Bible Commentaries
Revelation 7

Verses 1-17

1 The four winds. Compare Matthew 24:31; Daniel 7:2; Daniel 8:8; Daniel 11:4; Jeremiah 49:36.

3 The wild beast's followers have the symbol of its name on their foreheads (Revelation 13:16); so these have His Father's name on their foreheads (Revelation 14:1).

4 Twelve is the number of government and the kingdom. There were twelve patriarchs, twelve tribes, etc. The Lord chose twelve commissioners who will rule the twelve tribes. The twelve times twelve thousand sealed will administer the kingdom. Here they are seen as slaves. Later they are seen as worshipers. Just as Jehovah reserved seven thousand for Himself in Ahab's days (1 Kings 19:18), so He keeps these for Himself during this judgment era. Just as 1000 were taken from each tribe to go against the Midianites and none were lacking at the close (Numbers 31:49), so with this chosen company. The full 144,000 will enter the kingdom unscathed.

Throne section-The Vast Multitude

7-8 Levi and Joseph appear here as tribes in place of Dan and Ephraim, who are "blotted out" because they introduced idolatry into Israel. Jehovah threatened to blot out the name of any tribe that served other gods and worshiped them (Deuteronomy 29:18-26). The accounts of their apostasy will be found in Judges18; 1 Kings 12:28-30. Ephraim, later, was joined to his idols (Hosea 4:17). They will, however, be restored to their allotment in the land (Ezekiel48) when the kingdom comes. But none of these are protected by God's seal during this time of affliction.

9 Palm branches were used in celebrating the feast of tabernacles (Leviticus 23:40). It was a sign that they had come into the land. Here it is the assurance of entrance into the kingdom. The 144,000 are the first fruits (Revelation 14:4). These correspond to the feast of ingathering after the full harvest (Leviticus 23:39). The fact that they come out of every nation and all tribes and peoples and languages does not forbid their being Israelites, for Jews are scattered among all the peoples of the earth. The fact that they keep this feast is sufficient evidence that they, like the 144,000, re out of the sons of Israel. These are those of the dispersion who conquer through the blood of the Lambkin (Revelation 7:14; Revelation 12:11) and do not love their souls until death. They are the martyrs needed to complete those slain before the great affliction (Revelation 6:11) seen under the altar under the fifth seal.

14 Literal washing under the law was always in water, not in blood (Leviticus 11:25; Numbers 8:21). The literal sense of this passage is that they cleansed themselves by their behavior, and faith in the sufferings of the One Sacrifice fitted them for God's presence. Such mingling of deeds and faith can have no place in this day of grace. Grace refuses to be mixed with deeds without losing its essential character (Romans 4:4; Romans 11:6). God will deal differently in the coming era of vengeance.

14 This great affliction was foretold by our Lord (Matthew 24:21). It will be unexampled in the annals of the race. It will be shortened, or not even the elect would be saved. It is essentially an anti-Semitic outbreak on the part of the nations of the earth, in a last attempt to wipe out the name of Jehovah from the earth.

Throne Section-The Trumpets

15 The fact that they perform priestly functions shows that they are of the priest nation. No other nation will have access to the temple (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6) .

16 This description of millennial blessing is in accord with many passages in the prophets, notably the description of Jerusalem by (Isaiah 4:5-6).