In the last lesson we looked at the 6th seal and can only guess at the extent of the destruction to this “fourth part” of the earth caused by a massive earthquake and meteor showers. The description of the 6th seal judgment ends chapter 6 of Revelation and the 7th seal is not mentioned until Revelation 8:1. The 7th chapter is what is commonly called a parenthetical passage. In this chapter John breaks off his chronological description of events to explain what happens to two different groups of people from the time of the 6th seal to the end of the tribulation period. The first group is the 144,000; the second group is the tribulation saints. I’ll explain as we go through this chapter.
In Revelation 7:1 John sees four angels “standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth so it could not blow on the earth or the sea or on any tree.” Again, we must remember that this statement does not apply to the whole world, but only to that part of the world around the Mediterranean Sea we have already described. These four angels are the first 4 trumpet judgment angels found in chapter 8:7-12 (we know this because of the last phrase in verse 2 referring to these angels as those “who were given authority to hurt the earth and the sea”). So, the first thing mentioned here is a dead calm in this area, no wind is allowed to blow.
Then in the next two verses we see what’s going on. Another angel appears “carrying the seal of the living God” (verse 2) and tells these four angels “do no harm to the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads” (verse 3). In the next verse we see the number of these servants is 144,000. And in verses 5-8 we see that 12,000 come from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. These are not Jehovah Witnesses. They are Jews that were not servants of God when the rapture took place; if they had been, they would have been raptured with the rest of the church at that time. These are Jews that come to God in the renewal described in Joel 2 and Acts 2:16-21.
This “seal” is sphragis, a seal or mark used to indicate ownership and security (also, see Ezekiel 9 for an Old Testament example). Here it is used to mark those who are to be protected from the coming destruction of the trumpet judgments and set apart for future reward (special instruction is given to the 5th and 6th trumpet angels to not harm the 144,000 in Revelation 9:4). This seal is described in Revelation 14:1 as the “Father’s name written on their foreheads”. These 144,000 Jews are protected from death to be witnesses for God during the trumpet judgments and appear in Revelation 12 as the “man child” born of the “woman” (Israel) in 12:1-5 and “caught up” (raptured) to be with God (verse 5) to escape future tribulation as the Antichrist breaks his agreement with Israel and enters Palestine to destroy them. It is at this point the woman flees into the desert (read Jesus’ warning regarding this time in Matthew 24) to a place prepared for her (verse 6) and God protects her from Antichrist (verses 13-16) until the second coming of Christ when the Antichrist and all who follow him are destroyed. We’ll look at the 144,000 a little more when we get to chapters 12 and 14 later.
Let’s look at one more thing regarding seals. In Revelation 3:12 we see this: “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My God. He will never be put out of it and I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which descends from My God out of heaven, and My own new name.” Also compare Revelation 22:4 where it says of those who inhabit the New Jerusalem, “and His name shall be on their foreheads”. When you look at the 144,000 and all of the redeemed from throughout the ages who are to inhabit the New Jerusalem, all have these names literally written on their foreheads to identify them as residents of that eternal city.
Now we have the second group of people described in this chapter. Verse 9 says, “Then after this I looked and a great multitude appeared which no one could count. They were gathered from every nation, from all tribes, peoples and languages. And they stood before the throne and before the Lamb, all attired in white robes with palm branches in their hands.” Verses 9-17 describe the last group of redeemed peoples in Revelation. While the 144,000 are living people translated without dying (raptured in 12:5), these are all the ones martyred after the rapture of the church. They include those under the altar in Revelation 6:9 martyred during the first half of the 7-year tribulation and those who were yet to be killed during the second half as described in Revelation 6:11 (also 14:13, 15:2-4 and 20:4-6).
There are a couple of things that should be noted about this group. The first is that they are not gathered until the end of the tribulation period just in time to take part in the marriage supper (celebration) of the Lamb in chapter 19. An event we will look at later. The other thing is that this group makes up the completion of all those included in the first resurrection mentioned in chapter 20:4-6 just before Christ returns with His saints to begin His Millennial reign. There are 5 different raptures included in the first resurrection. I’ll talk about these when we get to our discussion of the two witnesses in chapter 11.
Back to verse 9 quoted above. They are clothed in white robes. And as I have said before, only redeemed saints are described this way. The palm branches are a symbol of victory. Look at John 12:13 where people were waving palm branches at Jesus as they welcomed their King as He entered Jerusalem, though they misunderstood, thinking He was their conquering King coming to overthrow a repressive Roman government.
Verses 10-12 describe the worship scene. And in verse 14 this group is identified as “they who came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” The “great tribulation” is the second half of the tribulation period. All of the events found in Revelation from 11:15 to 19:21 take place during this time.
Then there is something else that should be noted here. These people are said to have “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” during the second half of the tribulation period. This, along with Revelation 6:9-11, proves that there are many (remember the great multitude that no man could count) who come to Christ after the rapture of the church, something misunderstood in many religious circles today. It is commonly taught there is no hope of salvation after the rapture, no doubt an instrument of fear used to nudge people into a decision to “get saved” or “join the church”. In Revelation 12:17 the Devil attempts to destroy the Jewish remnant that remains in Judea “who keep the commandments of God and bear witness to the testimony of Jesus Christ.” These are obviously those who come to Christ during the great tribulation. The truth is that the door that leads to God’s mercy will never be closed to either Jews or Gentiles (read Romans 10:9-13).
This brings us to one of my favorite passages in Revelation, verses 15-17. “Now for this reason they are before the throne of God to serve Him day and night in His sanctuary. And He Who is sitting on the throne will protect them with His presence. Therefore, they will hunger no more, neither will they thirst, neither will the sun smite them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will feed them and guide them to the springs of the waters of life. And God will wipe all tears from their eyes.”
Next we’ll look at the 7th seal and begin the series of trumpet judgments.