CHAPTER 7
Revelation 7:1
After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that the wind would not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.
Luke 21:25-26
25 And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
26 men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.
The four angels that John saw standing at the four corners of the earth have the power to hold back the winds from blowing on the earth and the authority to control the weather conditions and with the power to hurt all the earth, sea and trees, the greenery of the earth.
Revelation 7:2-3
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.
As God prepares to remove His restraining power from the punishing of the wicked He sends another angel to tell the four who control the winds to hold back for a short space of time and do nothing to the earth, sea and trees until the 144,000 Jews are chosen and God's seal is put on their foreheads to protect them from the Antichrist and the destruction of the seven plagues that are coming on the world. These men will be evangelists and they will proclaim the good news of God's Salvation to the lost during the time of the Tribulation.
Revelation 7:4-8
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.
There is some confusion among different groups as to who these 144,000 men really are. It is quite clear from what we have just read that they are all Jewish men, 12,000 chosen out of each of the original twelve tribes of Israel. The number of them is literal and they are chosen by God.
Revelation 7:9-10
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 in front of 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."
John then sees a great multitude of people dressed in white robes symbolizing their cleansing from sin by the Blood of the Lamb. They are standing before God's throne in His presence and the presence of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, worshipping them in a loud voice. We are again reminded that God is in control of all that is happening in Heaven and on Earth.
Revelation 7:11-12
11 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,
12 saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
All the angels and all the elders along with the four living creatures joined the multitude of people in worshipping God and bestowing all praise upon Him. We should not miss the enormity of the exultation and praise of the multitude before the throne of God.
Revelation 7:13-17
13 Then one of the elders asked me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?"
14 And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So He said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and 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 dwell among them.
16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;
17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Because of the witness of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists during the Tribulation a great revival has taken place and this multitude of people is the fruit of that revival. These are the ones who refused to take the mark of the Antichrist and worship him and because of this they were slain showing us how great the persecution will be during the Tribulation period. In Chapter 6: 9-11 John saw many souls under the alter dressed in white robes, symbolizing their cleansing from sin through the Blood of the Lamb these were martyred for their faith. They were asking God when He was going to judge and avenge them and they were told that it would not happen until the number of fellow Christians who were also going to be slain was completed. This multitude of people John is seeing here are the ones God was referring to in Chapter 6:11 that would be slain before He would avenge the death of all who were martyred during the Tribulation. They are now in God's presence and He will dwell among them forever and all of their suffering is over and there will be no more crying for God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
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Revelation 6:10-11
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"
11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
