Revelation 7

In Short - Explanation

Revelation 7 shows us a picture of the dissidents of the system that encroaches on the freedom of humanity. They refuse to comply to an utterly corrupt world system, that is being put in place by brutal force: war, famine and even death, as seen in the horsemen 2-4 of Revelation 6. The dissidents have no hope left for this world and choose to set all their cards on the soon return of Jesus Christ. The enormous earthquake at the end of chapter 6 has demolished much of the infrastructure, which gives the dissidents an opportunity to escape the system. Heaven itself waits with the next series of disasters, coming with the blowing of the first 4 trumpets, not to disrupt the opportunity to flee. Four angels holding the four winds apparently are those that also blow the first 4 trumpets, which will bring havoc upon the world. While the continuation of judgment is exponed, 144,000 of the 12 tribes of Israel will be sealed in order to go around the world, bringing the gospel of the kingdom of God. The result of their preaching after a few years is seen in the countless multitude before the throne, honoring God and the Lamb and being guided by the Lamb in the blessings of the millennial kingdom.

 

Review

The opening of seals 2-4 by the Lamb unleashed resistance and violence from the ruling earthly elite, seen in those horses, ridden by three horsemen, the machinery of the secret world powers, who have been working behind the scenes for centuries to amass increasing power in preparation for the final battle for the earth. To be able to make a stand against the Lamb, who will claim the earth for himself, they deem it necessary to bring all of humanity under their control. They will stop at nothing to do so. Everything over which they have no direct control must be destroyed or killed.

 

The resistance of earthly rulers to the claims of the Lamb increases sharply when he first displays his enormous power. Jesus demonstrates his great power in the rapture of the church and in the salvation of his people, the Palestinians, who have been severely oppressed for some time by the global empire, the US, and its vile proxy, Israel. The rapture of the church is seen at the beginning of Revelation in John's ascension into heaven—the beginning of the revelation about "what must happen next." The redemption of the Palestinians in Palestine is seen in the white horse under the first seal. It is a victory that culminates in the dominion of the persecuted Palestinian people over the entire earth, as depicted in Daniel 7, where they are seen as "holy ones of the Most High."

 

Unlike the actions of the Lamb, which occur very suddenly and have no development over time, earthly powers trace their origins back to the knights of the Middle Ages and the ancient world empires. They carry out their subversive activities by (1) pitting groups of people against each other (the red horse); (2) making people completely economically dependent on them and squeezing them dry through scarcity and sky-high food prices (the black horse); and (3) killing many so that total control can be more easily achieved (the pale horse). We see this happening under seals 2-4. Naturally, all dissidents are eliminated with a "great sword," the guillotine. These are primarily people who testify of God and the Lamb. We saw the souls of these slain people under the fifth seal.

 

The enormous injustice that unfolds on earth under seals 2-5 throws the earth into tremendous turmoil—a global earthquake—to which heaven responds with signs in the sun, moon, and stars. That is the moment when the entire pyramid of power on earth realizes that they are fighting a force they are no match for. In desperation, they hide in caves and mountains, crying out, "Who can stand?" They think the end has come with the wrath of the Lamb. However, this is not yet the end. It is the beginning of the end.

The inhabitants of earth crawl out of the mountains and caves again and continue their plans to thwart God and the Lamb as much as possible. This is evident in the remainder of Revelation. But before the book continues, it first wants to show how heaven responds to all the hostility and violence of the rulers on earth. From the seventh chapter onward, we see angels appear for the first time. But the first thing the angels do is not to exercise judgment. On the contrary. They are told: do no harm.

 

Verse 1 - The Four Angels

The global influence of the angels' actions is important. First, there is mention of the "four corners of the earth," in other words, from East to West and from North to South. Or, as stated elsewhere: from one end of heaven to the other. And second, the global scope of chapter 7 is evident from the remark in verse 9: "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and languages." The angels stand "at the four corners of the earth" and hold the four winds of the earth, "so that no wind would blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree." Not only do they not exercise judgment. They also do not allow other powers to cause any destruction.

 

Besides the angels appointed by God, there are other powers that can cause storms. Think of Job, whose children perished in a storm stirred up by Satan. It is not without reason that we speak of "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience." It is not without reason that we speak of "principalities, powers, rulers of this darkness, spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

 

Verses 2, 3 - The Other Angel

The reason for the "calm before the storm" is that something else must happen first. For this, another angel is called in. An angel who rises from the rising of the sun has the seal of the living God. The rising of the sun is the direction from which the Sun of Righteousness will one day rise. The Lord Jesus Christ will, just as then on the colt of a donkey, come again from the east . This angel is nothing but a herald of the great King. In the coming and calling of this angel, the great King already casts his shadow before him. Yes, the beast, the Antichrist, and all the horrors that come with it will continue to ravage the earth like a scourge. But the thundering footsteps of the great Conqueror of all the enemies of God and man are already audible in the angels' actions. Everything the angels do throughout the entire Book of Revelation is based on Him, Jesus Christ. That is what Jesus once said to Nathanael: "From now on you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man" (John 1:51).

 

The seal this angel carries, the seal of God, also speaks of the power with which Christ is invested. That is the seal that was also used in the sealing of the scroll, with the seals being broken one by one by the Lamb. Six seals of the scroll have already been broken. Before the seventh and final seal is broken and the Lamb begins to lay his hand on his rightful property, the entire creation, God's seal of ownership must first be placed on a large number of important people on earth. These are God's slaves, who will carry out an unparalleled global evangelistic campaign of the kingdom of heaven on earth for three and a half years, and are sealed in their foreheads. Before this happens, no harm may be done—not to the earth, not to the sea, not to the trees—everything that is important for life on earth. Caring for his slaves is more important to God than executing judgment on his enemies. Such is God.

 

Verse 4 - The 144,000

Typically, John sees nothing this time, but only hears something. The first time that only hearing and not sight was mentioned was in Revelation 5, after the opening of the scroll, during the praise offered from all creation to "Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb." This was something that anticipated a future moment. It could not be otherwise, because first the resistance against God and the Lamb will greatly increase and culminate in the war against the Lamb. All hostility will ultimately be crushed by the Lamb. Only then can there be universal praise.

 

Something similar is happening here. This chapter anticipates the glorious, blessed future of the millennial kingdom, in which all that exists will give praise and honor to God and the Lamb. John "hears the number of those sealed," 144,000, 12,000 from each tribe. There is no reason whatsoever to interpret these numbers and these tribes of Israel figuratively. The book and the context provide no basis for it. The 144,000 Israelites are nestled between two expressions of global scope: the angels “on the four corners of the earth” and “the multitude from every nation and kindred and people and tongue.” Their mission is therefore global. They go out into all the earth, and the great multitude before the throne is the result of their testimony.

 

Here we have the situation where Israel as a nation is a blessing to the nations, something that has not happened since their rejection of the Messiah. And Israel could not be. An Israel that accepts the emperor of Rome as king instead of the Messiah given by God can only bring curses as a nation. This is not to say anything against individual Jews who accept Jesus or who take their faith seriously. Here we are talking about 144,000 who know the Lamb and testify worldwide of Him as the coming king—a very impressive testimony.

 

Note that a distinction is made here between Israel and the nations, which means that the church is no longer on earth. In the church, this distinction has been abolished: there is neither Jew nor Greek (Gal. 3:28). Jews who have accepted Christ belong to the church. This corresponds with the fact that the rapture of the church takes place before Revelation chapter 4—before the hour of temptation, the great tribulation of 3.5 years, which begins with the red horse of Revelation 6:3,4.

 

The Palestinians

The books of Daniel and Zechariah, like Revelation 12, show that the end times are characterized by a very severe attack on God's people. In Daniel 7, we see the world empire in its final stages waging war against "the saints of the Most High." The world empire is depicted as Daniel's little horn, which grew into the fourth beast that encompasses the entire earth. It is the United States of America, which began as 13 colonies on the East Coast in the shape of a horn and has grown into a world power unparalleled in history, combined with all its vassal states. In Revelation, we see the dragon persecuting the woman who bore the Child, the people from whom the Lord came. In the book of Zechariah, we see the land of Israel overrun by nations (goyim), who fight the indigenous population, force them into exile, and attack those who remain.

 

In the end times, the Lord will rise to save his persecuted people. In light of these texts, one can only conclude that the Palestinians are God's people and the State of Israel is the enemy, the goyim, the nations that invaded the land in the first half of the 20th century, particularly in 1948. Because the church has been infiltrated by Zionists who praise the State of Israel, the interpretation of the prophetic word has been completely corrupted. Christians misunderstand it or completely misunderstand it, and non-Christians consider it Zionist propaganda. Few apply the prophetic word to the Palestinians, even though they are the ones who have been experiencing terrible persecution and oppression for 77 years at the hands of the State of Israel, backed by the US, the global empire. Worldwide, many Jews protest against the state of Israel and for the Palestinians, but they do not see the Palestinians as their "brothers." A deep rift has developed since Zionism, a rift foretold in Zechariah 11, about the Supreme Shepherd breaking the rods of "pleasure" and "bond" after three shepherds were killed in a single month.

 

If the Palestinians are the true Israelites, then they are the ones from whom the 144,000 will come, just like the two witnesses. Something will then have to change their view of the Lord Jesus. But this applies equally to the Jews who are part of the state of Israel and to the Jews who protest. The conversion of the people is described in Zechariah 12: the outpouring of the Spirit of grace and supplication, the appearing of the Lord to them, so that they may see Him whom they have pierced and mourn for Him. The conversion of the people is also foretold in Zechariah 13: the people brought into the fire, melted like silver and refined like gold, calling upon the Lord and being accepted by Him as a people. This will happen shortly before the start of the final three and a half years of the end times. In a very short time, the people will be prepared for their worldwide evangelistic mission.

The order in which the twelve tribes are listed here briefly tells the story of the 2,000 years between their rejection of the Messiah and the final restoration:

 

1. Judah - Praise          - Israel Praised God in the temple in the land

2. Reuben - See a son - God sent them his Son

3. Gad - happiness      - The Son brought happiness

4. Asher - happy           - Double happiness (2x feeding, 2x catch of fish, etc.)

5. Naphtali - struggle   - There was conflict because Israel chose the adversary

6. Joseph - he makes forget - The people of Israel, 'forgotten' for 2,000 years

7. Simeon - hearing       - Oppression => Israel calls => God hears it again

8. Levi - To unite            - He unites the tribes into one

9. Issachar - He will reward - God will reward those who obey Him

10. Zebulun - Place of honor - Honor to serve God as 144,000

11. Joseph - God add      - The ministry of the 144,000 adds many nations

12. Benjamin                    - Jesus at God's right hand, nations at his

      Son of the right hand

 

The great multitude from all nations

As stated above: the great and innumerable multitude is the result of the worldwide evangelistic campaign of the 144,000 Israelites for the coming kingdom of God. This means that these Israelites are favorably regarded by ordinary people around the world. This again demonstrates that in the 144,000, we are dealing with Palestinians and not Zionist Jews. Since 2023, the world has become aware of the terrible suffering that Palestinians have endured for 77 years at the hands of the State of Israel because the theft of their land, the oppression, and apartheid have degenerated into outright genocide. An evangelistic campaign by Jews of the State of Israel is therefore unthinkable, while an evangelistic campaign by Palestinians is obvious.

The clear parallel between Revelation and the Olivet Discourse is important. We list this parallel below:

               Revelation 6:7                         Zechariah/Matt. 24/Mark 13/Luke 21

Seal 1 – White Horse Conquering       Start of the Palestinian Victory

Seal 2 – Red Horse Slaughtering         Nation Rising Against Nation;

              One Another                             Kingdom Against Kingdom (24:6, 7)

Seal 3 – Black Horse Scarcity               Famines (24:7)

Seal 4 – Pale Green Horse Death        Contagious Diseases (24:7)

Seal 6 – Earthquake                               Earthquakes (24:7)

Seal 5 – Martyrs                                     Then they will hand you over

                                                                 and kill you (24:9, 10)

Seal of the Living God 144,000           Gospel of the kingdom globally till the

                                                                 end (24:14)

Great tribulation                                    Great tribulation (24:21)

Countless multitude                              Sheep on the right hand (25:31-46)

in front of throne                                   gathered to the throne of glory

 

Because Revelation 7 focuses on the one hundred and forty-four thousand and the fruits of their labor, only the sheep on the right hand are mentioned there. The goats on the left hand are not mentioned. The link between the two passages is the last tribe, Benjamin, "Son of the right hand." Only the sheep, whom the Son will place on his right hand, are mentioned here as a great, innumerable multitude. Matthew 25, "the judgment of the nations," sheds important light on Revelation 7 and vice versa. According to Matthew 25, Jesus will judge the sheep and goats based on their attitude toward "his brothers." Therefore, there are three groups of people. Faithful Israel (brothers), nations that are well-disposed toward faithful Israel (sheep), and nations that are not well-disposed toward faithful Israel (goats). The sheep enter the kingdom of peace. To them the Lord says from his throne: “Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…” But to the goats he says: “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels…”

 

The vast, countless multitude is seen before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes and standing with palm branches in their hands. And they cry out: “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!” In this, we see a striking parallel with Palm Sunday, the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey. Back then, too, there were long robes (which were spread on the road) and palm branches, which were waved and shouted: Hosanna, "Give salvation, please!" Here we see a much clearer cry: "Salvation to our God." Not a vague, general cry for help or salvation, wherever it might come from. No, here is the confession that only "our God" can bring salvation. The renewed cry for salvation implies that this is about earth, not heaven. The palm branches also point in that direction. The fact that angels are standing around the throne does not mean that we are dealing with a heavenly scene, because the Lord Jesus clearly states that when "the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory..." The angels are around his earthly throne, after his return to earth with power and great glory—what a display of glory!

 

And here, besides the four living creatures who are inseparable from the throne, another group is mentioned who is present: the elders. This corresponds with the many texts that indicate that Jesus will take his bride and groom with him back to earth when he achieves his victories and subjects everything to himself. Think of texts like

“God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:13,14).

“When Christ, your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Col. 3:4).

“That He may strengthen your hearts to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:13).

“Rest with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His mighty angels” (2 Thessalonians 1:7).

“When He comes to be glorified on that day in all who have believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:10).

“That the testing of your faith…may be found to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).

“We know that when He is revealed We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.’ (1 John 3:2)

‘And the armies which were in heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white, clean, and pure.’ (Revelation 19:14)

 

One might wonder whether this vast, innumerable multitude, just as under the fifth seal, are not people who were killed in the Great Tribulation. Or perhaps they are people who were killed in the Great Tribulation and then resurrected. One could object to this as follows. First, there is a major difference regarding the garments. True, just as with the souls, there are ‘stolés,’ special, dignified garments, usually worn by those in high positions. However, in the case of the souls under the fifth seal, these were given to them (they are ‘unclothed,’ dead). In contrast, the garments are worn by the people of the great multitude and, moreover, they have been “washed white in the blood of the Lamb.”

 

Secondly, the people in the great multitude are not described as “souls.” Thirdly, their cry is completely different. The souls under the fifth seal cried out for vengeance because they had been killed. The people in the great multitude cry out for salvation, which will come down from God. This is praise to God, something not brought by the dead: “Not the dead shall praise the LORD, nor any of those who go down into silence.” (Psalm 115:17)

 

Furthermore, it cannot be referring to the dead who have been raised to life again, because that is only mentioned in Revelation 20. Here in Revelation 7, there is no mention of a resurrection of the dead, nor is there any mention of a reign of the multitude with the Lamb, as is reserved for those who gave their lives for the testimony and who rise from the graves just after the great tribulation. These nations will enter the kingdom of peace alive and well. They will experience a blessed time of a thousand years under the rule of the Lamb, as fruits of the testimony of the one hundred and forty-four thousand. They have housed, fed, clothed, cared for, and visited these witnesses of God, the Lord's brothers, in prison, just like the sheep in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 25.

 

One of the elders explains this to John. This changes the tense. Revelation is written almost entirely in the past tense. With God, the future is just as certain as the past. A change in the tense in Revelation indicates a break in chronological order. We saw this earlier in Revelation 4:8, where it suddenly shifts to the present and even the future tense—which, together with John's mere "hearing" in Revelation 5:13, indicates a leap to a later point in time. This is necessary because "every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth, etc., is not yet ready to praise God at the time of Revelation 4 and 5. First, in Revelation 6-19, there is a tremendous unfolding of hostility. Only when that hostility is over and the final victory has been achieved by Christ will the praise be heard from all of creation."

 

The movement through time in Revelation 4 and 5 is made with the praise of the thousands of thousands and tens of thousands of tens of thousands of angels. In Revelation 5:12, they say, "With a loud voice: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing." And then begins that incredibly difficult passage about "every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, etc., praising Him who sits on the throne and the Lamb"—while the reader is then presented with 15 chapters of nothing but hostility from the world against God and the Lamb. This is because the angels' praise places the reader at the end of those 15 chapters. In those 15 chapters, we see the precise order of that praise: It begins with power, to which God adds riches, to which wisdom, to which strength, and this culminates in honor, glory, and praise. Only then is creation ready for its praise.

 

This is confirmed by the praise that we hear from the mouths of the angels here in Revelation 7, in connection with the Messiah's throne on earth. To clarify this, we place both praises side by side:

Revelation 5:

Power - Wealth - Wisdom - Strength -         Honor -  Glory -  Praise

Revelation 7:

Praise - Glory     - Wisdom - Thanksgiving - Honor - Power - Strength

Revelation 5 begins with power and ends with praise. The great tribulation, which is yet to begin, moves from an enormous expression of God's power to universal praise of creation. Revelation 7 begins with praise and ends with strength. The great tribulation is over and the kingdom of peace begins with the praise of creation, but at the end of that kingdom there is another enormous explosion of power. The final rebellion of Gog and Magog is crushed, with Satan finally defeated. All the dead who were still in the graves are raised, and a new heaven and a new earth are created.

 

The change in verb tense corresponds with this. "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation..." - Present tense. This means that this passage transports the reader, along with John, to the end of the great tribulation. In Revelation 7, we are given a preview of the final victory for this great multitude. The great tribulation mentioned here corresponds to the term "great tribulation," as the Lord Jesus mentions it in Matthew 24. It is the last half of the last week of years (=7 years) of Daniel. This 3.5-year period begins with the red horse of the second seal, the final great world war that will be triggered by "the abomination of desolation." This "abomination of desolation" is found in Daniel 9:27, halfway through the final week of years. This 3.5-year period is only described in Revelation from chapter 11 onward because from that point onward, it concerns the people of Israel, the central people in the prophecies.

 

The Great Tribulation is a time of horribly oppressive, global tyranny, marking the end of this present age. Helping the one hundred and forty-four thousand Israelites from the twelve tribes, the "brothers of the Lamb," is especially crucial in this time of unparalleled power-seeking by a small elite. This period is also called "Jacob's great trouble." Believers from Israel are being intensively hunted down, and they are dependent on help. Therefore, it is important for all nations, kindreds, peoples, and languages ​​to actively support the brothers of the Lord.

 

The Great Tribulation is also described by Jesus in Matthew 10:16-42. There, He says, among other things, to His disciples, who represent the “brethren of the last days”:

“I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves…you will be hated by all for my name's sake; but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another; for truly I say to you, you will not have finished with the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” And then He says of the help offered to His followers: “Whoever receives you receives Me; And whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me… And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.”

 

This passage, from Matthew 10, can be placed directly alongside Matthew 25: “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it to Me.” Note that it is not enough to simply “not betray them,” “not harm them,” “not oppose them.” No, they must be given “positive” support to be counted among the “sheep on the right hand,” the “great, innumerable crowd” who will enter the kingdom of peace. “Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom…”, Jesus will say to the sheep.

The countless multitude who “come out of the great tribulation” have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The term “robes” is the Greek word “stola,” meaning “the stately robe of dignitaries.” Jesus also uses it in Luke 15 for the robe worn by the prodigal son. However, they themselves have washed them and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For all believers of all times, there is only one foundation for salvation: the blood of the Lamb. Only their connection with Him and His work of salvation makes these people fit for the kingdom. This connection with Him prepared their hearts to support the “brothers of the Lord”—because they saw the great worth of Him and His finished work, they were willing to help those who testified of Him.

 

Then the elder describes the position of the great multitude who come out of the great tribulation: “They are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple.” That is a very high position, and what Jesus said during the temple cleansing will finally come true: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17). This does not mean, however, that all nations will have access to the Holy of Holies. How the temple service will be organized precisely has not yet been revealed. However, the ground plan for the future temple of the kingdom of peace is already given in Ezekiel 40-47. According to that passage, the only ones who serve in the temple are the priests of the lineage of Zadok. But Revelation 7 reveals that the nations will also have a role in the temple service of the kingdom of peace. Their access may be limited to certain courtyards of the temple, just as was the case in Jesus’s time, when there was a Court of the Nations and every non-Jew would encounter a sign at a balustrade that read: “No foreigner may enter this balustrade. Anyone caught will be responsible for the death that follows.” Such signs however won't show up in the Millennial kingdom of Christ, in which every nation and people will be treated with respect and in which the newly born Israel will be as humble as the apostle Paul, not calling himself one of the 'chosen people' but 'the chief of sinners' (1 Timothy 1:15).