REVELATION 6-9...GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE JUDGEMENTS OF ALMIGHTY GOD UPON THE JESUS CHRIST REJECTING MANKIND, & FALLEN EARTH.
TODAY'S STUDY COVERS:
REVELATION 7: THE 144,000 & THE GREAT MULTITUDE REVEALED.
REVELATION 8: THE 7TH SEAL IS LOOSED & THE FIRST FOUR OF THE 7TH TRUMPETS REVEALED.
REVELATION 7 --- The 144,000 and the Great Multitude Revealed...
(v. 1-3) Holding back judgment until the servants of God are sealed.
“After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried 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, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
“Four angels standing at the four corners of the earth:” The phrase four corners of the earth is an ancient (and sometimes modern) equivalent to the idea of “the four points of the compass.” The idea is that these angels effect the ENTIRE earth.
“Holding the four winds of the earth:” These winds are a destructive force of God’s judgment, as they often are as proved in Hosea 13:15.
The four winds of the earth may refer back to the four horsemen of Revelation 6:1-8, after the pattern of Zechariah 6:1-8. In that passage, four chariots with horses of the SAME colors of Revelation 6:1-8 go out to all the earth, and are called the FOUR SPIRITS OF HEAVEN. Spirits in that passage translates the Hebrew word ruach, which can also be translated WINDS.
“Another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God:” Another angel has a seal, and he seals the people of God. In the ancient world, such seals were familiar. A king or a property owner could use a seal to show ownership or authenticity.
“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads:” These servants of God will receive a PROTECTIVE seal on their FOREHEAD, containing God’s name (Revelation 14:1).
In Ezekiel 9, a similar protective seal is given to the righteous before Jerusalem is judged. The seal is the Hebrew letter tau (“t,” as in the shape of a small cross).
“The servants of our God:” We are not told what exactly their service is, but the 144,000 are sealed for a specific and unique purpose. However, the general idea of being sealed is not limited to JUST them at this time.
REMEMBER…..
Jesus was sealed. He said God the Father has set His seal on Him. (John 6:27)
We ARE sealed with the Holy Spirit as a down payment of our eventual total redemption. Paul wrote: God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
This sealing of the Holy Spirit belongs to EVERY believer when they ARE saved: having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians 1:13)
The sealing of the Holy Spirit is meant to be both A COMFORT & A CHALLENGE to us. We are comforted in that it assures us that we belong to Jesus. We are challenged to do so in (2 Timothy 2:19 & Ephesians 4:30)
(v.4-8) The number of those sealed.
“And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.”
“One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the JEWISH tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:” They are of ALL the tribes of the children of Israel. Ethnically, they are ALL Jewish, and there are 144,000 of these chosen ones. There ARE 12,000 from each tribe.
“The omission of the tribe of Dan: Why is Dan left out? Most who have studied the Old Testament prophesy & Jesus’ own words BELIEVE it is because Dan is the tribe of the Antichrist, based on Daniel 11:37 and Jeremiah 8:16. Dan WAS called a serpent by his father. AND Dan was the tribe which INTRODUCED idolatry/Satanism/paganism into the nation of Israel (Genesis 49:17; Judges 18:30).
BUT…there IS a wonderful REDEMPTION for the tribe of Dan. Dan is the first tribe listed in Ezekiel’s millennial role call of the tribes during JESUS 1000 year reign on earth told to us in Ezekiel 48..
The slighting of the tribe of Ephraim: This tribe is referred to, but only indirectly. The tribe of Joseph is mentioned, but Joseph was represented by two tribes: Ephraim and Manasseh. Since the tribe of Manasseh is mentioned, by elimination, the tribe of Joseph must mean the tribe of Ephraim - who is listed, but not by name.
Why is Ephraim slighted? Perhaps it is because the tribe of Ephraim was ALSO associated with great idolatry (Hosea 4:17).
Who are these 144,000?
Many different religious groups & cults have claimed to be the 144,000. THE BOOK OF DANIEL TELLS US, JESUS CONFIRMS HIMSELF THAT THE PROPHET DANIEL SPOKE PURE TRUTH FROM HIM, & RIGHT HERE, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF TELLS JOHN, WHO TELLS US, WHO THE 144,000 ARE. THIS IS NEITHER AS SOME GROUPS SAY, A SELECT GROUP OF WITNESSES THAT GO TO HEAVEN. THESE 144,000 are HAND PICKED BY JESUS CHRIST, THEY HAVE PURPOSE AND MISSIONS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH DURING THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION…IT IS NOT A SELECT GROUP THAT ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO GO TO HEAVEN DURING THE TRIBULATION. JESUS WARNS CHRISTIANS TO BE AWARE AND ALERT FOR FALSE PROPHETS, AND FALSE CHRISTS WHO SEEK TO LEAD US ASTRAY…SO LEARN AND STUDY AND KNOW WHAT JESUS TELLS US…AND TRUST WHAT HE AND HIS WORD SAYS…NOT WHAT MANKIND, SATAN, AND THE WORLD TRY TO TWIST AND TURN AND OUTRIGHT LIE ABOUT…
Here is what THE BIBLE tells us about the 144,000 from Revelation 7 and Revelation 14 which gives us PURE TRUTH insight regarding their identity.
They are called the children of Israel (Revelation 7:4).
Their tribal affiliation is specific (Revelation 7:4-8).
They are protected and triumphant through the period of God’s wrath, ALL meeting with Jesus at Mount Zion at His return (Revelation 14:1).
They are celibate (Revelation 14:4).
They are the beginning of a greater harvest (Revelation 14:4).
They are marked by integrity and faithfulness (Revelation 14:5).
Taken together, The Bible is TELLING us they are ALL JEWISH, VIRGIN MALES. They are NOT The Church, The Bride of Christ who ARE believers from/of ALL nations, tongues, & ethnicities of the earth. These 144,000 is ONE RACE & ONE PEOPLE. The Jewish Nation. The COMPLETE JEW. The MESSIANIC JEW=those Jews who know and love and accept Jesus Christ as THEIR MESSIAH.
They ARE the beginning harvest of the salvation of Israel (Romans 11:1; Romans 11:26; Matthew 23:37-39).
The Great Multitude.
(v.9-10) More worship at the throne of God.
“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!”
“A great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues:” The diversity here is evidence that the Great Commission will be fulfilled before the end, even as Jesus promised (Matthew 24:14).
Because John knew they came from different nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, we know that there will be differences among people in heaven, just as there is on earth. We will NOT all look & be the same. We will be INDIVIDUALS.
“Standing before the throne and before the Lamb:” Again, John sees everything in heaven in reference to the throne of God.
“Clothed with white robes:” These robes remind us not only of the covering righteousness of Jesus, but also of priestly service.
The palm branches remind us of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (John 12:12-16), where Jesus was also praised as Savior and King. The word Hosanna means “save now!” Palm branches were ALSO emblems of GREAT VICTORY for the multitudes.
“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!“ Having an emblem of righteousness (white robes), they worship God for they KNOW that God is the source of salvation, and no one else. Salvation isn’t something we achieve, it is something God gives us through Jesus.
(v.11-12) All heavenly creatures join in worship.
“All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
The multitude worships God all the more by being stunned/amazed by the SEA of people He brought to salvation DURING the Tribulation.
(v.13-14) The identity of the great multitude.
“Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 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.”
It WAS VERY important that John KNOW the identity of this great NEW multitude of people arriving in Heaven. John KNEW this NEW MULTITUDE is NOT The Church whom John SAW raptured with him. But he didn’t know WHO they WERE.
“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation:” This vast multitude, from every tribe and tongue and nation, are those rescued/saved for God’s kingdom DURING the great tribulation.
These scriptures ALSO remind us that EVEN during the VERY WORST God’s grace and mercy INSURE many ARE STILL saved.
“Washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb:” Those saved in the great tribulation are saved just like everybody else, by the blood of the Lamb. Even if they are martyred, their martyrdom does NOT save them. Only the work of Jesus can cleanse and save, Amen?
White by blood is an interesting phrase; we don’t think of things being made white by blood! But REMEMBER the blood of Jesus cleanses us: Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
(v.15-17) What this great multitude does, and how it is blessed.
“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. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 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.”
“They are before the throne of God:” Once in Heaven, the redeemed enjoy the IMMEDIATE presence of God & Jesus Christ. There are NO barriers, NO waiting lists.
This is the ultimate fulfillment of King David’s great desire in Psalm 27:4: “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”
“The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them:” In heaven, the redeemed will know the loving care and nurture of their Savior.
“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes:” In heaven, the redeemed will know NO MORE sorrow or pain. The hurt and the struggle of this earthly life are GONE. How precious is that promise and visual?
REVELATION 8---The 7th Seal is loosed & the First Four of the Seven Trumpets revealed...
The seventh seal is loosed.
(v.1) Silence in heaven.
“When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”
“When He opened the seventh seal:” The sealed scroll was introduced in Revelation 5, and the seals were opened ONE BY ONE up to the SIXTH seal in Revelation 6. We waited for the last seal to be opened, and the contents of the scroll to be revealed --- but then we are given a PAUSE with Revelation 7 and the revealing of the 144,000 and the great multitude out of the great tribulation. Now the idea of a PAUSE between the sixth and the seventh seal is emphasized by this SILENCE IN HEAVEN for 30 minutes.
This silence is striking; this silence in heaven demonstrates a sober, awestruck silence at the judgments to come, now that the seals are off and the scroll can be opened. Since heaven is a place of CONSTANT praise and worship to God (Revelation 4:8-11), silence for about half an hour is a LONG TIME.
AND THERE WAS BUT ONE OTHER TIME IN THE BIBLE...WHERE ALL OF HEAVEN WENT SILENT...AND THAT WAS DURING THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS CHRIST, WHEN ALL OF HEAVEN WAS SILENT AS ALMIGHTY GOD POURED OUT HIS WRATH FOR THE WORLD AND MANKIND...100 % OF IT UPON HIS PRECIOUS SON JESUS CHRIST.
(v.2) SEVEN angels with SEVEN trumpets.
“And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.”
“And to them were given seven trumpets:” In the Old Testament, trumpets sounded the alarm for war, and threw the enemy into a panic, or they called an assembly of God’s people. These seven trumpets will sound as God’s BATTLE-ALARM DURING the great tribulation.
(v.3-6) The other angel with the golden censer.
“Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.”
“A golden censer . . . the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God:” Just as incense is precious, pleasant, and drifts to heaven, so do our prayers. So here, before anything happens at the opening of the seventh seal, the prayers of God’s PEOPLE come before the Lord God.
REMEMBER this, the prayers of God’s people SET IN MOTION the coming consummation of history. HERE we REALIZE just HOW precious, important, & powerful ALL our prayers HAVE BEEN/ARE to God.
2 Peter 3:10-12 & Daniel 9 & Revelation 22:20 prove that our prayers ARE VERY powerful.
“Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth:” As God’s people PRAY for the resolution of ALL things, their prayers are touched by the fire from the altar in heaven, and then “thrown” back down to earth. All things will not be resolved on this earth until judgment comes, and when the prayers of God’s people “come back” to earth, they bring the groundswell of judgment (noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake).
“So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound:” But when the seventh seal was FINALLY loosed, the end did not immediately come. It set in motion seven trumpets that would sound upon the earth.
How do the seals and the trumpets related to each other? The DELAYS, the PAUSES is a striking display of God’s MERCY in stretching out THE END and allowing REPENTANCE/SALVATION for the unsaved.
The first four trumpets.
(v.7) The first trumpet brings a plague on vegetation.
“The first angel sounded:” HAIL & FIRE FOLLOWED, MINGLED WITH BLOOD & THROWN TO THE EARTH….& 1/3 OF THE TREES AND GRASS WERE BURNED UP ON EARTH.
What does this mean? It means that 1/3 of the WHOLE earth’s vegetation of the planet is burned up during the great tribulation. This is NOT nature taking its course, this IS God’s judgment on a Jesus REJECTING & His People persecutions AGAINST the world.
People on earth WILL KNOW these events are FROM God, and WILL NOT think them to be merely natural disasters (Revelation 16:9; 16:11; 19:19).
(v.8-9) The second trumpet two brings a plague on the sea.
“Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.”
“Something like a great mountain:” John carefully uses the word LIKE a mountain, but it is a blazing mass as large as a mountain.
“A third of the sea became blood:” This WILL KILL 1/3 of the living creatures in the sea, and a 1/3 of the ships ARE destroyed. The blood may be either the cause or the effect of the widespread death in the oceans of the world.
Some take this “great mountain” as a symbol for A NATION. It is true GOD uses mountains at times to symbolize figures of governments or nations (Jeremiah 51:25; 51:27; 51:30). But in this context, it is NO SYMBOL…but REALITY. Most believe a METEOR/ASTEROID would bring about this REALITY upon mankind.
(v.10-11) The third trumpet brings a plague on fresh waters.
“Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.”
A great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch: We may easily associate this with a comet or meteor crashing into the earth and bring ecological disaster. But REMEMBER God is NOT limited to our mental limitations.
“The name of the star is Wormwood:” Wormwood is a very bitter substance, and proverbial for bitterness and sadness.
“A third of the rivers . . . a third of the waters:” In each one of the trumpets, a 1/3 of an ecological system IS destroyed in judgment.
(v.12-13) The fourth trumpet brings a plague on the heavens, and darkness on the earth.
“Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”
“A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night:” This describes 1/3 of THE DAY AND NIGHT are plunged into absolute darkness. As Jesus said: the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light (Matthew 24:29).
“Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet:” The angel’s woes are well founded, because 1/3 of ALL people on the earth WILL DIE in the next three trumpets.
What do these first FOUR trumpets reveal?
These first four trumpets reveal the severity of God’s judgment.
He attacks all the ordinary means of subsistence, such as food and water; and He attacks all the ordinary means of comfort, and knowledge, such as light and the regular rhythm of days.
The idiotic brains in the world see “created order” as Big Bang, Primoridial Ooze, Monkeys becoming man. Almighty God SHOWS mankind that HE CREATED/CONTROLS ALL THINGS. Mankind is shown that their VERY breath and heartbeat and life ARE in HIS control….not nature…not happenstance….or an aberrant anomaly of this world.
The first four trumpets also reveal the MERCY of God’s judgment; these are PARTIAL judgments striking ONLY 1/3, instead of ALL. They ARE meant to WARN and lead a rebellious world to REPENTANCE. For now, God spares MORE than He smites.
REVELATION 7 --- The 144,000 and the Great Multitude
(v. 1-3) Holding back judgment until the servants of God are sealed.
“After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried 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, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
“Four angels standing at the four corners of the earth:” The phrase four corners of the earth is an ancient (and sometimes modern) equivalent to the idea of “the four points of the compass.” The idea is that these angels effect the ENTIRE earth.
“Holding the four winds of the earth:” These winds are a destructive force of God’s judgment, as they often are as proved in Hosea 13:15.
The four winds of the earth may refer back to the four horsemen of Revelation 6:1-8, after the pattern of Zechariah 6:1-8. In that passage, four chariots with horses of the SAME colors of Revelation 6:1-8 go out to all the earth, and are called the FOUR SPIRITS OF HEAVEN. Spirits in that passage translates the Hebrew word ruach, which can also be translated WINDS.
“Another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God:” Another angel has a seal, and he seals the people of God. In the ancient world, such seals were familiar. A king or a property owner could use a seal to show ownership or authenticity.
“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads:” These servants of God will receive a PROTECTIVE seal on their FOREHEAD, containing God’s name (Revelation 14:1).
In Ezekiel 9, a similar protective seal is given to the righteous before Jerusalem is judged. The seal is the Hebrew letter tau (“t,” as in the shape of a small cross).
“The servants of our God:” We are not told what exactly their service is, but the 144,000 are sealed for a specific and unique purpose. However, the general idea of being sealed is not limited to JUST them at this time.
REMEMBER…..
Jesus was sealed. He said God the Father has set His seal on Him. (John 6:27)
We ARE sealed with the Holy Spirit as a down payment of our eventual total redemption. Paul wrote: God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
This sealing of the Holy Spirit belongs to EVERY believer when they ARE saved: having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians 1:13)
The sealing of the Holy Spirit is meant to be both A COMFORT & A CHALLENGE to us. We are comforted in that it assures us that we belong to Jesus. We are challenged to do so in (2 Timothy 2:19 & Ephesians 4:30)
(v.4-8) The number of those sealed.
“And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.”
“One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the JEWISH tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:” They are of ALL the tribes of the children of Israel. Ethnically, they are ALL Jewish, and there are 144,000 of these chosen ones. There ARE 12,000 from each tribe.
“The omission of the tribe of Dan: Why is Dan left out? Most who have studied the Old Testament prophesy & Jesus’ own words BELIEVE it is because Dan is the tribe of the Antichrist, based on Daniel 11:37 and Jeremiah 8:16. Dan WAS called a serpent by his father. AND Dan was the tribe which INTRODUCED idolatry/Satanism/paganism into the nation of Israel (Genesis 49:17; Judges 18:30).
BUT…there IS a wonderful REDEMPTION for the tribe of Dan. Dan is the first tribe listed in Ezekiel’s millennial role call of the tribes during JESUS 1000 year reign on earth told to us in Ezekiel 48..
The slighting of the tribe of Ephraim: This tribe is referred to, but only indirectly. The tribe of Joseph is mentioned, but Joseph was represented by two tribes: Ephraim and Manasseh. Since the tribe of Manasseh is mentioned, by elimination, the tribe of Joseph must mean the tribe of Ephraim - who is listed, but not by name.
Why is Ephraim slighted? Perhaps it is because the tribe of Ephraim was ALSO associated with great idolatry (Hosea 4:17).
Who are these 144,000?
Many different religious groups & cults have claimed to be the 144,000. THE BOOK OF DANIEL TELLS US, JESUS CONFIRMS HIMSELF THAT THE PROPHET DANIEL SPOKE PURE TRUTH FROM HIM, & RIGHT HERE, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF TELLS JOHN, WHO TELLS US, WHO THE 144,000 ARE. THIS IS NEITHER AS SOME GROUPS SAY, A SELECT GROUP OF WITNESSES THAT GO TO HEAVEN. THESE 144,000 are HAND PICKED BY JESUS CHRIST, THEY HAVE PURPOSE AND MISSIONS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH DURING THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION…IT IS NOT A SELECT GROUP THAT ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO GO TO HEAVEN DURING THE TRIBULATION. JESUS WARNS CHRISTIANS TO BE AWARE AND ALERT FOR FALSE PROPHETS, AND FALSE CHRISTS WHO SEEK TO LEAD US ASTRAY…SO LEARN AND STUDY AND KNOW WHAT JESUS TELLS US…AND TRUST WHAT HE AND HIS WORD SAYS…NOT WHAT MANKIND, SATAN, AND THE WORLD TRY TO TWIST AND TURN AND OUTRIGHT LIE ABOUT…
Here is what THE BIBLE tells us about the 144,000 from Revelation 7 and Revelation 14 which gives us PURE TRUTH insight regarding their identity.
They are called the children of Israel (Revelation 7:4).
Their tribal affiliation is specific (Revelation 7:4-8).
They are protected and triumphant through the period of God’s wrath, ALL meeting with Jesus at Mount Zion at His return (Revelation 14:1).
They are celibate (Revelation 14:4).
They are the beginning of a greater harvest (Revelation 14:4).
They are marked by integrity and faithfulness (Revelation 14:5).
Taken together, The Bible is TELLING us they are ALL JEWISH, VIRGIN MALES. They are NOT The Church, The Bride of Christ who ARE believers from/of ALL nations, tongues, & ethnicities of the earth. These 144,000 is ONE RACE & ONE PEOPLE. The Jewish Nation. The COMPLETE JEW. The MESSIANIC JEW=those Jews who know and love and accept Jesus Christ as THEIR MESSIAH.
They ARE the beginning harvest of the salvation of Israel (Romans 11:1; Romans 11:26; Matthew 23:37-39).
The Great Multitude.
(v.9-10) More worship at the throne of God.
“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!”
“A great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues:” The diversity here is evidence that the Great Commission will be fulfilled before the end, even as Jesus promised (Matthew 24:14).
Because John knew they came from different nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, we know that there will be differences among people in heaven, just as there is on earth. We will NOT all look & be the same. We will be INDIVIDUALS.
“Standing before the throne and before the Lamb:” Again, John sees everything in heaven in reference to the throne of God.
“Clothed with white robes:” These robes remind us not only of the covering righteousness of Jesus, but also of priestly service.
The palm branches remind us of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (John 12:12-16), where Jesus was also praised as Savior and King. The word Hosanna means “save now!” Palm branches were ALSO emblems of GREAT VICTORY for the multitudes.
“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!“ Having an emblem of righteousness (white robes), they worship God for they KNOW that God is the source of salvation, and no one else. Salvation isn’t something we achieve, it is something God gives us through Jesus.
(v.11-12) All heavenly creatures join in worship.
“All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
The multitude worships God all the more by being stunned/amazed by the SEA of people He brought to salvation DURING the Tribulation.
(v.13-14) The identity of the great multitude.
“Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 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.”
It WAS VERY important that John KNOW the identity of this great NEW multitude of people arriving in Heaven. John KNEW this NEW MULTITUDE is NOT The Church whom John SAW raptured with him. But he didn’t know WHO they WERE.
“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation:” This vast multitude, from every tribe and tongue and nation, are those rescued/saved for God’s kingdom DURING the great tribulation.
These scriptures ALSO remind us that EVEN during the VERY WORST God’s grace and mercy INSURE many ARE STILL saved.
“Washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb:” Those saved in the great tribulation are saved just like everybody else, by the blood of the Lamb. Even if they are martyred, their martyrdom does NOT save them. Only the work of Jesus can cleanse and save, Amen?
White by blood is an interesting phrase; we don’t think of things being made white by blood! But REMEMBER the blood of Jesus cleanses us: Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
(v.15-17) What this great multitude does, and how it is blessed.
“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. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 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.”
“They are before the throne of God:” Once in Heaven, the redeemed enjoy the IMMEDIATE presence of God & Jesus Christ. There are NO barriers, NO waiting lists.
This is the ultimate fulfillment of King David’s great desire in Psalm 27:4: “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”
“The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them:” In heaven, the redeemed will know the loving care and nurture of their Savior.
“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes:” In heaven, the redeemed will know NO MORE sorrow or pain. The hurt and the struggle of this earthly life are GONE. How precious is that promise and visual?
REVELATION 8---The First Four Trumpets
The seventh seal is loosed.
(v.1) Silence in heaven.
“When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”
“When He opened the seventh seal:” The sealed scroll was introduced in Revelation 5, and the seals were opened ONE BY ONE up to the SIXTH seal in Revelation 6. We waited for the last seal to be opened, and the contents of the scroll to be revealed --- but then we are given a PAUSE with Revelation 7 and the revealing of the 144,000 and the great multitude out of the great tribulation. Now the idea of a PAUSE between the sixth and the seventh seal is emphasized by this SILENCE IN HEAVEN for 30 minutes.
This silence is striking; this silence in heaven demonstrates a sober, awestruck silence at the judgments to come, now that the seals are off and the scroll can be opened. Since heaven is a place of CONSTANT praise and worship to God (Revelation 4:8-11), silence for about half an hour is a LONG TIME.
(v.2) SEVEN angels with SEVEN trumpets.
“And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.”
“And to them were given seven trumpets:” In the Old Testament, trumpets sounded the alarm for war, and threw the enemy into a panic, or they called an assembly of God’s people. These seven trumpets will sound as God’s BATTLE-ALARM DURING the great tribulation.
(v.3-6) The other angel with the golden censer.
“Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.”
“A golden censer . . . the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God:” Just as incense is precious, pleasant, and drifts to heaven, so do our prayers. So here, before anything happens at the opening of the seventh seal, the prayers of God’s PEOPLE come before the Lord God.
REMEMBER this, the prayers of God’s people SET IN MOTION the coming consummation of history. HERE we REALIZE just HOW precious, important, & powerful ALL our prayers HAVE BEEN/ARE to God.
2 Peter 3:10-12 & Daniel 9 & Revelation 22:20 prove that our prayers ARE VERY powerful.
“Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth:” As God’s people PRAY for the resolution of ALL things, their prayers are touched by the fire from the altar in heaven, and then “thrown” back down to earth. All things will not be resolved on this earth until judgment comes, and when the prayers of God’s people “come back” to earth, they bring the groundswell of judgment (noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake).
“So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound:” But when the seventh seal was FINALLY loosed, the end did not immediately come. It set in motion seven trumpets that would sound upon the earth.
How do the seals and the trumpets related to each other? The DELAYS, the PAUSES is a striking display of God’s MERCY in stretching out THE END and allowing REPENTANCE/SALVATION for the unsaved.
The first four trumpets.
(v.7) The first trumpet brings a plague on vegetation.
“The first angel sounded:” HAIL & FIRE FOLLOWED, MINGLED WITH BLOOD & THROWN TO THE EARTH….& 1/3 OF THE TREES AND GRASS WERE BURNED UP ON EARTH.
What does this mean? It means that 1/3 of the WHOLE earth’s vegetation of the planet is burned up during the great tribulation. This is NOT nature taking its course, this IS God’s judgment on a Jesus REJECTING & His People persecutions AGAINST the world.
People on earth WILL KNOW these events are FROM God, and WILL NOT think them to be merely natural disasters (Revelation 16:9; 16:11; 19:19).
(v.8-9) The second trumpet two brings a plague on the sea.
“Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.”
“Something like a great mountain:” John carefully uses the word LIKE a mountain, but it is a blazing mass as large as a mountain.
“A third of the sea became blood:” This WILL KILL 1/3 of the living creatures in the sea, and a 1/3 of the ships ARE destroyed. The blood may be either the cause or the effect of the widespread death in the oceans of the world.
Some take this “great mountain” as a symbol for A NATION. It is true GOD uses mountains at times to symbolize figures of governments or nations (Jeremiah 51:25; 51:27; 51:30). But in this context, it is NO SYMBOL…but REALITY. Most believe a METEOR/ASTEROID would bring about this REALITY upon mankind.
(v.10-11) The third trumpet brings a plague on fresh waters.
“Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.”
A great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch: We may easily associate this with a comet or meteor crashing into the earth and bring ecological disaster. But REMEMBER God is NOT limited to our mental limitations.
“The name of the star is Wormwood:” Wormwood is a very bitter substance, and proverbial for bitterness and sadness.
“A third of the rivers . . . a third of the waters:” In each one of the trumpets, a 1/3 of an ecological system IS destroyed in judgment.
(v.12-13) The fourth trumpet brings a plague on the heavens, and darkness on the earth.
“Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”
“A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night:” This describes 1/3 of THE DAY AND NIGHT are plunged into absolute darkness. As Jesus said: the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light (Matthew 24:29).
“Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet:” The angel’s woes are well founded, because 1/3 of ALL people on the earth WILL DIE in the next three trumpets.
What do these first FOUR trumpets reveal?
These first four trumpets reveal the severity of God’s judgment.
He attacks all the ordinary means of subsistence, such as food and water; and He attacks all the ordinary means of comfort, and knowledge, such as light and the regular rhythm of days.
The idiotic brains in the world see “created order” as Big Bang, Primoridial Ooze, Monkeys becoming man. Almighty God SHOWS mankind that HE CREATED/CONTROLS ALL THINGS. Mankind is shown that their VERY breath and heartbeat and life ARE in HIS control….not nature…not happenstance….or an aberrant anomaly of this world.
The first four trumpets also reveal the MERCY of God’s judgment; these are PARTIAL judgments striking ONLY 1/3, instead of ALL. They ARE meant to WARN and lead a rebellious world to REPENTANCE. For now, God spares MORE than He smites.
AND WE NEED TO REMEMEBER SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT HERE....ALMIGHTY GOD STILL RESTRAINS HIMSELF...STRIKING ONLY 1/3 INSTEAD OF ALL....AND ALSO AS WE READ THROUGH AND VISUALIZE THESE COMING JUDGEMENTS & THE WRATH OF ALMIGHTY GOD...WE NEED TO REMEMBER....THAT ALMIGHTY GOD DID NOT....COULD NOT RESTRAIN HIS FULL WRATH UPON JESUS CHRIST....THAT IN A FEW SHORT HOURS JESUS CHRIST SUFFERED THE FULL WRATH...NOT JUST ONE THIRD...BUT THE FULL WRATH OF ALMIGHTY GOD...ALL THE HORROR, PAIN, AND DESTRUCTION AND JUDGEMENT SPIRITUALLY, PHYSICALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY UPON HIMSELF...WHEREAS ALMIGHTY GOD TAKES SEVEN YEARS TO SLOWLY, RESTRAININGLY JUDGE MANKIND AS A WHOLE.
EVEN IN ALMIGHTY GOD'S RIGHTEOUS ANGER & JUDGEMENT UPON THE WORLD AND MANKIND OVER THEIR REJECTION, THE SLANDER, THE DISMISSAL, THE PERSECUTION, THE BLASPHEMIES AGAINST HIS PRECIOUS SON & OF HIS CHILDREN, HIS BELOVEDS WHO LOVE HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST....ALMIGHTY GOD RESTRAINS HIMSELF..... HE IS SEEKING REPENTANCE, HITTING THEIR KNEES, CRYING OUT AND CALLING UPON JESUS CHRIST TO SAVE THEM.....ALMIGHTY GOD IS NOT SEEKING THEIR DAMNATION, HE IS OFFERING YET AGAIN, ANOTHER CHANCE TO BE SAVED....TO CHOOSE HIS SON.
HE GIVES US REVELATION AS A WARNING....OF WHAT IS TO COME...AND THE ONLY WAY...THE ONLY TRUTH....THE ONLY ETERNAL LIFE AND REDEMPTION FOR MANKIND THROUGH HIS PRECIOUS SON, JESUS CHRIST.
JESUS IS COMING BACK SOON...AT ANY MOMENT...
SO FOR THOSE OF US WHO LOVE JESUS....PRAY AND SHINE OUR JESUS WHILE WE MAY.
AND FOR THOSE LOST & SEEKING CALL UPON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST NOW...
BECAUSE TOMORROW IS PROMISED TO NONE!