(Revelation 7:1-8) 1 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. 2 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, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed a hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5 Of the tribe of Juda^Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6 Of the tribe of Aser^Asherwere sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim^Naphtali were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses ^Manasseh was sealed twelve thousand. 7 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. 8 Of the tribe of Zabulon^Zebulun were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

Revelation 7:9-11 (KJV)  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;  10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.  11  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, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen. 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 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. 15 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. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 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.

When we come to Revelation chapter 7 we see two things at the very beginning. First, we see that God is not finished with Israel. Though one-quarter of humanity died in the Judgments of Chapter 6 – perhaps as many as 1.9 billion people – God is still in the salvation business. The Lord has always loved humanity. Even at the end of this Book the Lord cries out with His Church, saying:

Revelation 22:17 (KJV)  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And WHOSOEVER WILL, let him take the water of life freely.

God will save whosoever will come to Him. This is the grand and central theme of Scripture. The Lord loves to save whosoever.

John 3:15-16 (KJV)  that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  [16]  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Oh, Beloved, I cannot save this enough. God wishes to damn no one. God sent His Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins (Acts 10:43). Oh, what wonderful words of life! Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed (Romans 10:11).David Platt wrote in his book Counter Culture:
The Gospel is the good news that the just and gracious Creator of the universe has looked upon hopelessly sinful men and women … {He}has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to bear His wrath against sin on the Cross and to show His power over sin in the resurrection …. Everyone who turns from their sin and themselves and trusts in Jesus as Savior and Lord will be reconciled to God forever.

I have had people ask me “Will people be saved during the Great Tribulation”? The answer is a resounding YES. People will be saved. God will start by saving Israel first but then will save others. That is what we see in this text.

God Is Not Done With Israel

(Revelation 7:1-3) 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. 2 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, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

I am told that when there is a hurricane, the calmest place to be is in its eye. Chapter 7 is like the eye of a hurricane. In Chapter 6 the Anti-Christ has been released to make war and conquer. Along with him ride bloodshed, famine, and death. One-quarter of the population of the earth is decimated. But the four angels arise to hold back destruction:

that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree

This is not just any wind, but a destructive wind. We know this because of the fifth angel – a Herald much like those who praised God when Christ was born – who says:

HURT NOT the earth, neither the sea nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads

Word StudyThe earth WILL be hurt during the Tribulation, but not now. At this moment judgment is adverted “till we have SEALED the SERVANTS of our God in their foreheads”. The word translated “sealed” is σφραγίζω sphragizō which means “to seal up or set a seal, to impress with a mark of ownership”.

Before God judged the earth by flood, He told Noah and his family to get in the Ark then God shut them in (Genesis 7:16). Before God brings utter judgment on the earth He first reaches out and saves the Servants (Doulos – bondservants) of our God. Every believer in God is“sealed”:

(Ephesians 1:13, 14) In {Jesus} 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^SPHRAGIZŌwith that Holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 4:30 (KJV)  And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are SEALED^SPHRAGIZŌunto the day of redemption.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (KJV)  Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;  [22]  Who hath also SEALED^SPHRAGIZŌus, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

The word “Sealed” (sphragizō) is used repeatedly in this text to show that these are believers in Christ. These are also JEWS, of the House of Israel. When Christ came, He came “to the Jew FIRST”:

Romans 1:16 (KJV)  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; TO THE JEW FIRST, and also to the Greek.

Those who are saved from Israel are NUMBERED. We read:

(Revelation 7:4) And I heard the NUMBER of them which were sealed: and there were sealed a hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

There is a cultic offshoot of Christianity called the Jehovah’s Witnesses. They take this portion of the Scripture out of context and claim that the 144,000 listed here are the only ones who can enter into Heaven. This is patently untrue and can be easily proven false by reading the Scripture as it is presented. These 144,000 are“of all the TRIBES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL”.They are taught in their Watchtower Publication:

“Who and how many are able to enter it. The Revelation limits to 144,000 the number that become a part of the Kingdom and stand on heavenly Mount Zion” (Let God Be True, p.136).

This is untrue. Read your Bibles. Again I say, READ YOUR BIBLES. We read

Revelation 7:9-11 (KJV)  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;  10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 

We are directed to see Israel saved FIRST. Israel is NUMBERED. There are 144,000 “sealed servants” in Israel. And after we see Israel numbered, we see …

A GREAT MULTITUDE, WHICH NO MAN COULD NUMBER, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne

Why did God NUMBER Israel? I have heard it said that these 144,000 saints are Hebrew Evangelists who go out and tell others of Christ. This may well be true. The Bible said that God expected His Israel to be the light of the world. To Israel was given the message of the Coming Messiah. When Jesus came He was to come to Israel, then to come for the world THROUGH Israel. The Prophets spoke of the Coming Christ:

(Isaiah 42:6-7) I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, FOR A LIGHT OF THE GENTILES; 7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

(Luke 2:30-32) {Jesus is} A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.

Matthew 12:21we are told it … “in His name Gentiles will trust.”

The Old Testament Israel was to share the Coming Christ with the world. And God did reach a few through Israel. The witness of Scripture is that …

God healed Naaman – an Aramean Commander – from leprosy
God saved Rahab a Gentile Prostitute and put her in Christ lineage
God saved Ruth a Moabite and made her of His Family
God sent Jonah to the Ninevites, the Assyrians, and many were saved

It was God’s intention to save the world through Israel. This was what He promised Abraham in Genesis 12. God said …

Abram, you shall become a mighty Nation (Israel – Genesis 12:2)
In you, ALL the nations of the world will be blessed (Gentiles – Genesis 12:3)

God wanted to save Israel and then, through Israel save the world. But sadly the Scripture declares:

John 1:11 (KJV)  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But during the Great Tribulation, His own WILL receive Him. They will be saved, sealed, and as believers, I think they will reach out to the lost world around them. This is what I surmise from the text. Though the text doesn’t call these people evangelists they nonetheless are witnesses of Christ. We are told later of these 144,000 that:

Revelation 14:4-5 (KJV)  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.  [5]  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

A Hidden Truth In Israel’s Calling

As we look at the list of the Twelve Tribes we find something interesting.

Revelation 7:5-8Of the tribe of Juda^Judahwere sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6 Of the tribe of Aser^Asherwere sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim^Naphtaliwere sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses^Manassehwere sealed twelve thousand. 7 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. 8 Of the tribe of Zabulon^Zebulunwere sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph ^{tribes Manasseh & Ephraim} were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

• The tribes are first of all NOT LISTED IN ORDER. This is very interesting. Each tribe is descended from a son of Jacob. The children were born in this order: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. (see Genesis 35:23-26; Exodus 1:1-4; 1 Chronicles 2:1-2). Rather than list these tribes in order, they are arranged in a certain way as to give us a wonderfully hidden meaning. I want first of all credit to Theologian and Bible Scholar Shari Abbot from Reasons for Hope Ministries. Reading her article “Is There A Hidden Message In Revelation 7?” she notes rightly that every Hebrew Name has a meaning. She researched the meanings of each name of each tribe listed and placed them together with their meanings:

When Shari put together the meaning of the names of Revelation 7 in the order they are presented she found this wonderful message:

Praise the Lord. He has looked on my affliction [and] good fortune comes. Happy and blessed am I. My wrestling has made me forget my sorrow. God hears me, has joined me, rewarded me, exalted me [by] adding to me the Son of His right hand.

What a wonderful God we have! He loves us. It takes the Great Tribulation to bring Israel to her senses, but under fire, God uses the trials of that time to cause His people to look up. God deliberately saves Israel. Israel is still in His plan.

• Though twelve tribes are listed, the Tribe of DAN is not on this list. Why was Dan omitted? When the head of Israel (Jacob) spoke of his son Dan he said:

Genesis 49:16-17 (KJV)  Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.  [17]  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 when Moses spoke of the Tribe of Dan he said:

Deuteronomy 33:22 (KJV) … Dan is a lion’s whelp^cub: he shall leap from Bashan.

Bible scholars have long debated why Dan is removed from the list of the twelve tribes of Israel saved in the Tribulation. To put it truthfully we really do not have solid evidence as to why Dan was removed. The Scripture doesn’t tell us. However, many believe that the things said of Dan in the Old Testament point to this Tribe as being not only idolatrous, but also the Tribe from which the Anti-Christ shall come. An early Church Pastornamed Hippolytuswrote:

“For as Christ springs from the tribe of Judah, so Antichrist is to spring from the tribe of Dan. And that the case stands thus, we see also from the words of Jacob: Let Dan be a serpent, lying upon the ground, biting the horse’s heel. (Genesis 49:17) What, then, is meant by the serpent but Antichrist, that deceiver who is mentioned in Genesis, (Genesis 3:1) who deceived Eve and supplanted Adam (πτερνιAdam’s heel)? But since it is necessary to prove this assertion by sufficient testimony, we shall not shrink from the task. That it is in reality out of the tribe of Dan, then, that that tyrant and king, that dread judge, that son of the devil, is destined to spring and arise, the prophet testifies when he says, Dan shall judge his people, as (he is) also one tribe in Israel. (Genesis 49:16)”

And Pastor Methodius of Olympus wrote:

“When the Son of Perdition appears, he will be of the tribe of Dan, according to the prophecy of Jacob. This enemy of religion will use a diabolic art to produce many false miracles, such as causing the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the deaf to hear. Those possessed with demons will be exorcised. He will deceive many and, if he could, as our Lord has said, even the faithful elect. … Even the Antichrist will enter Jerusalem, where he will enthrone himself in the temple as a god (even though he will be an ordinary man of the tribe of Dan to which Judas Iscariot also belonged).”

Am I certain this is the truth? By no means. And yet God chose to NOT list Dan as a tribe of Israel, and it makes it seem as if NONE of Dan was saved. God will save whosoever will – but if you harden your heart against God He will not save you. Sadly, not all Israel is of Israel.

God Saves Many Others

(Revelation 7:9-10) 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; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

There is a great multitude – many people of all nations, cultures, and tongues. God saves a numbered Israel, but now we see an UNNUMBERED multitude “which no man could number”. These people are saved and gathered before the Throne and before the Lamb. When Jesus rode for the last time into Jerusalem people cast palms down before Him

Matthew 21:8 (KJV)  And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

Now in Heaven, this scene is replayed. The people cry out:

Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb

Who are these people? One of the 24 Elders (I think, a picture of the Raptured Church) states that ….

(Revelation 7:14) …These are THEY WHICH CAME OUT OF GREAT TRIBULATION, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

These people are suffering believers who were saved “out of Great Tribulation”. Dr. Thomas Constablewrote in his commentary:

“These saints will be in God’s presence because they will have believed in Jesus Christ and will have died in the first half of the Tribulation. Evidently, they will have intermediate bodies until their resurrections (cf. Matt. 17:1-3; Luke 16:19-25; Rev. 6:9-11). This appears to be the condition of Christians who die before the Rapture too (cf. 2 Cor. 5:2-3). These Tribulation saints will serve God continually (“day and night”) in His present heavenly sanctuary.”

There will be much suffering in the Tribulation, but there will also be much saved … probably more than are being saved in the prosperity-driven United States today. Though they suffer much for their faith while on an earth where anti-Christ rules, they will be comforted in Heaven.

(Revelation 7:15-17) …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. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 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.

God will bring balance in the end. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

As God saves Israel so Israel can tell others. God saves us so we can tell others. Let us tell others of the glorious salvation we can all have in Christ Jesus! May God touch your hearts with His Word!