6th Seal, the Day of Wrath and the holding back of the four winds (Revelation 6:12,17; 7:1,3).

What nationality will these 144 000 be?,

According to Scripture, Jewish. Revelation 7:4. As the great crowd is from every nation, and tribe, and people and tongue, in contrast the 144,000 are sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel, the twelve tribes (Revelation 7: 9,4). These are the same twelve tribes that come from Jacob. The 144,000 are not sealed to become Israelites, they are sealed OUT OF Israel to become members of the 144,000 Christian evangelists. In both Revelation 7 and 14, a clear distinction is made between the 144,000 sealed Israelites and "every nation." If we take "every nation" to be literal, we should also take "Israel" to be literal. For the Watchtower to go from literal to symbolic in the middle of a verse is complete Scripture twisting, taking it out of context. And how can anyone take 12 symbolic numbers, add them up and come up with a literal number of 144,000?  If the Watchtower correctly says they aren't Jews, then why is the number of 144,000 literal?  If they aren't Jews, then what is the long explanation of the tribes of Israel? Rabbis, when asked if this is a literal list of the names of the tribes of Israel say it is authentic. The names vary in Scripture, due to serious sin and the loss of recognition of certain descendants of Jacob. The Jewish people were only laid aside temporarily so that Gentiles, who are not of Israel, can have salvation.  In the future Romans 11:16-26 says all of Israel (the nation) will be saved. In contrast to the 144,000, the future kings are from every tribe, tongue, people and nation, which happens to be from their great crowd (Revelation 5:9-10).

Doesn't the Watchtower have the correct light on Scripture through the faithful and discreet?

The Watchtower has serious problems trying to interpret Revelation. They published The Finished Mystery in 1917. Was the mystery all over as they boasted? No. The latest book, Revelation - lts Grand Climax At Hand! is vastly different. The seven trumpets of Revelation lead from one trumpet into another according to Scripture. The order of the seven trumpets according to the Watchtower book is the 7, then 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. That’s no way to count to seven! God didn’t why do they ?

Is the great crowd really excluded from heaven? The Watchtower's, Vindication- book three, p. 204, makes it clear the great crowd is expected to go to heaven. Why? Ezekiel says so! "This picture shows the position of the 'great multitude'. Even if someone advances the conclusion that the 'great multitude' will not be a spiritual class. The prophecy of Ezekiel shows that such conclusion is erroneous. The fact that their position is seven steps higher than the outside shows that they must be made spirit creatures." Was this message from the Watchtower light or darkness?  Did the Watchtower have the light of God's truth? Proverbs 4:18. If not, how does Scripture describe the teachers who taught this darkness? Proverbs 4:19.

Why did Jesus say you MUST be born again to enter the kingdom of HEAVEN ? John 3:3,6. He didn't!  He said you will not see or enter the kingdom of God unless you are born again. You will not reside in any part of God's kingdom unless you have been born of the Water and the Spirit. If this provision is only for the 144,000 then all the J.W’s today, those part of the great crowd, will not have the kingdom! However, it is all inclusive. I John 5:1.  If you have a kingdom message, its not suppose to be paradise on earth but you MUST be born again into it.

Verse 9___The Great Crowd is the triumphant church in heaven. They have prevailed over the persecution and death because of the "blood of the lamb." The Elders gave this explanation of the vision in 13-17. The "people of every nation" is contrasted to just the Jews.

Verse 10__The multitude praises God the Father.

Verse 11___The highest eschalons of heaven worship God.

Verse 13___One of the Elders tells us who is in the multitude. "These have been clothed with white robes."

Verse 14___An interesting grammar note. "And I have said to him: My sir (this is speaking to the Elder) and he told me: these are the ones coming."

Here is what all of this means. The "martyrs are still arriving from the scene of the great tribulation  at the moment John was having the vision!

Verse 15___The reason they are in the throne room is they have been washed. They are to "continually" serve publicly.

Verse 16___The cares of this earth and the needs of the human body are gone.

Verse 17___All need for human sorrow is gone. The reason__The lamb.

Now comes the 7th seal and next comes the 7 trumpets. We are building to a crescendo.

by Lane Rogers