Please turn in your Bibles this evening to Revelation chapter 7 as we continue our study through the Word of God. Now chapter 7 opens up on the heels of chapter 6, obviously. And in chapter 6 we saw Jesus open six of seven seals that were upon the scroll or the title deed to the earth and as each seal was opened there was a corresponding judgment from God that will be poured out upon a Christ rejecting world.
By the time we reached the fourth seal, by the time this seal is opened, we saw how ¼ of the earth’s population will be destroyed, over 1.5 billion people! And, by the time we get to the sixth seal judgment there will be great earthquakes such as this earth has never seen before. The sun will become dark and the moon will be red like blood. There will be stars falling from heaven hitting the earth, the sky will split or recede as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every island and mountain will be moved out of its place!
You would think that by this time sinful man would fall on his knees and repent of his sin before a holy and righteous God, but that is not the case. We are told in Revelation 6:15-16, “And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!’” Notice how we see people from every walk of life, a variety of backgrounds, it encompasses everyone who refuses to fall upon the Rock, Jesus Christ and thus, they call for the mountains and the rocks to fall upon them and hide them from the presence of God!
Now, why would they want to hide from God’s presence? In Isaiah 59:1-2 we are told, “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” Also, in Isaiah 64:6 we are told, “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.” And, just in case you had any doubt about your righteousness, The Amplified Bible puts this verse like this, “For we have all become like one who is unclean [ceremonially, like a leper], and all our righteousness (our best deeds of rightness and justice) is like filthy rags or a polluted garment; we all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away [far from God's favor, hurrying us toward destruction]. [Lev 13:45,46.]”
You see, no one can stand before a holy and righteous God in their own righteousness, which are like filthy rags before Him! Thus, as Revelation chapter 6 closes, John makes this interesting point as these unrepentant sinners cry out, “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6:17.
As we move into Revelation chapter 7 we will see who can stand before God, not in their own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ that has been imputed into our lives by faith. In fact, John will describe two groups of people here in Revelation chapter 7 who will be able to stand before God.
One more point before we get to our text this evening. John has given to us a sweeping description of what those last 7 years or the Tribulation Period will be like. Now he is going to take a pause and will fill in some of the details of this period of time. It is kind of a breather after seeing all that is coming upon the earth dwellers! Chapter 7 forms a parenthetical section between the sixth seal judgment in Revelation chapter 6 and the seventh seal judgment in Revelation chapter 8. So with that said, let’s begin reading in Revelation chapter 7, starting in verse 1 and see what the Lord has for us this evening as we look at this first group of people who will be able to stand before God!
VERSE 1
First of all don’t think that John believed that the earth was flat and thus, he spoke of the four corners of the earth. I am amazed at the number of people that believe that foolishness. Even William Barclay in his commentary on the book of Revelation comes to this faulty conclusion. In regards to the four corners of the earth he wrote: “This vision is expressed in conceptions of the world which were conceptions for the days in which John wrote. The earth is a square, flat earth; and at its four corners are four angels waiting to unleash the winds of destruction.” Now if all Scripture is breathed from the mouth of God, don’t you think the creator of the heavens and earth would know what He created, if it was round or flat? Of course He would and thus, William Barclay and those who follow his line of reasoning have come to this faulty conclusion, John did not believe the earth was flat!
How can I prove that? Simple, let the Word of God speak for itself and then you tell me if God knew the earth was round and for that matter, if those that read the Scriptures would also know this truth when the rest of the world at that time did believe some bizarre concepts about the earth. In Proverbs 8:27 we are told, “When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep.” And in Isaiah 40:22 we are told, “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.” The shape of the earth is a sphere, it is round, not flat and God not only told us, but He should know, He created it!
If that is true, and it is, then what does John mean when he speaks of the four corners of the earth? He is speaking of the entire earth from north to south and east to west. You may remember several years back the Marines had a slogan that stated, “Our Marines are stationed on the four corners of the earth.” Obviously they did not believe that the earth was flat, but they were saying that the Marines are on duty all over this world.
Now these four angels are holding back the wind from blowing throughout the earth. The Greek word for “holding” is KRATEO, (krat-eh’-o) and it carries with it the idea of these winds struggling to break free from their restraint and these angels are restraining them from going forward. Now, is this speaking literally of the winds not blowing across the land, which would turn off the essential engine of the earth’s atmosphere? I don’t believe so for this is not a judgment here. Then what do these winds speak of?
I believe these winds are speaking of judgment and God’s judgment is being held back for a time. In Jeremiah 49:36 we see this illustration for us regarding wind being a judgment, “Against Elam I will bring the four winds From the four quarters of heaven, And scatter them toward all those winds; There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go.” And in Jeremiah 51:1 we are told, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, Against those who dwell in Leb Kamai, A destroying wind.’”
And so these are winds of judgment that are being held back from blowing upon the earth for a time. But, once they are let go, look out because devastating destruction will blow upon the land and we will see that as we come to Revelation chapters 8 and 9 as the trumpet judgments are sounded! Now, why do these angels hold these judgments back? Let’s read on and see.
VERSES 2-4
John tells us that God’s judgment will be held back until the servant’s of God are sealed, what does that mean? The word “sealed” comes from the Greek word SPHRAGIZO, (sfrag-id’-zo) and it represented the signet ring of kings or other officials that was used to stamp wax on documents or other items affirming that it was not only theirs, speaking of ownership; but also protection. In the Old Testament we saw Rahab placing a scarlet cord in the window as a seal of her protection against the Israelites coming in and killing her and her family as they entered the city of Jericho. This seal saved them through this invasion! Also, remember when the angel of the Lord came through Egypt to kill the firstborn of each family, both Jew and Egyptian or Gentile. But, if they placed the blood of the lamb on the door it was a seal of protection and the angel of the Lord passed over that house and spared the firstborn of that family.
There is another illustration of this in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. In Ezekiel chapter 9 as God is preparing to pour out His wrath, His judgment on the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and specifically Jerusalem for their iniquity, we are told starting in verse 1, “Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, ‘Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand.’ And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer's inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar. Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's inkhorn at his side; . . .
. . . and the LORD said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.’ To the others He said in my hearing, ‘Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.’ So they began with the elders who were before the temple. Then He said to them, ‘Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!’ And they went out and killed in the city. So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, ‘Ah, Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?’ Then He said to me, 'The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, “The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see!” And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head.’ Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, ‘I have done as You commanded me.’” Ezekiel 9:1-11.
Before God poured out His judgment upon the inhabitants of the city of Jerusalem, He sealed His own, a seal of protection. What is interesting to me is that the “seal” or “mark” is the Hebrew letter TAV, which is a small “t” or a small cross. That is our seal folks, going to the cross and allowing the blood of Christ to cleanse us from our sins indicating that we belong to God and we are protected by Him.
Also, in Revelation 13:16-17 we read of another mark or seal. We are told, “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” The Greek word for “mark” here is CHARAGMA, (khar’-ag-mah) and it speaks of a scratch or a stamp. Satan is a counterfeiter and thus, as God seals His people Satan comes along with one of those rub on marks, a counterfeit and his mark is not one of protection but bondage, persecution, destruction and it will identify the person with the Antichrist! Satan loves to copy the good things of God such as the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – one God manifested in three distinct persons. And along comes Satan with his unholy or satanic trinity: Satan, the Antichrist and the false prophet! Don’t be fooled by his lies. Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Now, who are these 144,000 saints of God that are sealed during the Tribulation Period? We are told that those who were sealed come from the tribes of Israel. But, many take that symbolically or they say that Israel has forfeited the promises of God because they have rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah, and now the Church is Israel! There is no such Scriptural support for that, none at all! You will never find the Scriptures referring to the Church being Israel. And the Church is made up from “Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Revelation 4:9) and thus, to say this is the Church and not the children or Israel is a big mistake, it is not Scriptural!
In fact, Robert L. Thomas wrote that there is “no clear-cut example of the church being called ‘Israel’ [that] exists in the NT or in ancient writings until A.D. 160. . . . this fact is crippling to any attempt to identify Israel as the Church in Revelation 7:4.” (Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary, p. 476).
And Seiss tells us, “They are not part of the church proper; for their repentance comes too late for that. They are a superaddition to the church – a supplementary body – near and precious to Christ, but made up after the proper church has finished its course.”
Secondly, this last 7-year period of time known as the Tribulation Period or the Seventieth Week of Daniel deals not only with a Christ rejecting world but with the Jewish people and yes, Jews are getting saved today but one day, as a nation, they will turn to the Lord. In fact, Paul makes this very clear in Romans 11:25-27, “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.’”
This will happen and it will occur during the Tribulation period for Jesus tells us in Luke 13:34-35, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’”
I believe it will be the Jewish people who call upon the Lord to return and He will, first coming to the area of Bozrah or Petra where the believing Jews will flee when the Antichrist goes into the rebuilt temple and demands to be worshiped as God, and God will protect them there for 3½ years. So the Church is not Israel, the Jews are Israel!
But again, there are many more who claim to be these 144,000 that are sealed by God. The Jehovah Witnesses claim to be the 144,000 and it worked perfectly for them until their numbers exceeded that number. Their solution to this problem is that the 144,000 are sealed and in heaven already and the remaining Jehovah Witnesses will spend all their days on the earth! Deal or no deal? No deal for me, it doesn’t sound too good and more importantly it is not Scriptural. Heaven is not filled with 144,000 saints, but an innumerable number of saints from every walk of life, every background! You see, the 144,000 are ministering the Gospel during the Tribulation Period on the earth, not in Heaven! But, don’t confuse me with the truth!
The Late Herbert W. Armstrong and his Worldwide Church of God also believed they were the 144,000. Now you have to love his plan, it sounds like prosperity teachers today. If you would give double or triple tithes, you had a good chance of making into that inner circle of 144,000! They are not the 144,000 no matter how much money they give!
Interestingly enough historical Mormonism claims to be the 144,000, I guess because they claim to have Jewish roots, but they don’t! There is no evidence for what they believe, what they teach, the book of Mormon is a joke, it is a fairy tale and they are not the 144,000!
Then there is Ellen G. White who was the founder of the Seventh Day Adventist who believe that they are the 144,00 that are sealed by God. And there are many others who make this claim to be the 144,000 sealed saints of God but there is only one group that are truly this group, there is only one group this can be!
As we will see in a minute, this is, just as God said, the children of Israel or the Jewish people, they are the 144,000! You see, we need to take the Bible literally unless the context or the text demands otherwise. And to see some of these strange, off the wall ideas of who these 144,000 sealed saints of God are just tells me they are not taking the Scriptures literally but are coming to their own conclusions or they are reading someone else’s book to come up with this idea. Let the Scriptures speak for themselves!
Now when do we see these winds of Judgment begin to blow upon the earth? In Revelation chapters 8 and 9 as we see judgment once again being poured out upon the earth in the trumpet judgments. These judgments will be upon the earth, upon the sea, upon the vegetation in cataclysmic ways! Remember, God will not only protect them from the wrath of the Antichrist and his forces but also these judgments from God that are coming upon the land.
In Revelation chapter 14, beginning in verse 1 we are told, “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. . . . These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.” Revelation 14:1, 4-5.
You see, not one was lost, God protected those whom He has sealed and now they are standing on Mount Zion in victory! And we are told that these are the “firstfruits” or the initial fruit of the Tribulation Period. I believe these 144,000 are saved through the ministry of the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation chapter 11, and we will deal more with these men when we get to Revelation chapter 11, but I believe they are Moses and Elijah. Now, if you still have doubts about who these 144,000 are, let’s read on for God makes it very clear to us!
VERSES 5-8
Now are we to take this literally or symbolically? Notice that John does not say “like the tribe of Judah” but “of the tribe of Judah” and-so-on, listing the 12 tribes of Israel. That should be very clear that this is to be taken literally. Ethnically, they are Jewish, that is who they are identified with, the children of Israel, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes. And it does seem redundant to repeat this over and over again, but God wants us to be very clear who they are.
But again, people will change things to make it fit their own theology. A sad example is in Genesis chapter 1, the creation story as the Lord said, “evening and morning were the first day” and second day and third day and-so-on. Again, God repeats Himself so we don’t miss what He is saying, and yet some still do. They try to tell us that a day was millions of years, but that is not what the Scriptures are saying, a day is a day! The foolishness of man and how much better it is to believe that God means what He says and says what He means!
Some have a problem with this list because it is different with the listing of the tribes of Israel in the Old Testament. Folks, there is no standard way to list the twelve tribes of Israel. In fact, in the Old Testament there is at least nineteen different ways to list them. Sometimes they follow the order of birth – Genesis 29:32-35:18. Other times they follow the order of Jacob blessing them – Genesis 49:3-27. Then there is the order of their encampment – Numbers 2:3-31. There is the order of the census before the invasion of Canaan – Numbers 26:4-51. There is the order of blessing and cursing – Deuteronomy 27:12-13. There is the order of Moses’ blessing – Deuteronomy 33:6-25. There is the order of “the princes” – Numbers 1:5-15. There is the order of inheritance – Joshua 13:7-22:34. There is the order by the wives and concubines – I Chronicles 2-8. And there is the order of the gates of the city – Ezekiel 48:31-34. So there is not just one way to list the twelve tribes of Israel, it depends on what is being described and what God is trying to say through the listing.
What is interesting to me is that here in Revelation chapter 7 we see two of the tribes left out, Dan and Ephraim and I believe there is a reason for that. In Deuteronomy 29:18-21 God said that He would separate those who go into idolatry from the rest of the tribes of Israel. In Judges 18:30 we see that Dan is the first tribe to go into idolatry as they entered the land of Canaan and they lead the other nations into idolatry. That is the reason I believe that the tribe of Dan is not sealed with the other tribes here in Revelation chapter 7, they brought idolatry into the land.
Now what about the tribe of Ephraim? Keep in mind that both Manasseh and Ephraim were son’s of Joseph, who received a double portion of the inheritance from his father Jacob. Levi was not given an inheritance or a portion of the land and thus, they are not listed many times with the rest of the tribes. For the tribe of Levi, the Scriptures teach that the Lord is their inheritance for they were the tribe of priests that ministered to the Lord. So without Levite you would only have eleven tribes unless you inserted Manasseh and Ephraim for Joseph, which gives you twelve tribes.
Here in Revelation chapter 7 we see that the tribe of Levi is inserted and Joseph, but Ephraim is left out, why? In Hosea 4:17-19 we are told, “Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone. Their drink is rebellion, They commit harlotry continually. Her rulers dearly love dishonor. The wind has wrapped her up in its wings, And they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.” Ephraim also was into idolatry and again, I believe that is the reason that the tribe of Ephraim is not listed with the other tribes of Israel to be sealed. And thus, we still have twelve tribes listed even without Dan or Ephraim being listed.
Now please don’t come to the conclusion that our God is not gracious and merciful, He is very gracious and He is very merciful to us. Even though these two tribes are not listed as being sealed during the Tribulation Period, we see them mentioned in the millennial kingdom in Ezekiel chapter 48, God will restore them and they will serve in His kingdom. What a great God we serve! He is a God full of compassion, mercy, forgiveness towards us, may we not lose sight of that fact!
During the Tribulation Period what do these sealed saints of God do? They are 144,000 JW’s, not Jehovah Witnesses, but Jewish witnesses that bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to a lost world. Imagine 144,000 Paul the apostle’s on the loose! How do I know they are witnesses or evangelists? Listen to what we are told in Revelation 7:9-10, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”
Look at the revival that breaks out during the Tribulation Period and how millions come to know the Lord! In the midst of this judgment, God’s grace and mercy comes shinning through! And next time we will look at this multitude that comes out of the Tribulation Period!
As I begin to close this evening, let me share with you this story about a group of people and what they were known for. In ancient Corinth there used to be staged the Isthmian Games, the forerunner of the modern Olympics. There were many events, but the one which received the most attention was the relay race. The competitors lined up side by side at the starting line, each bearing a torch. In the distance waited still another line of men, and still farther on other lines.
When the signal was given, the men started to run, bearing their lighted torches. When a runner reached his partner in the next line he would pass on his light, and-so-on from man to man until the finish line was reached. With the famous relay race in mind, the Greeks coined a phrase: “Let those who have the light pass it on.”
That is what we have seen here this evening, God raising up 144,000 JW’s, and like I said, not Jehovah Witnesses, but Jewish witnesses who will evangelize the world for Jesus Christ. They have the light and they will pass it on to others during the tribulation period.
Folks, that is what the Lord is calling us to do. Remember what we are told in Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”
That is not a suggestion, but God is calling for us to get up and go out into all the world and share our faith. If you do, you will see fruit produced. Even in the tribulation period these 144,000 Jewish witnesses who have been sealed by God will lead many to Christ. Folks, the cross of Calvary does not change, for without it there is only death! Paul said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” May we never forget the power of the Gospel upon people’s lives! Let me leave you with the words we heard in our last story, “LET THOSE WHO HAVE THE LIGHT, PASS IT ON!” May we do that!