Old Testament Reading: Zephaniah 1 (Prophesied during the reforms of King Josiah (640–609 b.c.))

“The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. ‘I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the rubble with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests, those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom, those who have turned back from following the Lord, who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.’ Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests. And on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice— ‘I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all who array themselves in foreign attire. On that day I will punish everyone who leaps over the threshold, and those who fill their master’s house with violence and fraud. On that day,’ declares the Lord, ‘a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter, a loud crash from the hills. Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar! For all the traders are no more; all who weigh out silver are cut off. At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The Lord will not do good, nor will he do ill.’ Their goods shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them.’ The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements. I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth” (Zephaniah 1, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 8:1-5

“When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:1–5, ESV).

Introduction 

There are three truths that I would like for you to take from the breaking of the seventh seal as it is described to us here in Revelation 8:1-5.

First, notice that God does indeed hear the prayers of his people who are living on earth. This fact was dramatized before John’s eyes when he saw, in verse 3, the angel who “was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.” Your prayers do reach the heavenly throne of God.

Two, notice the guarantee that we have in this text that God hears the prayers of his people and will indeed answer their prayers for retribution. The opening of the seventh seal describes judgment, as we will see. We should remember that the first six seals were all about God’s judgments – both partial and perpetual judgments (seals 1-4), and also the full and final judgment (seal 6). And do not forget the prayer of the martyrs – the souls of whom John saw under the alter when the fifth seal was broken. What did they say? “They cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10, ESV). Here in 8:3 we have a description, not of the requests of those who have died and gone to heaven, but of the prayers of those living upon the earth being brought before God in his heavenly temple. Everything in the contexts suggests that these are prayers regarding retribution, for when God hears them the response in this vision is judgment. God hears your prayers, and he will indeed answer them in due time.

Three, notice that when God does fully and finally judge there will be silence in heaven. The significance of the silence mentioned in 8:1 will be discussed later. For now please understand that the silence is significant. It is not that God ran out of things to reveal to John, and therefore, silence. But rather the silence has meaning.

We will come back to all of that in just a moment. But before we do I would like to say a word about the structure of Revelation 8:1-5 and it’s relationship to what has come before and what will come after.

Many have been confused by this text. I think is those who mistakenly assume that the book of Revelation is organized chronologically who have the most trouble with this passage. But I will admit that it is a difficult one. I should give credit where credit is due. G.K. Beale and his commentary on the book of Revelation was very helpful to me especially when it came to sorting out the structure of this passage. His insights were very helpful.

To state the question very simply: what is verse 2 doing in-between verses 1 and verses 3-5? It seems out of place upon first reading.

Verse 1, as we will see, provides us with yet another perspective on the final judgment. It picks up naturally where the sixth seal left off at the end of chapter 6. There we were given a picture of the last day when God’s wrath will be poured out upon the earth. It is an earthly perspective. John was shown something of God’s wrath poured out upon the earth and upon the wicked alive on the earth on that last day. Remember, the wicked cried out “calling to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand” (Revelation 6:16–17, ESV)?

The two visions of chapter 7 function as a interlude. They break from the seal cycle and answer the question that everyone should be asking: how will it be for the people of God as they live on earth in the midst of the tribulations described in the first four seal? And what will happen to them when the wrath of God is poured out upon the earth on that last day? Will God’s people be able to stand? The visions of chapter 7 answer those questions. God’s people will indeed stand, for they are sealed by God to persevere in the midst of tribulation. And they will indeed stand on that last day, for they will not come under the wrath of God and the unrighteous will, for they are clothed in Christ’s righteousness. They will stand before God and give him praise for the salvation that he has earned for them.

And then in 8:1 the seal cycle picks up again. When the seventh and final seal is broken we are given yet another perspective on that last day – the day of God’s wrath. This time it is from a heavenly, and not an earthly, vantage point. Seal 6 provided an earthly perspective. Seal 7 provides a heavenly one. We are told that in heaven there will be silence on that last day given the gravity of God’s judgments. Clearly 8:1 is connected to all that came before it in the seal cycle.

The same can be said of verses 3-5. The prayers of the saints are being brought before the throne of God. Where are these saints? They are on the earth. They are the ones living on earth where the four horsemen of the apocalypse roam. They are the ones living in the midst of trials and tribulations. And they are crying out to God for, among other things, justice and retribution. And where do their prayers go? They make it to God’s ears! And what is the result of their prayers? Notice that the angel who was seen offering up the prayers of the saints along with the incense “took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:5, ESV). What is this except yet another perspective on that last day when the wrath of God and the Lamb is poured out from heaven upon the earth? God hears the cries of his people and he will judge the wicked on earth from his heavenly throne. Do you see, then, that verses 3-5 pick up very naturally where the seal cycle left off, proving us with yet another perspective on how things will go for the people of God living on earth in the time between Christ’s first and second coming. Will the church suffer tribulation? Indeed! Are Christians alone? By no means! They are sealed by God, and he hears their prayers. Will things go on like this forever? Certainly not. Verses 3-5 remind us that God will one day respond to the prayers of his people and judge from his holy habitation.

Jeremiah the prophet spoke of this day, saying, “The Lord will roar from on high, and from his holy habitation utter his voice; he will roar mightily against his fold, and shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against the nations; he is entering into judgment with all flesh, and the wicked he will put to the sword, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 25:30–31, ESV).

So verse 1 of Revelation 8 is clearly connected to what has already been revealed in the seal cycle (particularly the sixth seal, which focus in upon the day of God’s wrath). On earth the wicked cry out, but in heaven there will be silence. And verses 3-5 are also obviously connected to the seal cycle. What are the people of God doing as they live in the midst of the trials and tribulations described in the first four seals? Well, they are praying. And those prayers do indeed reach the ears of God. He hears, and he will one day act, raining down “fire from the altar… and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”

But what of verse 2? It seems so out of place. Instead of looking back to the seal cycle, as verses 1 and also 3-5 do – instead of concluding the thought of the seal cycle as the beginning and end of this passage do – verse 2 points forward to the trumpet cycle that is yet to come. In verse 2 John says, “Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them” (Revelation 8:2, ESV). Verse 2 looks forward, whereas verses 1 and 3-5 look back bringing the seal cycle to a conclusion.

Those locked into a chronological and futuristic interpretation of the book of Revelation are particularly troubled by this. For shouldn’t of the events be silence in heaven, fire from the alter, and then the introduction of the seven trumpets? Friends, get used to it. The book of Revelation is not ordered chronologically, but thematically. There is a literary structure to this text that is most helpful.

Verse 2 functions literarily like a pin does on a hinge. There are three parts to a hinge – the two arms and the pin. This is passage is constructed like a hinge. Verse one points backwards to seal cycle, bringing it to a conclusion. Verses 3-5 also points backwards. They  too belongs to what has been said before and conclude it. But verse 2 introduces what will come later, and in due time the hinge will pivot on it opening up to us an entirely new set of visions introduced by the sounding of seven trumpets.

Look at 8:2. “Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.” Look ahead now to 8:6: “Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.” 8:7: “The first angel blew his trumpet…” 8:8: “The second angel blew his trumpet…” 8:10: “The third angel blew his trumpet…” 8:12: “The fourth angel blew his trumpet…” 9:1: “And the fifth angel blew his trumpet…” 9:13: “Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet…” 10:1-11:14: Interlude. 11:15: “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever’” (Revelation 11:15, ESV). The end.

The trumpet cycle does not describe to us something that will happen after the events described in the seal cycle, for how could it! The seal cycle has taken us to the last day when God’s wrath is poured out! It is has taken us to the end. Do you remember that when the sixth seal was opened back in Revelation 6:12, “behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place” (Revelation 6:12–14, ESV). Everything about the text says, THE END. But in the trumpet cycle these same realms are said to be effected again but he the judgments of God. How can it be? The answer is that the book is not ordered chronologically. The order of the book of Revelation does not match the order of events in human history. The book recapitulates. It provides the reader with a different perspective on the same period of time over and over again.

Chapter 6 verses 12-17: THE END, from and earthly vantage point. Chapter 8 verse 1 and also verses 3-5: THE END from a heavenly vantage point. Chapter 8 verse 2: the pin in the hinge. It is the verse upon which everything with turn from seals to trumpets.

Now here is where things transition from a technical consideration of the structure of the book of Revelation to the practical. If you are interested the structure and proper interpretation of the book of Revelation you’ve been locked in on the sermon. But if you’re not, you’ve probably been spacing out for the last 15 minutes or so. Now is the time to come back.

God Hears The Prayers Of His People

At the heart of this text is the truth that God hears the prayers of his people who are on earth.

This truth is found throughout the scriptures.

God’s people are always people of prayer. They commune with God through prayer.

This was symbolized under the Old Covenant in the design of the tabernacle, and later the temple. A curtain separated the holy place from the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was. The ark symbolized the footstool of God’s throne. Heaven is his throne and the earth his footstool. And in the holy place, immediately before the curtain which separated the holy place from the holy of holies, was an alter of incense. The priests would burn incense on that alter and the smoke would rise and even come into the holy of holies which symbolized the very throne room of God. What was this except a visible reminder that when God’s people pray their prayers do indeed reach his ears.

Remember that Jesus the Christ prayed. “He would withdraw to desolate places and pray” (Luke 5:16, ESV).

He taught his disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9, ESV).

Paul urges all believers to pray. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, ESV).

James says, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise [our singing is prayer in song form]. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:13–16, ESV).

The writer to the Hebrews says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, ESV).

Here in Revelation 8 those truths are dramatized for us. “And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel” (Revelation 8:3–4, ESV).

I do not think that this is teaching that angels must always collect the prayers of the saints and deliver them to God in this way with the burning of incense. That would be a hyper-literalistic interpretation of this text. Indeed, there is only one mediator between God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ. You and I are invited to come boldly before the throne of grace in his name.

But in this drama we are reminded that there are indeed ministering Spirits in heaven (remember that each of the seven churches were addressed “to the angel of the church of…”). God uses angels to bring about his purposes. True enough.

The point is this: God hears your prayers.

Are you praying?

Remember that these are persecuted people praying. Trials and tribulations should not hinder prayer but motive it.

And these are people who believe in the sovereignty of God over all things. They are not paralyzed by the theological conundrum, if God is sovereign over all, if he has ordained all that will come to pass, then why pray?

They pray because the are God’s people and they know that God has determined to work through the prayers of his people.

God Will Answer The Prayers Of His People For Retribution

The prayers here seem to be a particular kind of prayer – they are prayers for vindication and retribution being offered up by Christians suffering tribulation and persecution.

Should a Christian pray that the wicked be judged?

Remember Christ’s words to his followers: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’” (Matthew 5:43–44, ESV). Christians should pray for the salvation of their enemies.

But we the scriptures also provide us with examples of the people of God praying for vindication. Remember the prayer of  the martyrs under the alter in Revelation 6: “They cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth’” (Revelation 6:10, ESV)?

And listen to the words of the Psalmist:

“O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth! Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve! O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage. They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless; and they say, ‘The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.’ Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge— the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath… Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute? They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out” (Psalm 94, ESV).

These two principles are not contrary to one another. Is it not possible to pray all at once, “Lord have mercy upon my enemy. Bring my persecuted to repentance and to salvation in Christ Jesus”, and at the same time say, “Lord, if they will not repent, make it right in the end. Bring justice. Vindicate your people. Bring retribution to the wicked.” Indeed the scriptures compel to praying this multifaceted way.

Paul in Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:19–21, ESV).

It is the prayer, “Lord, make it right in the end” that frees us from feeling as if it is our job to take vengeance upon our enemies. That is God job! Give it to him in prayer! And having done so, be free to show love to your enemies – to give them water when thirsty, an food when hungry, praying always for the salvation of their souls.

God will answer the prayers of his people for justice in two ways. He will one day judge fully and finally. Until then he will judge partially and perpetually. This, by the way, is why the trumpets are mentioned in the middle of this text. The first six  trumpets will again portray partial and perpetual judgments. Particularly they will show how God is able to, even in this present evil age, judge the wicked, partially and perpetually, with precision.

When God Does Fully And Finally Judge There Will Be Silence In Heaven

Lastly, understand that when God does judge fully and finally there will be silence in heaven. “When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour” (Revelation 8:1, ESV).

In the Old Testament descriptions of God’s judgments often include the mention of silence.

You saw it the Zephaniah passage that I read at the start of the sermon. The chapter is all about judgment. In verse 7 we read, “Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near…” (Zephaniah 1:7, ESV).

Habakkuk 2:20: “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him” (Habakkuk 2:20, ESV).

Psalm 31:17: “O Lord, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol” (Psalm 31:17, ESV).

When in Revelation 8:1 we read, “When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour”, by no means are we to assume that the seventh seal is an empty seal, as some interpreters do, but rather we are to unhand that this silence is significant silence. It is the silence that accompanies the judgment of God.  The vision of silence in heaven for about a half hour is yet another perspective on what will happen on that last day.

Why silence in heaven? It is the only proper response to weightiness of the judgments of God. Men and angels observe, but they do not speak. They stand with their mouth covered given the seriousness of the matter.

Have you ever been in a situation so weighty that there are no words? A situation so somber that to utter words – any words at all – would seem inappropriate?

Silence, in a moment like that, is a very powerful and moving.

Notice that every other heavenly sense described to us in the book of Revelation is filled with much noise. Angels, along with the redeemed, are constantly singing praises to God in heaven for the salvation that Christ has earned. But when pondering the outpouring of the wrath of God and of the Lamb, only silence.

This is important to notice. The saints in heaven and on earth have been crying out to God, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” But when that day comes they do celebrate. They can only cover their mouths and remain silent.

Certainly they know in their hearts that the judgments of God are right and true altogether. But no child of God would ever take pleasure in the death of the wicked. The judgments of God are at once terrible and yet perfectly right and true and just.

Do you long for that day? Do you long for the day when God will pour out his wrath upon the unjust? I hope that you have mixed feelings about it. For it will be the day that the Lord sets all things right. But it will also be the day where the opportunity for men and women, boys and girls, to come to salvation is no longer.

For the child of God the second coming of Christ is pure gospel. But for those not in Christ it is pure law – it is the day on which they will be judged by the law, which no man has kept, except one.

 

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 49:8-13

“Thus says the Lord: ‘In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’ They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture; they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up. Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene.’ Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted” (Isaiah 49:8–13, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 7:9-17

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.’ Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?’ I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the ones coming 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, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’” (Revelation 7:9–17, ESV).

Introduction 

It is important for us to remember the question asked at the end of Revelation chapter 6. It was asked by those upon whom the wrath of God came on that last day as shown to John in the vision   when the sixth of seven seals was broken. The question that they asked is vitally important for it is the question that the opening of the first six seals should cause us to ask. It is also, not surprisingly, the question that the two visions of Revelation chapter seven answer.

“Who can stand?”, that is the question.

Remember that when the sixth seal was broken John saw “the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, [hiding] themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?’” (Revelation 6:15–17, ESV).

Who can stand?  Who can continue to live, or bear up under all that will happen on that last day when God’s wrath is poured out in full? And who can stand – who can bear up under the tribulation that will come upon the earth when the four horsemen described with the breaking of the first four seals comes? Who can possibly bear up under it?

Certainly, from the perspective of the wicked the answer is no one! Is that not the sense of Revelation 6:17? Do you see that this question is delivered by the wicked, great and small, as  a rhetorical one? When they call out to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”, what they mean is, certainly no one can stand! No one could possibly bear up under the weight of this judgment. Indeed, that is their earthly and unbelieving perspective on the matter.

It Is Those Who Belong To God Through Faith in Christ Who Will Stand

But the book of Revelation provides us with a different perspective. It gives us God’s perspective on the question. The two visions of chapter 7 answer the question, “who can stand?”, and make it exceedingly clear that it is those who belong to God through faith in Jesus Christ who will indeed stand.

This truth has already been communicated in verses 1-8 of chapter 7. We considered that text last week and I will not take the time to repeat what was said then. For now simply remember that the 144,000 – the 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of New Covenant Israel, with the Christ producing tribe of Judah at the head – represents all who believe upon Christ, Jew and Gentile alike, in every age. And remember that these are said to be sealed by God! These belong to God. He, by his Spirit, marks them as his own, protects and preserves them. In other words, he will make them to stand as they sojourn in this world!

And notice that the question is answered again, but from another vantage point, in the text that is before us this morning.

Who can stand? See the answer in verse 9: “After this [John] looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands…” (Revelation 7:9, ESV).

Who are these standing before the throne of God? They are the same group described in the previous vision, but from a different perspective. These are the people of God. These are those who have faith in Christ. They are the ones who were able to bear up under tribulation, and to stand unharmed through the judgment.

The vision of verses 1-8 portrays the people of God as a relatively small and earthly people numbered precisely by God for war, sealed by God so that they might bear up under suffering.

The vision of verses 9-17 portrays the same group of people – the people of God – but as an innumerable, multiethnic, heavenly people who stand victorious before the throne of God.

These are not two different groups  – one group symbolized by the 144,000 and another represented by the multiethnic multitude – but one and the same group considered from two different perspectives. It is the same group of people symbolized in each vision. These are the people of God.  All those who have faith in Christ are symbolized here.

The thing that distinguishes the first vision from the second is not the people symbolized, but the location.  The 144,000 were sealed so that they might be preserved – stand up – under tribulation on earth. The multiethnic multitude are seen by John, where? In heaven!

Isn’t amazing how things can be viewed from multiple vantage points? When we consider the church (here I am thinking of the universal church) as it is on earth today, what do we see? A relatively small, humble, often suffering people, who are engaged in war. This is not our home. We are sojourning in a hostile land. But we can take comfort in the fact that God knows exactly who belong to him. God’s people are numbered by him. And we can take comfort in the fact that we are sealed by him. He will indeed preserve his people and bring them safely home. But when we consider the church from a heavenly perspective as she will be for all eternity, what do we see? An innumerable, multiethnic, heavenly people standing victorious before the throne of God in glory, clothed in white, serving God day and night, singing praises to his most holy name. Same people, different perspective. Same people, different location.

This considering of one thing from two vantage points is nothing new in the book of Revelation.

Look at Revelation 5:5. Remember the scene. John saw a vision of the throne of God and in God’s right hand was a scroll sealed with seven seals. The question was asked by an angel, “who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals” (Revelation 5:2, ESV)? John began to weep when no one was found. But the then “one of the elders said to [John], ‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals’” (Revelation 5:5, ESV). Notice that John had not yet seen Jesus, but he heard a description of him. Jesus was called “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” and he was said to have conquered.

After this John saw a vision of Jesus. But what he saw did not match the description he heard. “And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth” (Revelation 5:6, ESV).

The same Jesus was considered from two vantage points. Both are true. Jesus is at once “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” and the “Lamb slain”. He is both the mighty, conquering, victorious King, and our humble, despised and rejected, suffering servant.

Notice the same pattern here in chapter 7. John did not see the 144,000, but rather “heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel” (Revelation 7:4, ESV). Here the church is described in humble terms. The people of God are sealed so that they might, like their Lamb like Savior, stand in the midst of suffering on earth. But then in verse 9 John saw these people. And when he saw them they looked nothing like what he would expect given the description he just heard. Instead of 144,000 suffering but sealed on earth he sees “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands…” (Revelation 7:9, ESV).

The language, “a great multitude that no one could number” should immediately remind us of the promises made to Abraham.

Genesis 15: “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.’ And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: ‘This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.’ And he brought him outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:1–6, ESV).

Genesis 17: “When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.’ Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, ‘Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:1–5, ESV).

John saw a vision of the offspring of Abraham in heaven. This innumerable, multiethnic, heavenly people standing victorious before the throne of God are all of those – Jew and Gentile – who have the faith of Abraham, who trust, not in themselves, but in the Christ whom God has sent.

Who will stand? It is those who belong to God through faith in Jesus who is the Christ who will stand.

These Stand Because God Has Made Them To Stand In Christ Jesus

Notice that these are able to stand before the throne because God has made them to stand in Christ Jesus.

In the previous vision the 144,000 were said to be sealed by God – God preserves his people on earth. Here in this vision the people of God are said to be clothed in white robes.

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes…” (Revelation 7:9, ESV).

Remember what was promised to the Christians in Sardis. Christ said, “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels” (Revelation 3:5, ESV).

To the saints in Laodicea Christ said, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see” (Revelation 3:18, ESV).

The white robes symbolize victory and purity. You will not stand before God unless you are clothed in white. The trouble is that your garments and mine are terribly stained. We do not have the proper garb. We are woefully ill-suited to stand before the God of glory. If we are to stand before God in righteousness we must be clothed by him. We must be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Our filthy rags must be removed and we must be clothed in white.

Indeed, this is what God promised to do even long before the coming of Christ. He said in the days of Isaiah, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18, ESV).

Ironically, it is the crimson blood of Christ that purifies. Look at verse 13: “Then one of the elders addressed [John], saying, ‘Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?’ [John] said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said to [John], ‘These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:13–14, ESV).

It is Christ’s blood that purifies. If we are to stand before him in holiness we must be cleansed by the blood of Christ. And how does one “[wash] their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”? It through faith in Jesus Christ. One must abandon all hope in self and confess that in Jesus Christ alone is the forgiveness of sins. We must believe upon Christ – trust in him – if we are to stand before the Lord in purity.

Each one in this innumerable, multiethnic multitude is clothed in white – can you picture it? And they have palm branches in their hands. The palm branches symbolized victory. When a vicious king would ride through the city the citizens would waive palm branches in celebration. Remember, this was how Jesus was greeted when he rode into Jerusalem on, what we now call, Palm Sunday. The multitude “took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written…” (John 12:13–14, ESV). As you know, this earthly multitude was fickle. Though their words were appropriate, their devotion to Christ was less than pure. But here in Revelation 7 John sees a pure and redeemed multitude. And what do they say? They cried “out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10, ESV)!

Who saved these? To whom did these owe their salvation? Their salvation belonged to God and to the Lamb of God, Jesus the Christ. God saved them through Christ. God made them to stand.

These Stand TO Give Glory To God And To Christ For The Victory That They Have Won

And notice that these stand to give glory to God and to Christ for the victory that they have won.

Verse 10: They cried “out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen’” (Revelation 7:10–12, ESV).

It’s all about the glory of God, folks. He is worthy of all worship, and he will receive worship for all eternity from his angelic hosts and from his redeemed.

These Will Be Sheltered, Comforted, And Supplied By God For All Eternity

But notice lastly that the redeemed also stand to be sheltered, comforted, and supplied by God for all eternity.

“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:15–17, ESV).

It is true that all things are for the glory of God. We will indeed serve him for all eternity. But do you see how good God is to his redeemed? He himself will shelter us with his presence. God himself will be our dwelling place.

The prophesy of Ezekiel 37 is behind this passage. Listen to verse 25: “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore” (Ezekiel 37:24–28, ESV).

God himself will be our sanctuary. He has tabernacled amongst us in the person of Jesus – the word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us; he is with us now – the church is the temple of the holy Spirit; but at the consummation God will fill all. Everything will be temple. God will shelter us with his presence.

No more hunger. No more thirst. No more scorching heat. No more tribulation for the people of God. This is what God promised to Israel in the Isaiah 49 passage that we read earlier. Israel was told, “they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them” (Isaiah 49:10, ESV). Notice how the promise made to Israel in Isaiah 49 is applied, not to ethnic Israel, but to the multiethnic multitude washed pure in Christ’s blood.

It is this group – all who have the Lamb for their shepherd, who will be  he will be led “to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17, ESV). In this world life begins and ends with tears, but God will bring eternal comfort to all who are in Christ Jesus.

Conclusion 

Brothers and sisters, what questions should this text cause us to ask ourselves?

Are you properly clothed?

“And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” ’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.” (Matthew 22:1–19, ESV)

Are you grateful to God and to Christ now as you look forward to your heavenly reward?

Will you persevere? If you belong to Christ I know that God will preserve you. But I am here asking a different question. Will you persevere?

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Philippians 3:12–21, ESV).

Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 9

“Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, ‘Bring near the executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.’ And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon for slaughter in his hand, and with them was a man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his waist. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar. Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist. And the Lord said to him, ‘Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.’ And to the others he said in my hearing, ‘Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.’ So they began with the elders who were before the house. Then he said to them, ‘Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out.’ So they went out and struck in the city. And while they were striking, and I was left alone, I fell upon my face, and cried, ‘Ah, Lord God! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?’ Then he said to me, ‘The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.’ As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads.’ And behold, the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his waist, brought back word, saying, ‘I have done as you commanded me’” (Ezekiel 9, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 7:1-8

“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’ And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed” (Revelation 7:1–8, ESV).

Introduction 

It is really important to recognize that we have come to yet another distinct portion of the book of Revelation. All of chapter 7 goes together but notice that it is divided into two parts. In this chapter John describes to us two new and distinct visions. Both visions are introduced with the words “after this”. Look at verse 1: “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth…” (Revelation 7:1, ESV). Now look at verse 9: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…” (Revelation 7:9, ESV).  The phrase, “after this”, clearly refers to the order in which John saw the visions – first the one, and then the other.

Does it surprise you that I’ve said, “we have now come to yet another distinct portion of the book of Revelation”. It should. And here is why.

Remember, we have been slowly progressing through, what is called, the seal cycle. John, in chapter 5, saw in the right hand of God a scroll sealed with how many seals? Seven seals. Christ, the Lamb of God slain for sinners, took the scroll and began to break the seals one at a time. When he broke the first four seals horses and their rides came forward and they were permitted by God to take peace from the earth. When the fifth seal was broken John was shown the souls of martyrs under the heavenly alter. “They cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been” (Revelation 6:10–11, ESV). And when the sixth seal was broken John was shown a vision of the last day when God’s wrath will be poured out upon the earth in full. John saw all men, great and small, hiding “themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?’” (Revelation 6:15–17, ESV). After this comes chapter seven and this new and distinct portion of the book of Revelation.

Why should this surprise you? Well, we have not come to the end of the seal cycle, have we? If you turn over to chapter 8 you will see it there in verse 1where we read, “When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour” (Revelation 8:1, ESV).  The seventh seal has yet to be opened and yet we are already being introduced to a new set of visions.

So how are we to understand this interruption? How are we to understand the two visions of chapter 7 and their relationship to what has come before and will come afterwards?

Many commentators refer to this chapter, and the two visions contained within, as an interlude. I think that is a good term, for the drama of the seal cycle has been rolling along steadily. We’ve been caught up in it. The first six seals have pictured for us how things will be from the time of Christ’s first coming on to the end of history. But here in chapter seven we have a break. It’s as if we are invited to stand up and stretch our legs for a moment before continuing on with the seventh seal.

The interlude gives the reader, or hearer, a sense of delay. The truth communicated by this literally feature is that the end is not yet, but that things will go on for some time before what is portrayed in the sixth and seventh seals comes to pass.

It is important to recognize that this same feature is found within the trumpet cycle which is described in Revelation 8:6-11:19.  The trumpet cycle is more intense than the seal cycle. But notice that there is an interluded inserted in between the sixth and seventh trumpets, just as there is between the sixth and seventh seals. It too provides the reader with a sense of delay. But not so with bowl cycle, for the bowls are called the “seven bowls of the wrath of God” (Revelation 16:1). The bowl cycle describes, not the church age, but only the time of the end. It provides yet another picture of the last day when the wrath of God is poured out fully upon the earth. When that day comes there will be no more delay. In chapter 16 the bowls are poured speedily poured out – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Only the words of Christ separate the sixth and seventh bowls, and here is what he says: “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” (Revelation 16:15, ESV). The Day of the Lord will indeed come suddenly. But here in the seal cycle, and later on in the trumpet cycle, an interlude is inserted which provides a sense of delay.

But what do the visions of chapter seven communicate? What do the visions themselves mean? Well, they cause us to step back from the first six seals to look at things from yet another vantage point. They provide answers to the questions raised by the breaking of the first six seals. The visions of chapter seven provide us with more information and bring greater clarity to the the question, how will things be for the people of God living in the age between Christ’s first and second comings?

Think with me for a moment about what has been communicated so far with the breaking of the first six seals. The first four revealed that God would permit calamity to come upon the earth. In the time between Christ’s first and second comings there will indeed be wars, and rumors of wars, famines and plagues. Seal five encouraged us with the vision of the souls of the martyrs in heaven. They are clothed by God and comforted by him as they wait for the consummation. To die for Christ is really to live! And seal six provides us with a glimpse of how things will be on that last day, when the Lord returns to pour out his wrath upon the ungodly.

What question has yet to be addressed?

Are you not left wondering how things will go for God’s people on earth as they live in the mist of the calamity brought about by the four horsemen of the apocalypse? How will God’s people persevere in the midst of the trouble? It is true that seal five comforts us with the thought that to die for Christ is to be alive with him in heaven! But what about life on earth? How will God’s people hold up in the midst of the trials and tribulations described by the breaking of the first four seals?

And the question raised by the wicked who were seen coming under God’s wrath on the last day also needs to be answered. Remember that when the sixth seal was broken the wicked, both small and great, fled “from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and [they asked] who can stand” (Revelation 6:16–17, ESV)? That is an important question. Who can stand in the face of God’s judgment?

The two visions of chapter seven proved the answers to these questions.

Who can stand? Look at the second vision beginning at  7:9. “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9, ESV). Who can stand? It is those who have faith in Christ, who’ve been clothed in his righteousness and cleansed by his blood. They are able to stand before God.

And how will the people of God possibly persevere in the midsts of the trials and tribulations experienced on earth which are common to this present evil age? Well, that is the question answered by the first vision of chapter 7, which is the text we are considering to today.

God Will Preserve His People Spiritually In The Midst Of The Trials And Tribulations Of This Present Evil Age

The simple truth that you must take away from Revelation 7:1-8 is that God will preserve his people spiritually in the midst of the trials and tribulations of this present evil age. This is the promise of God that should bring comfort to our souls. God knows his people. You and I might look out upon a mass of humanity and find it impossible to distinguish between those who belong to Christ and those who do not – it is not as if those who have faith bear any king of physical mark – but God knows. He has given them his name. He has sealed them with his Spirit. His promise is to preserve them. Though we will indeed pass through trials and tribulations of many kinds, we know that the heavenly Father will keep us faithful and true.

Let is consider the text together.

The Four Angels Hold Back The Four Winds

In 7:1 John says,  “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree” (Revelation 7:1, ESV).

Who are these four angels and what do the four winds of the earth that they are holding back represent?

Nothing more can be known about the angels except that they are ministering spirits – servants of the living God. And the significance of the four winds of the earth is made clear from the immediate context.

Remember that when the first four seals were broken by Christ four horses with riders on them appeared before the throne of God. Each one of them was given authority and was permitted by God to go out into all the earth to take peace from it by way of war, and famine, and plague.

And remember that the significance of the four horsemen of Revelation 6 is best understood against the backdrop of what was revealed to Zechariah the prophet hundreds of years earlier. He too was curious about how things would go for the people of God on earth. And he too was shown a vision involving four sets of horses. These were sent out to patrol the earth and would eventually be permitted to take peace from it. God would use them to bring judgment upon the nations and to vindicate his people.

Listen to the words of Zechariah the prophet: “Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’ And the angel answered and said to me, ‘These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth’” (Zechariah 6:4–5, ESV). In Zechariah 6 the four sets of horses are associated with the “four winds of heaven” . These are the agents though which God would bring about his judgments in all the earth.

So, when we read in 7:1,  “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree”, we are to understand that these angels – these ministering spirits of God – have the responsibility to restrain these destructive forces – these ministers of judgment – mentioned both in Zechariah 6 and Revelation.

It is true, friends, that God executes his judgements upon the ungodly by way of permitting calamity. But it is also true that God is actively restraining evil continuously. God in his mercy restrains evil. God in his mercy maintains stability in the natural world. In his mercy he prohibits anarchy through civil governments. Our God is continuously active in the restraint of evil. We he to remove his restraint would we not be overrun by wickedness? If he were to give the ungodly over to the desires of their hearts, would they not devour one another? God in his mercy restrains evil.

I’m sure you are able to see that here we have yet another example of the fact that the book of Revelation is not ordered chronologically. It’s not that the events of 7:1-8 will happen after the event described in chapter 6. Instead 7:1 takes us back to the breaking of the first four seals and the four horsemen to give us another perspective on them. Indeed, they were permitted to take peace from as third of the earth, but the sovereign king of the universe restrains them.

The Servants Of God Are Sealed

And why does he restrain them?

Verses 2 and 3 tell us: “Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads’” (Revelation 7:2–3, ESV).

The ministers of judgment are restrained until the servants of God are sealed on their foreheads.

What does this mean?

The Ezekiel 9 passage that I read the beginning of the sermon is helpful. In that passage the prophet Ezekiel describes a vision that he saw concerning the judgment that would come, not upon the world, but upon Israel. The nation had grown exceeding sinful and God would bring judgment. And what Ezekiel see? He saw executioners who were given the task of passing through the city, beginning at the temple, to slay the unrighteous. But notice that in this vision these executioners were not permitted to begin until, “the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist… [Passed] through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it” (Ezekiel 9:3–4, ESV).

In other words, judgment would come upon Israel, but the judgment would not be indiscriminate. God knew those who belonged to him. He would preserve them in the midst of judgment. The wicked would fall, but the righteous would stand.

A similar thing is symbolized here in Revelation 7. This time is not the judgment of Israel that is portrayed, but God’s judgments upon the earth. And this time it is not the the remnant of Israel that is marked on the forehead, but all of the servants of God in all the earth. They are not said to be marked, sealed.

What does it mean to be sealed?

The word has already been used in the immediate context. Remember that the scroll was sealed with seven seals. The seals communicate ownership. And the seals guard and protect. The scroll was God’s scroll and the seals protected the scroll – it could be opened by anyone unworthy. So too the seal placed upon the servants of God communicate ownership and protection. These servants belong to God. They bear his name. He will indeed protect them.

The 144,000 mentioned in this text will appear again in chapter 14 of the book of Revelation. There in 14:1 we are told that the “144,000… had [Chrits’s] name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads” (Revelation 14:1, ESV). Clearly the seal given to the servants of God has something to do with ownership. They belong to God.

What exactly is the seal? Is it a physical mark?

Well, tell me, were the faithful in the days of Ezekiel marked with a literal physical mark on the forehead to protect them from judgment? I think not. The mark is not physical, but spiritual. It is those who belong to God from the heart who have it. The same is true of the mark of the beast that will be mentioned later. It is not a physical mark, but a spiritual. To take the mark of the beast is to belong to the evil one, to take his name, and to live as his servant. To be sealed by God is to belong to him, to have his name, and to live as his servant.

It is best to understand this sealing as the sealing of the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 says, “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 1:21–22, ESV).

Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13–14, ESV).

Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30, ESV).

In Revelation 7 we have a depiction of this very truth. The servants of God are sealed by the Holy Spirit so as to guard them until they acquire the full possession of their inheritance on the day of redemption. The meaning is clear. God is able to preserve those who are true to him even while he pours out his calamitous judgments upon the unrighteous.

144,000 Sealed

In 7:4 these servants of God are described.  John “heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel…” (Revelation 7:4, ESV).

The Jehovahs Witnesses and some dispensationalists make the same error. They assume that the number is to be taken literally. The Jehovahs Witnesses believe that in the end only 144,000 will reign in heaven. Some dispensationalists believe that in the time before the end there will be 144,000 Jews who come to faith and will be sealed to protect them during tribulation. The views are very different but they make the some error – they take the number to be literal. This is a strange thing to do in a book so filled with symbolism.

Instead it is far better to understand the number 144,000 to be a refrain to all of the elect, Jew and Gentile, living in the time between Christ’s first and second comings.

Notice two things. First, the number. And second, the listing of the tribes of Israel.

The number twelve is significant thought the book of Revelation. So too is the number twenty-four. The number twelve can stand for the tribes of Israel or the Apostles of Christ. The number twenty-four stands for the two groups together. We have here a way of referring to the people of God under the Old and New Covenants. Here we have the number 144,000 which is twelve times twelve times 1,000. The number one thousand is used in the Bible to symbolize a long but complete period of time. That is how the number 1,000 will be used in Revelation 20. What we have here, then, is a number which symbolized the servants of God, Jew and Gentile, who live throughout the church age.

Consider also the listing of the twelve tribes of Israel. There is something curious going on here. “12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed” (Revelation 7:5–8, ESV).

When we compare this listing of Israel with the way that the tribes of Israel are listed in the Old Testament we find that the list in Revelation 7 is unusual.

Look at the way that the tribes of Israel are listed in Genesis 35:23-26. Jacobs sons are listed in this way: First, the sons of Jacob’s wife, Leah – Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Net the sons of Jacob’s wife, Rachael – Joseph and Benjamin. After that the outsider sons of the concubines are listed. The sons of Bilhah – Dan and Naphtali. And the sons of Zilpah – Gad, and Asher.

But compare that to the listing of Revelation 7. Notice three things. One, Judah is given first position. Why would that be? Well, Jesus has recently been introduced to us as the lion of the tribe of Judah. Christ is the head of this people! Two, notice that idolators have no place amongst this people. The tribe of Dan was notorious for idolatry under the Old Covenant. Dan is replaced by Manassah in the New Covenant listing of Revelation 7. This people is a pure people. All who who are a part of this people truly belong to Christ. They are all under his headship and they worship God in Spirit and truth – this could not be said of the Old Covenant people of God. Some belonged to Christ, but not all. Some were worshipers of God, but not all. The Ezekiel 9 passage read earlier illustrates this principle. Three, notice that outsiders are elevated in Revelation 7 list. The sons of the concubines are elevated from last to first. This symbolizes the inclusion of the Gentiles into the people of God.

To the one who would complain that the text calls this group “the tribes of Israel”, therefore this must be a reference to those who are ethnic Jews, I would say, pay closer attention to the way that the New Testament uses the word Israel. It is used consistently in the New Testament to refer to the true people of God, Jew and gentile. The is no longer Jew and Gentile, friends, when it comes to the people of God. The middle wall of hostility has been broken down. We have been made one in Christ. The gentiles have been grafted in to Israel, and are therefore Israel along with all who have faith in Jesus as the Christ. Pay attention to the way that the New Testament interprets Jeremiah 31:31, for example. In the days of the Old Covenant the Lord promised that a New Covenant would be made. And who would be made with? “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:31–32, ESV). Tell me friends, has this New Covenant been made? Indeed it has. Christ is the mediator of it! And who is the covenant made with? The Jew only? Ethnic Israel only? No, but with all who have faith in Christ, Jew and Gentile together as one in him. If the New Testament is clear about anything, it is clear about that (see Hebrews 10, for example).

The 144,000 represent all of the elect, Jew and Gentile, who will live throughout the time between Christ’s first and second comings. They are sealed by the Holy Spirit – preserved by God because they bear his name. Christians will indeed face trials and tribulations in this world but they will be kept by God through it – preserved by the power of the Holy Spirit, by which they have been sealed.

Application

Brother and sisters, how might this apply to us?

First of all, do not be surprised by trials and tribulations. Never has God promised to keep us from trials and tribulations, but he has promised to preserve us through them. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12, ESV).

Secondly, rejoice in the trial by developing and maintaining a godly, heavenly, and eternal perspective on the world. Here is one things that distinguishes the people of God from the unrighteous. The people of God are able to see beyond this world to the world to come. They know God and understand that he is the one who works all things “together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV). “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13, ESV).

Thirdly, walk by the Spirit. It is by the Holy Spirit that you have been sealed. He has been given as a guarantee – a down payment, if you will. And he is the one who empowers you to live in this world as you ought. Walk by him. Submit to him. Rely upon him for strength day by day. If you are struggling with sin – if you are struggling with doubt – if you struggling to maintain your life in Christ, I ask you, are you walking by the Spirit relying upon him in every aspect of your life? Or are you walking according to the flesh, relying only upon yourself? Are you praying, friend? Are you thinking upon the scriptures and laboring in Christ to obey them? Are you partaking of the Supper in faith? Are you in fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ? These are the things that the Spirit used to preserve us in the faith. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Galatians 5:16–17, ESV).

Fourthly, take comfort in the fact that is it God who preserves us and not we who preserve ourselves. There is a promise to claim here in Revelation 7. Lord, you have promised to keep us in the midst of trial and tribulation. Keep us, Lord I pray!