The Last Days
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Lesson 39 | 09/07/25
Revelation 7:1-17 | Redemption in the Midst of Wrath
Today we are looking at chapter 7 in our study of the book of Revelation. So far, we have seen 6 of the 7 seals loosened, but before the 7th seal is opened, there is a pause. Kind of like a pause you might find in a symphony as the orchestra takes a breath and builds toward the crescendo. So here, chapter 7 is the breath before the 7th seal is opened. It is a point in this book that God pauses and takes us back near the beginning of the Tribulation and fills in some additional details that have been happening so far. He will do this again between the 6-7 trumpets, as well as between the 6-7 bowls, using these pauses to fill in additional happenings during this time. It is as if God is taking this time to say “Meanwhile... in Jerusalem near the beginning of the Tribulation...”
So here in chapter 7, God takes us back to sometime at the beginning of the Tribulation and gives us some more details, namely we see the firstfruits of the salvation of Israel. Let’s begin by reading the first 4 verses of chapter 7, Revelation 7:1-4.
These 144,000 are saved Jewish people, Messianic Jews who have turned to Christ for Salvation in the Tribulation. And God is using these people as His witnesses to the world. Notice the fruits of their labors in verse 9... 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,
These 144,000 are sealed from the wrath that is taking place during the Tribulation for a specific purpose, to evangelize the world, but this sealing is only for a time because in chapter 14 we see them as martyrs standing in heaven, Revelation 14:1-4. These are redeemed saints, who were redeemed from the terrors of this evil world, as are all Tribulation Martyrs, but notice they are also described in v.4 as “firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.”
These are the firstfruits of saved Israel during the Tribulation. This was foretold in the Prophets and by the Apostle Paul, Romans 11:25-27; Isaiah 59:16-60:5.
During the Tribulation, Jesus will use the Jews as a Light to shine in the dark, and they will bring the Gospel to the world.
Let’s start looking at this verse by verse...
7:1) The Four Winds of Heaven
7:2-4) The sealing of the 144,000
These 144,000 are sealed by God.
Jews who have come to believe that Jesus is the Christ after the Tribulation had begun
God is redeeming these faithful believers away from the evil world and receiving them into His Glory and His rest.
7:16-17) Rescued from Tribulation and given Eternal Peace
Psalm 23- 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
PREVIOUS LESSON 38 ← GO TO → NEXT LESSON 40
So here in chapter 7, God takes us back to sometime at the beginning of the Tribulation and gives us some more details, namely we see the firstfruits of the salvation of Israel. Let’s begin by reading the first 4 verses of chapter 7, Revelation 7:1-4.
These 144,000 are saved Jewish people, Messianic Jews who have turned to Christ for Salvation in the Tribulation. And God is using these people as His witnesses to the world. Notice the fruits of their labors in verse 9... 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,
These 144,000 are sealed from the wrath that is taking place during the Tribulation for a specific purpose, to evangelize the world, but this sealing is only for a time because in chapter 14 we see them as martyrs standing in heaven, Revelation 14:1-4. These are redeemed saints, who were redeemed from the terrors of this evil world, as are all Tribulation Martyrs, but notice they are also described in v.4 as “firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.”
These are the firstfruits of saved Israel during the Tribulation. This was foretold in the Prophets and by the Apostle Paul, Romans 11:25-27; Isaiah 59:16-60:5.
During the Tribulation, Jesus will use the Jews as a Light to shine in the dark, and they will bring the Gospel to the world.
Let’s start looking at this verse by verse...
7:1) The Four Winds of Heaven
- God has appointed four angels to stand at the four corners of the earth
- Probably the four directions of the earth as we see on a compass... North, South, East, West
- They are holding the four winds of the earth
- How long have they been there? Since the foundation of the earth?
- Similar to the 4 angels bound at the Euphrates river, Rev 9:14-15
- How long have they been there? Since the foundation of the earth?
- Could these be the four winds of judgement? Jeremiah 4:11-13; 23:19
- The four horsemen? Or literal wind?
- Probably both because the 3rd seal brings famine and scarcity, then death, and then the 6th is cosmic destruction. All this would happen if the wind didn’t blow on the earth.
- The four horsemen? Or literal wind?
- If the wind didn’t blow on the earth,
- It would create extreme temperature variations
- Extremely hot and dry along the equator
- Frigid cold in the north and south
- No rain, no crops, no food
- the wind carries the moisture in the clouds from the oceans and waters the whole earth
- The currents of the oceans would drastically change killing a large portion of marine life
- It would create extreme temperature variations
7:2-4) The sealing of the 144,000
These 144,000 are sealed by God.
- I believe this is a physical sealing in their foreheads that people can probably see.
- The Antichrist will try to mimic this sealing by forcing the world to take his mark on their forehead or their hand, Rev 13:16-18.
- How are they sealed?
- With God’s name written on their foreheads, Rev 14:1
- This sealing was foreshadowed in the Prophets, Ezekiel 9:3-6
- You may have had someone knock at your door saying they are a part of the 144,000. They may or may not be in pairs, riding bikes, and wearing black suits.
- These are NOT the 144,000
Jews who have come to believe that Jesus is the Christ after the Tribulation had begun
- How did they come to believe? Who told them about Jesus?
- Probably the Two Witnesses, Rev 11:4-7
- These 144,000 Jewish witnesses will be sealed for an important task... to proclaim the Gospel to the world
- How do we know they are Jewish? Because they come from the 12 tribes of Israel.
- Many times in the Bible we can skip over reading lists of names like this, but there is always a reason why the Holy Spirit gives us these lists.
- In this case, we can learn about the heart of God
- This is an exact list of 144,000 Jewish believers. This is not symbolic of all the Christians.
- God is being so exact because He wants us to know this is a list of a literal 144,000 Jewish people
- The list is not random
- Reuben was the firstborn of Jacob, but the list begins with Judah.
- Signifying Judah’s importance because this is the tribe Jesus was born out of. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the root of David, Rev 5:5
- Who is missing? Dan and Ephraim
- Moses warned in Deut 29 that anyone, even tribes who turn away from God to worship idols would have his name blotted out, Deut 29:17-20.
- The tribe of Dan was an apostate who rejected his inheritance and sought an inheritance for themselves and worshipped pagan idols, Judges 18
- They were originally given land near Jerusalem, Joshua 19:40-48, but rejected this and moved north to Laish and worshipped idols, Judges 18.
- Dan is also missing from the list of tribes in 1 Chronicles 1-8
- Ephraim is also missing from the list in Revelation possibly because Ephraim was involved with idol worship as well, Hosea 4:17- Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone.
- Jeroboam, king of Israel, had set up two golden calves from Dan to Bethel (Bethel is in the land of Ephraim), 1 Kings 12:25-33
- This thing became a sin for the people, 1 Kings 12:30
- Jeroboam, king of Israel, had set up two golden calves from Dan to Bethel (Bethel is in the land of Ephraim), 1 Kings 12:25-33
- Reuben was the firstborn of Jacob, but the list begins with Judah.
- God is choosing 12,000 faithful Jewish believers from each tribe, 144,000 total, to spread the Gospel to the world.
- Notice the fruit of their labors in verses 9-10...
- These are not just Jewish believers, but a great multitude of believers from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues
- They are undoubtedly Christians because they are clothed in white robes, standing before God’s throne in heaven, singing a praise of Salvation to God
- They are holding palm branches in their hands which symbolizes celebration, Jn 12:13
- They are undoubtedly Christians because they are clothed in white robes, standing before God’s throne in heaven, singing a praise of Salvation to God
- Notice the doxology of praise in heaven in verses 11-12.
- They are giving praise to God and to the Lamb along with everyone in heaven
- Notice these saints are distinct from the Elders and the other beings in heaven
- The Doxology of praise again is a list of 7...
- This multitude of praise continues to grow
- First, 4 living beings giving praise, Rev 4:8
- Then, 24 Elders giving praise with the 4 living beings, Rev 4:11
- Then, many angels, 4 living beings, and the 24 Elders (10,000 x 10,000), Rev 5:11
- Now ALL the angels, 4 living beings, the 24 Elders, and the Tribulation Saints, Rev 7:11 (innumerable number before the throne giving praise)
- This multitude of praise continues to grow
- The Doxology of praise again is a list of 7...
- One of the Elders asks John, “Who are these arrayed in white robes?”
- The white robe symbolizing the robe of Righteousness that every believer will wear because they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, 7:14.
- But notice the type of robe distinguishes who they are.
- This is a stolei robe, στολή. An honorable robe given to the Tribulation Martyrs
- Same robe described in the 5th seal, Rev 6:9-11.
- Distinct from the 24 Elders
- One of the Elders is describing these Martyrs.
- Martyrs are wearing stolei robes, στολή, 7:13-14
- 24 Elders are wearing himation ἱμάτιον kingly garments, Rev 4:4
- These are standing before the throne and serving Him day and night, 7:15
- 24 Elders seated on thrones around the throne, Rev 4:4
- One of the Elders is describing these Martyrs.
- Waves of Martyrs throughout the 7-Year Tribulation
- Rev 6:11 promised more martyrs to come
- Rev 7:14 says, “These are the ones who come (ἐρχόμενοι- present participle) These are the ones who are coming, (continuing to come) out of the great tribulation...”
- The death of these martyrs is not God’s Judgement on them, but rather His mercy
- When we studied the 5th seal we learned that death was the means by which God was rescuing His people out from the evil of this world
- When the 144,000 are martyred in chapter 14, they will be redeemed away from the earth and away from evil men, Rev 14:3-4.
God is redeeming these faithful believers away from the evil world and receiving them into His Glory and His rest.
7:16-17) Rescued from Tribulation and given Eternal Peace
- These promises seam to be the remedy for the Judgements that were taking place on the earth. Specifically, if the wind stopped blowing on the earth...
- Neither hunger or thirst
- Rescue from famine and drought
- Sun shall not strike them
- Extreme heat from not having wind to circulate the temperature?
- The Lamb is their Shepherd
- Leading them to living fountains of waters
- God will wipe away every tear from their eyes,
- The terror these people will face in the Tribulation will be unimaginable
- Tears could be from missed opportunities and their continual rejection of Jesus before the Tribulation
- but Jesus wipes all those regrets and sorrows away and comforts them as He gathers them into His Presence, Revelation 21:3-5
- Neither hunger or thirst
Psalm 23- 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
PREVIOUS LESSON 38 ← GO TO → NEXT LESSON 40