Four Winds Of The Earth
Verses 1-3:
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
Four corners of the earth is an ancient phrase that is the same as the idea of the four points of the compass. These angels will affect the entire earth. The four winds are a destructive force of God’s judgment. We often see this same comparison in the Old Testament. See Isaiah 11:15 & 28:2; Hosea 13:15; Jeremiah 30:23; Psalms 1:4; 35:5 & 83:13. In Matthew 7:25, Jesus says the wind will not prevail against a house (a life) built on a solid foundation.
John sees a fifth angel ascending who had a seal in which he will seal the people of God. In the ancient world, a seal was a sign of ownership. So God will mark His people with His seal of ownership. No harm will come to the earth until all of God’s servants have received the seal. Their service is not revealed to us exactly, but 144,000 will receive this seal for a specific, unique purpose.
The 144,000
Verses 4-8
And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.
Ethnically, these 144,000 will be Jewish. They are grouped by twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Though only God may know their tribal ancestry, there will be 12,000 from each tribe.
In this listing of the tribes, the tribe of Dan is left out. Some think this is because Dan is the tribe of the Antichrist, based on Daniel 11:37 & Jeremiah 8:16. This may or may not be the case, but it is factual that Dan was the tribe that introduced idolatry into the nation of Israel (Gen. 49:17; Judges 18:30).
Also, the tribe of Ephraim is only mentioned indirectly. Joseph represents two tribes: Ephraim and Manasseh. Manasseh is named, and the tribe of Joseph is too. By elimination, the tribe of Joseph must mean the tribe of Ephraim, who is not listed by name. This slight may be intentional because the tribe of Ephraim was also associated with great idolatry (Hosea 4:17).
The Debate Over Who The 144,000 Are
Most Bible scholars either regard them as the church or as converted Jews, who are still identified as Israelites in some manner. It’s an important issue because if they are a symbol of the church, then the church will definitely be in the Great Tribulation. Revelation 7 and 14 give us some insight into their identity.
They are called “the children of Israel” (Rev. 7:4). Their tribal connection is specific (Rev. 7:4-8). They will be protected and triumphant through the Great Tribulation because we see them meeting with Jesus at Mt. Zion at His return (Rev. 14:1). They are celibate (Rev. 14:4). They are the beginning of a greater harvest (Rev. 14:4). They are marked by integrity and faithfulness (Rev. 14:5)
These facts make it difficult to say that the 144,000 are symbolic to the church. Israel is never specifically applied to the church in the New Testament. Their tribal affiliation is known to God. Even if God is the only one that knows their tribal connections, there is no reason to take this as symbolic and not literal. As a whole, the church was never required to remain celibate (1 Cor. 7:1-6). If these 144,000 are symbolic of the church, what “greater harvest” are they beginning?
I’m of the mind that it’s best to see the 144,000 as chosen Jewish people who come to faith in Jesus and protected by their seal through the tribulation. They are the beginning harvest of the salvation of Israel (Rom. 11:1 & 11:26; Matt. 23:37-39).
They are not a part of the Church proper, for their repentance comes too late for that. They are a super addition to the Church – a supplementary body – near and precious to Christ but made up after the proper Church has finished its course
Seiss
The Great Multitude
Verses 9-10
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!”
We see through these verses that there will be great diversity in heaven and that the Great Commission will be fulfilled before the end, as Jesus promised in Matt. 24:14: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Because John is describing what he saw in heaven; different nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, we know there will be differences among the people there. We will not all be the same and will still be individuals.
They were standing before the throne of God and before the Lamb; Again, John saw everything in reference to the throne. They wore white robes: These robes remind us of the covering righteousness of Jesus. Palm branches: Remind us of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (John 12:12-16), where He was praised as Savior and King. Hosanna means “save now.” Palm branches were an emblem of victory. So this great multitude was celebrating a great accomplishment.
The palm, the ensign of triumph, indicates most certainly a conflict and conquest. As on earth palm would not be given if not won, we may conclude that the Lord would not have distributed the prize unless there had been a preceding warfare and victory… From the very fact that the glorified carry palms, we may infer that they did not come from beds of sloth, or gardens of pleasure, or palaces of peace, but that they endured hardness and were men trained for war.
Spurgeon
Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne: Wearing white robes (an emblem of righteousness), they worship God for salvation, recognizing Him as the source of their salvation. Salvation isn’t something we earn; it’s something God gives, and only God can give salvation.
Heavenly Creatures Worship
Verses 11-12
All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and strength, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
As the great multitude worships God, the others in heaven join in. They can worship Him all the more by seeing the salvation He brought to this multitude of people.
The Identity Of The Great Multitude
Verses 13-17
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes- who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation: they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
John didn’t know the identity of this multitude before the throne. He needed to know, but he didn’t ask, so one of the elders prompted him to ask for their identity. The elder answered that they are those, He rescued for God’s kingdom in the great tribulation period.
It is a powerful statement of God’s grace that the multitude is so great (which no one could number). Even in this time of judgment and wrath on the earth, multitudes will be saved. Because the multitude is mentioned right after the 144,000, many think they are, at least in part, due to the work of the 144,000 servants of God during the time of the great tribulation.
Those saved in the great tribulation are done so just like everyone else, by the blood of the Lamb. Even if they were martyred, their martyrdom does not save them. Salvation only comes from the work of Jesus.
They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Not one of them became white through his tears of repentance, not one through the shedding of the blood of bulls or of goats. They all wanted a vicarious sacrifice, and for none of them was any sacrifice effectual, except the death of Jesus Christ the Lord. They washed their robes nowhere but in the blood of the Lamb.
Spurgeon
They are before the throne of God: The redeemed enjoy the presence of God. They will come right into the throne room. There are no barriers between Him in heaven and us.
And serve Him day and night: We will serve Him in heaven. We are not told how we will serve Him, but it’s what we will do, both day and night. We will feel privileged to do so.
He will dwell with us – no more separation from our God- He will protect us and provide for our every need. Every tear will be wiped from our eyes by our Savior. We will know no more pain or sorrow.
The true Christian life, when we live near to God, is the rough draft of the life of full communion above. We have seen the artist make with his pencil, or with his charcoal, a bare outline of his picture. It is nothing more, but still one could guess what the finished picture will be from the sketch before you.
Spurgeon