Revelation 7: Salvation & Graduation in Tribulation

Bible Study Series: Revealing Jesus in Revelation

Revelation Chapter 7 - Salvation & Graduation in Tribulation

by I Gordon

Welcome! We looked last time at Revelation chapter 6 and, to be fair, it was and is a pretty wild ride! It increased in speed with many twists and turns, leading to a dramatic end where all the heavenly lights went out while unbelievers hid in the rocks, fearfully waiting for what comes next - the days of the return of the King of kings! So I hope you hung on, weren't too dizzy and have had time to catch your breath! The chapter ended with an important question - '...the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?' It is a good question. Who is able to stand in such a time? Who is able to stand when the wrath of God comes? I've called this study 'Salvation & Graduation in Tribulation' because Revelation 7 will answer that question showing two groups of believers who will stand during this terrible day. One group will come from the Jews and the other from the Gentiles. Both will find the salvation in Jesus that is necessary for anyone, including you and me, to be able to stand. And just as Revelation 6 gave us an overview of the judgements of God throughout the entire period, so this chapter will give us an overview of salvation, and even graduation (to Heaven!), in the tribulation. Now as well as the outward gospel message presented in this chapter, there is also a hidden gospel message that relates to your salvation and mine, there are extra points on offer if you know where!

So we'll look at the following today:

• The sealing of God's servants - How is this connected to an interesting Old Testament story about a mysterious man with a familiar mark?
• The identity of the 144,000 - Who are they and what is their mission?
• The gospel message hidden in the 12 tribes of Israel - Where is it and have you seen it?
• The result of the 144,000's mission - Who is this great heavenly multitude?
• And finally some washing instructions - How do you get your garments completely white?

So... you get it all on this site... even the odd piece of clothing cleaning advice! : ) Let's go...

Blowing in the wind... or maybe not

Rev 7:1-3 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. (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.

The passage starts with 'After this' which indicates a new vision that John saw that stands apart from the previous vision of the seals in chapter 6. So we see four angels at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds. Clearly, the main point to take from this verse is that the earth is flat. It has four corners and lies flat like a sheet. So please be careful out there, especially when sailing as you might hit the edge and, well, that will be that! Alright then... the earth isn't flat though people have tried to use phrases like 'the four corners of the world' to say the Bible teaches that! Ugh! The four corners and the four winds was a Jewish idiom pointing to the same thing - the four compass points of north, south, east and west. The main point here is that the actions of these four angels will affect the entire earth. So what are their actions?

1. Firstly is to stop the wind. Now holding back the wind doesn't sound too bad does it? We all enjoy a nice calm day don't we? But what would happen if there was no wind? As I have written elsewhere, the wind "brings the rain, disperses the seeds, powers electrical energy, regulates earth's temperature and clears pollution to name a few of its essential benefits. It is critical to the functioning of the planet... Please google 'what would happen if there was no wind?' Part of the answer, according to one scientific website said that 'without the wind earth would be an other-worldly, alien planet with our ecosystems that give oxygen to the planet largely destroyed.' Hmmm, yeah, ok... holding back the wind might be worse than it sounds! Our text says that these four angels have been given power to harm the land and sea. This is likely through the action of stopping the wind though they might have other powers as well. Holding back of the wind, you could say, is the literal and symbolic 'calm before the storm'!
    
2. Put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of God - There is another specific angel that comes from the east to set the seal of the living God upon the foreheads of these servants of God. The east, and specifically the east wind, often speaks of God’s actions in both judgment and deliverance (Ps 48:7, 78:26, Isa 27:8, Jer 18:17, Eze 19:12, Hos, 13:15, Jon 4:8). Here it is a mark for deliverance as it is a seal of ownership and protection. Later in Revelation, Satan will mark his followers in their forehead or right hand (Rev 13:16-18), mimicking (as he always does) what God does here. White Satan's mark ensures the judgement of God, God's mark brings protection from His judgements.

"During the time of the Tribulation, it appears there will be three categories of people:
1. Those who are sealed and protected by God for special ministry (Rev. 7:4-8; 14:1).
2. Those who accept the mark of the beast (Rev. 13:16-18) and are doomed (Rev. 14:9-10). They are not written in the Book of Life.
3. Those who refuse the mark of the beast, many of whom are martyred (Rev. 20:4)."
Tony Garland, A Testimony of Jesus Christ

God's seal - The Old Testament Example

Now like most things in the book of Revelation, there is an Old Testament example of sealing God's people to protect them from judgements. Can you think of who had God's seal on them, protecting them, before judgement came? And if you are thinking the original Passover in Egypt where they placed the blood on the doorframes to protect them from the angel of death... then... no. Close, and good thought, but no. I'm thinking specifically about a mark placed upon the people themselves. Ok, that is a toughie! It occurs in the book of Ezekiel in a very interesting passage. In Ezekiel chapter 8 the Lord speaks of detestable things that were occurring in Israel at that time. In chapter 9 we see the dramatic outcome of this: 

Eze 9:1-6 Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, "Bring the guards of the city here, each with a weapon in his hand." (2) And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar. (3) Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side (4) and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it." (5) As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. (6) Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple.'

Yikes! Because the sin of Israel and Judah was so bad at this time, God instructed six men (most likely angels) to go through the city of Jerusalem and strike down all those that offended. And this judgement began at the house of God. It began in His own temple because of the wickedness that was specifically performed there (Ezek 8:16-18). Now there was a seventh 'man clothed in linen' who God instructed to first mark those that grieved and lamented the detestable things that occurred. These were protected from God's judgement. 

The 'man' and the 'mark'

But this gets more interesting... the 'man clothed in linen' is likely 'the Angel of the Lord' - that is, a pre-incarnate appearing of Jesus Christ.¹ And what 'mark' was added to these ones that feared God and despised the wickedness in the city? A.C Gaebelein writes:

"The word “mark” in the Hebrew is “Tav,” the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Its literal meaning is “cross.” This letter “T” was a cross in the older Hebrew script as well as in the Phoenician and Samaritan. The Egyptians also used a cross in their language, with them it was a sign of life. Ancient Jewish tradition gives the information that the blood sprinkled in Egypt on the doorpost Exo 12:23 was in the form of a cross. All this is interesting. To this we may add that in Gen 4:15, the mark set upon Cain, an entirely different word is used."

So to sum up, we are given here a picture of 'the man in linen' (The Lord Jesus) placing the 'Tav' (the sign of the cross), on the forehead of all those that were His, protecting them from judgement. What a great picture this is of what happens to Christians and God's servants in Revelation 7! It is also a great reminder that believers today are sealed by God. His seal today is the Holy Spirit (2Cor 1:22, Eph 1:13, Eph 4:30) and while this seal is not visible to the human eye, it is to the angelic realm. They know who belongs to the Lord and are protected by Him!

The 144,000 (spoiler alert: not JW's!)

Rev 7:4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

There are 144,000 servants that are sealed. Now people have done all sorts of things with both this number and the people it represents but let me say as clearly as possible that this is not a symbolic number. God knows how many He has, and how many He needs, to perform His work. And if He can count the hairs on everyone's head, I think He is fine counting people! As an example, in the days of Elijah, when Elijah thought he was the only one left, God said He had 7000 (1Ki 19:18) and that is what He had. I believe Him. And I know He will have 144,000 marked in this coming day. This is not the Church and no, I'm terribly sorry, but it's not Jehovah Witnesses either! This is one of those verses that "When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense, lest it result in nonsense."

Historically it was always the role of the Jews to be a witness for God to the nations. They were to be a light as the people of God but they failed in that task. God, however, has a long memory and has ways of fulfilling His plans despite our failure. So God isn't through with the Jew, thank you! They will fulfil the mission God has for them in the coming Tribulation period. ²

Rev 7:5-8 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.

Now some commentators have a problem with these men being literally from these twelve tribes of Israel because after the dispersion of the Jews into all the world (starting in 70 AD), they say that there is no way to know today what tribe a Jewish man belongs to. For the most part, that is true. But here is the important part - it isn't man that is setting aside 12,000 from each of the tribes, and it isn't man that is counting. It is God. And God can not only count correctly, but He also knows who descends from each of the tribes... even if we don't! Others have noted various things that differ here from other lists of the tribes of Israel in the Bible. For example:

• Judah is mentioned first in this list even though Reuben was the first born - This is possibly because of Reuben's sin in Gen 35:22 and Judah's elevation to the kingly tribe in Gen 49:8-10.
• There is no tribe of Dan in this list - This might be because the tribe of Dan was the first tribe to fall into idolatry (Jdg 18:30). The tribe of Dan later became the headquarters for calf worship whereby "Jeroboam made Israel to sin" (1Ki 12:28-30). Though fear not you Dan supporters - this tribe is again mentioned in the list for the Messianic Kingdom in Eze 48:1.
• The tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe, is included in Dan's place.
• Ephraim is also missing - Ephraim was also guilty of idolatry. Hos 4:17 "Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone." Ephraim was also the tribe which led the division of the kingdom in the days of Solomon (1Ki 11:26).
• Joseph takes the place of Ephraim.

But there is something else that is interesting in the different order of these tribes³. This becomes all the more interesting when exploring the meaning of their names...

So what story do their names tell?

"Praise the Lord! Behold a Son! (What) good fortune! (I am) happy and blessed! (My) wrestling and struggles, (He) caused me to forget. (He) heard (me). (I am) joined and associated with Him. (I am) rewarded (with) a dwelling and habitation (with Him), adding (to me) the Son of the right hand!"

That is every Christian's story is it not? We have all gone through struggles, we have all wrestled with dark situations. Yet those difficult times from the past fade away when we know God. We come to know that we are joined to Him, we are rewarded in Him and have an everlasting dwelling with Him! Imagine also for a moment the experience of these 144,000 Jewish believers when they come to know Yeshua, Jesus, as their Messiah and Savior. The difficulty they experience will be eclipsed by knowing that they have experienced salvation and found the purpose for living - knowing Yeshua, their Messiah! Think also of what the nation of Israel will experience as a whole when they look to the One they pierced and experience salvation at the end of the Tribulation... They will finally understand their last 2000 years of history as a people. They will understand why they were scattered amongst the nations, why they were persecuted, why they haven't been allowed to find rest... until they found their rest and dwelling in Him! All their past troubles will be forgotten and how blessed they will feel. Truly they will be saying 'praise the Lord!' what 'good fortune' I have experienced and all my past struggles and anguish He has caused me to forget. Praise the Son of His right hand!

Another Hidden Message

As a side note for any of you in the 'Hidden Gospel Message Club', this isn't the first time that God has hidden a gospel message in the meaning of people's names. The late Chuck Missler showed how the meaning of the names of the first 10 generations from Adam to Noah⁴, gave the following gospel message:

Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing rest.

That is awesome as well. Praise the Lord Jesus for what He did and I hope you have found this rest!

The result of their work - The great multitude

Rev 7:9-12 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." (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!"

This passage is tied to the start of Revelation 7 and can be seen as the result of the work of the 144,000 Jews. From 70AD, Jews were scattered, and are now found, in all the countries of the world. Some have felt the compulsion to go back to the land of Israel but the Bible teaches that many will remain in the nations and be regathered at the end of the Tribulation. So these 144,000 Jews will be evangelists⁵ in all the nations and will fulfill the word spoken by Jesus where He says:

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Mat 24:14)

"This means that in the Great Tribulation the gospel of the Kingdom will be preached through the world. I want to repeat this: the 144,000 witnesses in the Great Tribulation period are going to do in seven years what the church up to the present has not done in over nineteen hundred years. Do not boast about your missionary program. None of us are reaching very many. But, during the Great Tribulation, there will be a great company of people who will be saved."
J. Vernon McGee

Now, you might be thinking 'well, the world is a big place. How much could 144,000 people actually do?' Currently there are 193 countries that are members of the United Nations. 144,000 / 193 = 746 Jewish evangelists per country. Now that might not sound like many for a large country but remember that they are hand-picked, sealed, protected and empowered... by God! Serving Jesus in whatever He asks will be their sole purpose! (Rev 14:4) Think also what one such person did in his time - the Apostle Paul. Look at the impact he had in spreading Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. Now multiply that by 144,000! Filled and empowered by God's Spirit these 144,000 Jewish believers will be a good force to reckon with! 

So we see the result of their work in our passage - there is a great multitude from every nation, tribe and people standing before the throne. These are predominantly Gentiles from every nation on earth. This is the second group that are able to stand before God. They are now seen standing in Heaven, before the Lamb, and wearing white robes signifying their righteousness in Him. And they cry out praise to the Lord. Before long the angels, elders and living creatures all join in on the praise and worship! How could you not? As a side note, angels play a great role as God's ministers to protect and save believers. We know that they rejoice when sinners are saved (Luke 15:10) and they now rejoice to see these believers overcome and stand before their God!  

Identity of the Multitude

Rev 7:13-14 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes-- who are they, and where did they come from?" (14) I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

So who are these ones in heaven and where did they come from? That is the question of the elder to John, and yet John doesn't know the answer. He doesn't recognize them so can only say 'um, can I phone a friend? No? Well, you know'. The answer is that they have come out of the Great Tribulation. They didn't come out before it but from within it. The Great Tribulation is a term used for the second half of the Tribulation where the Antichrist is given power over the saints (Dan 7:21, Rev 13:7). There are some that see this group as the Church but there are various reasons to reject this:

So this multitude are tribulation saints from every nation that have given their life for their belief in the Lord Jesus having rejected the mark of the beast.  They are martyrs who believed the message preached and did not bow down to the Antichrist. They are now arriving, one after the other in an ongoing manner, into heaven. And their arrival will continue right throughout the Great Tribulation period. 

Graduation - Anticipating the eternal rest

Rev 7:15-17 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 spread his tent over them. (16) Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. (17) For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

As we read this passage, think about the contrast for these saints. Like I mentioned earlier, they have just come out of the Great Tribulation so this will literally be their experience:

• They have come from the most dramatic and fearful time ever known on earth, to now stepping into the eternal peace of heaven, never to experience fear again. 
• They have come from not being able to buy and sell, to having all they will ever want or need.
• They have come from being hungry and thirsty, to never thirsting or suffering hunger ever again. 
• They have come from being alone and on the run, to standing in the presence of the Great Shepherd, the Lamb and myriads of heavenly saints and angels.  
• They have come from tears, sorrow and heartache on earth, to God wiping away every tear from their eyes in heaven... and for all time.

What a contrast they will experience! But also what a contrast we, as believers today, will experience. Their hope, destination and heavenly experience is the same hope, destination and heavenly experience of every true believer. The future for this planet, at least in the short term, looks dark... We seem to be moving into uncharted territory in this world. We are moving into exponential technological changes that many will struggle to adjust to.  Many are struggling already medically with 'sudden and unexpected deaths' and 'sudden illnesses' becoming all too common recently. Maybe tomorrow looks scary for you. If so, listen to the elders in heaven once more for they were able to give John, and through him to all of us, a glimpse from the other side. Their words offered amazing hope to those struggling in the first century as they do now in the twenty-first... and everyone in between. If the worst happens on this planet and a believer dies, here is their reality, as given by those that have experienced it already - You will find yourself before the throne of God and you will dwell with the One who sits on that throne. Never again will you hunger. Never again will you thirst. Never again will experience pain or hurt or sin or ill-health or persecution or depression or anxiety or... or... or. Instead, the Lamb at the center of the throne, your Great Shepherd, will lead you to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Forever.

Always remember that for the believer this life is the worst we will ever experience. For the unbeliever, this is the best they will ever experience. That is both a comforting and sobering thought depending on who you are! But for the believer every challenge, every trial, every difficulty that you face in this life, comes with the permission of God and He allows and uses every difficult time in our lives for our eternal good. Even in this life, there is salvation in tribulation and our lives are always under the watchful and gracious hand of the Good Shepherd.    

Conclusion

So what have we seen? We've seen that Revelation chapter 7 is an answer to the question raised in the last verse of chapter 6 - '...the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?' It is an overview of salvation and what we have seen is that two groups will be able to stand. There are 144,000 Jews specifically sealed, protected and given a ministry as servants of the living God. God is not through with the Jew, and the tribulation will lead to the salvation of the Jewish nation. And these 144,000 who have come to know Yeshua as their Messiah, will be used mightily during these dark days to lead many to Christ and eternal life. The result of this is the other group that 'stands', who come from every nation and tribe and tongue. They stand strong in the faith and though they will lose their temporal earthly life, they will find eternal life and their graduation to heaven will see them stand before the Lamb, in perfect spotless garments, receiving a great eternal reward. 

J. Vernon McGee speaking of this time wrote "the greatest days of God's salvation are in the future." That is true. There is salvation in Tribulation. Praise God that He never stops saving, even if it comes in the darkest of days.

But also remember for yourself, right here, right now, that the Lamb is the Great Shepherd today as well. Like I said, any 'tribulation' (with a lower case 't') that you and I experience is used by the Shepherd for our eternal good. And once you get into eternity and see God's purpose and eternal good for the trials you experienced, you will never regret any difficulty that God allowed in this temporal and fleeting life. 

God does all things right!

God Bless.

FOOTNOTES: