Now Revelation 7. A slightly surprising chapter, but actually hugely uplifting – a key chapter, too, for catching Revelation’s flow, both what’s been and what’s coming… In at least five important ways!
First, here’s God’s awesome throne again (cf 4:2-10, 5:1-7). But there’s a question unanswered hitherto: since God is a God of colossal love who loves company, how can He bring about His desire of having an enormous multitude around His throne? And v14 tells us: they’re there because of `the blood of the Lamb`, they are those who have actively `washed their robes` in the Lamb’s blood. Very preachable! Thank you Lord! And like chapters 4 and 5, what’s in chapter 7 leads to vast outbreaks of worship – giving us wordings that we can bring joyously to the throne ourselves (vv10,12,17…)
Secondly: But if ch7 completes what we need to grasp about the throne from the preceding chapters, it also points towards the intense scenes of judgment in the chapters that follow. Often in `judgment’ in Revelation, what we see happening is that the evils normally graciously restrained by God are let loose (eg 9:1-2,14, and many other instances), as God’s eventual response to horrific human sin. And this is what the slightly puzzling first three verses would seem to exemplify: the judgments, and their timing, are under God’s control, restrained until some at least of God’s people have been sealed, presumably so that they will be kept safe (cf 9:4, or Ezekiel 9).
Then thirdly – and this one’s a bit controversial, but it will help us with lots of the old testament: it seems to me the most obvious way to read 7:3-8, where 12000 people are sealed from each of the historic Jewish tribes, is that, as we come now to the end-time and the new testament’s finale, God also completes (rather than having abandoned) His old testament dealings with literal ethnic Israel. (It surely makes sense, given the way the tribes are spelled out, to understand these 144,000 that way? One could think of how the Church is clearly in some way the new Israel, but the careful list of tribes here would be entirely meaningless in that case.) And here’s why that matters: it seems to me that if we disregard the place of ethnic Israel in God’s purposes shortly before and also after Christ’s return, we are left with a huge number of His promises seeming utterly bizarre and very hard to feed ourselves with when we read them: the last quarter of Ezekiel for example, the last quarter of Zechariah, and many others too. (Please see https://petelowmanresources.com/our-future3-so-how-does-ethnic-israel-fit-in/ ). Taking these Revelation verses absolutely straight helps us see what to do with all those chunks of Scripture.
There are so many Bible passages pointing in this direction. Most obviously Romans 11:11-29; but also Jesus’ very specific concern in Matthew 24, as He teaches about events which do seem to be part of the final crisis of history (vv14,21-22,29), to forewarn those living in Judaea (v16; people who for whatever reason are keeping the Sabbath meticulously, v20); the way Matthew 24’s teaching about Jesus’ coming flows specifically from His words in 23:38-39, where the ‘you’ who ‘will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”’ refers undeniably to ethnic Israel and their relations to their rejected Messiah; the presentation in Zechariah 12:10-14 and Zechariah 14 of history’s final crisis, and the glorious time that follows, both being centred on ethnic Israel and Jerusalem; or the way Daniel 12:7 tells us that it is the ‘breaking of the power’ of Israel as a nation that will trigger that final crisis. All these suggest that, once what Christ calls the ‘times of the Gentiles’ are over (Luke 21:24), godly Jews will be, temporarily at least, at the epicentre of God’s purposes. And of course there are so many other old testament promises of future glory to Israel and Jerusalem (the `city of the Great King`, as Jesus calls it, otherwise very oddly, in Matt 5:35). And the point is this: it seems to me that, if we disregard the place of ethnic Israel in God’s purposes shortly before and also after Christ’s return, we’re left with a huge number of His promises seeming bizarre, and very hard to feed ourselves with when we read them. Taking Rev 7:4-8 literally, that in the culmination of history God also completes His old testament dealings with all the tribes of literal ethnic Israel, enables us to grasp them, and to rejoice (cf Rom 11:28-36) in His wisdom!
But let’s move on. Rev 7 then presents to us a second, enormous group of worshippers: `After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb”` (NIV as usual). What a glorious picture! – `The deafening roar of millions ascribing their salvation to God and to the Lamb` (Munday)! And the angels join in gladly in adoration (vv11-12) – joyously and not surprisingly: Luke 15:10 says there is `rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents`, and here there are millions of them! Worship like this is what the universe needs – where the One reigning and being worshipped embodies all goodness and love! Thankyou Lord!
Now who are this enormous multitude? They seem to be a separate group to those in vv4-8, because when we meet the 144,000 again in ch14 they’re described as `firstfruits to God and to the Lamb`; so the `great multitude no one could count` (7:9) would seem to be the full harvest. It’s surely significant, too, that whereas the first group in vv4-8 is defined as clearly as possible as being Jewish, the `great multitude` of v9 is equally explicitly defined as being `from every nation, tribe, people and language`. But here again we face a controversial issue, because this `great multitude` are described as having come out of `THE great tribulation` (v14). What period of history might deserve that title?
Some have felt that that the phrase applies to the church age as a whole: this is how our entire suffering era will look from heaven (even though we don’t all suffer so much??) However, something especially `tribulatory` seems to be imminent in 7:3, and developing from ch8 onwards. And `the great tribulation` matches what Daniel 12 says about `the time of the end`:`There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.` As we read the next chapters of Revelation, from ch8 through to ch19, it’s impossible not to feel we are being warned: before Jesus finally intervenes (19:11), things will get very dark indeed, and there will be a brief time in which humankind learns the full horrendous consequences of what it means to live lives independent from God. We wanted our independence from God, a world free of Him; God has been restraining evil and protecting us from the full consequences of that choice. But for a very short time, in the final phase of history, He gives us what we’ve desired, and allows our race to learn what rejecting His rule really means; to experience, even on earth, the full terrible consequences of living without God.
It is bad; in fact, Jesus says that it will be ‘great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equalled again’, and that unless God had strictly `cut short` this period because of its unequalled horror, ‘no-one would survive’ (Matthew 24:21-22). There seems in both Revelation and Daniel a repeated prioritization of this brief, carefully-numbered, and terrible period (ie God goes to some trouble about this: why?); over and over again – nine times in fact – its length is carefully stated, in three equivalent phrases using numbers that have no obvious symbolic meaning so are presumably literal: 1260 days, forty-two months, ‘a time, times, and half a time’ (ie, presumably, three and a half years).)
It does therefore seem that Scripture – rather, God – is focusing our attention on this final, very specific `short time’ of crisis (cf 12:12), `the great tribulation` at the end of history. It shows us that rejection of God’s reign is seriously unwise! The next chapters in Revelation will paint the picture unflinchingly, with colossal slaughter in war, horrendous epidemics, vile economic exploitation, and much more besides. And one famous aspect that they highlight is the totalitarian dictatorship of the ultimate satanic dictator, the Animal (ch13). With his coming, persecution becomes horrific: if anyone refuses to worship the Animal’s image, they are slaughtered (13:15). And yet!– right here in 7:9 we have a `great multitude` worshipping Christ `that no one could count`, and they come from this same terrible time (v14), even from under the Animal’s rule when Satan’s power is at its worst! So here is another way this marvellous book strengthens us to be `overcomers`: Even when evil becomes most rampant, Jesus will prove to be absolutely Lord; God always has the final word!
(Let me just note that Scripture isn’t clear, and godly believers disagree, as to whether those who are God’s people are `snatched out` to heaven by the `rapture` (see 1 Thess 4:15-18) before this dark period begins; indeed, whether this removal of everyone who is part of what Jesus calls the preservative `salt of the earth` (Matt 5:13) may be a key factor in evil suddenly becoming so unrestrainedly rampant. For the arguments on both sides please see https://petelowmanresources.com/our-future2-whats-this-about-the-rapture/ .)
As I say, somewhat controversial. But be all that as it may, what surely we’re being shown wonderfully here is the culmination of our planet’s spiritual history, the culmination and completion of the Church as the goal of history; for the End could not come, Matthew 24:14, till this has been achieved, till indeed the flavour of every culture, `every nation, tribe, people, and language`(v9), is included in God’s glorious final synthesis. We see how the missionary thrust is all-important till the very End! Here is a crucial vision for us: Christ’s rainbow Bride from `all peoples` has been the point of history since the very beginning (see eg Gen 12:3), and now the full spectrum is embodied in the Church at last. (For example, as I said to an Afghan friend: Afghanness must be there!) To quote Motyer on Isaiah 66:12, `In the Zion that is yet to be (Revelation 21:24-26) every nation will be present “in all its glory”, i.e. the glory of what it was meant to be and will be when its individuality is brought to mature perfection in the city of God.` One of the most wonderful experiences of my life has been the foretaste of this in the wonderful way the quadrennial World Assembly of the IFES student movements worldwide harvested the earth’s many cultures through some of their best representatives, all worshipping – and still in genuine individualness!
And since this is the culmination of the Church’s history, then we who are part of it, even if from earlier times, can each feed joyously on the wonderful verses with which the chapter closes, vv15-17. `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!` Yes! `Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst!`.`I am the bread of life`, said Jesus, `whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never thirst`; as C S Lewis might say, here in heaven we see desire forever (being) satisfied! `… For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd`; the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23, John 10 and Luke 15 has completed His work! I, and all we, like sheep had gone astray; and yet, wonderfully, He has brought us home now to the very heart and throne of the universe (cf also 3:20)! ‘He will lead them` – us! – `to springs of living water’ – is this maybe promising us an unending, infinite experience of God the Spirit (cf John 7:38-39), the personal source of all love, peace, and joy? ‘And` – again looking past the tribulation chapters to the wondrous finale of 21:4 – `God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’”; as John Lennox says, what an astounding thought that God Himself, the great Creator yet our Father too, God so very NEAR, will wipe away every tear from our eyes…
Hallelujah! So much there to respond to in worship! Thank you Lord!!
And — if you love the glorious thought of that multitude from every people and nation all worshipping the Lamb, try this!- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d48-qbcovVY – a wonderfully moving piece of global music in worship I think…
PS – a minor footnote: I said above that the tribes of Israel are represented in vv5-8. Well; but Dan isn’t. Why? In Judges 18 the Danites turned to idolatry and migrate to the far north of Israel, far from God’s tabernacle. (Moral: Keep walking close to God.) So did they lose their heritage; was one of the twelve replaced, like Judas Iscariot? BUT they are there in the millennium in Ezekiel 48. What else then might explain Dan’s omission? It’s noticeable that the list here has both Manasseh and Joseph, yet Joseph had two sons, Manasseh which is here and Ephraim which isn’t; so very possibly both are included in Joseph, and Manasseh was an early scribal mistake, discernible if we read carefully, for Dan?
