The 144,000 Jews of the Tribulation

REVELATION 7

THE 144,000

AND

THE INNUMERABLE MULTITUDE

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THE 144,000

Rev. 7:1-8

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘ Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’ And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand [beginning with Reuben, NU omits: 10 of the "were sealed" phrases]; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand; of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand; of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand; of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

Here in chapter 7, we come to a pause in the events of the Great Tribulation before they continue on to be revealed to us. In fact, this is the first of 4 interludes in the book of Revelation. It is the interlude between the sixth and the seventh Seals. In this pause, we will be given vital and important information about two groups of people who live during the dark days of the Great Tribulation. We are also told about the sealing of one of these groups before God allows his judgments to proceed on earth. The people who are to be sealed are Jews. This is our first encounter with Israelites in the book of Revelation. Obviously, God has not forgotten his chosen people, the Jews ... as we clearly see here and as the Apostle Paul so clearly teaches in Romans 9-11. During the Tribulation, God will once again be working with and through his chosen covenant people of old. In fact, several scriptures concerning the Jewish people reveal that the primary purpose of the coming Tribulation is for the re-commissioning, refining, restoration, and salvation of the Jews. Here are a few of them that prophesy to that effect.

For thus says the LORD: 'We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask now, and see, whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale? Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day,' says the LORD of hosts, 'That I will break his yoke from your neck, and will burst your bonds; foreigners shall no more enslave them. But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. Therefore do not fear, O my servant Jacob,' says the LORD, 'Nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, and no one shall make him afraid. For I am with you,' says the LORD, 'to save you; though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, and will not let you go altogether unpunished. Jeremiah 30:5-11

I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; and each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.' Zechariah 13:9

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ’The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.’ Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:25-29

But Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.’ Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:14-16

So, the Tribulation will begin a whole new "ball game" for God’s people, Israel. It will commence a whole new era and program for them. The Church will be gone from earth and the Church Age over. The word "church" is not found a single time from Revelation 4 through 21. That's because it no longer exists on earth. God will have commenced his work with his ancient covenant people, the Jews. And, when we come to the last half of the Tribulation, the Great Tribulation, God's work with his Jewish people will greatly intensify. According to Zechariah 13:9 above, God will bring 1/3 of his Jewish people through the fire to refine them. As Jeremiah put it, it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. During those days, God's Jewish people will once again begin to call on the name of their God ("YHWH", the Jehovah of the Old Testament) and he will answer them. These are amazing prophecies which will literally come to pass during the dark days of the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation.

Now, undoubtedly, the Jews we find here in Revelation 7 had just been saved by direct confrontation . And, surely, the confrontation that converted these 144,000 was the opening up of Heaven by the sixth seal. Now, just a couple of sentences away from that spirit-shattering event, 144,000 Jews are standing ... ready to follow and serve Christ Jesus, their Messiah, whom they had just seen with their own eyes seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High! They too had just been crying out to the rocks and mountains, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. But now we read, And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed.

The Apostle Paul also was saved by direct confrontation. His story is found in Acts 9. There, on the road to Damascus, as he was traveling to arrest, persecute and kill believers in Christ, this zealous Pharisee and Christian hater was literally struck to the ground and accosted by the risen Christ. Jesus said to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? (Acts 9:4). He answered, Who are you, Lord? Jesus answered, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. The flabbergasted Paul responded, Lord what would you have me to do? (Acts 9:6). Later, he wrote,

Then last of all he [Christ] was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. First Corinthians 15:8

What did Paul mean by, as by one born out of due time? He was saying that his conversion experience was an anomaly. It was out of place with the age of Grace in which he lived. He understood, you see, that God's use of direct confrontation to save his Jewish people belonged to a different age than the Church Age. It belonged in the future time period of the Great Tribulation. Someone may ask, "Will all the Jews in that day turn to the Lord because of the confrontation of the sixth Seal?" The answer, of course, is "No". Even direct confrontation will not be sufficient to change the minds of countless Jews who will live during the Tribulation. However, for many it will ... just as it was for the Apostle Paul. Here in chapter 7, we encounter an elite 144,000 of them. These are the Lord's Green Berets, so to speak, of that future day.

One more thing about the timing of this future conversion of so many Jews ... Romans 11:25b, says,

…blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

Jesus referred to the times of the Gentiles in Luke 21:24. The days of the times of the Gentiles began back when God's Theocracy on Earth came to a close and the Glory of the Lord left this world from Jerusalem to return back to Heaven as recorded in Ezekiel 8-11:3. At that point in time, Nebuchadnezzar and his Gentile kingdom of Babylon took over dominion on the earth ... being the first of a long procession of Gentile kingdoms that have dominated the world down through history to our day. For a more detailed discussion of this subject, see my commentary on Daniel at: Daniel.

The fullness of the Gentiles, then, will come with Antichrist’s Great Tribulation reign. It is called the fullness of the Gentiles because his reign will be the very pinnacle of Gentile reign on earth. When Antichrist's reign begins, the supernatural blindness of Israel, which exists today and was instituted when the Jews rejected their Messiah, will be lifted ... as predicted in Romans 11:25 above ... and clearly seen as having come about here in Revelation 7.

7:1-3

Returning to our text, first notice that this is a new vision. John saw four angels ... holding (back) the four winds of the earth. As he continued to watch, another angel appeared out of the east and shouted to the original four, Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. The word translated harm here, makes it clear that the winds are intended to be symbolic. The winds are symbolic of God’s judgments that will shortly come upon the earth. Wind is a very appropriate symbol in this regard. In excess, wind is irresistible, unpredictable, and devastating. Tornadoes often sweep across the plains and southern states of our nation, and they can produce winds in excess of two hundred miles per hour. Needless to say, little is left after one passes directly over something. Here, the winds of God's judgments are put temporarily on hold until the angel … from the east seals God’s servants. This seal protects them from the judgments God which are about to be sent upon earth-dwellers. They will not affect the Lord's 144,000 sealed servants. This whole scene is reminiscent of the night when Israel was delivered from Egypt, is it not? You will remember that God commanded his people to mark their doorposts with lamb’s blood so that the approaching Death-Angel would not harm them (Exodus 12:23). We read in Exodus 12:13,

Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

The future sealing of God's Jewish servants will function in the same manner as the blood did on Israel's doorposts of old. In 9:4, we will read of its effectiveness. In that chapter, demon locusts are instructed to hurt only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. God’s judgments on the wicked are never meant to be inflicted upon his own people. Revelation 14:1, tells us exactly what the seal is.

Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having his Father's name written on their foreheads.

7:4-8

Now, let’s take one more look at the identity of these servants of God. The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim this scripture is talking about some of them, but obviously these are not Jehovah's Witnesses. Our text specifically says that they are the children of Israel. You can’t just make the Bible mean anything you want it to mean. It says what it means, and it means what it says. Lest there be any misunderstanding that these people are indeed Jews, we are told that they came from 12 tribes of Israel and each tribe is named for us. Twelve thousand Jews are sealed from each tribe. By the way, there are no "lost tribes of Israel". Our omniscient God knows exactly where all his people are and to which tribe each individual belongs. When the sealing of the 144,000 takes place, an Old Testament prayer will have been answered.

O LORD, why have you made us stray from your ways, and hardened our heart from your fear? Return for your servants' sake, the tribes of your inheritance. Isaiah 63:17

Notice that the angel from the east called these Jews, the servants of our God. All through the dark days of the Great Tribulation they will be serving him. Doing what? No doubt, they will be getting the Word of God out. The message of the gospel and kingdom of Christ Jesus. This is what God intended for them to do from the day he originally chose them for his people. That's why, in Matthew 5:13-14, Jesus told them they were the salt of the earth and the light of the world. This has always been God’s plan for the Jews … that they would be spokespersons for him ... lighthouses to the whole world. Here, at the middle of the Tribulation, the Lord's purpose for his people will finally begin to come to fruition, as evidenced by these 144,000 servants of Christ who have committed their lives and fortunes to their Savior. These fellows are going to be amazing. Like 144,000 Apostle Pauls, they will spread out over the earth with the message of Christ and his kingdom. In the second half of this chapter, we will be introduced to an innumerable multitude of Gentiles who have come out of the Great Tribulation having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They are not positioned there by accident. How did they hear about the blood of the Lamb, do you suppose? The great multitude of believers found in the second half of this chapter is evidence of the effectiveness of the future ministry of the 144,000.

Before we leave the subject of the 144,000, let look at a problem that sticks out here. The original list of the twelve tribes of Israel is found in Genesis 49. There, the scripture says, these are the tribes of Israel (Genesis 49:28). Notice, however, that here in Revelation 7, there is one half-tribe and one tribe of Israel that are conspicuously missing. They are the half-tribe of Ephriam and the tribe of Dan. These tribes have been replaced by the tribe of Joseph and the half tribe of Manasseh. What might be the explanation for these omissions and substitutions? I believe that the tribal privilege of Ephriam and Dan to serve Christ in that future day has been revoked because of their history of unfaithfulness. The half-tribe of Ephraim along with the tribe of Dan, were responsible for first national institution of idolatry in the promised land. The northern kingdom of Israel set up golden calves in Dan and Bethel ... which eventually led the entire nation away from God and into judgment (Judges 18:30; Hosea 4:17; 1 Kings 12:28). This is probably why they are excluded from serving God during the Great Tribulation. Service is a privilege. It is all too often taken for granted by God’s people, is it not? Willful rebellion and failure to follow Christ may well risk disqualification from serving him at some future date and time. I believe that to be the case here.

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THE INNUMERABLE MULTITUDE

Rev. 7:9-17

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, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ’Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from? And I said to him, [NU changes: Sir to: My Lord], you know.’ So he said to me, ’These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 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 dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to [NU changes: living fountains of waters to: fountains of the waters of life.] And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’

7:9-10

John’s attention shifts from earth’s scene, and the sealing of the 144,000, back up to Heaven now. Up there, he finds an innumerable multitude standing before God’s throne. They are from every ethnic tribe and group. They were wearing white robes. You will remember that the martyrs of the fifth Seal were given white robes and told to wait for the arrival of the rest of their brethren that would be killed. The fact that these people are adorned in white robes indicates that they are from those very brethren (6:11). Again, remember how very difficult it will be to be a Christian during the days of the Great Tribulation. It will literally cost people their lives. John heard the multitude shout, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. Then, the angels responded, Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever, Amen.

7:11-12

When the Tribulation saints in Heaven began to glorify the Throne-sitter and the Lamb, the angels joined them. They couldn't cry salvation, however, because it is not available to them. But they did speak wonderful words of adoration. The only way angels know about the grace and mercy of God, by the way, is by observing the Lord's Redeemed. As we have it in Ephesians 2:6-7,

…and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

From age to age, throughout eternity, we redeemed believers in Christ will be on display as trophies of God's mercy and grace before all his angels and all other created beings. Here in chapter 7, we find a whole multitude of these trophies. They had come out of the great tribulation and arrived up in Heaven to the great delight of the angels. Remember, Jesus said,

…joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth… Luke 15:7

7:13-14

At this point, an elder came to John and asked him a question. Can you identify who these people are, John? His question was put to John to magnify the uniqueness of these particular members of God’s saints. John answered that he didn't know. This is evidence that they are not the Church since John, an Apostle and elder of the Church, would certainly have recognized his own group. The elder then explained to John that these were a new category of God's saints ... Tribulation Saints ... who had come out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. In respect to the fact that they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb ... they have that in common with the Church. However, there are some differences between them and the Church as was described for us back in chapter 5.

Here is a comparison:

Tribulation Saints (chapter 7) Church Saints (chapter 5)

...wear white robes ...wear white raiment

...hold palms ...hold harps and vials of prayers

...are uncrowned ...wear crowns

...stand before the throne ...are seated on thrones

...cry, "salvation to God and His Lamb" ...sing, "Worthy is the Lamb who has redeemed us"

Again, the thing that they have in common with the Church is they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Dr. McGee points out that blood normally stains things, but the blood of Jesus does the opposite. It washes and removes stains. Regardless of whether one is a Tribulation saint or a Church saint or an Old Testament saint ... all who have come to God by faith have been washed from their sins by means of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, provided for us all at the cross. As we had it back in Revelation 1:5,

…and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood…

There's a church denomination that was so offended by talk about the blood of Christ that they authorized all references to blood to be removed from their hymns and literature. Unsaved people hate the concept of blood atonement for their sins. It's offensive to them. They hate the thought that they are poor, lost sinners. However, no human being can change what they are by simply denying it. As the prophet Jeremiah put it,

Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil. Jeremiah 13:23

There is no remedy for sin other than the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. As you have it in Ephesians.1:7,

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace…

Praise God for the cleansing blood of our dear Savior, Jesus Christ! Amen?

7:15-17

Let’s look for a moment at the position the Tribulation saints enjoy in Heaven. Notice that they have been given a place, a job, a security, and a fellowship. Let's break it down.

It says here:

They are before the throne of God. Now that's the place to be, brother! They are truly home.

They serve him night and day. Now, that's a job worth having! Heaven is not a place of inactivity and boredom, by the way. It is a place of real, effective, and profitable service to God.

They are promised, no more hunger, no more thirst, no more heat. Now that's security, brother and sister! A promise from God is TOTAL security! Down on Earth, these Tribulation saints had suffered untold miseries under Satan and Antichrist's Babylon system. But, having arrived in Heaven, never again would they experience the awful things they were forced to endure down below. Their sufferings and pain were now and forever a thing of the past.

The good shepherd, the Lamb himself, will ever be at their side. Now, that's fellowship! It doesn't get any better than that! Never again will they be separated from the presence of their Shepherd and his tender care. It says here that he himself will always be present to feed them and to lead them to fountains of living waters. This reminds me of that wonderful promise to his Jewish godly remnant in Isaiah.

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:11 (KJV)

These are the saints who will come out of the Great Tribulation. They are yet to be. Doubtless, a vast number of them will have been won to Christ by the 144,000. How gracious and wise our God is. Long after the Church has been taken off the earth, the Lamb of God will continue his calling out of poor lost sinners to himself. Amazing program ... amazing love ... amazing grace, aye?

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