Same God, Different Destiny
7:14 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." During the climatic events of the great tribulation, God will be working among His own even in the midst of tribulation never before faced by humanity. God will place a seal of protection on these 144,000 Jews who will have put faith in Christ during the Great Tribulation. They were the first fruits of the promised conversion of the Jews to Christ (Rom. 11:25-26, Rev. 14:4). They will be protected from the coming judgments of God that will soon to be poured out on the Earth to serve as God's messengers during the latter part of the tribulation (7:1-8). God will also be doing a great work among all the nations and various people groups from around the world (7:9-17). These will not be protected, as the 144,000 will be sealed. Instead, they will be delivered out of the tribulation through death (7:14). The world leader, the anti-Christ (beast) that will rise up during the tribulation, will have anyone who does not take the "mark of the beast" put to death. They will pay with their lives as martyrs for Christ because they will not swear allegiance to the anti-Christ. In these events recorded in chapters 7 and 8, we learn a principle of God's kingdom that is seen throughout the scriptures. The way our lives are played out is part of God's unique plan for each of us. God chose to seal some so that they would be protected. God chose others to suffer martyrdom. Remember, Peter was prayed for while in prison and angels were sent to deliver him. Stephen was also imprisoned and became the first martyr of the church. They both served God and they both fully believed in God. But God's plan led them to very different lives. The 144,000 are protected so they can be God's mouthpiece during the tribulation. The multitudes converted around the world were not. Never judge your life's purpose or destiny based on what God does with others. In the end, we all end up with Jesus joined with the saints from all of time in worshipping Jesus, the One who in the midst of the throne has shepherded us all and the One who gives living water that will wash away every tear from our eyes. | |||
| |||
Revelation 7:1-8:13 1 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. 2 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." 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: 5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; A Multitude from the Great Tribulation 9 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!" 11 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, 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" 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. 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 8 Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets 1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck 7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck 8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck 10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck 12 Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. 13 And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!" | |||
| |||
Revelation 7:1-8:13 v. 1 After these things – This phrase indicating a chronological sequence of events is found eight times in the book of Revelation (Rev 4:1; 7:1,9; 9:12; 15:5; 18:1; 19:1; 20:3). four corners of the earth – a figure of speech used even in modern times to imply the entire world four winds – a representation of the four directions: north, south, east and west wind should not blow on the earth – A decree of God's judgment. Here we see four angels commissioned by God as agents of His judgment (v. 2) standing at the four quadrants of the earth to greatly obstruct the life sustaining hydrology system of the world. v. 2 another angel – This is apparently a higher-ranking angel able to command the other four angels with authority. ascending from the east – from the direction of the rising sun seal of the living God – This seal is a sign of ownership. The Greek word used for "seal" here is sphragis, which can also be translated "signet." The "signet" would often be used as a stamp to identify personal property of a king. Verse 3 reveals that this "seal" will be used to identify God's servants with a recognizable mark on their foreheads. v. 3 sealed – sphragizo (Gk.) to set a seal upon, mark with a seal, to seal for security or preservation foreheads – a place where the identifying mark can be readily seen by all as opposed to a hidden form of identification v. 4 One hundred and forty-four thousand – Some consider this number purely symbolic. Yet the literal math adds up when adding all the census of 12 tribes of Israel as the text unfolds (v. 5-8). children of Israel – Many religious groups have claimed to be God's the 144,000 marked servants mentioned here. But one must recognize that these 144,000 are explicitly made up of Jews. Many erroneous conclusions can be made by spiritualizing this text to represent the Christian Church. v. 5 Judah – Ioudas (Gk.) Judah was the fourth son of Jacob, (surnamed Israel, Gen. 32:28). Judah's descendants became the tribe of Judah. Possibly mentioned first because this is the tribe Christ came forth from. Reuben – Rhouben (Gk.) Jacob's firstborn child by Leah (Gen. 29:32). Reuben's descendants comprise the tribe of Reuben. Gad – Gad (Gk.) the seventh son of the patriarch Jacob, by Zilpah, Leah's maid (Gen. 30:10, 11). Gad's descendants became the tribe of Gad. v. 6 Asher – Aser (Gk.) the eighth son of Jacob (Gen. 30:12, 13). Asher's descendants became the tribe of Asher. Naphtali – Nephthaleim (Gk.) the sixth son of Jacob, the second child borne to him by Bilhah, Rachel's slave (Gen. 30:7, 8). His posterity forms the tribe of Naphtali. Manasseh – Manasses (Gk.) the first born son of Joseph (Gen. 41:50, 51). Manasseh's descendants became the tribe by the same name. v. 7 Simeon – Sumeon (Gk.) the second son of Jacob by Leah (Gen. 29:33). Simeon's descendants became the tribe of Simeon. Levi – Leui (Gk.) the third son of the patriarch Jacob by his wife Leah, the founder of the tribe of Israelites that bears his name (Gen. 29:34). Issachar – Isachar (Gk.) the ninth son of Jacob and the fifth of Leah (Gen. 30:17, 18). The tribe of Issachar are the descendants of this man. v. 8 Zebulun – Zaboulon (Gk.) the tenth of the sons of Jacob and sixth by Leah (Gen. 30:20). The tribe of Zebulun are his descendants. Joseph – Ioseph (Gk.) the patriarch, the eleventh son of Jacob (Gen. 30:22-24). Father of Ephraim and Manasseh. Benjamin – Beniamin (Gk.) Jacob's twelfth son and patriarch of the tribe of Benjamin v. 9 great multitude – An innumerable group of people (no one could number) made up of a combination of all people groups of the world coming out of the great tribulation (v. 9, 14). standing before the throne and before the Lamb – The throne of God from which Jesus, the Lamb of God rules (Heb. 12:2; Rev. 4:2-6, 9, 10; 5:1, 6). This is strong evidence for the deity of Christ. white robes – A symbol of purity, acceptance and blessedness before God. An identification of God's righteous ones (3:5, 18; 4:4; 7:9, 13; 19:14). This white robe is always something given by God and never produced or earn by human standards (Matt. 22:2-14). palm branches – used for celebratory events in Bible cultures (Lev. 23:40, John 12:13) v. 10 Salvation – soteria (Gk.) deliverance, preservation, safety, rescue from the power and presence of sin belongs to our God…and to the Lamb – An astonishing statement which might be considered blasphemy if Jesus were not Himself part of the triune Godhead (Col. 2:9). v. 11 the elders – The 24 elders sitting on 24 thrones around the throne of God mentioned in chapters 4 and 5 (Rev. 4:4, 10; 5:8, 14) the four living creatures – the mysterious angelic beings mentioned in earlier chapters closest to and around the throne of God (Eze. 1:5; Rev. 4:6, 8; 5:6, 8,14; 6:1, 6) fell on their faces – an act of total worship and surrender worshiped – proskuneo (Gk.) to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence. The Greek word is derived from kuon meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand. v. 12 Amen – amen (Gk.) The word is directly related–in fact, almost identical–to the Hebrew word for believe (amam) or faithful. Thus, it came to mean "sure" or "truly," an expression of absolute trust and confidence. Blessing – eulogia (Gk.) praise, laudation, and adoration: of Christ or God glory – doxa (Gk.) dignity, honor, praise, worship; holding the praise worthy estimation of magnificence, excellence, preeminence and grace (John 1:14; 2:11; 11:4, 40; 17:5, 24) wisdom – sophia (Gk.) understanding, broad and full of intelligence; used of the knowledge of very diverse matters Thanksgiving – eucharistia (Gk.) gratitude; actively, grateful language (to God, as an act of worship) honor – time (Gk.) to value, esteem (especially of the highest degree), or the dignity itself: precious, price, some power – dunamis (Gk.) strength power, force; miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself) might – ischus (Gk.) ability, force, strength v. 14 great tribulation – This phrase is found only three times in the bible (Matt. 24:21; Rev. 2:22, 7:14). It is understood to represent the extreme period of God's wrath upon sinful man before the end of this age. washed their robes – Clean garments are a symbol of moral and spiritual purity. This great multitude is clean before God because they have been cleansed by the sacrificial, redeeming blood of Jesus (Rev. 5:9, 7:14, 12:11; Heb. 13:12; 1 Peter 1:19). white – the color symbolizing innocence and purity blood of the Lamb – A sacrificial lamb was frequently used to atone for sin under the Law of Moses (Lev. 14:25). This is the language used in the New Testament to represent the sacrifice of Christ as he shed His blood on the cross for the sins of the world (1 Peter 1:19, 1 John 2:2). v. 15 serve – latreuo (Gk.) in the NT, to render religious service or homage, to worship. This Greek word has been accurately translated either "serve" or "worship" in the New Testament as these words are synonymous. (Phil. 3:3; 2 Tim. 1:3). v. 16 sun shall not strike them, nor any heat – In the middle east, sunstroke and heat exhaustion is a common threat. Here God promises relief and protection from both. v. 17 the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne – Another picture of Christ's deity as He is found here in the very center of God's throne in heaven. shepherd – poimaino (Gk.) to feed, to tend a flock, keep sheep living fountains – Living water is figurative language portraying fresh, pure, flowing water, good for sustaining life (John 4:10, 11; 7:38). Revelation 8 v. 1 the seventh seal – This is the last seal of the great scroll mentioned in chapter 5 (see study notes on 5:1, 5). After this seal is opened, this scroll can finally be read. silence in heaven – As the final seal of the great scroll is opened, all of heaven hushes in immense anticipation for what will happen next. This is the eerie calm before the storm as the next event to take place will be the seven trumpet judgments (8:6-11:19). v. 2 seven angels…seven trumpets – Each of the seven angels is given a trumpet. Trumpets in Old Testament were important instruments to signal God's people and announce significant events. Each succeeding trumpet blast will usher in a new judgment of God upon the earth (Rev. 8-9; 11:15-19). These judgments will be more severe than the former "seal" openings (Rev. 6:1-8:1), but not as severe as the yet to come "bowl" judgments (ch. 16). v. 3 golden censer – a fire pan used to hold hot coals for the burning of incense (Ex. 27:3, 1 Kings 7:50) incense…the prayers of all the saints – The prayers of God's people have been likened in scripture to incense rising up as a sweet smelling fragrance to God (Ps. 141:2; Rev. 5:8, 8:4). Saints – hagios (Gk.) meaning holy ones. This word has always referred to God's people both in the Old and New Testaments. golden altar – This evidently is the heavenly version of the "altar of incense" found in the holy place of the OT Tabernacle just outside the Holy of Holies (Ex. 39:38, Num. 4:11). v. 5 thunderings…earthquake – A familiar OT sign reminiscent of God's majestic presence seen here as a response to the prayers of the saints (Ex. 19:16-19). v. 7 hail and fire followed, mingled with blood – an amplified version of God's judgment upon Egypt at the time of Moses (Ex. 9:23-25) a third of the trees…all green grass was burned up – a predictable result of a violent fire and hail storm. This is also similar to God's judgment in Exodus 9:25. v. 8 great mountain burning with fire – This appears to be much more than just an enormous natural volcanic explosion. The description here fits the scenario of a great mountain-size asteroid or meteorite hitting the earth producing lethal gases and massive destruction surpassing that of any known nuclear blast. a third of the sea became blood – This is a magnified version of God turning the Nile into blood through the hand of Moses (Ex. 7:20, 21). v. 9 a third – This percentage is found repeatedly in the book of Revelation (Rev. 8:7-12; 9:15, 18; 12:4). This percentage represents a high ratio yet far short of total destruction. v. 10 a great star fell from heaven – A star is often a biblical expression symbolic of an angel or spiritual leader (Rev. 1:20). This star is further described in the next verse. v. 11 Wormwood – apsinthos (Gk.) bitterness (figuratively for calamity) v. 12 third of the sun…moon…stars – This again echoes God's great judgment upon Egypt in Exodus 10:21-23 v. 13 Woe – ouai (Gk.) an expression of grief or denunciation. When a word is repeated in Hebrew culture it is equivalent to adding exclamation marks to it, greatly emphasizing that particular word (Is. 6:3; Rev. 4:8, 14:8, 18:2). These three woes also seem to be pronouncements of judgments. See 9:12 as the angel proclaims that these woes can be measured out as the judgments of God. | |||
| |||
"saying, 'Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.'" –Revelation 7:3 "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.'" –Revelation 7:14 We see today the very different paths that You have made for those who love You. We pray today for hearts that are yielded to Your will, Lord, so that we may follow what we know You want for our lives and not judge our own walk with You based upon what someone else has or does. | |||
| |||
