Intro:

There is a pause between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals; judgment halts for a brief time while God seals
144, 000 Jewish missionaries to carry His message to the ends of the earth. We have seen that the day of God's wrath is about to come (6:15-17); so, God brings a lull in the storm and extends His mercy to Jew and Gentile alike. We see here two groups of redeemed people:

 

I. THE SEALED JEWS (7:11-8)

The winds of heaven speak of God's judgment, and the judgments here are specifically on the earth, sea, and green vegetation. It may be that these four angels holding the four winds are also the angels who blow the first four trumpets, for the judgments are similar (see 8:6-12). The angel from the east holds the seal of God. A seal speaks of possession and protection; (note 9:4). Today, the Christian is sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14). This happens the instant he trusts Christ, and it assures the believer of eternal life and an inheritance in heaven. The sealing angel commands the angels of the winds to hold back their judgment until His servant was delivered, regardless of how disobedient he might have been. For a parallel scene, see (Ezek. 9). Remember, too, that Christ taught that the angels of God would have a part in gathering His elect (Matt. 24:31). Along with the angels of the winds, we have also the angel of fire (14:18) and of water (16:5). The angels are God's special ministers who often are involved in the activities of nature.

These sealed servants are all Jews. There are 12,000 from twelve tribes of Israel. It is unfortunate that some well-meaning Christians have taught that the 144,000 are symbolic of the church (the new Israel), because the church is no longer on the scene at this point in history. The Jehovah's Witnesses have abused this chapter, teaching that the 144,000 are Witnesses who will inherit eternal life. However, if you ask a Witness if he is one of the 144,000 he will probably deny it! No the 144,000 are real Jews who will be alive on the earth at this time. They will probably be won to Christ through the ministry of Moses and Elijah, the two witnesses who will preach during the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation (see 11:1-12). They will be God's chosen and protected missionaries - 144,000 "Apostle Paul's" to carry the Gospel to all nations! This will fulfill Christ's prophecy of (Matt. 24:14); and the result will be that a multitude of Gentiles will be saved (7:9 ff). When you think of the multitudes that Paul won during his ministry, you can begin to imagine what 144,000 such missionaries will do!

It has often been noted that the tribe of Dan is missing from the list, and that the tribe of Manasseh is in its place. The reasons seem to be:

[1]. Dan led Israel into idolatry (Jud. 18:30; 1 Kings 12:28-30).
[2]. God promised to blot out the name of the idolater (Deut. 29:18--21)
[3]. Antichrist may come from the tribe of Dan (Jer. 8:16).

 

II. THE SAVED GENTILES (7:9-17)

The Jews were numbered, but this multitude could not be numbered. These Gentiles are the fruit of the labors of the 144,000, and they come from every nation under heaven. They are not a part of the church, since we see them before the throne, and not on thrones as are the elders. Here John sees them standing before the heavenly throne, praising God and the Lamb. Their "palms" suggest the Feast of Tabernacles in the Old Testament (Lev. 23:40-43), when Israel rejoiced at the blessings of the Lord. They are dressed in white robes, which indicates their righteousness through the Lamb. Verse 14 makes it clear that these Gentiles were saved by faith in Christ, for this is the only way anyone can be saved.

Verses 15-17 suggest the trails that these Gentiles endured on earth. They were hungry and thirsty, for there would be a scarcity of food. They would not have any refuge from the heat of the day. There would be tears and testings. It is likely that these Gentiles belong to the "sheep" nations of (Matt. 25: 31-46), the Gentiles who loved the Jews and befriended them during the Tribulation. These believers would refuse to receive the mark of the Beast (13:16-18), and thus would not be able to buy or sell. Their friendship with the hated and persecuted Jew would incur the wrath of the rulers. Of course, they would also have to endure the terrible judgments of the Tribulation: the rationing of food (13:17); water turned to blood (16:4) and heat (16:8-9).

Note that the 144,000 go through the Tribulation, while there will be multitudes of Gentiles who will give their lives during the Tribulation. Remember the souls under the altar in (6:9-11).

God will reward these Gentile believers and will give them glory for their suffering. Many students believe that the promise of 14-17 will be fulfilled in the millennial kingdom rather than in heaven. (Rev. 20:4) indicates a special resurrection for these Tribulation martyrs, and promises that they will live and reign during the kingdom age. However, we have good reason to apply verses 14-17 to the blessed state of the saints of God in glory. "it will be worth it all, when we see Jesus!"

In summary, we note that Israel is back in her land in unbelief, and the temple worship has begun. Antichrist is ruling over the Federated Nations of Europe, and there is war, famine, and chaos in the world. The two witnesses (Moses and Elijah) are preaching in Israel, and God has sealed a remnant within the nation, 144,000 Jews to be His witnesses among the Gentiles. Of course, their ministry will bring persecution, and many of them will be arrested (Matt. 25:36). But their Gentile converts will assist them and because of their open testimony, many of the Gentiles will lay down their lives.

Many students believe that (2 Thess. 2:11-14) teaches that people who reject the Gospel during this age of grace will not be able to be saved after the church is removed. They would not believe the truth, but they shall believe a lie. This implies that the people heard the Word and understood it, and yet willingly refused it. However, there will be a multitude of Gentiles who will believe the Gospel after the church is gone, and they will be willing to lay down their lives for Christ. This much we know: people will be saved during the Tribulation period, but a man is wiser to receive Christ today!

We may outline the chapter as follows:

GROUP NO. (1) 7:1-8	GROUP NO. (2) - 7:8-17
I. Jews	I. Gentiles
2. Numbered - 144,000	2. Multitude no man could number
3. Sealed and protected	3. Not sealed; many will die
4. Seen witnessing on earth	4. Seen worshiping in heaven
5. God's special missionaries	5. People won through their witness
6. Enter into the kingdom	6. Share the kingdom with Israel