THE ORIGINATION OF THE MULTITUDE

The Origination of the Multitude

"And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?" "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 Question Addressed to John

"...what are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?"

This question has to do with moral origin.

Whence came they?

This question has to do with temporal origin.

The Answer Addressed to John

"...these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Wisely John refers the question back to the interrogator.

The Answer as to Temporal Origin

These come out of the tribulation the great one, as it reads in the original. This is the one spoken of as the time of Jacob's trouble (Jer. 30:7).
"Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it."

This is referred to by Daniel 12:1, and Christ (Matt. 24:21-22). It is the last 3¹/₂ years of the 7-year period. Cf. Rev. 11:2-3.
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."
"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."

The Answer as to Moral Origin

They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. This means that they are saved.

THE ADORATION OVER THE MULTITUDE

The Adoration Over the Multitude

"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," "Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen."

The Place: Round about the throne. That is the central place.

The Personnel: Angels, elders, living crea­tures.

The Posture: Fell upon their faces before the throne.
The Purpose: To worship God, to glorify and adore.

The Praise: All that is possible they ascribe to God (12). This is not because they under­stand everything, but because they have seen evidence of His grace and power.

THE DESRCIPTION OF THE MULTITUDE

Introduction

In chapter 6 we witnessed God's vindication of himself by means of judgment. Force is his last argument with wicked and gain-saying men. In chapter 7:1-8 we witnessed God's discrimination in the midst of judgment. Whereas judgment is to fall universally upon mankind, he seals one company to preserve God's salvation in the midst of judgment. Here is a picture of the marvelous grace of God and his power to save.

The Description of the Multitude

 "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;" "And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."

 

 

The Number: It was so great that John was unable to number them. He writes that no man was able to number them. This most certainly is the language of appearance.

The Nationality: This group comes from every nation, kindred and people, and tongue. Undoubtedly this covers all of the Gentile nations. But it does not exclude Israelites. Cf. Rev. 14:6.

The Nature: They are clothed in white robes. These robes have been made white in the blood of the Lamb (14). They are a saved multitude. This probably means exactly what Rev. 6:9-11 means, in fact the two refer to the same thing.

The Place: They are standing before the throne and before the Lamb. This does mean that they have been taken to heaven.

The Praise: They sing a song of praise to God, "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."

The Palms: The palms in their hands are symbolic of peace and joy. It is the peace and joy they are experiencing since they have gone through the great tribulation.

THE PURPOSE OF THE SEALING OF THE 144,000

The Purpose for the Sealing of the 144,000

"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." "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." "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." "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." "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."

 

 

The Unusual Ministry of Two Witnesses During the First 3 1/2 Years

"And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein." "But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth." "These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." "And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed." "These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will." "And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them." "And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified."

This ministry is during that period of the opening of the seven seals with their remarkable demonstrations, pointing to the wrath of the Lamb.

One of these witnesses is almost surely Elijah (Mal. 4:1-6). It is very possible that the other is Moses (Mal. 4:1-6 with Luke 9:28-36). cf. also 2 Peter 1:16-18.
"For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." "And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts." "Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments." "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:" "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
"And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray." "And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering." "And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:" "Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." "But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him." "And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said." "While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud." "And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him." "And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen."
"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty." "For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." "And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount."

This ministry of these witnesses is such that Israel is moved, and 144,000 are turned to the Lord and sealed. They believe the message of these witnesses and are saved.

The immediate purpose of this sealing is for the purpose of preparing them for witnesses through­out the earth during the period of the great tribulation, and last 3 ¹/₂ years of Daniel's seventieth week.

Immediate purpose is protection from judgment to come (divine and human).

Mediate purpose is proclamation of the gospel (7:9-17; 14; Matt. 25:31-46; Rom. 2:17-24; 11:15-16, 1 Cor. 15:8.)

Ultimate purpose is population of the kingdom (ch. 14; Matt. 25:1-13).

During the last three and one-half years of the tribulation, the Antichrist will attempt to force himself upon mankind as God. Having murdered the two witnesses, he will bring tremendous pressure to bear upon all humanity, but especially upon Israel. During this last 3¹/₂ years, 144,000 saved Jews, sealed from all harm, will bear the everlasting gospel to every nation and kindred and tongue and people (Matt. 24:14; Rev. 14:6). This seal will also protect them from the judgment of God upon wicked men (Rev. 9:4).

It is therefore important to record the sealing of the 144,000 Jews before telling of the unnumbered multitude who are saved and suffer death for their testimony.

The more remote purpose for sealing the 144,000 is to make absolutely certain that there will be a remnant to enter into the kingdom which Christ will very shortly set up.

This then is an elect company (not the only company) from Israel, who will believe the gospel and be saved. They are saved by grace and not for what they are.

This group will constitute the first fruits for Christ and his kingdom (Rev. 14:1-6). Other companies of Israelites will follow and the great company of Gentiles they lead to Christ will also enter the kingdom.

This group, called virgins in Rev. 14:1-6, are the same virgins spoken of in Matt. 25:1-13.

The Saved Saints: God's salvation in the midst of judg­ment. Rev. 7:9-17 This falls within the last 3¹/₂ years.
"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;" "And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." "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," "Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen." "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?" "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." "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." "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat." "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."

THE IDENTITY OF THE 144,000 SEALED SERVANTS

The Identity of the 144,000 Sealed Servants

 "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." "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." "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." "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." "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."

The Identifying Information

Name: They are children of Israel.

Number: There are 144,000 in all. 12,000 from each one of the tribes. The firstborn son of Joseph, Mannasseh, substitutes for Dan.

It is difficult to explain why Ephraiam is left out; although he is not really elim­inated since his father remains in.

It is difficult to say why Dan is excluded from the list. The Prophecy of Jacob concerning Dan may explain why (Gen. 49:17). The Rabbis said that this prophecy predicted that Antichrist would rise out of this tribe. Historically, the tribe of Dan was the first to fall into idolatry (Judges 18:30), and it is possible that this tribe will be the leader in the last great idolatry of the endtime. But it must not be overlooked that Dan is included in the division of the land for the millennium (Ezek. 48). This means that he is pre­served through the tribulation. This is indeed grace.
"Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward."
"And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land."

The Information is Sufficient

One may avoid deception by taking this informa­tion as it stands. This 144,000 are not Seventh Day Adventists nor Millennial Darwanists nor British Israelites nor any of the other 144,000 ics and tics laying claim to this prophecy.

THE SEALING OF THE 1ST COMPANY OF SAINTS

The Sealing of the First Company of Saints

"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," "Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."

The Time of This Sealing is Very Clearly Marked for the Interim

The movement of time is difficult to determine in a vision.

It comes between the opening of the 6th and 7th seals. Ordinarily the opening of the seals follow so closely upon each other that no time would intervene. So another great angel, in whose possession is the seal of the living God, ascends out of the East with the command to the four angels to hold their judgment until the work of the sealing is completed. This falls within the first 3 1/2 years.

"Til we have sealed" could express the fact that sealing is going on now. But the angel has not completed the task, so he urges that judgment to the point of annihilation be withheld until the task is finished. Verse 4 would suggest that it is then completed.
"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."

The Scope of This Sealing is Limited to the Servants of Our God

This unquestionably describes a spiritual relationship they bear to God. cf. Rev. 1:1; 22:3.
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:"
"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:"

Physical relationship: They are Israelites. Numerical Limitation: They are 144,000. Name, number, and nature make it almost impossible to confuse them with others.

The Nature of This Sealing is Difficult to Describe

They receive the seal in their foreheads, signifying ownership, and in a conspicuous place.
This sealing is counterfeited by the Antichrist. He has his placed in a conspicuous place (Rev. 13:16).
"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:"

This sealing may be nothing more than clear evidence of relationship to Christ. But it is public (Rev. 14:1 cf. 22:4). Cf. also Eph. 1:13; 4:30; 2 Cor. 1:22. In Ezek. 9:4 it speaks of the sealing performed by an angel with a pen.
"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads." "And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads."
"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,"
"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
"Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."
"And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof."

The 7th SEAL JUDGMENT IMPENDING

The Judgment of the Seventh Seal now Impending

"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."

The Nature of This Judgment is Depicted as in the hands of Four Angels

They are standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth.

These winds are for the purpose of spreading destruction on the earth, the sea, and among the trees.

These four angels have judgment under their control and may be the first four of the seven angels spoken of in Ch. 8.

The Scope of This Judgment is Universal

The continual emphasis upon the number four clearly indicates this fact. There are four angels, four corners, four winds. The earth, sea, and hardiest vegetation will not escape when the winds of judgment are loosed. For the present they are under control.

The Time of This Judgment has Apparently Arrived

"After these things" (7:1) must refer directly to the events that have transpired, namely, the opening of the sixth seal with the tremendous cosmological disturbances following. It is now time for the opening of the seventh seal and for the outpouring of judgment on the day of wrath.

After this (meta touto). There is always a possibility that this refers to sequence in the vision.