PART IITHE SEVEN-SEALED SCROLLREVELATION 4-7

Bi 622

Mark E. Hardgrove, Ph.D., D.Min., M.Div.

The Four ViewsHistoricist Approach:

The unsealing of the scroll represents the beginning of the fall of the Roman Empire

The seal-sequence begins with the reign of Domitian (who died, A.D. 96) and follows the decline of the empire through the invasions of the Goths and Vandals in the 4th and 5th centuries

Various other historicist views

The Four ViewsPreterist Approach:

The unsealing of the scroll represents the judgment of God upon Jerusalem (A.D. 66-70); 144,000 Judean Christians escape to Pella

The four horsemen represent the Roman invasion of Israel to quell the Jewish rebellion (A.D. 66), bringing bloodshed, civil war, famine, death and ultimately the fall of Jerusalem in A. D. 70.

The Four ViewsFuturist Approach:

The scroll and its unsealing represent the Rapture of the church and the beginning of the Great Tribulation (4:1, according to dispensational view); 144,000 Jews of the end times are sealed (saved).

In the end times, the Antichrist rides forth conquering on the white horse; war, famine, and cosmic disturbances (possibly nuclear war) follow.

The Four ViewsSpiritual Approach:

The scroll and its unsealing represent God’s dealings with mankind, seen in cycles of war, martyrdom, and judgment recurring repeatedly throughout history.

The visions underscore God’s sovereignty in the rise and fall of earthly kingdoms and His protection of the saints in the midst of political upheavals, without tying these experiences to specific historical events.

Revelation Chapter 4

Revelation 4:1, NKJV

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

After what?

After what?

After things that have just happened, namely, the letters to the seven churches

The vision that picks up in chapter 4 came after some delay following the earlier vision.

Is intended to indicate that after the seven church ages the Great Tribulation begins.

After seems to indicate that the vision which follows points toward future events in the plan of God

Revelation 4:2

2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.

There are 42 references to “throne” in Revelation, and 4 references to “thrones” (i.e., of the 24 elders). The entire Bible has 175 total references to throne; therefore, almost ¼ of all references to “throne” are in Revelation.

Throne: 42 and behold, a throne set in heaven,—

The picture of the throne suggests the Kingship of God over everything. It indicates absolute power, omnipotence, authority and absolute rule.

and One sat on the throne.—Notice that the face of God is never described. Wilson rightly notes that: “John, like other Jewish authors, never describes him, because God declared, ‘You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live’ (Ex. 33:20)” (2002, p. 279).

Revelation 4:33 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.

Jasper is usually an opaque red, brown, or yellow color, while carnelian is translucent red or yellowish-red. The Greeks and Romans highly valued carnelian, especially in jewelry-making. The rainbow encircling the throne is compared to a green emerald. The three stones are later used to describe the new Jerusalem (21:11, 19). . . .. Jasper and emerald were two of the stones in the high priest’s breastplate (Ex. 28:18, 20).

Revelation 4:4

4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.

Who are the “24 elders”?

The 24 Elders Some see them as representative of the Sanhedrin

in Jerusalem Barnes recognized in the twenty-four elders ‘the

church triumphant’ Morris suggests that they are the first twenty-four

ancestors of Christ (1976). Mounce describes them as “an exalted angelic

order who serve and adore God as the heavenly counterpart to the twenty-four priestly and twenty-four Levitical orders ( 1 Chron. 24:4; 25:9-13.

Some see them as representatives of the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles, as such, representing two dispensations, the Old Covenant believers and the New Covenant believers—Israel and the Church.

Revelation 3:5 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

From out of the throne came brilliant lights and deafening sounds. The reference to lightnings and thunderings is found four times in Revelation (4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18). This phenomenon harkens back to the Sinai manifestation of God who appeared to Moses in the midst of thunder, lightning, a cloud, a trumpet and an earthquake.

The Seven Torches/Spirits? Some would see here the seven churches (seven

lamps) with their accompanying spirits, now in heaven before the throne of God. After all, they would argue, the Rapture has now taken place and the Church is therefore in heaven.

The seven “blazing torches” may be a reference to the Heavenly Temple and the counterpart Temple upon earth in Judaism where the seven-branched menorah burned before the ark in the tabernacle (Aune, 1997, p. 295).

The “seven spirits” are either angels, the pastors of the churches, or the Holy Spirit. Others would note the symbolism of seven as a reference to “completion and fulfillment,” and therefore the number of divinity and therefore the Deity of the Spirit.

Revelation 4:6a6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal.

The sea before the throne is clear, like crystal, and therefore communicates tranquility in the midst of the activity. It also communicates purity and life. It is, perhaps, also a reference to the counterpart in the Jewish Temple of the “molten sea” or the laver in Solomon’s temple (2 Chron. 4:2-6). Gregg quotes Gaebelein, who posits that the laver is now like crystal, therefore “solidified because no more water is needed for the cleaning of the Saints”

Revelation 4:6b-7

6 And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle

These creatures are probably referring back to Ezekiel chapter 1:3-11“5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures.”

The Four Creatures Ezekiel’s creatures have four wings, and

John’s has six. The creatures in Revelation resemble Isaiah’s seraphim (Isa. 6:1-3) who had six wings and whose song is similar to those of Revelation.

Hal Lindsey argues that they are the four Gospels. The beasts represent the four ways the gospels depict Christ— as King in Matthew, as Servant in Mark, as Son of Man in Luke, and as Son of God in John (Gregg, 1997, p. 92- 93).

Revelation 4:88a The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

Worship in heaven never ceases. God is worshipped day and night. Again, their song is reminiscent of Isaiah’s vision. It is possible that this very phrase was then, as it is now, part of a chorus or hymn in the early church.

8b “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”

God is depicted as the thrice-holy God. This is a kind of exclamation point in Hebrew and Greek languages.

Revelation 4:9-109 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

This act is an acknowledgement that while they may be kings, God alone is “King of kings”—a title found in Revelation 17:14 and 19:16.

Revelation 4:1111 "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power;For You created all things,And by Your will they exist and were created."

This song is an acknowledgement of God’s position in heaven. He is worthy of all that they can give Him by way of worship. The reason for God’s worthiness is the simple fact that nothing exists apart from Him. Not only was everything created by God’s shear creative power and will, they continue to exist by the mere virtue of God’s will.

Revelation Chapter 5

Revelation 5:1

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

WHAT IS THE SCROLL?

Revelation 5:2-32 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice,"Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

The scroll is in the Right Hand of God the Father, and the “strong angel” challenges all created beings (heaven and earth) to find someone worthy to open and look at the contents of the scroll.

What does the Scroll represent?Stanley Horton (1991) says of the scroll . . .it is God’s book of the future (compare

Psalm 139:16; Ezekiel 2:9-10; Zechariah 5:2-3; Revelation 10:9; compare also Daniel 12:2,4, with Revelation 22:10). If so, then it’s being closed may indicate the plan of God yet unrevealed unexecuted, and breaking the seals and opening the scroll would then amount to revealing and carrying out that plan (p. 84).

Hollis Gause (1983) says These seven seals show how God will direct the

course of world history in order to bring it to an end and to prepare for the coming of the new age—the fulfilled kingdom of God. These seven seals show “the absolute inviolability of the scroll.” (p. 94).

Revelation 5:4

4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.

The importance of the scrolls is seen in John’s response to the fact that no one was found worthy to loose the seals or look at the scroll.John knew that if the scroll was not opened, the plan of God would not be revealed or fulfilled and the church was doomed to endless suffering.

Revelation 5:5

5 But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."

The One who has prevailed, the One found worthy is depicted as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.

Lion of JudahThe first reference to a lion in the Bible is found in Genesis 49:9-10

9 Judah is a lion's whelp;From the prey, my son, you have gone up.He bows down, he lies down as a lion ;And as a lion , who shall rouse him? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,Until Shiloh comes;And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

Revelation 5:6-7

6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

John looked for a lion and saw a lamb that had the wounds of a sacrificial lamb. This lamb is in the position of power and royalty at the center of attention.

Revelation 5:8

8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

As the lamb (Jesus) steps forward and takes the scroll, every knee bows. The elders each had a harp and bowls. These bowls hold incense, i.e., prayers of the saints. If our prayer life stinks . . .

Revelation 5:9-109 And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll,And to open its seals;For You were slain,And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;And we shall reign on the earth.’"

Heaven knew the significance of this event.

Revelation 5:11-12

11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom,And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Notice seven that seven attributions are given.

Revelation 5:1313 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power

Be to Him who sits on the throne,And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

The Lamb (Jesus) is worshipped as well as the Father on the throne thus reinforcing the Deity of Jesus. That “all” worship is understood figuratively (spiritualist), or as angels, believers and animal kingdom (futurist) because sinners are cursing Him.

Revelation 5:14

14 Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

Revelation Chapter 6

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Apocalypse_vasnetsov.jpg

Revelation 6

Chapter six of Revelation deals exclusively with the opening of six of the seven seals found on the scroll.

The seventh seal is addressed in chapter eight. The descriptions are fairly straightforward with the opening of each seal followed by a description of the judgments that are unveiled in the scroll as the seal is opened

Revelation 6

Gause argues that these seals represent “a review of the history of the world” (Gause. 102). According to him:

“These judgments are God’s continual judgments against this world system. They are a foretaste of the judgments that will come at the end of the age” (Gause, 102).

Accordingly, there is no need to try to associate the various riders of the horses with personalities of the tribulation period

Revelation 6:1-2

1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see." 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

Revelation 6:1-2The identity of the rider of the white horse is often debated. Some believe it is Christ, while others believe this is the Anti-Christ. Looking at the description we note the following:

1. The rider rode on a white horse—the horse was an animal of war. As opposed to the donkey which was an animal of peace. White represents righteousness.

2. He had a bow—the bow is an instrument of war.3. A crown was given to him—the crown represents

authority; however, it is a crown that was given to him, suggesting that his authority is conferred and not inherent.

4. He went out conquering and to conquer—he went out to exact God’s judgment upon the earth.

Revelation 6:1-2

These facts lead us to note that as the Son of God, Jesus’ authority is inherent. And yet even He sees His source of power as emanating from the Father. After His resurrection, and shortly before the ascension, Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt 28:18).

So the giving of the crown as symbolic of receiving authority does not necessarily negate the possibility that this rider is Jesus.

Revelation 6:1-2

Gause (1983) notes, these riders are merely the servants of the Lord coming throughout history and with rising intensity toward the end of time, to accomplish God’s redemptive work through judgment.

The judgment of God is not an act of ruthless anger and vengeance, but as in the judgments of the Old Testament, have in view the purpose of redemption. This is to say, these judgments have a way of turning the hearts of the people back to God.

Revelation 6:3-4

3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

Revelation 6:3-4Human history is fraught with conflict, war, murder, and other atrocities. It is a sad irony that while humanity claims a higher intellectual and social standing than that of mere animals, we have succumbed to such atrocities that cannot even be matched by the most vicious of brute beasts.

There has been very little peace upon the earth and if Gause is correct, then it is precisely because of the opening of the second seal.

Those who see the opening of the seals as set in the eschatological future, the opening of the seals would indicate that the times will be in even more turmoil than we already are. The sword represents war, murder and death.

Revelation 6:5-65 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”

Black is a symbol of starvation or famine. Note the scales in the hand of the rider. This suggests that he controls commerce. The famine that is to come is not the result of agricultural chaos, but of greed.

Revelation 6:7-87 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.

This rider will come and the result of their ride will be death to a fourth of the world’s population. The manifestation of this rider will come through sword (murder and war), through starvation, through disease and through the attack of wild beasts.

Revelation 6:9-119 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony, which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

Revelation 6:9-11 The rider is no longer summoned to “come” and the

horses are no longer mentioned. No judgment is listed. Instead, when the fifth seal is opened, the “souls of those who had been slain . . . cried with a loud voice.”

They cry out, “How long?” The question is, how long will it be until God avenges their blood?

They were given white robes, which represents righteousness, and encouraged to “rest for a little while longer”. The plan of God is not finished and there would be yet more believers whose lives would be sacrificed upon the altar of service.

On the positive side, there is the implicit promise that those days are numbered and would, in fact, come to a completion.

Revelation 6:12

12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.

Revelation 6:13-14

13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

Revelation 6:15-17

15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Revelation 61. The seals have been opened on the plan of God.

2. The daily disclosure of crises and disasters around the world hint at the unfurling of the scroll and the movement of history itself toward a culmination and completion.

3. Death is not the end for the believer, but the doorway into a time of rest in the House of the Lord until this present world order ends.

4. Believers are pictured in heaven before chaos breaks loose on earth. (Assuming that the others who must die are the Jews and others who repent during the Tribulation Period and join the believers in God’s presence.)

5. Even the disasters (whether represented by supernatural riders on horses, or natural disasters upon earth) are subject to the will and plan of God—God is in control.

Revelation 6Gause (1983) proposes, the seals have already been opened and the judgments are intensifying as we approach the end, what are some signs today of the intensifying effects of this fact? Consider the following: December 26, 2004 an earthquake and tsunami killed hundreds of thousands, October 8, 2005 more than a hundred thousand die in or shortly after an earthquake in Pakistan, August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans and displaces tens of thousands and devastates a major city in the United States. Furthermore, if Gause is correct in his view of the seven seal judgments, then we can continue to see an increasing intensity of these judgments in the world as move toward the Tribulation

Rise in Natural Disasters?2004 Article http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3666474.stm

(Headline) Natural disasters 'on the rise'

Hurricanes are hitting bigger towns and cities

More and more people are being caught up in a growing number of natural disasters, a UN agency said on Friday.

Study shows dramatic rise in natural disasters over past decade http://english.sina.com/technology/p/2010/0128/302222.html

GENEVA, Jan. 28, 2010 (Xinhua)--There has been a "dramatic" rise in natural disasters during the past decade, the director of the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) said on Thursday.

"The number of events have gone up very, very dramatically," CRED Director Debarati Guha-Sapir said in Geneva.

During the 2000 to 2009 period, there were 385 disasters, an increase of 233 percent since 1980 to 1989, and of 67 percent since 1990 to 1999, according to CRED data.

Though earthquakes made up 60 percent of natural disasters from 2000 to 2009, climate-related events, such as droughts, storms and floods, have made up the majority of disasters overall, increasing tenfold since data was first collected in 1950.

"Have climate-related disasters increased? The answer is yes," Sapir said, adding, "But it is not clear that climate change itself is an important factor."Sapir said that CRED lacked sufficient research to determine the role of global warming in the increase in climate-related natural disasters.

CRED, an international nonprofit, was created in 1971. It is part of the Universite catholique de Louvain in Brussels, and has been a collaborating center with the World Health Organization since 1980.

The number of natural disasters is on the rise http://makewealthhistory.org/2011/05/30/the-number-of-natural-disasters-is-on-the-rise/There are seasons when it feels like there are more hurricanes and floods then in times past. Some studies indicate that the number of weather related disasters has increased dramatically in the last 30 years.

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Jeremy

Rise in Natural Disasters?

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/policy/conflict_disasters/downloads/rr-times-bitter-floods-270511-en.pdf

Revelation Chapter 7

Revelation 7Chapter 7 represents a vision within a vision. Indeed, it is a two-part vision that interrupts the vision of the opening of the seven seals. Timothy Jenny says that this interlude serves three purposes: It provides more intricate details. It heightens the tension in story by

postponing the conclusion. These details “help explain why the return of

Christ has been delayed longer than our audience expected. God is not slow or uncaring. He has waited because he is ‘not wanting anyone to perish’ (2 Pet. 3:9). The final blow will not fall until ‘we have sealed all the servants of God .

Revelation 7:1-31 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.

The winds pictured here appear to be carrying in them the impending judgment of God. The angels are seen as holding the “four winds.” They are being used by God to restrain His judgment, to keep the wind from blowing upon the earth, sea or tree. Horton notes that this is the calm before the storm (Horton, 1991, p. 109).

Revelation 7:2-32 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, 3 saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.“

Some connect the rising of the angel from the east with Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of God returning from the east (Ez. 43:2, compare Zech. 14:4). Others note that Solomon’s Temple faced the east, or that the sun rises in the east, or even that the Wise Men came from the east. The coming of the angel from the east is probably to be viewed as a forerunner of the coming of the glory of the Lord upon His people.

Revelation 7:4

4 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:A literal reading of this text tells us very plainly that these are “144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel” that have been sealed—secured by God.

Revelation is apocalyptic literature filled with symbolic and figurative language, it is wise to approach this identification with some caution. The number 12 is a powerfully symbolic number used extensively throughout the Old and New Testaments. The number twelve is a number of “completion or fulfillment.” As such, the use of twelve multiplied by twelve thousand may be a graphic way of declaring the complete number of believers who will inherit eternal life

Revelation 7:4

Gause (1983) sees the number as symbolic, but argues that it is a number symbolizing the promise that all of Israel would be saved. By sealing 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes God is keeping His promise to the patriarchs.

Mounce (1977), however, rejects the view that the 144,000 literally refers to Israel. Saying that it introduces racial elements that are eliminated in Christ.

Horton (1991) views the 144,000 as believing Jews who are allowed to enter the Great Tribulation period as witnesses, and who are sealed, or secured, by God during this time.

Revelation 7:5-85 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;

6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;

7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;

8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

Revelation 7:5-8It is interesting that Judah is listed first, given that Judah was not the firstborn and is not normally listed first in the various places that such lists appear.

Interestingly, Manasseh is mentioned, but not Ephraim. Instead, Joseph is listed. Usually the tribe of Joseph is listed as the two tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, but not here. It could be, therefore, that Ephraim, the one promised preeminence (Gen. 48:17-22) is designated simply as Joseph, which would be a title of honor—to alone bear the name of the patriarch

Revelation 7:5-8It is significant that Levi is listed. As the priestly tribe they were not given a land allotment, though they were given cities throughout Israel. Here they are no longer “singled out as the priestly tribe” (Horton, 113).

Revelation 7:5-8Some have concluded that there is a Scribal error and that instead of Dan the scribe wrote Manasseh. There, is however, no other extant manuscript to support this thesis.

Instead, many scholars point to Judges 18:30 and 2 Kings 10:29, where Dan’s propensity for idol worship is demonstrated. And then in 1 Chronicles 2-7 Dan is not listed among the tribes. The conclusion of some is that the absence of Dan in Revelation is an act of judgment upon that tribe. The second century church father, Irenaeus believed that the anti-Christ would come from the tribe of Dan and therefore is not listed.

Revelation 7:5-8As Gause (1983, pp. 116-117) notes, “This list does not precisely agree with the lists of the sons of Jacob and the tribes of Israel in the Old Testament.” Therefore, some will conclude that it cannot be understood as a literal statement on the salvation of Jews. Mounce (1977) goes to great lengths to demonstrate that it refers to the church, while futurists insist that it refers to ethnic Jews.

Revelation 7:9-109 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, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

This group is seen as distinct from the 144,000 and yet does not necessarily exclude the 144,000 for they are from a tribe and tongue as well. This group cannot be numbered, whereas the 144,000 are clearly numbered (even if symbolically). This group is seen standing before the throne of God, while the 144,000 are still on earth and are sealed to protect them from coming judgments.

Revelation 7:11-1211 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

The sight of God and the Lamb not only resulted in the praise of the great multitude, but all the angels, the elders and the four living creatures fell on their faces as well, and worshipped God.

Again, the sevenfold attribution of praise for God. 1) Blessing, 2) Glory, 3) Wisdom, 4) Thanksgiving, 5) Honor, 6) Power, and 7) Might

Revelation 7:13

13Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”

Based upon the fact that the elder goes on to tell John who this great multitude is, we can assume that the elder already knew their identity. His question simply elicits John’s response, which in turn, results in the answer of the question for John and the reader.

Revelation 7:14-15

14 And I said to him, “Sir, 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. 15 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.”

This much is certain, they have been purified by the atoning sacrifice of Christ, whose blood has been applied to their lives. This alone, and no work or merit on their own behalf, provides access to the Throne of God.

Revelation 7:16-17

16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 7:16-17

The original audience of this letter were beginning to suffer persecution—first at the hands of the Jews, then at the hands of Rome. Some lost jobs and were rejected by their families because they became Christians. Some were literally suffering from hunger and thirst and were in need of shelter as a result of their faith in God. To this group, the promise is made, “for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 7:16-17

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The promise to wipe away every tear is a touching picture. It depicts a loving parent reaching down to comfort a weeping child. It conveys gentleness, care and concern. It paints a picture of a God who is big enough to judge the world, while at the same time, intimate enough to see our tears. If that doesn’t comfort a suffering people, what will? What does it do for the church today?