nation – walklikejesus

This post, the 13th in our series through Revelation, is devoted to chapter 7 – the marking and listing of the Lamb’s army. A recording of this will be available on Shofar Durbanville’s Youtube channel as part of the Revelation Series.

Chapter 6 depicts Christ unfolding the scroll containing God’s redemptive plan for creation. This brought about terrible judgments so that eventually everyone on earth hid and cried out “Who can stand before the wrath of Him Who sits on the throne and the Lamb?” (6:17). Chapter 7 answers this question.

Hold the wind! (7:1-3) Suddenly four angels were seen to hold back the four winds over the earth (7:1). Holding back the wind implies withholding the destructive forces released over creation by the first six seals (6:1-17; compare Ezekiel 5:12). The reason for the pause in destruction is to wait until “we sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads” (7:3). This protection from wrath by a seal from God alludes to Exodus 12:21-27 (destruction of Egypt, preservation of Israel) and Ezekiel 9:3-8 (destruction of Israel, preservation of the righteous).

Gideon_army — Gideon’s army defeats the Midianites (Judges 6-7). (Source: Moody Press, Free Bible Images)

The 144’000 (7:4-8). These servants of God are identified as John hears a roll call of Israel’s fighting men, like in Numbers 1 before the conquest of Canaan. The 144’000 are said to be 12’000 from every tribe in Israel. Remember that in the apocalyptic language of Revelation, images and numbers are not read literally, but should be read to signify something that comforted and challenged the first readers in their struggle against evil during their tribulation (1:9-11).

This number of 144’000 faithful Israelite have been used – and is still being used – by many cults worldwide who claim their veracity and special election. But 144’000 is clearly a symbolic number (like the 7 horns and 7 eyes of the Lamb in chapter 5). 144’000 is made up of 12x12x1000. Twelve in a (?)literary genre points to God’s covenant people: the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles of the Church. 1000 is a number meaning innumerable, all or fullness. So, John hears: “Mark God’s people with his seal!” and is told Israel’s faithful, fighting ones are numbered.

In keeping with the apocalyptic genre, Israel here should also not be viewed from the genetic line or national citizenship, but rather as symbolic of God’s covenant people. Jesus said that “salvation is from the Jews”, not just for the Jews (John 4:22). Paul defined “a true Jew (as) one inwardly” (Romans 2:29), having a “circumcised” or transformed heart faithful to God. This tribal list here in Revelation 7 is a picture of “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:15-16).

But this list of Israel’s tribes is unlike any other found in Jewish scriptures (compare, for instance, Genesis 35:23-26; 49:1-28; Numbers 1:1-46, and Deuteronomy 33:6-25) – and that is the point of this part of the vision. The discrepancies in this list highlight the truth Jesus wants to show John… [Read the full commentary of Revelation in Faithful to the End]