Chapter 6 – Context of Chapter Seven
The context of chapter seven is established by the last question asked at the end of chapter six, “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” We answered this in part in the last chapter, but reviewing the context of chapter 7 will add greater insights.
The world is about to be cast into utter chaos with those very events described in chapter six preceding the Lord’s return, when an angel is dispatched from heaven with this directive, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads”. (Rev. 7:3) The 144,000 are the ones sealed and the answer to the question!
The Geography of the chapter will clarify the context. There are three sections to the context; one takes place on earth, the other two in heaven before the throne of God.
I heard the number of those, (those living through to the close of probation and through the 7 last plagues) who were sealed, 144,000. The reason why this number is mentioned is to distinguish this small group from the larger group or great multitude further in the chapter. To accommodate the distinction between the literal aspect of the number and the symbolism of the group, the number is divided into 12 equal amounts. As already discussed in chapter 3, John uses 12 of the 14 tribes of Israel to reveal the symbolic nature of the number.
In verse 9 the scene changes from earth to heaven and what is the first thing John sees? “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number”. The language seems crystal clear, John has just described two distinct groups in two separate locations; one on earth that CAN be numbered, one in heaven that CANNOT. It is only after the theologians and scholars get into the mix do we have controversy. Some scholars seem to think that both of these groups are one and the same. This is due to the misunderstanding of the combined literal and symbolic nature of the number, and the purpose God has demonstrated for not using a great multitude at all. (Judges 7) If you just choose one at the exclusion of the other you have controversy, this same thinking would also cause debate by doing the same with the other numbers.
This thinking is understandable since many scholars use the English language in their discourse. In our usages of English we have been trained to keep the numbers separate from the letters, as compared to the Hebrew and Greek where the Letters have numerical value already.
It is true that the 144,000 develop from the last generations before probation closes, times of difficulty and trouble work as a seasoning agent to settle them into the truth. In heaven they are included with the great multitude and other distinct groups around God’s throne. The 144,000 are the living saints having never tasted of death, but have been translated to heaven as a result of the second coming. This distinction is made obvious when John records verse 13, Then one of the elders (24 elders) answered, saying to me (John), “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from? Everyone else from among the redeemed have come through the grave and been resurrected, the 144,000 have not. On the surface this seems like an absurd question to ask, for everyone is clothed in white robes, even the 24 elders, “around the throne were 24 thrones, and on the thrones I saw 24 elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.” (Rev.4:4)
However, the 144,000 are the only ones “arrayed in white”, and just what is the difference? In Rev. 19:7-8 the bride of the lamb is brought to light, “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the lamb has come, and His wife has made HERSELF ready. And to her it was granted, (permission given) to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the clean linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” Notice their white robes are presented as their own righteous acts as compared to those under the fifth seal that are given white robes, “ How long, O Lord holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? Then a white robe was given to each of them…” (Rev.6:10-11)
In chapter 7 those arrayed in fine linen are so identified with Christ by reflecting His character, they are pictured as washing their robes and making them white in the blood of the lamb, these are the 144,000, not the great multitude. The distinction is based on when individual probation has closed, those given white robes have already been laid to rest, and those living through the plagues wash their robes. The great multitude from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues would not qualify, these are the redeemed from throughout all history. The word Polys means much, large, numerous, great, in fact John records it best, without number, dynamia – (to be able to do) the number is so large no one is able to count them.
As mentioned previously only the 144,000 serve God in the heavenly Temple. They are a select group because of their earthly experience; they are like the tribe of Levi during the Jewish dispensation. These also were arrayed in fine linen, “Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets.” (2 Ch. 5:12) This is most interesting as the use of the number 120 is a literal and symbolic number for the close of human probation, literal in Noah’s generation with the destruction of the world by flood, also literally 120 Jubilee cycles denoting 6,000 years of probation, and literally 120 generations, ten, forty one, and sixty-nine respectively. The number symbolizes the total probationary period of 6,000 years.
Rev. 7:16 says, “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.” These aspects of their experience isolate the group to the very end of time having gone through the plagues, certainly not all the redeemed from every nation, tribe, peoples, and tongues would have experienced these four things. Plus as they’re being highlighted here, this indicates these were severe circumstances.
This is the 3rd contextual aspect of the chapter where the elder points out the same group from earth that John started with; that were the living sealed, those who were the called and chosen by God. Only these can learn the song of Moses and the Lamb, singers like the 120 singing Levites. It is a song of their end-time experience, one that only a select few survive through, and one that brings greater glory to God, because despite overwhelming odds, the name of God is glorified. The darker the night the more brilliantly they shine.