Revelation 7 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Rev 7:1-8

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. 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.’ 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.

A. Find Out:

1. What were the angels doing? v.1
2. What did the angel from the east have with him? v.2
3. Whom did he instruct? v.2b
4. What did he instruct? v.3
5. How many were sealed?
6. Compare the tribes here with say 1 Chronicles 2:1. Different?

B. Think:

1. What sort of picture, do you think, do the four angels convey here?
2. How many angels are mentioned in this passage? What does it say about the activity of angels?
3. What do you think can be adduced from the specific numbers given?

C. Comment:

      Sometimes a lot of detail is not given in Scripture and this is one of those passages, but what we have been given is significant. First of all four angels are seen holding back the wind. Wind brings change, so the picture is of complete calm and lack of change. It is as if God is saying, before the destruction comes there is complete control under the hand of God.

     With that order and control of God, another angel comes to instruct those who have been seen previously going to destroy. This one says wait until the mark of identification has been placed on the servants of God. Now we must note that this is all taking place on the earth, not in heaven. The numbers who are so identified appear to come from the nation of Israel.

      That this means Israel the church of God seems unlikely, first because of the specific reference to tribes (Manasseh substituted for Dan? Dan no longer existing?) and then that these are “from” those tribes i.e. not every person. Romans 11:5 would suggest that this means there are a specific number from all parts of Israel who will be saved. God simply makes the point that Israel are not missed out!

D. Application?

1. God IS in sovereign control at ALL times!
2. God chooses from Gentile AND Jew.

Passage: Rev 7:9-17

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.’

11 All the angels were standing round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying:

‘Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honour
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!’

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. 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 centre 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.”’

A. Find Out:

1. Where had the multitude come from? v.9
2. What were they doing? v.9,10
3. What were the angels, elders etc. doing? v.11
4. Who were the multitude? v.14
5. What do they now do? v.15
6. What is Jesus to them? v.17

B. Think:

1. Who did we say are the crowd?
2. What has their past been like?
3. What is their future to be?

C. Comment:

      John now sees again a picture of heaven and there before the throne are multitudes of people from every part of the world who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

     Note first their PAST. They have come out of the “great tribulation”. Some suggest this is a specific time of particularly harsh persecution at the end, others suggest this is the whole of the church period where, as Jesus said, if you love the Lord, you will receive opposition. There is no indication that they have all been martyred, they are simply the redeemed.

      Next observe their PRESENT position and activity. It is before the throne, proclaiming the wonder of God’s salvation through Jesus. They serve God in this manner. Similarly, we serve God by our words and our lives as we proclaim Jesus’ salvation.

      Third observe their FUTURE. It is to be a time with God when the pressures and limitation of resources from the past will be gone, and it will be a time of care and provision at the hand of the Lord. It is a time of eternal security freed from the limited, but very real, pressures of living in a fallen world.   

      Finally notice the RESULTS. Their presence causes all of the other beings in heaven to worship the Lord for the wonder of what He has achieved in men.

D. Application?

1. People are being saved all over the world!
2. Our salvation glorifies God