A Commentary on the Book of Revelation

Chapter 7

Protecting 144,000 Descendants of Israel

1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 

After the sixth seal was opened, John saw four angels at the four corners of the earth (a figure of speech, like referring to the four points of a compass, does not imply being square or a cube). They were holding back the four winds so that no wind might blow on the earth or sea. Adding the wording, “against any tree,” seems to imply a devastating wind. We see in the Old Testament that ‘trees’ can represent people (see Judges 9:8-15; Psalm 1:3; Daniel 4:4-27) and ‘wind’ was often associated with judgment (see 2 Samuel 22:11; Jeremiah 18:17; 49:36; 51:1; Ezekiel 5:2, 10,12; 13:11, 13; 27:26; Hosea 8:7; 13:15, note that the Hebrew word for wind is ‘rûah’^[1] which is most often translated ’spirit’, can also be ‘breath’).

Note also the wording, “After this,” while not another ‘meta tauta’,^[2] it is ‘meta touto’^[3], the singular form, having the same meaning, as the scene changes from the throne room to this view of the four angels, the scene will return to the throne room again in verse nine. 

2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

John then notices another angel, this one coming up from the rising sun holding God’s seal (Greek ‘sphragida’,^[4] a signet, signet-ring, or similar for leaving an impression, signifying authority, see below). The angel loudly called out to the four angels to hold off doing any harm to the world, until they have sealed the servants of God on their foreheads (see Ezekiel 9:4, 6; 11:7, regarding the word ‘until’ see Romans 11:25). 

4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 5 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 7 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed. 

John hears the number of servants sealed, they numbered 144,000 in total. He then breaks down that number and lists who they are by tribe. Every one of the servants are descendants of Israel. He records that there was 12,000 from each tribe with the exception of the tribe of Dan. The tribe of Joseph is listed, which consists of both Ephram and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph adopted by Jacob (Israel), but Manasseh is listed, so the tribe of Ephraim is included under the name of Joseph but not specifically named. 

Considerations

Servants Sealed

Signets were widely used to seal objects, especially scrolls, to make it clear that whoever had the sealed object or scroll came from the authority identified in the seal. If the seal was broken, then the contents would be called into question. If the seal was not, then the contents were treated as if they came from the one who sealed it. Typically a unique signet would be impressed (pushed) into a pliable substance like wax that had been used to seal the item. This technique was often employed by kings who would send instructions to their military leaders in the field. 

God also seals people (likely without the wax) to assure them that they can’t be touched, that they are His, and no one can break that seal. Paul wrote, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14, see also John 3:33; 6:27; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 4:30) Here in Revelation, we hear that 144,000 people were given a seal on their forehead. The text doesn’t state if it was visible to humans, but it is clear that the seal would have been perceived by the enemies of God. These people were untouchable!

The Missing Tribe^[5]

Jacob had twelve sons and adopted Joseph’s two sons as his own, for a total of 14. That will later equate to 13 tribes with 14 names, as the tribe of Joseph consists of Ephraim and Manasseh, who are now sons of Israel themselves. If Scripture refers to the tribe of Joseph, it is either referring to both Ephraim and Manasseh (who would otherwise not be in the listing) or it is used in place of one of them with the other one listed as we see here the list of twelve tribes includes Manasseh but instead of Ephraim, the name of Joseph is used instead.

It is interesting to note that the Bible always lists twelve or less tribes, not thirteen. There appears to always be some purpose or reason as to why one or more tribe name is missing from those lists. For example: in Numbers chapter 26, the Levites did not participate in the census since they were not given an inheritance of land and here the tribe of Dan is missing. No reason is offered, but many speculate that since idol worshiping was believed to have been introduced to Israel through the tribe of Dan (see Deuteronomy 29:18-20, Judges 18:1-31, see also Amos 8:14), that they are not included in this list. The tribe of Ephraim is also associated with idolatry (see Hosea 4:17).

Whenever we encounter these lists in the Bible we should take the time to figure out which tribe is missing and try to determine why the tribe is missing. It is also interesting to take note of the order the names listed (for example: chronological according to age, by mother, etc.) Below are some of the listings found in the Bible of the tribes of Israel.

One of the 144,000?^[6]

Through the years there have been many so-called Christian and religious groups that have claimed the 144,000 to be affiliated with their group or association. Many readers stop at the number and, in error, interpret these sealed-servants of God as being the total number of individuals to receive salvation; and of course, they associate themselves as being one of them. Note, however, that the angel continues to state that these people were from the tribes of the sons of Israel and then proceeds to delineate the number of representatives from each tribe. These are Jews that came to accept Jesus as their Messiah, and God is going to protect them from the destruction that will soon take place on earth. They may not know what tribe they’re from but God knows.

It is sad that many scholars, church leaders and believers have embraced a concept that may be one of most misleading and damaging theological premises, that the blessings and promises that were promised to the Hebrews (also known as the sons of Israel, Israelites, or simply today, the Jews) have been forfeited by them and transferred to the church (New Testament believers). This erroneous concept is most-often called “Replacement Theology.” The basis of this idea is that the Jews rejected Jesus and as a result they are no longer recipients of God’s promises (this is an over simplification but you see the point). This concept is not what the Bible teaches. Jesus clearly stated that He was not going to permanently turn away from Israel (see Matthew 23:37-38), and we read that the apostle Paul wrote extensively on this subject in chapters 9-11 of the book of Romans. Jesus did fulfill the Mosaic Covenant (the name scholars call the conditional covenant given to Moses on Mount Sinai, see Jeremiah 31:31-40) but there are other covenants, such as the one given to Abraham that was later reiterated to Isaac and to Jacob, known as the Abrahamic Covenant (see Genesis 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:1-21; 17:1-8; 26:2-5; 28:1-4, 12-15); since it is an eternal and unconditional promise, it is still “in play” today. 

This “Replacement Theology” may be one of the greatest lies Satan ever devised. God promised many things to these people through several unconditional covenants. If His promises to the Israelites are indeed broken, what prevents Him from breaking His promise to us granting us salvation? This is dangerous territory and is simply bad theology. Remember the term “elect” also applies to the Israelites. Does that mean that they do not need a Messiah? No! All human beings sin, and the only way to the Father (salvation) is through His Son, Jesus (see John 14:6). The Israelites, too, will need to accept Jesus, just like everyone else needs to, however, God will deal with the people and the nation of Israel differently as they seek their Messiah.

The 144,000 are not a total number of believers, nor does it apply to non-Jewish believers. If someone says they are one of the 144,000 ask them what tribe they belong to.

A Large Crowd of Believers Appear

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

After watching the 144,000 servants being sealed,^[7] the scene returns to the throne room and John is startled again, as suddenly a large group of people show up. This large gathering was from people all around the world and they were standing before God the Father and Jesus, all dressed in white robes (representing their covering of God’s righteousness) and they had palm branches in their hands. Throughout the Bible, palm fronds were often used to offer praise and to express joy during celebrations (see Leviticus 23:33-43; Nehemiah 8:15; John 12:12-13).

10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

This group, too big to count, call out together as one loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” This large crowd of believers were coming out of the Tribulation (see verse 14) that were now in heaven (there would be still others, new believers and the 144,000 that will be on the earth at this time). It is important to note that these believers are not from the ‘church age’, as they are already in heaven (as a result of the rapture).

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 

Then the angels joined in by acknowledging the truth of the multitude’s saying, by falling prostrate before the throne worshiping God while saying, “Amen!” They then added, “Blessing and glory and wisdom and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Similar to the praise given to Jesus in Revelation 5:11-12, this large group along with the angels offer worship and praise to both God the Father and the Lamb, Jesus.

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

One of the elders approached John and asked him, who these people dressed in white robes were and where did they come from? Apparently, John wasn’t sure himself, so he replied, “Sir, you know.” The elder did know and told him that they are the ones coming out of the Great Tribulation. He also added that they washed their robes in the blood of Jesus. Note that the Greek verb ‘erchomenoi’,^[8] translated here as ‘coming’ is present tense, action currently occurring. 

The washing of robes, making them white in the blood of Jesus, could be considered the theme of the entire Bible. Normally washing anything with blood would not result in cleaning, let alone making something white. Through the life offered during the crucifixion of Jesus, represented here by His blood, as Moses wrote, “For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life” (Leviticus 17:14a), the blood of Jesus provides something greater, the covering of sins. If you can only memorize one verse from the book of Leviticus, it should be Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” Jesus’ blood provided that atonement for all of humanity’s sin once and for all (see also Acts 20:28; Romans 3:25; 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:20; Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 1:5; 19:13). Nothing more is needed! All believers have been washed clean of their sins by the blood of Jesus.

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 shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” 

These martyrs come before God on His throne, truly a special honor and privilege. Coming out of the Tribulation they will be protected from the sun while serving in God’s temple. Since there will not be a ’sun’ in heaven (see Revelation 21:25; 22:5), this is likely the millennial temple on earth (although the expression “day and night” could be interpreted that they serve God continually). They will be led to living water. Remember when Jesus spoke to the women at the well in Samaria? He told her that the water He offers will become in those that accept Him, a spring of living water that will well up inside them (see John 4:10-15). The living water is Jesus and the promise of eternal life with Him (see also Revelation 22:1). Lastly, their tears, as promised to all believers (see Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 22:4), will be wiped away, as there will no longer be any sorrow, pain, mourning, etc.

Considerations

Saved After the Tribulation 

It is often asked if salvation will be available after the rapture. This great multitude of believers that had died in the Tribulation from all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages (see verse 9), are those who came to accept Jesus after the rapture and after the Tribulation began. So, up until the end of the Tribulation and Jesus returns, people can still be saved. Some believe that the greatest harvest of redeemed people will occur after the Tribulation has begun. The presence of saved people on earth during this time is often debated because of what Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8b, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed,” referring to the Holy Spirit being the ‘restrainer’. The question that is raised is, “How can people be saved if the Holy Spirit is gone?” The Holy Spirit is removed from restraining the evil and the world, only in the same sense He arrived on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:4).^[9] We need to remember that people were saved before that day of His indwelling of believers, we also need to remember that the Holy Spirit is omnipresent, just like Jesus (see Matthew 28:20), and has been from the beginning. Salvation is the reason Jesus died, He doesn’t want any to perish (see 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9), sadly, not all will accept Him.

Another question that is often asked is that according to Jesus in the Olivet Discourse when He said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14), does that mean the rapture will occur only after the gospel message has been proclaimed throughout the world? No, we see in this chapter that people being saved after the Tribulation had begun. The removal of believers would have occurred before the Tribulation (during the rapture). The ‘end’ Jesus is speaking about is likely the end of the opportunity to accept Him as Savior.

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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 7307.

[2] See verse one of chapter four.

[3] Strong’s Greek 5124.

[4] Strong’s Greek 4973.

[5] Portions adapted from author’s book, “Everything a Christian Should Know About the Torah A Commentary on the First Five Books of the Bible”

[6] Adapted from author’s book, “Everything a Christian Should Know About the Gospels.”

[7] Verse begins with ‘meta tauta’, see commentary for Revelation 4:1.

[8] Strong’s Greek 2064.

[9] Walvoord, J. F. (2008). The Revelation of Jesus Christ (p. 139). Galaxie Software.