Revelation 7

Revelation 7 follows Revelation 6, where the sixth seal is opened and the question is raised, "who shall be able to stand?" (Revelation 6:17). The chapter is an interlude placed before Revelation 8, in which the seventh seal is opened, and it is commonly read within the sequence of the seven seals, trumpets, and bowls.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 John sees four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the winds. Another angel, ascending from the east, cries out that they must not hurt the earth, the sea, or the trees until the servants of God have been sealed on their foreheads.
• Verses 4–8 The number of those sealed is twelve thousand from each tribe of Israel, 144,000 in all. The tribes are listed in this order: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.
• Verses 9–12 A great multitude that no one can number, drawn from every nation, kindred, people, and tongue, clothed in white robes and holding palm branches, praises God for salvation before the throne and before the Lamb. The angels, the elders, and the four living creatures fall down and worship.
• Verses 13–17 One of the elders explains that these are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. He goes on to say that God will spread His tabernacle over them and that the Lamb will be their shepherd and lead them to living fountains of waters.

Key Verses

• Revelation 7:3, "till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads": a sign that God protects His people before judgment. It is often compared with the mark on the forehead in Ezekiel 9:4.
• Revelation 7:9, "a great multitude, which no man could number": a scene showing that the company of the redeemed comes from every people.
• Revelation 7:17, "and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes": widely quoted as a promise of comfort.

Figures and Places

• John: The narrator who sees and records the vision. He is traditionally identified as the apostle John.
• The four angels and another angel: The angels holding back the winds, and the angel bearing the seal of God.
• The elders and the four living creatures: Beings who appear around the throne from chapter 4 onward. One of the elders explains the identity of the multitude in white.
• The Lamb: A title referring to Christ (see Lamb of God).
• The throne and the temple: The setting of heavenly worship.

Points for Reflection

• The 144,000 and the great multitude: Interpretations vary. Reformed amillennial interpreters often read the two groups as the same church viewed in different ways. They note the pattern in which John "hears" a number (v. 4) and then "sees" a multitude (v. 9), just as in chapter 5 he hears of a "Lion" and then sees a "Lamb." Dispensational interpreters often understand the 144,000 as Jewish believers during the tribulation and the great multitude as tribulation saints, holding that the church has been raptured beforehand.
• The tribal list: Dan and Ephraim are omitted, while Joseph and Levi are included. The text does not explain why. The interpretation linking Dan's omission to the Antichrist is a conjecture handed down since Irenaeus.
• Literal numerical interpretations: Jehovah's Witnesses regard the 144,000 as the anointed who go to heaven and distinguish them from the great multitude, who will live on earth. Shincheonji is known to teach that this number will be filled by members of its own organization. Major Korean denominations have criticized such interpretations. These questions are discussed together with Revelation 14:1–5.
• Connections with the Old and New Testaments: Verses 16–17 recall Isaiah 49:10 and Isaiah 25:8. The promise of wiping away tears appears again in Revelation 21:4. The shepherd imagery connects with Psalm 23.