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CHAPTER 7
VERSE 1: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED of the Tribulation
"And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree."
Here in Chapter 7, we take a break from the Seals. John confirms he had witnessed the Six Seals, and he sees the angels. Chapter 7 is a 'pause' in the seals, an interval. John sees the first Six Seals, then we have this intermission. .Chapter 7 is like an advertisement in the middle of a movie. Six Seals will take place, then there will be this intermission of Chapter 7. Then we will pick up on the Seventh Seal in Chapter 8. The Seventh Seal will not be opened until this intermission is complete. John explains this intermission here in Chapter 7. Remember, Chapter 7 is an intermission. We will continue the Seals soon.
Here in Chapter 7, the Seals are paused when John sees four angels. Some people may not believe that there are angels. However, angels are very real. Some people go to the other end of the spectrum and worship angels. Worshipping angels should never be done. There is a nice article called 'Angels' on Uneed2no.com under articles. It explains what angels are and their purposes. Here in this verse, John sees four angels with a specific job. These angels are standing in a specific area. Each angel is standing in a certain direction. There is an angel in the North, one in the East, one in the West, and one in the South. We know that our compass directions spells out the word NEWS, which stands for the Good NEWS of the Gospel of Christ. Here we have four angels located at each point of direction.
John then verifies that these four angels are holding the four winds. There is a great desert on the South and East side of Palestine, so the South and East winds are hot and dry. Winds mainly from the North bring fair weather. The West winds come from the Mediterranean Sea and bring rain.
Wind has a profound effect on our world. Wind is essential for plants, animals, and human beings. It's responsible for plant reproduction, trees depend upon the wind, and our climate depends upon the wind to distribute heat. We humans need the wind in our atmosphere. We also use the wind as a power source. But now, all of a sudden, during the Tribulation Period, four angels are going to stop the wind completely for a short time. "...the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree".
VERSE 2: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED of the Tribulation
"And 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 given to hurt the earth and the sea."
During this intermission of the Seals, John sees a very important event unfold. He witnesses the four angels holding the four corners of the wind. Then John sees another angel approaching from the east of heaven. This angel is holding "the seal of the living God" in his hands. This seal is an emblem of God's authority. It is very precious. This seal has God's name on it and it clearly signifies His ownership.
This angel calls out to the other four angels with a very loud voice. This angel from the east acknowledges that the four angels holding the wind have the power "to hurt the earth and the sea". Angels are given great power from Almighty God. The next verse tells us what this angel from the east says to the four angels that are holding the wind.
VERSE 3: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED of the Tribulation
"Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."
This angel from the east is explaining to the other four angels why he is asking them to wait a minute. This angel is asking them with a loud voice to not hurt the earth, sea, or trees until he completes his job. This angel must have other angels under him to help him with this task because he uses the words "we" and "our" in this verse. It is a very large and important task he is going to accomplish. He informs the four angels what his task is ... "til we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads".
Remember, this angel from the east has "the seal of the living God" in his hands. There are different types of seals. We saw in Revelation 5:1 that the book that is in the Father's hand is sealed with seven seals. Now we see that this one angel has "the seal of the living God". All Christians are sealed with God's seal of salvation. 2 Corinthians 1:22 says: "Who (God) hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." Ephesians 4:30 also states that Christians are 'sealed'. But this one seal that the angel from the east is carrying is different. We know this because of who is being sealed with this seal. We are told who is being sealed with this seal in the very next verse. Keep in mind, God reveals and is very detailed with facts.
VERSE 4: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED JEWS of the Tribulation
"And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel."
Now, we have this angel from the east going throughout all the earth to put God's seal in the foreheads of certain people. When this angel is done sealing these certain people, he tells us how many people he sealed: "...and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand". Then this angel tells us who were sealed: "...of all the tribes of the children of Israel". Our verse here clearly shows us that there were 144,000 Jewish people sealed. These are not 'Jehovah Witnesses', like some want to believe. The 144,000 are full blooded Jews. Their lineage dates clear back to the original 12 tribes of Israel.
The next four verses inform us of these 12 tribes of Israel which are sealed by this angel from the east. These next four verses show the genealogy of these Jewish tribes. After you read these four verses verifying the lineage of these Jews, we will see even more astonishing details about these 144,000 Jews!
VERSE 5: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED JEWS of the Tribulation
Continued ...
"Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand."
VERSE 6: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED JEWS of the Tribulation
Continued ...
"Of the tribe Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand."
VERSE 7: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED JEWS of the Tribulation
​Continued ...
"Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand."
VERSE 8: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED JEWS of the Tribulation
Continued ...
"Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand."
Now here are some astonishing details about these 144,000 Israelites that were sealed during this time of the Tribulation Period. We first see that these Jews will be standing with Jesus, the Lamb, on mount Sion ... "And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father's name written in their foreheads." (Revelation 14:1)
The second thing we learn about these 144,000 Jews is found in Revelation 14:3 which says: "And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth." These 144,000 Jews will sing a song that only they can sing. They will sing this song before God's throne. Only these specially chosen Jews will be allowed to sing this song. No one else can learn this song.
The third fact that we learn about the 144,000 is that they are all men. We see this in Revelation 14:4: "These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins." The 144,000 Jews are men. They have not had any sexual relations with any woman. They are virgins. Please do not say that they could have relations with men! God condemns sodomy all through the Bible, especially in Romans 1:26-28. The 144,000 are wholesome, pure and undefiled Jewish men whom God chooses for His work. The last part of Revelation 14:4 declares that "These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb." Revelation 14:5 goes on to confirm the holiness of these Jewish men: "And in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God." The 144,000 chosen Jewish men had the testimony that they could even control their mouth. They had control over their tongues. James 3:2 says: "...If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body."
We also see in Revelation 14:4 that these chosen Jewish men "follow the Lamb withersoever He goeth." I believe that these 144,000 chosen Jewish men will be the Lamb's personal army. When the antichrist is on the earth, he (the antichrist) gathers nations together to fight against the Lamb. Look at Revelation 17:14: "These (nations led by the antichrist) shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful." The 144,000 Jewish men are with the Lamb. Remember, they follow Him wherever He goes. They were called and chosen of God. They are faithful. They are blameless. They "follow the Lamb withersoever He goeth." This Jewish army of the Lamb's will be with Him when He fights the nations and the antichrist. Also look at Revelation 19:14: "And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." This army is not an angel army, it is an army of the chosen Jewish men. These 144,000 chosen Jews will ride upon white horses and wear white linen signifying the purity of Christ. These are the Lamb's personal army.
VERSE 9: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED of the Tribulation
"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;"
This verse starts out with "After this". After what? After God had chosen His Jewish army. Then John sees "a GREAT multitude, which no man could number". So after John witnessed the angel from the east putting God's seal on the foreheads of God's chosen army, he sees a lot of people. John sees so many people that he cannot count them. In fact, it is stated that "no man could number" them. There are so many people that it is humanly impossible for any of us to count them all, even with today's technology. In Genesis 13:16, God made a promise to Abraham. God told Abraham: "And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth". No one is able to count all the dust of the earth. God promised Abraham that this would be the amount of all the people born from Abraham's line.
Let's pause here a second. Some people may believe that the 144,000 Jewish men will be the only Jews saved during the Tribulation period. This cannot be true because God made Abraham's seed to be innumerable. We can count to 144,000. The 144,000 is very little compared to the "dust of the earth". This helps us to see a clearer picture that the 144,000 are God's chosen army. There are definitely more than 144,000 Jews that have, or will, accept Christ as their Messiah. The 144,000 are not the only Jews that will be saved. The 144,000 are the chosen Jewish army for the Lamb.
We are also told in this verse that there are people who are not Jews that will be saved during the Tribulation Period. These people also cannot be numbered because there are so many of them. This verse tells us that these people, who are not Jews, are from all the different nations of the earth. They are Gentiles. We, Americans, are Gentiles. This verse tells us that there are many nationalities of people, and that these people will have many different languages. According to an article on Babbel, there are approximately 7,111 languages in the world. According to Ethnologue, Papua New Guinea has the largest number of different languages, which is around 840. This verifies that God kept His promise to Abraham.
All through our study of Revelation, we have reminded you that Revelation is to reveal, not to conceal. God wants us to know these things. He wants us to have the knowledge of His will and what is to come. He is painting us another picture of a heavenly scene here in verse 9. God describes to us that all these people, which cannot be numbered, will stand "before the throne, and before the Lamb". These people are called the Tribulation saints. These saints have a special place in Heaven. They will stand close to the throne of God and close to the Lamb. They are given this special place as a reward for the suffering they went through during the Tribulation Period. God reveals to us that these saints are indeed the saints that went through the Tribulation in verse 14 of this chapter. "...These are they which came out of great tribulation..." That's pretty clear. The Lord also tells us that these saints, like all saints, will be "clothed with white robes". Remember that the white robes signify that we are washed from our sins by the blood of the Lamb.
There is one more thing that God reveals to us about these Tribulation saints. He says that they have "palms in their hands". They have palms in their hands not psalms. They are not holding a book in their hands. These saints are holding a palm in their hands. A palm is the leaf of a palm tree. A palm tree can reach a height of 100 feet. It provides food for people. The leaves, fibers, and sap are valuable. The palm tree's most productive season starts when it is around 30 years old. It can hold over 200 pounds of fruit. The palm tree was highly esteemed by the Hebrews and is mentioned numerous places in the Bible like in Psalm 92:12. The palm also signifies victory and triumph. Now, let's put this information together about the palm and compare it to Jesus. When Jesus came into Jerusalem to be crucified, the people laid palm branches down for His pathway (Mark 11:8).
1. A palm tree can be 100 feet tall. Jesus said that if He be lifted up, He would draw all men unto Himself (John 12:32).
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2. A palm tree provides food for people. Jesus said that He is the Bread of Life (John 6:48).
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3. The leaves, fibers, and sap are valuable. Jesus is most precious (1 Peter 1:19).
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4. A palm tree starts being productive around 30 years of age. Jesus started His ministry when He was 30 years old (Luke 3:23).
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5. A palm tree can hold 200 pounds of fruit. Jesus carried the heavy cross Himself for us (John 19:17).
(Even though they 'compelled' - Matthew 27:32 - Simon to try to carry Jesus' cross, Simon could not, or perhaps Jesus would not let him. If anyone else carried the cross that would give us the example that we have to 'do something' to help Jesus get us to heaven. Jesus carried the cross ALONE for us. Only Jesus can provide redemption. There is nothing we can ever do to 'help' out our Redemption! John 19:17 says Jesus bore His cross... not Simon.)
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6. A palm tree is highly esteemed. Jesus is esteemed above all (Philippians 2:9-11).
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7. A palm tree signifies victory and triumph. Jesus has the victory and He triumphs over all (1 Corinthians 15:57).
VERSE 10: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED of the Tribulation
"And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."
In this verse we are still talking about the multitudes of people who will be saved during the Tribulation period. They are praising God with the very loudest voices that they can. They are shouting "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." We should be shouting praises to our Heavenly Father every day. He died on the cross for us so we can have a home in Heaven.
VERSE 11: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED of the Tribulation
"And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God."
This is an amazing scene being described here. This verse tells us about all the angels. Remember Chapter 5 verse 11 that we studied. It tells us the number of the angels: "...and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands". The verse here tells us that all these angels are circled around God's throne. They compass around the elders and the four beasts. Then we are told that all these angels fall on their faces and worship God! Wow, what a sight! "Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy." (Psalm 99:9). I don't think we will ever know the real holiness of God until we see Him on His throne.
VERSE 12: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED of the Tribulation
"Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen."
This verse goes on to tell us what all these "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands and thousands" angels are saying. These angels are blessing God. They are giving Him all the glory. They acknowledge that He has all wisdom, and they give thanks to Him. The angels honour God. These mighty angels recognize and praise God for His great power and might. Then, most of all, these angels call God, "our God"! In Chapter 7, "our God" is mentioned three times. The number three illustrates perfection, like the Trinity of God (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost). Another hidden gem in this verse is that there are seven praises given to God by the angels. The number seven illustrates completion. God is complete. He is our all in all. All the angels in Heaven worship God. These angels are on their knees. They "fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God" (verse 11). Do we???
VERSE 13: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED of the Tribulation
"And one of the elders answered, saying unto me,
What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?"
So far in this chapter, we have read about the angels and the beasts talking to John. Now we read about one of the twenty-four elders addressing John. This elder is asking John a couple questions. This elder knows the answers. He wants to make sure John clearly understands. This elder asks John "What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?" The elder is referring to verse 9 of Chapter 7 here in Revelation ... "... a great multitude, which no man could number of all nations, ... clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." This elder asks John who these people are and where did they all come from. Notice that the angels are not the ones that ask John these questions. The four beasts did not ask John these two questions either, but this elder did. The elders had lived on this earth in times before. They had an earthly understanding which John could relate to. Therefore, the elder is asking John.
Let's go on to the next verse and read John's answer and the elder's reply.
VERSE 14: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED of the Tribulation
"And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
Here is John's answer: "Sir, thou knowest." John knew that this elder knew who all these people are. Perhaps John wasn't 100% sure, we don't know. So the elder clarifies it for John and for us. The elder makes it very clear, without any doubt, that: "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." All these people mentioned here are not people who have died since the beginning of time. They are not people who have gone through different tribulations during a person's lifetime. The people mentioned here, which no man can number, actually come out of "great tribulation". These people will be saved during the great Tribulation period. The rapture would have already taken place. These people were left behind because they had not accepted Christ as their Saviour. Isn't it wonderful that our God is the God of second chances and more (Matthew 18:22, Luke 17:4). If God tells us to forgive seventy times seven, how much more does God forgive? !
Notice again in this verse that these people came out of "great tribulation". The great tribulation is the seven years after the Rapture. It is the seven years of the antichrist, the Beast, and the false prophet. It will be a terrible, terrible time for these tribulation saints. It will also be a terrible time for every single person on the face of the earth. However, it will be a time of salvation. Remember the 144,000 Jewish men who will be sealed during this time (Revelation 7:4-8) and the multitude of people which no one can number (Revelation 7:9) will be saved.
These verses verify that all these innumerable people will accept Christ as their Saviour. It states that they will be washed by the blood of the Lamb. 1 John 1:7 says: "... the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." All these people, like all the people already in Heaven, will be given white robes which signifies the righteousness of Christ. These people will not be trusting in their own 'good works'. They will be trusting in the shed blood of the Lamb of God.
In the next verse, we are going to learn about the wonderful reward that is given to these tribulation saints...
VERSE 15: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED of the Tribulation
"Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them."
Because these saints went through the Great Tribulation, as we are told in the previous verse (verse 14), they are rewarded. Their reward is told here in this verse: they will be before the very throne of God and will serve Him every day. These tribulation saints will be extremely close to God.
Why will these saints get to be so close to God when the rest of us will be farther away? God explains that to us in the very next verse.
VERSE 16: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED of the Tribulation
"They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat."
These saints have endured great tribulations and troubles that we have never known. They will have endured extreme hunger and starvation for the Lord. They will have thirsted more than any person could ... for the Lord. Yes, there will be other people who may also endure these hardships; however, these saints have endured it for the Lord. They refuse to receive the mark of the Beast. They refuse to worship the secular movement. They will be the outcasts of society. They will be trying to survive in inhumane conditions. They will be the persecuted and martyred.
Today people are concerned with 'global warming'. Yes, there will be 'global warming'. It will be horrific. Revelation 16:9 tells us about it: "And men were scorched with great heat". Nothing man can do will ease the severe torment the heat will cause. It will be like standing next to a 10,000 degree fiery furnace with no way to get away from it. The heat will cause burns and blisters. The tribulation saints will also have to endure this. But they will endure it for the Lord.
Look at how most of the people will handle this extremely burning heat: "And men ... blasphemed the name of God ... and they repented not to give Him glory." (Revelation 16:9).
Image by: Meiying Ng instagram@meiying
Let's proceed to the next verse to see how the Lord is going to comfort the tribulation saints.
VERSE 17: (Chapter 7)
The SAVED of the Tribulation
"For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."
Here we see that the Lamb, Jesus, is going to feed these tribulation saints Himself. In John 6:35, Jesus says: "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger". In John 4:14, Jesus says: "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst". Yes, the Lord feeds all saints. He invites all saints to drink of the living water. However, this verse is right in the middle of the passages concerning the tribulation saints.
Water fountains go up. Waterfalls go down. God's water fountains are uplifting.
In the previous verse we learned about how the sun is going to scorch men with extreme heat. We read about the great possibility of people being burnt and having painful blisters. These tribulation saints will have to endure this also. Have you ever been to a burn unit at a hospital? Those people are in extreme pain. They are in an ICU area. They require extra special care because of what they have been exposed to. That is how it will be for the tribulation saints. The "fountains of waters" will be an extra comfort to them for what they had endured. And just like burned victims are closer to the nurses stations than less severe injuries, so will these tribulation saints be to the throne of God: "Therefore are they before the throne of God" (Verse 15, Ch.7).
The last part of this verse tells us that "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes". These saints will have many, many tears. Their hearts will have been broken over and over but look Who is going to wipe away all their tears. God Himself shall wipe away each of their tears. All of their tears. God will give extra special care to these tribulation saints. God will also give extra special care to you, if you would just ask Him.