Revelation 7: The Martyrs & Survivors  

• v.1-3 Preparations for Sealing
• v.4-8 The 144,000 Sealed
• v.9-17 The Great Multitude in White Robes

v.1-3 Preparations for Sealing

v.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.

v.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:

v.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.”

[Note: Angelic control over the earth is seen by John and an angel comes with a specific purpose. This almost seems to step backwards as if giving insight into what has already happened before the judgments of chapter 6.]

v.4-8 The 144,000 Sealed

v.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.

[Note: A symbolic symmetrical picture? of literal Israel, or of the church (?), sealed with a mark of ownership for subsequently protection

v.9-17 The Great Multitude in White Robes

v.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.

v.10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

v.11,12 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, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

v.13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

v.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.

v.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.

v.16  ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat.

v.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.’”

[Note: Whatever the first group, we now see all the redeemed of history who declare Christ’s salvation. Those closest to the throne give glory to God for this and one of the elders challenges John. He explains they are the saved who have come through the terrible ordeals of the fallen world and therefore they have access to, and serve, God. Now they have eternal security and provision, now they are with their great Shepherd.]

Additional Note: The more commentaries you pick up the more interpretations of this chapter you will find. Two particular points of debate arise here.

(i) Identity: Noting what is here we see two groups:

• v.4 “from all the tribes of Israel” ?only Jews
• v.9 “a great multitude…. from every nation, tribe, people and language” ?including saved Jews

The first group have no qualification except belonging to Israel and there is no indication where they are, or of their future.

The second group stand before the throne and are clearly the redeemed who have a future with Christ.

The mystery is more the meaning of the first group.

In chapter 14 there is another 144,000 but clearly not the same group. Some have suggested various mathematical permutations to arrive at the figure and perhaps the safest thing to say is that the set number is clearly used to mark out these particular people. In its simplest form it, it would be to say that in the mystery that is Israel throughout the ages, there are a number of them known to God who remained true to Him – those from the various ‘faithful remnants’ that appear in the Old Testament.

(ii) The Great Tribulation: Again, there are a variety of suggestions about the meaning of this term from v.14 above.

• Some have suggested that this simply describes life in the fallen world where rejection of God and opposition to His people is common.
•  Others have suggested that it refers only to a particularly harsh time in the End Times.

 On the one side, the church of the first three centuries experienced particularly harsh persecution sometimes and the letters of James and Peter in particular reveal a scattered church struggling to cope with persecution. At the present time (and throughout Church history) there have always been, and still are, large parts of the church suffering under persecution around the world.

On the other there are indications in this book that this end time will be particularly difficult. As we have said before, time will tell, and maybe it is pride that declares any of us have the only right solution.] 

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: