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Revelation Segment 7
All scripture is from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. Before beginning this study, I suggest you pray and ask God to guide you through this study. I also suggest that you do you own study of this material in order to ensure its accuracy.
(Rev 7:1) 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.
After what things? After the opening of the first six seals. There are only seven seals. Six have been so far presented with only one to go. The sealing of the twelve tribes takes place before the opening of the seventh seal.
Note that the four angels here have a correlation in Matthew 24: 3, "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." See also Mark 13:27.
There is a major difference, however, between the two events. In Matthew, the angels are sent to gather the elect to be with the Lord forever. This happens at the return of Jesus. In Revelation 7, though, these angels are about to send destruction upon the earth. They are told to wait
According to the Old Testament, the wind in the four winds is the Hebrew word ruach, which can mean wind, breath, or spirit. The four winds of heaven can actually mean the four spirits of heaven. Daniel speaks of the four winds of heaven: (8:8) Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. The word ruach was used for wind. Zechariah speaks of the four spirits of heaven: (6:5) And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
Now in both passages (in Daniel and Zechariah) the phrases "four winds of heaven" and "four spirits of heaven" are identical in the Hebrew. The Hebrew is "lo 'arba ruachoth hashamaim" (לארבע רוחות השׁמים) in Daniel. In Zechariah, it is "elah 'arba ruachoth hashamaim" (אלה ארבע רחות השׁמים). There is a slight difference in grammar as indicated by the articles lo (לא) and elah (אלה). Lo is in the sentence "toward the four winds" and is separated from the verb phrase by the preposition 'toward', where it is a prepositional object. Elah is in the sentence, "these are the four winds", where it is the predicate object. But the basic "four winds of heaven" remain the same in both verses: ארבע רוחות השׁמים.
The reason the translators chose to render it "spirits" instead of "winds" in Zechariah is because Zechariah is being told by the angel that the four chariots are coming forth from standing before the LORD. Zechariah is not using abstract images, but is describing a literal event. Therefore, the context indicates that 'spirits' is correct because Zechariah actually saw four spirits. Daniel is using the expression, "the four winds of heaven", as a locution meaning the entire world, or even the whole of creation. In this case Daniel is speaking of the world and its governments and peoples, so the context indicates that 'winds' is appropriate. The point is that sometimes the word ruach can mean both wind and spirit at the same time. For example, in John 3:8, Jesus compares the Holy Spirit to the wind.
So, what are these four winds the angels are holding back? Zechariah can give us a clue:
(Zec 6:1-5) And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. {2} In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; {3} And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. {4} Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? {5} And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
Zechariah tells us that the four winds are the four spirits that stand before the Lord (as opposed to LORD) of the earth. Hebrew for LORD is Yehovah, while the Hebrew for 'Lord' is Adonai. Of course, Yehovah is Lord of all, including the earth as is His Christ (Satan could also be said to be a lord of the earth—but this is not Satan). They go north, south, west, and throughout the land to execute God's judgment. The figure of a chariot is used because it is an engine of war. It represents conquering and judgment. So the four winds being held back by the angels in Revelation 7:1 are the instruments of God's judgment.
(Rev 7:2) 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,
Note that the angel is ascending from the east. There are several points here to look into. First, the angel is ascending. He is "going up" just like the Israelites would "go up" to Jerusalem for the feasts. They would go up to Jerusalem for the Passover. Jerusalem is a high city, located at the top of a hill, Mount Moriah or Zion. They were literally going up when they went to Jerusalem. But they also went up spiritually. Jerusalem is on Zion, the mount of God. It is the place God chose for his own. It is set apart for Him. It is also set apart for His King (Ps 2:6). Who is God's King? Jesus. Zion is where the New Jerusalem descends from heaven to earth. Zion is where the New Jerusalem will stay. It is the seat of God in the eternity. The people went up to Jerusalem because they were going up to approach God. Notice that mortals (and angels) ascend to heaven while God Almighty and Jesus the Son descend to men.
The angel ascends from the east. He is coming from God. Since he is not going from God to the earth, but from God to the angels at the four corners of the earth, he is ascending and not descending. God is figuratively in the east just as the sun rises from the east. The light of the sun comes from the east just as the Light of the World did. The wise men followed the Christ-child's star from the east. The eastern gate to the temple looks directly into the Holy of Holies. God consecrated the Eastern Gate to Himself (Jer 31:40). It is now sealed and will remain so until the return of Christ. God raised up his King from the east (Isa 41:2). When Christ returns he will gather up His children from the east all the way to the west (Isa 43:5). God could be said to be in the east.
The angel had the seal of the Living God. In the time of this writing, when you had someone's seal, you had carte blanche to do whatever you wanted in that person's name, for a person's seal was his bond, just as our signature is supposed to be. Today, your signature is your seal. A king would only give his seal to another if he trusted that person to do the correct thing. The seal gives you the authority of its owner. If you have the king's seal, you have his authority. The angel was acting with the authority of God Almighty. In God's Name and with His authority, this angel speaks to the four angels holding back the four winds:
(Rev 7:3) Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
No judgment is to take place until God's people are sealed. This sealing will set God's servants apart from all others. The sealing begins immediately.
(Rev 7:4-8) 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 Nephthalim 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.
There are some anomalies in the list of tribes above. The list from the Old Testament is: Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Judah, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, and Zebulun (in alphabetical order). The first irregularity is that the tribes of Dan and Ephraim are missing. The tribe of Joseph is substituted for Ephraim (Ephraim and Manasseh were Joseph's sons and the tribe of Joseph was split into two, see Joshua 14:4). The tribe of Manasseh is listed separately here as Manasses. Dan is not numbered here at all. The next anomaly is that the tribe of Levi is not numbered among the tribes of Israel because they had no inheritance of the land, God is their inheritance (De 10:9, 12:19, 18:1, Nu 18:20, 26:62). Levi appears here in the place of Dan.
More information about the reason Dan is missing can be found in Judges 18, especially verses 30 & 31: "There the Danites set up for themselves the idols, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land. {31} They continued to use the idols Micah had made, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh." The Danites were idolaters from the beginning of their sojourn in the Promised Land.
What do the twelve tribes represent? Many, if not most, refer to these as the 144,000 Jews or Jewish witnesses. Do they represent the Jews? No, the Jews are only of two tribes, Judah and Benjamin (the Southern Kingdom of Judah).
Today the term "Jews" is used to describe all Israelis, no matter what tribe they are descended from. But even allowing the term to represent all of the tribes, we still have a problem. The Israelites have for the most part (except for those saved by Christ) been rejected as the"servants of God". In Romans 9:31, Paul says: "But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness." And again in Romans 10:3,"For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." And again in Romans 11:7, "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded." So Israelis, unless saved by faith in Jesus, are no longer God's servants.
So, who do they represent? They represent all of God's chosen people. God chose Israel, all twelve tribes, to be His people. God said of them, "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth." (Deu 14:2) And, "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: {6} And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel." (Exo 19:5-6) This apples to the Children of Israel.
Peter applied these words to the church. (1 Pet 2:9) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
The number twelve signifies perfection and completion, especially in government and organizations or formal groups. Here are some of the uses, of the number twelve in the Bible: twelve patriarchs (from Seth to Noah: 12, from Shem to Jacob, 12), twelve sons of Israel, twelve tribes, twelve Apostles, twelve foundations of heavenly Jerusalem, twelve gates, twelve pearls, twelve angels, the Holy City was 12,000 by 12,000 stadia, the age of twelve for admittance to the synagogue, twelve legions of angels, etc., etc. The twelve sons and the twelve tribes are the complete Israel (Levi is not numbered among the twelve tribes). The twelve Apostles are all of them, they are complete.
Paul, a Pharisee, was like Levi; he was not numbered among the twelve apostles. Since Levi was not numbered with the tribes, he would be like a thirteenth tribe had he been numbered among them. Without Levi there were eleven tribes. Joseph's house was divided into two tribes: Ephraim and Manasseh, bringing the total to twelve tribes. It is of interest to note that the number thirteen is the number of rebellion. Paul, like a member of the thirteenth tribe, rebelled against the traditional teachings of (then) Judaism in favor of the teachings of Christ. I note the similarities between Paul and a Levite. He was a Pharisee, who, like the priests, were the spiritual leaders of the Jews of Palestine in the time of Christ. Therefore the similarity exists between the Pharisees and the Levites. Paul was the thirteenth Apostle. Technically, he would have been the fourteenth, for Judas died and was replaced by Matthias. But since there were only twelve Apostles sitting when Paul was called, that makes him the thirteenth, hence the similarity between Paul and the tribe of Levi. There is another similarity here. Judas and Matthias both held the seat of one Apostle like Ephraim and Manasseh both comprised the tribe of Joseph.
It is as simple as this, God's chosen people, who are peculiar people, a royal priesthood (kingdom of priests), and a holy nation are the children of Israel and the Church. In fact, without Jesus, the children of Israel are not a part of God's people (Rom 11:7). But there is a remnant who are God's people. (Many of the Body of Christ may be Israelites and do not know it--those who were scattered among and assimilated by the nations, see Amos 9:9). Again, the twelve tribes represent ALL, that is, the complete number, of God's people, Israel and the Church.
By increasing the twelve tribes by twelve thousand each, God is telling us that they are many in number. In the Old Testament, the number twelve thousand is used to give a round count that signifies a complete large number of people.
The 144,000 then, are God's people (Israel and the Church), and they are many and they are complete. To restate, the 144,000 people are God's people who are sealed before the trumpet judgments begin. They are all of God's people alive in that day. They will witness to the world about Christ.
I am not the first to make this assertion. I quote John Gill, who wrote in the late eighteenth century:" Dr. Goodwin thinks these sealed ones design the believers of the Greek and Armenian churches, and his reasons are not despicable; but this is to limit and restrain them to a particular part of the church of Christ; they take in all the saints within this long tract of time, even all that are the true Israel of God, who are Jews inwardly, of what nation, kindred, tongue, and people soever; and is a certain and determinate number for an uncertain and indeterminate one; and only intends a large number of persons known to God and Christ; see the Apocrypha:
"Arise up and stand, behold the number of those that be sealed in the feast of the Lord;'' (2 Esdras 2:38)
—John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible, note on Revelation 7:5
(Rev 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;
We know who the people in this multitude are from verse 14. They "are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Some notes on the multitude: It is innumerable (by man); it is comprised of all the nations. The word rendered nations is ethnos is usually translated gentiles. Kindreds is the Greek word phule (few-lay') which means race or tribe. The Greek word for people is laos which means a people differing from one's own people. And, of course, tongues means foreign languages.
(Rev 7:10) And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
The whole multitude cries out in thunderous praise. Can you imagine it?
(Rev 7:11) 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,
Let's recap who is standing around the throne. There are the twenty-four elders, the cherubim, the seraphim, all the heavenly hosts, and the great multitude. What a gathering! As far as the eye can see there are worshipers of God.
(Rev 7:12) Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Here they sing a doxology. They will sing much more.
(Rev 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? {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.
The angel did not say the great tribulation, but simply great tribulation. This can mean any tribulation. Christians are not immune to tribulation. In fact, it strengthens us. The metaphor of washing their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb means they are saved. They were either saved before this period tribulation or they were saved during the period. May I say that all Christians living on this earth in all of the history of the church go through tribulation. Some endure great tribulation, some light, but all endure tribulation in this world. .
(Rev 7:15) 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.
God will dwell among these tribulation saints (for all saints endure tribulation) and they will serve (worship) him eternally.
(Rev 7:16) They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Additionally, there will be no more tears, death, sorrow, crying, or pain (Rev 21:4).
(Rev 7:17) 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.
Our food will be the Word of God from the Lamb who is on the throne. The living fountains of water will flow from the throne and the Tree of Life will gown on the banks of the waters. There will be twelve crops of fruit per year on the Tree of Life and we may partake of that fruit. The fruit and the water provide eternal life.
Let me end with a quote from Revelation 21:
(Rev 22:1-5) And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. {2} In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. {3} And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: {4} And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. {5} And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Updated 8/13/06, 4/19/09.
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