Revelation 7
Notes
Transcript
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1-8 9-12 13-17
1-8 9-12 13-17
1-8
1-8
Chapter 7 servers as a break from the opening of the first six seals and the seventh seal with its seven bowl and trumpet judgments.
The phrase “after this” could mean several things, that this is a new vision and is not chronologically following chapter 6, that this is a new vision but it does follow chapter 6, or this is the same vision but happens after what previously has happened. Some say that this is in response to the last words of chapter 6 Revelation 6:17 “for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”” and this new vision is showing who will be saved from God’s wrath.
The four angels holding back the four winds of the Earth also have several interpretations; the four winds referring to the wars that let to Rome’s demise, the winds of error that came into the church, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the four winds represent the four horsemen from the first four seals in chapter 6, or they represent the seventh seal and its judgments. John MacArthur thinks that at this time in the tribulations the literal winds will be held back and there will be no breeze or waves upon the earth.
The angel ascending from the rising sun is not Jesus, but another angel like the four holding the winds back and that from the rising sun is a euphemism for East, some mention that from where John is on the isle of Patmos the lands of Israel were to the East. The seal of the living God is likened to a signet ring that would be used to press into wax marking ownership or showing that the document sealed came from who it is claiming. The consensus is that this is God marking his people but who these people are is very debated, as is the number of the ones sealed.
Some say that this 144,000 is symbolic of the entire church “the Israel of God”, or this is a literal or symbolic number of the Jewish Christians who escaped the destruction of Jerusalem, or that this is the remnant of Jewish people sealed for protection from the tribulations. The dispositional view “pre-tribulation rapture” is that these are ethnic Jews will be saved after the rapture and will be the new missionaries saving vast numbers of people during the time of the tribulations and that these Jews will succeed in bringing about the belief in Christ where the Jews in the first century had failed, this would also fulfill the passages in Zechariah and Romans that speak of God bringing Israel to repentance in the last days. Zechariah 12:10-13 ““And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves;” Romans 11:26-27 “And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.””
The order of the list of the 12 tribes of Israel does not occur in this order anywhere else in the bible. Also Dan and Ephraim are omitted and Levi and Joseph are in their place. Many mention that this could be that Dan and Ephraim were well know idolaters and were omitted for this, some also speculate that the antichrist will come from one of these two tribes and that is the reason they one of them is left out. It is also noted that although Ruben was firstborn Judah is listed first this may be because Jesus was from the line of Judah.
9-12
9-12
“After this” again my signify another vision separate from the previous, and just like with the 144,000 mentions before there are many different interpretations of who these are. Some say that this is also showing the entire redeemed church of Christ, or this is showing the vast number of gentiles that will be saved in the whole church as before was the Jewish Christians, or that this is showing the fruits of the 144,000, the saints who were saved by the sealed Jews and brought to Christ during the tribulations. They are a great multitude that could not be numbered from all tribes and people so it seems to be pointing to that these are Gentiles.
All of them are clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands, which is symbolic meaning that they have been washed clean by the blood of Christ and the palm branches are associated with celebration, deliverance and joy, just like at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem the crowds waved palm branches and welcomed him shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel”. And just as the crowds in Jerusalem were shouting blessings to Christ, this group is also crying out with a loud voice that salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. They are joined by the all of the angels, the 24 elders and the four living creatures who all fall down and worship God giving him praises and glory.
13-17
13-17
One of the elders asked John who these multitude of saints are, not because he does not know, as John clearly states that he does, he asks to underscore the point both for John and all who would read this revelation. The elder clearly tells John that these are ones who have come out of the great tribulation, washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. The a-millennial and post-millennial explanation is that the great tribulation is occuring and ongoing throughout the church age and these are all who have suffered persecution and martyrdom for Christ. The pre-millennial view is that the tribulations and the millennium will occur in the future and these are saints that were saved and killed during the 7 year tribulations. It also must have been an encouragement to John to see all these saints in heaven, as at this time the church is scattered and under persecution, and as we saw earlier five of the seven churches in Asia minor had fallen into serious and threatening patterns of sin, to see this great number of saved gentiles was a welcome shock to him as he says “I looked, and behold”
The chapter concludes with a small picture of what the eternal heaven will be like, serving God and basking in his protection, grace and beauty. No longer wanting for anything and no tears or sorrows anymore.