1 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.
2 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,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 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.
5 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.
6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 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,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 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.
15 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.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17 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.
Revelation 7 Explained
144,000 of Israel sealed in Their foreheads.
Revelation 7:1-4
- And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four cornersof the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind shouldnot blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
- And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal ofthe living God and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, towhom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,.
- Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we havesealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
- And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there weresealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes ofthe children of Israel.
The seventh chapter is a continuation of the events recorded that transpire under the sixth seal. It therefore covers the same period of time.
The four angels, standing on the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that is, from the south, west, north, and from the east, with no circulation of the air current, will result in stagnation which will set in. This follows the great earthquake and the darkness upon the earth.
Before the winds are released, the angel from the east must seal the servants of God in their foreheads. The command is to hurt not the earth or the sea or the trees until the 144,000 are sealed. One hundred and forty four thousand is a part of the Church, the Bride to be.
Great damage to the earth, sea and the trees is caused by with-holding the air currents. The water becomes stagnant: vegetation and crops will wither; the air will become vile and sultry.
The Strong Angel from the East is the LORD JESUS CHRIST. He is coming to seal His bond servants. Only 144,000 are sealed: 12,000 out of each tribe of Israel: 12×12,000=144,000. The 144,000 spoken of in the seventh chapter are the same company as the ones in the fourteenth chapter verses 4 and 5. They are all the same Company.
Revelation 14:1 and 14:4 & 5 are two different companies, but are related: they are Mother and Son.
Revelation 14:1“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.”
Revelation 14:4“These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”
Revelation 14:5“And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
The sealing in the foreheads of 12,000 from each tribe of Israel spoken of in Revelation chapter 7, totals 144,000 sealed. ALL ISRAEL, Spiritually speaking, is the Complete Body of God’s People under Grace. That is “They that are Israel” by the New Birth.
Romans 9:6“They are not all Israel, which are of Israel.”
That is, they that are of Israel in the flesh, are not Spiritual Israel, unless they are born of the Spirit of God. Thus, the twelve tribes of Israel are Israelites and Gentiles Who have BOTH been grafted into the Olive Tree. The 144,000 sealed in Their foreheads, are only a part of the Body of the great Multitudes, of His Last Day Church.
The 144,000 signifies a part of the Bride of Christ. The Woman consists of many Members. Every Member is a part of the whole Body, and has It’s place of functioning in the Body. As it is in the natural, so it is in the Spiritual. Until the fleshly body has been glorified, the Lord works through the natural. The sealing Of the 144,000 is not referring to Israel which was under the Law, but rather is referring to the Israel under Grace, who has been born of God’s Spirit and has become Spiritual Israel, still living in Their fleshly bodies.
The tribes of Israel are a distinct reality in this day. They are composed of all Israelites, which consists of all twelve tribes, including the Gentiles who have been adopted into their number by the New Birth. The moment one becomes a son of God by the New Birth, that same moment he becomes a child of Abraham’s seed through faith and is adopted into one of the twelve tribes of Israel as a part of the Body of God’s People.
Galatians 3:28-29“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus….. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the Promise.”
Israel was God’s people under the Law, and they served God under the Old Covenant in the flesh. But under the New Covenant of the Spiritual dispensation, all that serves God must do so in Spirit and Truth. Thus, the need to be born of God’s Spirit is a necessity.
The Promise to Abraham for his seed was not changed, but the method of worship was. Therefore to inherit the Promise which was given unto Abraham while he was yet under the fleshly covenant, all Israel must be born again in God’s Spirit.
The study of the twelve sons of Jacob, who were the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel, foreshadows much of the End day truths, especially in the life of Dan who is spoken of as an adder by the wayside.
Genesis 49:17”Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.”
Dan was the Judas of the twelve tribes of Israel, and foreshadows the Judas of the twelve Apostles of Jesus’ day, and he foreshadows the Antichrist among the Last Day Apostles, which betrays the Church.
The number 144,000 appears to carry a special place in Biblical numbers. God’s people, Israel, were afflicted and suffered 400 years before they were delivered from Egypt. If we multiple 400 years by 360 days per year it equals 144,000 days. Israel was delivered by the power of eagles wings into the wilderness and was nourished for 40 years.
Exodus 19:4“Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.”
Israel was delivered from the land of Egypt at the Red Sea by the power of Eagle’s wings.
The Woman of Revelation 12:2 ”And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered” will be delivered by the same power into the wilderness.
Revelation 12:14”And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent”
but this time She will be there only 1260 days or 3 1/2 years where She is fed and nourished by God. The number 144,000 refers to 12,000 out of each tribe of all of Israel, which have a special place in God’s great plan of salvation.
Here again the time element changes again and John sees the Millennium setting. The statement John made, (“After this I beheld,”) changes the scene. Sometimes it reaches ahead of the scene, and sometimes it is previous to the scene. We discern this by the Scriptural contents of the division of the times.
Revelation 7:9”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;”
Palms were used by the great multitudes who met and praised the Lord when He entered Jerusalem.
John 12:12-13“On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem…Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
Palms are a token of victory, peace, and great joy in praises. Palm branches were used in the feast of Tabernacles, the last and greatest feast of the year.
Leviticus 23:40“And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.”
The palm tree was one of the most important trees of the east, especially the date palm, The fruit was the daily food of millions, and wine was made from the sap. The seeds were made into feed for the camels. The fibers of the leaf stems were woven into ropes and riggings. The leaves were made into many different articles. The trunk grew straight and upright, and was very valuable for timber. Therefore, the palm is used in symbol of victory, joy and praise. This will truly be a great feast of praise with all the hosts of heaven worshipping the Lamb, with those who have gained victory through martyrdom.
Revelation 7:13-14“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me. What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?….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”
They laid down their lives for Jesus. This signifies the great persecution that is yet to come upon God’s people.
Many of God’s people have suffered tribulation and persecution, and many have been martyred throughout the Ages. The martyrs under the fifth seal signifies all martyrs including those that will be martyred during the great tribulation of the opening of the seals. There are two tribulations of the Last Day. One appears after the coming of the Lord, but the other one is before His coming.
Matthew 24:21”For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
Jesus describes the tribulation of Matthew 24:21, to be the greatest persecution, and deception that the world has ever experienced. There’ has been none like it on earth before, or shall there ever be again.
Matthew 24:21-2521. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since thebeginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.22. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh besaved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.23. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there;believe it not.24. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall showgreat signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, theyshall deceive the very elect.25. Behold, I have told you before.
Even the very Elect will face it and IF IT WERE POSSIBLE, even They could be deceived. The 29th and 31st verses of this same chapter says, “immediately after the tribulation of those days will the Son of Man appear in clouds of glory” Those days are before the great ministry to every nation, and not the days immediately after the Antichristal 3 1/2 year tribulation.
Matthew 24:31“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Not all Christians will be in the Elect class, for one will be taken and the other left.
Matthew 24:40-42“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left…. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left…Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come”
The 144,000 will be sealed in Their foreheads.
The coming of the Lord is spoken of in Matthew 24:27-31.
Matthew 24:27-3127. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto thewest, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.28. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gatheredtogether.29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun bedarkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fallfrom heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:30. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and thenshall all of the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son ofman coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.31. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet,and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from oneend of heaven to the other.
THE SEVENTH SEAL
The events, brought about by the opening of the seven seals, are shown as a complete operation, and conditions of the Last Days. The component of each seal is foreshown as they progressively build up to the time of the opening. Even the Elect, or the Church, are growing progressively unto perfection in preparation for the Rider of the White Horse which we see in the opening of the first seal: so also are the events of the other six seals progressively building to that day of release.
The foreshadowing of these great events helps us to understand the prophecies of world conditions during the time of the Last Day ministry. In the opening of the seventh seal, these shadows will become a reality. The White Horse and It’s Rider will move into action and the other seals will become active in their fulness.
