“Revelation 7:1-8”

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.’ And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Chapter 7 represents a quiet interlude between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals of the sacred scroll. It is provided to tell us exactly what will become of the saints dwelling upon the earth (verses 1-8), and the souls of the slain saints positioned under the altar (verses 9-17). Chapter six ended with the critical question: When the great day of the wrath of the Father and the Lamb comes, who will be “able to stand” (Revelation 6:16-17)? The answer: “the bond-servants of our God” who have His seal stamped “on their foreheads” (verse 3). God’s faithful servants will be spared His eternal wrath and destruction when “the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8)

God has not promised to insulate His faithful followers from physical harm or natural disasters (Ecclesiastes 9:11; Luke 13:4-5), so it must be understood that the restraining of natural phenomena depicted in today’s verses represents salvation of a spiritual, eternal nature. God’s judgment is about to be unleashed upon the earth, as represented by the destructive “four winds” (Jeremiah 49:36; 5:1-2) that the angels are “holding back” (verse 1), with the breaking open of the seventh seal. Before any portions of “the earth or the sea or the trees” (verse 3) were to be harmed, God’s elect must first receive His seal. “A biblical seal indicates several things: (a) protection against tampering (Matt. 27:66); (b) ownership (Song of Sol. 8:6); and (c) certification (Esth. 3:12). All of these meanings are true of Christians who are under God’s protection, purchased by the blood of Christ, and certified by the Spirit to be the sons of God (Eph. 1:13; Mom. 8:16).” (Harkrider)

Throughout the book of Revelation two distinct groups of people are differentiated from one another: those who bear the seal of God, and those who carry “the mark of the beast”. The “seal” and “mark” are not physical forms of demarcation, but spiritual brands that reflect the spiritual condition of the heart as evidenced by the fruit that it bears. God does not merely see the external shell as man sees, but is able to look into the deepest recesses of the human heart (1 Samuel 16:7), therefore He needs no exterior indicators to know who is who. Be not fearful or troubled about what may befall you upon this terrestrial testing ground. God knows, owns and protects those who belong to Him!

“And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand” (verse 4). One notable religious group teaches that only 144,000 people will go to heaven, and the rest of God’s people will live on a new, refurbished earthly paradise, based on their interpretation of Revelation chapter seven. But they have things backwards because in John’s vision, the 144,000 are situated on “the earth” (verses 1-3), and the “great multitude” of the saved (verse 9) are standing before God’s throne in heaven serving Him day and night (verse 15).

If we bear in mind that this number is symbolic and not literal, we understand that it represents all of God’s faithful children who dwell upon the earth at any given time, and particularly at the time of the Lord’s retribution. Twelve is the number that represents God’s covenant people (12 tribes of Israel, 12 Apostles), and the number ten indicates fullness or completion. 12 times 12 times 1000 (10 x 10 x 10) equals 144,000. “Every tribe of the sons of Israel” is a figurative representation of Christians (Matthew 19:28) who God considers to be His “inward Jews” and “spiritual Israel” (Galatians 6:16; romans 2:28-29).

Please read Revelation 7:9-17 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

-Louie Taylor

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