Sealing Of Israel & Multitude In Heaven (7:1-17)

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                       "THE BOOK OF REVELATION"

            Sealing Of Israel & Multitude In Heaven (7:1-17)

INTRODUCTION

1. In chapter six, I proposed that it reveals how unfaithful Jerusalem
   would not escape the wrath of the Lamb...
   a. The first four seals reveal the means by which He would bring judgment
      upon the city
   b. The fifth seal reveals the reason for such judgment:  the avenging of
      the martyrs' blood!
   c. The sixth seal reveals in prophetic, symbolic language the despair of
      mankind at that time
   -- Which I understand relates to the events leading to the destruction of
      Jerusalem in 70 A.D., as foretold by Jesus prior to His crucifixion - 
      cf. Mt 23:34-39; 24:1-34; Lk 21:20-36; 23:27-31

2. Now in chapter seven, there is an interlude between opening of the sixth
   and seventh seals with two visions...
   a. The 144,000 of Israel sealed on earth - Re 7:1-8
   b. A great multitude from all nations in heaven - Re 7:9-17 
   -- Which may be intended to answer the question raised at the end of
      chapter six:  "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is
      able to stand?" - Re 6:17

[With that question in our mind, let's first examine...]

I. THE 144,000 OF ISRAEL SEALED ON EARTH (1-8)

   A. AS DESCRIBED IN THE TEXT...
      1. The angels restrained - Re 7:1-3
         a. John saw four angels at the four corners of the earth
            1) Holding the four winds of the earth
            2) That the winds would not blow on the earth, sea, or any tree
         b. John saw another angel ascending from the east
            1) Crying with a loud voice to the four angels granted to harm
               the earth and sea
            2) Instructing them not to harm the earth, sea, or trees until
               the servants of God were sealed on their foreheads
      2. The 144,000 Of Israel sealed - Re 7:4-8
         a. John "heard" the number of those sealed
         b. Those sealed were 12,000 each of the tribes of Israel:
            1) Judah    4) Asher       7) Simeon      10) Zebulun
            2) Reuben   5) Naphtali    8) Levi        11) Joseph
            3) Gad      6) Manasseh    9) Issachar    12) Benjamin
      -- Before the four angels could release the four winds and cause
         great calamity, servants of God who are children of Israel are 
         sealed on their foreheads - Re 7:3  

   B. OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION...
      1. Notice an anomaly about the twelve tribes listed here compared to
         Num 1:19-49
         a. Ephraim is not listed in Re 7, while Levi was not numbered as
            one of the twelve tribes in Num 1
         b. Perhaps to indicate that this numbering is intended to be
            understood as figurative, not literal
      2. They are sealed and thereby able to stand during the Lamb's wrath,
         similar to how the faithful were sealed prior to the destruction of
         Jerusalem in 586 B.C. by the Babylonians - cf. Eze 9:1-11
      3. Eusebius says that Jewish Christians were able to flee to Pella 
         before the Romans overwhelmed Jerusalem, just as Jesus urged His
         disciples to do - cf. Lk 21:20-24
      -- The 144,000 of Israel sealed on earth may therefore represent the
         faithful Jewish Christians in Palestine leading up to the destruction
         of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the Romans

[And so the first answer to the question "For the great day of His wrath
has come, and who is able to stand?" appears to be:  the faithful remnant
of Israel (who had accepted Jesus as their Messiah, e.g. Ac 2:36-41;
4:1-4; 5:14; 21:20).  Does that mean that all the faithful escaped the
coming tribulation with their lives?  Not necessarily, as appears evident
in the second vision in Revelation 7...]

II. THE GREAT MULTITUDE FROM ALL NATIONS IN HEAVEN (9-17)
 
   A. AS DESCRIBED IN THE TEXT...
      1. John sees a great multitude - Re 7:9-12
         a. Which none could number, from all nations, tribes, peoples and
            tongues
         b. Standing before the throne and before the Lamb
            1) Clothed with white robes
            2) With palm branches in their hands
         c. Crying with loud voices:  "Salvation belongs to our God who sits
            on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
         d. Angels, the elders, and the four living creatures also join in 
            with praise
            1) Falling on their faces before the throne and worshipping God
            2) Ascribing blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power,
               and might to God
      2. The great multitude identified - Re 7:13-17
         a. Asked by one of the elders, John puts the question back to him
         b. The elder identifies the great multitude:
            1) Those who come out of the great tribulation
            2) Who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood
               of the Lamb
            3) Who are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night
               in His temple
         c. The elder describes their future blessedness:
            1) The One on the throne will dwell with them
            2) They shall not hunger nor thirst anymore; the sun nor any
               heat shall strike them
            3) The Lamb will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains
               of water
            4) God will wipe away every tear from their eyes
      -- A great multitude who came through great tribulation on earth to
         experience great blessings in heaven!

   B. OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION...
      1. The second vision provides hope for any who must pass through "the
         great tribulation"
         a. Not just the faithful remnant of Israel, but "of all nations,
            tribes, peoples, and tongues"
         b. For the tribulation would not be limited to Israel (related to
            the destruction of Jerusalem)
         c. The tribulation would spread throughout the Roman empire 
            following the fall of Jerusalem
      2. This hope is for those who "washed their robes and made them white
         in the blood of the Lamb"
         a. Like those in Sardis who had not "defiled their garments" - cf.
            Re 3:4
         b. And for all those who "overcome" (even unto death) - cf. Re 3:5;
            2:10
      3. Note that in this vision they praise and serve God before His throne
         in His temple - Re 7:9,15
         a. This appears to be during "the intermediate state" (between death
            and the resurrection)
         b. For in the "eternal state" (after the judgment), there is no 
            temple in the "holy city, the New Jerusalem coming down out
            of heaven from God" - cf. Re 21:1-3,10,22
         c. With what we see in Re 20:4-6, I understand deceased Christians
            (at least martyrs) to be in heaven reigning with Christ during
            "the intermediate state" as promised earlier - cf. Re 2:26-27;
            3:21
      -- Even if Christians were to lose their lives in the coming tribulation,
         great blessings awaited them!

CONCLUSION

1. Thus it would be Jewish Christians in Palestine, and Christians among all
   nations willing to remain faithful, who would be able to stand when the
   great day of the Lamb's wrath has come - cf. Re 6:16-17 

2. In the next chapter (Revelation 8), we will consider what happens when the
   seventh seal is opened, and the first four of seven trumpets are sounded
   by seven angels

While I believe the day in which the Lamb's wrath came upon unbelieving
Jerusalem occurred in 70 AD, we should not forget the day of Judgment in
which the Lamb of God will also judge the world! - cf. Ac 10:42; 17:30-31
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