The 144,000 and the Great Multitude
The Book of Revelation • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
vv. 1-3) Peace, protection, and people:
vv. 1-3) Peace, protection, and people:
Remember this isn’t a step away or an intermission from sixth to the seven seal. This is a byproduct of sixth seal still. And we were asked a very important question at the end of chapter six what what it?
Who is able to stand?
And chapter seven is going to introduces us to two important companies of believers. We go more in depth in a little bit about that.
The phrase four corners of the earth is an ancient and somewhat modern equivalent to the idea of the four points on a compass. The idea seems to be that these angels effect the entire earth.
These “winds” were a destructive force of God’s judgement, as they often are in the OT too:
15 Though he is fruitful among his brethren,
An east wind shall come;
The wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness.
Then his spring shall become dry,
And his fountain shall be dried up.
He shall plunder the treasury of every desirable prize.
What might these four winds be?
May refer back to the four horsemen of Revelation 6:1-8, with the pattern of Zechariah 6:1-8
1 Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” 7 Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. 8 And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.”
In that passage, four chariots with horses of the same colors found in Revelation 6, go out to all the earth, and are called four spirits of heaven. Spirits in that passage is the Hebrew word ruach, which can be translated winds.
What are some of the things you notice about the fifth angel?
Another angel had a seal, and he sealed the people of God. In the ancient world, such seals were familiar. Kings or property owners could use a seal to show ownership and authenticity.
His cry was to do no harm to the earth, sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.
What is written on their foreheads?
1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.
Also in Ezekiel 9:4, a similar protective seal was given to the righteous before Jerusalem was judged.
4 and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
So what are some of the implications we might deduce about the four angels standing at the four corners of the earth?
These angels are holding back a great storm that is about to burst on the world.
“The servants of our God:” We are not told what exactly their service is, but the 144,000 are sealed for a specific and unique purpose. However the general idea of being sealed is not limited to them.
Jesus was sealed: John 6:27
27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
We are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a down payment of our eventual total redemption: 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
The sealing of the Holy Spirit belongs to every believer when they are saved: Ephesians 1:13
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
The sealing of the Holy Spirit is meant to be both a comfort and a challenge for us. We are comforted in that it assures us that we belong to Him. We are challenged by it to depart from all evil and identify ourselves with the One we belong to: 2 Timothy 2:19 and Ephesians 4:30
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
What is the importance of these servants being sealed?
It symbolizes protection and ownership and God’s intention to protect the them, like He protected Noah from the Flood, Israel from the plagues of Egypt, and Rahab and her household in Jericho.
vv. 4-8) The number of those sealed:
vv. 4-8) The number of those sealed:
The general identification of these people are given to us, that number being 144,000 of the children of Israel. Ethnically, they are Jewish. We then get down into the specifics and see that the 144,000 are divided among the 12 tribes of Israel. Though only God may know their tribal ancestry, there are 12,000 from each tribe.
What are some of the things you notice about the tribes listed?
Dan is left out. Some think this is because Dan is the tribe of the Antichrist, based on Daniel 11:37 and Jeremiah 8:16
37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all.
16 The snorting of His horses was heard from Dan.
The whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of His strong ones;
For they have come and devoured the land and all that is in it,
The city and those who dwell in it.”
This may or may not be the case, but without doubt, Dan was the tribe that introduced idolatry into the nation of Israel:
17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way,
A viper by the path,
That bites the horse’s heels
So that its rider shall fall backward.
30 Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
Fear not there is a wonderful redemption for the tribe of Dan. Dan is the first tribe listed in Ezekiel’s millennial role call of the tribes in Ezekiel 48:1
1 “Now these are the names of the tribes: From the northern border along the road to Hethlon at the entrance of Hamath, to Hazar Enan, the border of Damascus northward, in the direction of Hamath, there shall be one section for Dan from its east to its west side;
This list is also interesting in the way that the tribe of Ephraim is referred to, but only indirectly. The tribe of Joseph is mentioned, but Joseph was represented by two tribes: Ephraim and Manasseh. Since the tribe of Manasseh is mentioned, by elimination, the tribe of Joseph must mean the tribe of Ephraim—who is listed, but not by name.
Perhaps Ephraim was slighted because the tribe of Ephraim was also associated with horrendous idolatry: Hosea 4:17
17 “Ephraim is joined to idols,
Let him alone.
Of the tribe of: it is sometimes claimed that this list must be purely symbolic because it is “irregular,” but what is a regular listing of the tribes?
There are not less than 20 different ways listing the tribes of Israel in the OT, including one that omits the tribe of Dan.
Just because a list is different doesn’t mean it is fanciful symbolism. It is proper to regard each of these lists as legitimate, and to consider that each specific variation serves a purpose, meaning to emphasize something.
So who are these 144,000?
Many different groups have claimed to be the 144,000. For example, the Jehovah’s Witnesses once said their entire group was, until they surpassed the allotted number. Now they say that the 144,000 are only a select group of Witnesses who go to heaven.
Most Bible scholars either regard the 144,000 as the church or as converted Jews, who are still identified as Israelites in some manner.
It is important issue. If they are a symbol of the church, then the church is definitely in the Great Tribulation, but sealed for survival through the Great Tribulation.
Some facts we see from our passage and chapter 14.
They are called the children of Israel. 7:4
Their tribal affiliation is specific. 7:4-8
They seem to be protected and triumphant through the period of God’s wrath, meeting wit hJesus at Mount Zion at His return. 14:1
They are celibate. 14:4
They are the beginning of a greater harvest. 14:4
They are marked by integrity and faithfulness. 14:5
Taken together these facts make it difficult to say that the 144,000 are a symbolic picture of the church.
Israel is a term never specifically applied to the church in the NT, and never by Christians until AD 160
Their tribal affiliation is emphatic and known by God. Even if God only knows it, there is absolutely no reason to regard their tribal affiliation as symbolic, not literal.
It is difficult to imagine the entire church surviving through the tribulation without martyrdom and remaining celibate through the period, something that was never required from the church as a whole:
1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:
It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment.
If the 144,000 are a symbol of the entire church, what greater harvest are they the beginning of?
It’s best to see the 144,000 as specifically chosen Jewish people who come to faith in Jesus, protectively sealed throughout the tribulation as a sign.
They are the beginning harvest of the salvation of Israel: Romans 11:1; Romans 11:26; Matthew 23:37-39
1 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
They are not a part of the church proper; for their repentance comes too late for that. They are a superaddition to the church—a supplementary body—near and precious to Christ, but made up after the proper Church has finished its course.
Application: