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Revelation 7

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The Sealing of the Servants of God 1–8

1
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that no wind should blow on the earth, or on the sea, or upon any tree. ​
2
And I saw another angel ascend from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, ​
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saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. ​
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And I heard the number of them that were sealed, a hundred and forty and four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel: ​
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Of the tribe of Judahweresealed twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand;
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Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand;
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Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand; ​
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Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand; Of the tribe of Benjaminweresealed twelve thousand.

The Great Multitude in White Robes 9–17

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After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and ofalltribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands; ​
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and they cry with a great voice, saying, Salvation unto our God who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb. ​
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And all the angels were standing round about the throne, andaboutthe elders and the four living creatures; and they fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
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saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. ​
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And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, These that are arrayed in the white robes, who are they, and whence came they?
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And I say unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ​
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Therefore are they before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them. ​
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They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: ​
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for the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Revelation 7

Verse 1

the four winds of the earth — The 'four winds' are those of Dan 7:2 and Jer 49:36, and Christ speaks of gathering his elect 'from the four winds' (Matt 24:31). The four angels 'holding' (krateo) them keep the wind from earth, sea and trees, a pause in judgment like the 'hurt not' of 6:6, until the sealing in vv.2–3.

Verse 2

the seal of the living God — Sphragis here is the seal held by an angel who comes 'from the east' (anatole, sunrising), the direction from which 'the glory of the God of Israel' came in Ezek 43:2. Believers are 'sealed unto the day of redemption' by the Spirit (Eph 4:30; 2 Cor 1:22). The four angels have power 'to hurt' (adikeo), the verb of 6:6.

Verse 3

in their foreheads — The mark on the forehead recalls Ezek 9:4, where the LORD had a mark set 'upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry'. Doulos is a bondservant, John's word for the Lord's people (1:1). The sealed are later seen with 'his Father's name written in their foreheads' (14:1), and 'his name shall be in their foreheads' (22:4).

Verse 4

an hundred and forty and four thousand — John 'heard the number' here and then 'beheld' a multitude no one could count (v.9), as in 5:5–6 he hears of the Lion and sees a Lamb. They are 'of all the tribes of the children of Israel', each tribe listed in vv.5–8 with twelve thousand. The same number appears with the Lamb on mount Sion in 14:1.

Verse 7

the tribe of Levi — Levi is counted here with twelve thousand, though under the law 'thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi' (Num 1:49). The list names Juda first, the tribe from which 'our Lord sprang' (Heb 7:14). Joseph and Manasses are both named, so Ephraim does not appear by name, and neither does Dan.

Verse 9

a great multitude, which no man could number — Abraham was told, 'tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: … So shall thy seed be' (Gen 15:5). They come 'of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues', the fourfold phrase of 5:9. The 'white robes' are those of 6:11, and the palms recall Lev 23:40 and John 12:13. They 'stood', the answer to 6:17.

Verse 10

Salvation to our God — Soteria is deliverance. The cry gives it to the One on the throne and 'unto the Lamb' together, as 'Salvation belongeth unto the LORD' (Ps 3:8). Rev 12:10 has 'Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God'. It is the answer of the redeemed to their own deliverance in v.14.

Verse 12

Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might — Seven terms, as in 5:12, where the Lamb is given 'power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing'. Here eucharistia, 'thanksgiving', stands where 'riches' was, and the ascription is to 'our God for ever and ever' (aion). 'Amen' opens and closes it.

Verse 14

These are they which came out of great tribulation — 'Sir, thou knowest' echoes Ezek 37:3, 'O Lord GOD, thou knowest'. Thlipsis is pressure, affliction. The robes are washed and made white 'in the blood of the Lamb', the cleansing of 1 John 1:7, 'the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin', and of Isa 1:18, 'as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow'.

Verse 15

shall dwell among them — Skenoo is to pitch a tent, the verb of John 1:14, 'the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us', and related to the tabernacle of God with men in 21:3. 'Serve' is latreuo, sacred service, here 'day and night' in the temple (naos, sanctuary). They are 'before the throne' where they were first seen standing in v.9.

Verse 16

They shall hunger no more — The words of Isa 49:10, 'They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them'. Christ gave the same promise of himself: 'he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst' (John 6:35). The Isaiah verse goes on to the guiding 'by the springs of water', which v.17 takes up.

Verse 17

shall feed them — Poimaino, to shepherd. The Lamb 'in the midst of the throne' is also the Shepherd, as in 'I am the good shepherd' (John 10:11), and the 'living fountains of waters' (pege) are the water Christ gave (John 4:14). 'God shall wipe away all tears' is from Isa 25:8, 'the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces', and returns in 21:4.