Objective in Studying this Chapter:
1) To identify the two groups in the two visions seen in this chapter
2) To note how these visions would comfort those who must pass through the great tribulation
A Brief Introduction
John’s view here is of something that does not have, really, anything to do with a seal. Actually, in this chapter, chapter 7 and the first part of chapter 8, there is something of an interlude. Six of the seven seals have been opened; the seventh yet remains. So, there are two visions that John is going to see here. These would not seem to be a part of the opening of the seals, but they certainly are a part of this great revelation and these things that God, through His Holy Spirit, is showing to the people of that day, and to us in our day. This is very important. There are important Messages, important lessons, for us to understand.
This chapter deals with the hope, with the comfort, with the assurance, that we have in Christ. But it comes at what we might consider to be a rather interesting time. In chapter 6, we saw the opening of six of the seven seals. There, we saw images of conflict on earth for believers. We saw scarcity on earth for believers. We saw wide-spread death on the earth for believers. We heard the cry of martyrs under the throne, crying out, “How long, O Lord, how long?” [Revelation 6:10: “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’”] Chapter 6 concludes with images of cosmic disturbances. We believe this indicates the fall, the collapse, of the Roman Empire, which we will get to over in chapter 13, as well as, perhaps, other empires, other kingdoms, other reigns, of those who oppose God and His people.
But then, we see in chapter 7 that there is one of the most glorious pictures of hope and assurance that we have in all the Scriptures. What a great contrast there is between these two chapters. One writer referred this contrast to “a divine flip-flop.” Well, not a “flip-flop” in the sense that God is changing His mind or doing something radically different from what He’s done before; but, in contrast we see that there is this difference. Overall, chapter 7 reminds its readers of the assurance, the hope, the comfort that we have in Christ Jesus. Indeed, that is an important Message. It was an important Message for those of that age; it’s an important Message for us today.
We noticed at the end of chapter 6, verse 17, that there was a question: “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Given just a cursory look at this, a cursory consideration, we would say, “NO ONE! NO ONE is able to stand!” But, that would not be exactly correct, because we see here in chapter 7, and verse 9, that there is a great multitude which no one could number. They are depicted here as “standing”—“standing before the throne [of God] and before the Lamb.” These ones are not objects of God’s wrath, because they have been obedient, and they have overcome by the blood of the Lamb, chapter 7, verses 13 and 14.
There are two great words, two great thoughts, which connect chapter 6 and chapter 7. The first of these two words is “seal.” The seals of judgment come upon the earth in chapter 6. As those six seals were opened, God’s judgment was in view. As we know, six seals were opened in that chapter, and the seventh seal will not be opened until chapter 8, verses 1 through 5. And here is chapter 7, between the opening of the sixth and the seventh seal. It promises HOPE. Assurance is given to those who are down-trodden. Revelation 7, verses 3 and 4, the 144,000 are “sealed”—given God’s seal of ownership. We see, there in Revelation, chapter 6, a contrast between God’s seal of judgment in THAT place and God’s seal on the forehead of the 144,000 in Revelation, chapter 7.
So, in Chapter 7, we see another seal. But this is the “seal” of God’s Ownership, of His authentication, of His protection, upon the foreheads of certain ones. So, the first word that links these two chapters is “seal.”
The second word that links these two chapters is “stand.” Only those who stand for Christ faithfully now will be among those who stand at the throne and before the Lamb. In chapter 7, verse 9 and following, we see that, indeed, there are some who will “stand”—a great host, an innumerable multitude that no one can count who are standing in the presence of Almighty God, standing before the throne of God, and of the Lamb.
Once again, back to that question at the end of chapter 6, verse 17. The question is asked, “…who is able to stand” against the wrath of God? “…who is able to stand” in the great day of God’s wrath? NO ONE is able to stand based on his or her own merits, but only, ONLY, on the basis of Jesus Christ and what He has done upon the cross AND the embracing of the Gospel that saves, Hebrews 5, verses 8 and 9 [“…though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the Author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him….”]
So, the two words that connect Revelation, chapter 6 and Revelation, chapter 7 are “seal” and “stand.” The one has to do with God’s judgments [the six seals in chapter 6] and chapter 7 having to do with the “sealing,” so to speak, the authentication, of a certain group of people. Then, there is the word, “stand”—“…who is able to stand?” That question is answered, and those ones who are standing are identified.
Also, in Revelation, chapter 7, we see two principle tasks, or two jobs, that must be done. These are also tasks that we must accomplish. First, we must know something about the sealing of the 144,000, and we are going to look at that in some detail. Secondly, we must know something of this great multitude that is pictured here in chapter 7, beginning with verse 9 and following.
Those are the two objectives, I think, that are listed there in your outline [Number 1 under Objectives in Studying this Chapter at the beginning of this lesson], to know, to understand, to explore these two principles.
THE 144,000 SEALED ON EARTH (VERSES 1-8)
Revelation 7:1-8
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:
Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;
6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;
7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;
8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.
Of course, do the math—12 times 12,000 is 144,000.
The Angels Restrained (verses 1-3)
After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
[Verse 1: After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.”] John’s first vision shows “four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,” and they are withholding the wind. These are angels of judgment. It’s important to notice that there are four angels, there are four winds, and there are four corners. The implication is that this is showing the universality of it all, that this is the totality of all that exists—the whole creation is in view here.
There are those who are wont [accustomed] to take even the smallest point and misapply it, and, perhaps, even develop an entire doctrine around their misapplication. Some have used this in two ways: First of all, to suggest that maybe, according to the Bible, the earth really is flat after all. Well, let’s see…1492 wasn’t it, when “Columbus sailed the ocean blue”? (See? I still remember that little song that we sang as children.) Then others would say that, “You see? This is just one more example of how misinformed and how inaccurate the Bible is. Look, the implication here is that the earth is flat.” WE know for a fact that it is not.
Clearly, what John is viewing here is not a flat earth with these angels at each of the four corners. Rather, this is an accommodative-type statement recognizing the fact that there are four points on the compass: north, south, east and west. There is not a suggestion at all here about the flatness or the roundness, either one, of the earth.
What John is viewing here are these four angels. These four angels have charge over four winds. Winds, in and of themselves, may be favorable—may be a good thing, or they may be absolutely devastating. There’s nothing quite like a cool breeze on a warm day. There is nothing quite like a favorable wind when one is out on a lake in a sail boat. BUT, winds can be a very destructive force—a devastating force, like a hurricane. We have, in our day, harnessed many things that are a part of nature—that are a part of God’s creation, but there are a number of things, like wind and raging water, and so on, that we are just helpless to do anything about, wind in particular. In that day, in that region of the world, wind was an extremely destructive force.
I was reminded, as I was reading this and thinking about the destructive nature of the winds in this region, that there are very flat areas, sandy in that region. I hearken back to some of the images that were given to us a few months ago during the war on Iraq. About the third day or so of the attack into Iraq, there was a horrific wind storm. I remember seeing on live television the eerie images that were shown as a result of this wind, and it’s blowing this desert sand around. It was orange! I, frankly, have never seen anything like that before. I was thinking about the fact that, indeed, wind is very destructive. The folks [saints] who read this in Revelation would have certainly been able to relate to that. It is evident that what is in view here in verses 2 and 3 has to do with God’s judgment.
In Revelation, we’ll see many references to angels. We’ve already seen several—we’ll see several more as we go through the study. Angels are given power. For example, in Revelation 14, verse 18, we will be introduced to an angel of fire who had power over fire [“And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire….”]. And in Revelation 16, verse 5, we’ll see an angel who had power over water [“And I heard the angel of the waters saying….”].
Now, we are talking about angels who have power over winds and its effect upon the earth. Four angels appear here in Revelation 7, having control of the four winds, again, reference to this being God’s judgment. The four corners are the nations, or the world. We have to get over to Revelation 20 and verse 8 before we see that the “four corners” are identified in that way. [Revelation 20:7-8: “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.”]
Angels of God are withholding the winds, which represent destructive forces, be they destructive nations, empires, or even natural things [.”…that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.”].
[Verses 2-3: “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’”]
Another angel rises from the east, and he has the seal of the living God in his hand [verse 2]. We notice that there is a link, a connection; there’s a relationship to the work of this angel and to the four angels in verse 1. This “angel ascending from the east” uses the term “we”—“WE” must do this. “WE”… the implication being… “are involved in the same general type task” [verse 3: “…saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till WE have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’”]. Even though the work of this fifth angel is slightly different than the other four angels, he, too, has been given an exalted mission. There is a relationship between HIS task and the task of the other four.
This fifth angel came upon scene “ascending from the east.” As I frequently say, we don’t want to make more of a point than the Lord intends to be made, but, is there a significance in this angel ascending from the east? I say, perhaps there is. There is a significance that we see in Scripture about the “east”—that direction.
Jesus is referred to, later in Revelation, all the way at the end, Revelation 22, verse 16, as “the bright and morning star” [the morning star rises in the east—Revelation 22:16: “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”].
Jesus is “the light of the world” [as the sun rises in the east to light the world], John 8, verse 12 [“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’”], and also John 9, verses 4 and 5 [“I must work the works of Him Who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”].
In Ezekiel 11, verse 23, there was an occasion recorded by the prophet when God left Jerusalem because of their unfaithfulness. When He departed, He departed to the east [“And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city.”]. And then, in Ezekiel 43, and verse 2, when God returned in His glory, from which direction did He come? He came from the east [“And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory.”].
There seems to be a natural association between the place from which light comes—that is, from the east—and the blessing of God. What the writer John wants to reveal, as he is guided by the Holy Spirit, what he wants to hold before the weary, tear-stained eyes of his readers there in the 1st Century is, “Do not be dismayed by the persecution which has come upon you. Do not be overwhelmed by the simple-ness of an exceedingly wicked world. God’s people are cared for; God’s people are loved.”
We notice, too, that this fifth angel, who has ascended from the east—from the direction of God’s light, God’s blessing, cries out with a loud voice [“…And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels…,” Revelation 7:2]. Does he cry out with a loud voice to be heard? Well, probably. But, also, perhaps, he cries out with a loud voice because there is a sense of urgency associated with what he has to say. What he has to say is very important, and that is, “Don’t hurt, don’t harm the earth, or the trees, or the sea, or any of those things” [“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees…,” Revelation 7:3]. Why? Well, there is to be restraint exercised. He’s giving this divine Message to these four other angels who stand at the four corners—the four directions—and who hold back the winds of God’s judgment upon the earth and all that’s in it. And the fifth angel says, “Restrain yourselves.” Why? There’s something that is yet to be done. There’s something that has to be accomplished, and that is, “till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” Restraint was to be exercised. Devastation and destruction and judgment are to be withheld until the servants of God are sealed.
We notice that THIS angel, this fifth angel ascending from the east, HAS the seal of God. We’ve talked before about the meaning of a seal—its implication. But it’s important here, important for us to be conscience of, to be aware of, the implication. We know that a seal or a signet ring that was used by a king, by a ruler, conveyed his dominion, his authority, his power; and the one who had that seal, or that signet ring, was a representative of that ruler. This angel is clearly a representative. He has, if you will, “the King’s signet ring” in his possession.
We read that this seal is “the seal of the living God,” verse 2. That is a frequent term that we see used in the New Testament—“the living God.” We understand that our God is alive, that He’s NOT dead, that He is active, that He is sustaining everything around us, that He is blessing us, and so on. But for these people who would have heard these Words—these people who were living there in the latter part of the 1st Century, these people who were oppressed, these people who were persecuted, these people who, perhaps, themselves, had come out of some form of idolatry and they were still living in circumstances where idolatry was practiced all around them in places like one of the seven church of Asia that we studied some weeks ago, like Ephesus and others—there is a stark contrast. They would be thinking about the LIVING God as contrasted to idols, or as contrasted to Rome and to emperor worship. The God that is being served, the God that is being worshiped by these faithful ones is the ONE, the TRUE, the LIVING GOD.
The use of a seal, or a signet ring, is something that we saw and are familiar with from the Old Testament:
Genesis 41:42—that had to do with the signet ring of the Pharaoh of Egypt, as he was giving that to Joseph[“Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.”].
Esther 3:10-12 [“So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, ‘The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.’ 12 Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded — to the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king's signet ring.”].
Esther 8:2-8[“So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. 3 Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. 4 And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king, 5 and said, ‘If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king's provinces. 6 For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?’ 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, ‘Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. 8 You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for whatever is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring no one can revoke.’”].
Daniel 6:17 [“Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.”].
The 144,000 Sealed (verses 4-8)
Thinking about the sealing of the 144,000 [verses 4 through 8], it might be worth making a brief detour here for a moment to contrast the seal of God upon these ones, and the mark of the beast—those who we’ll see later in Revelation, who take on themselves the mark of the beast, Revelation 13, 14, 16 and 19. For the sake of this brief illustration and contrast, those who take upon themselves the mark of the beast are those who have allowed themselves to be deceived, those who are in error, those who are away from God. In short, they are those who belong to Satan.
Well, there we have two differing marks, or seals, if you will. What is it that we are talking about? We are NOT (as many want to believe and have suggested over the generations)—we are NOT talking about a literal mark that is placed on an individual. Those who served Satan in the latter part of the 1st Century and in OUR day in 2003 do not have some literal mark on them that we can look at and say, “That person belongs to Satan, because they have the mark of Satan on them.” Likewise, those of us who are faithful, who have “the seal of God” (and we’re going to explore this further)—but we do not have on us some kind of a brand. God does not brand His people as a rancher brands his livestock. In both cases, we are talking about spiritual markings.
There are a couple of examples in the Old Testament that are not precisely the same as what we’re talking about here, but I think they serve the purpose, perhaps, in helping us to open our eyes to understand what we are talking about here. The first is found in Exodus, chapter 12, verses 12 and 13 [“For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign (seal)for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood(seal), I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”]. You’ll recognize that section of Scripture having to do with the Passover. And the instruction that God gave to the children of Israel (we’re all very familiar with this) was to place the blood of that lamb that had been sacrificed, that had been slain, on the door post. God said that, that night He would pass through the land of Egypt and He would be executing judgment. But He would “pass over” the houses with the sign (which some translations have it), which could be understood as being a “seal.” In effect, those houses had an identifying mark that was visible to God. Yes, it was visible to everyone who looked on it. I certainly can’t deny that, but moreover, it was identifiable to God. Those who had the “seal,” those who had the “sign,” were those who had been obedient, who had been faithful, who had executed, who had done what needed to be done in order to be “sealed away” from the judgment of God.
There is a more vivid illustration in Ezekiel 9, verses 3 through 8 [“Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's inkhorn at his side; 4 and the LORD said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.’ 5 To the others He said in my hearing, ‘Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.’ So they began with the elders who were before the temple. 7 Then He said to them, ‘Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!’ And they went out and killed in the city. 8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, ‘Ah, Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?’”]. Because of a lack of faith on the part of Jerusalem, there was a man dressed in linen going about with a writing kit, and he writes on the foreheads of those who are faithful to God.
Here in Revelation 7, in a time of distress, in a time of peril, in a time of persecution for the people of God— when they were very much in the minority, when their ranks were being very much decimated by persecution, by those who were being forced to leave the faith because they were, well, unfaithful, or because they were “giving in” to the pressure, to the persecution—those who remained faithful are given hope, they’re given assurance that they are “sealed of God.” They will “stand up and be counted.”
Briefly, some New Testament passages that deal with this matter of a “seal”:
In 2 Corinthians 1, verse 22, Paul speaks there of a “seal” being a “sign of ownership” [“For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom….”].
In John 6:27, Jesus describe a “seal” as “a mark of authentication” [“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”].
And from Paul, Ephesians 1:13-14 [“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”] and Ephesians 4:30 [“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”], the “seal” there is linked to “protection.”
There are other concepts involved when it comes to this idea, this practice of “sealing,” but these certainly are certainly sufficient to see the point of a seal. We will understand more fully when we see that God is going to “seal”—put His seal upon—those who He owns, those who are authenticated as being His—and He will provide protection for them. Those in John’s view here, those in this image that John has, have stood up to be counted, to be reckoned with the faithful of God, and God has said, “These are Mine.” They belong to HIM. He will have ownership of them. There will be no counterfeits in those ranks. They will all be authenticated, and they will be under His Divine protection.
The Misused, Misunderstood, Misapplied and Mishandled “144,000” (Revelation 7:4-8)
In verse 4 [“And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed….”], we see that there is a number. John hears a number, and this number is associated with those who are to be sealed. That number is 144,000. This has been described as one of most abused, one of the most misunderstood, misapplied, mishandled verses—no, not just in the book of Revelation, but in ALL of the Bible. It us utterly amazing how many go astray here, how many twist the Scriptures, rather than handling them aright. There have been, through the ages, so many beliefs and so many doctrines which have come from a mishandling of this section of Scripture.
The basis upon which we start as we attempt to explore this matter of these 144,000 is “Who are they? What are they doing?” et cetera. The first point is this: It’s obvious! It cannot be mistaken! The 144,000 are servants of God. The second point is: There is somehow, some way, some kind of a linkage between the 144,000 and the 12 tribes if Israel mentioned in verses 4 through 8.
As I said, this is a very, VERY misunderstood and mishandled and misapplied section of Scripture. Let me briefly give you a flavor—a taste—of some of this mishandling.
Some of Those Who Mishandle Revelation 7:4-8:
First of all, those who call themselves “Jehovah’s Witnesses” believe and make it their doctrine, based on this passage and a couple of other passages, that only 144,000 PEOPLE will be I heaven. Now, there is a caveat [let the buyer beware!] there. It’s not that ONLY 144,000 people will find God’s favor, but only 144,000 will be in heaven. The rest of the people “who have been redeemed,” as they call it, will be living throughout eternity on something of a renovated earth.
There are those who call themselves “Pre-millennial Dispensationalists.” They say, that after some mysterious “rapture,”—they are among a number of groups who believe in this thing called “a rapture.” According to their teaching, that “rapture” is when certain people will be suddenly and secretly removed from the earth and caught up into heaven.. Maybe you’ve read some of the books that have been out on that subject. Some of these groups have even produced full-length movies on the matter. I’ve not seen the movies—I have no interest in seeing them. But, I’ve seen some of the advertisement for it where, you know, a man comes home from work and his wife and children are gone. The one I wonder about is the pilot of the 747 airplane who is flying along, and he is suddenly gone. (Hopefully, the co-pilot won’t be part of the “rapture”!) And then, during the period of “tribulation,” after this mysterious rapture, 144,000 literal Jews are going to come along. From where? They don’t say. But, these 144,000 Jews will be here on the earth, and they will be involved in preaching and teaching…NO, not the Law of Moses, but the Gospel of Christ. And they will be working to convert those “infidels,” those sinners who are left here on the earth. I don’t know whether any of you ever read Hal Lindsey’s book, The Late Great Planet Earth, but in that book he describes these 144,000 as being “144,000 Billy Grahams”—JEWISH Billy Grahams. One fella that I read said about this, “God help us all!”
Others say that the 144,000 are the saved Jews of the Old Testament only. Others say that the 144,000 are, perhaps, those who we read about at the opening of the fifth seal, the martyrs who are under the altar in that heavenly scene, crying out, “How long, O Lord, how long?” There are many others who mishandle this section of the Scriptures. We will spend a little bit more time to expose some of these misapplied and mishandled uses of this text. I do not do this for the sake of being mean-spirited or ridiculing people’s beliefs, but simply because they are such common beliefs. I think it’s important for us to understand and to see the faults that these beliefs hold to.
Jehovah’s Witnesses:
Again, the position of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is that only Jews will be in heaven. Those 144,000 that are identified here in this text [Revelation 7:4-8], in the view of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, are Jews—no Gentiles. If this is true that this 144,000 represents only Jews who will be in heaven, there are some others who will not make it as well, who are Jews. For example, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob won’t be in heaven because they were prior to the twelve tribes of Israel. Yes, Jacob is as close as you can get, because the twelve tribes came from Jacob—his twelve sons—but, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived prior to these twelve. The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ desire is to identify those in this list, the twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes listed here in Revelation 7, as those who are going to be in heaven. Sorry, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
But wait! Jesus speaks of the kingdom of heaven, in Matthew 8 and verse 11, and there He says that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob WILL BE THERE. Well, who’s right—those who have this belief—or Jesus? [Matthew 8:11: “And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.”]
Now, we notice that list of the twelve tribes (verses 5-8). First, we might point out that there are listed, in both the Old Testament and New Testament, some nineteen different combinations, or different listings, of these twelve tribes. In other words, there is not a standard list that goes from Reuben through Benjamin in that order each and every time the list appears. No, there are some nineteen different ways in the Scriptures that Jacob’s sons—the twelve tribes—are listed.
In THIS listing [Revelation 7:5-8], if we take a close look at this list again, there are a couple of things that kind of “jump off the page” at you. First of all, there are a couple of tribes missing from the list. Did you notice that? The tribes of Ephraim and Dan are not there. They’re missing from the list. Why would that be? Well, we don’t know for sure, but we might recall the fact that these two tribes were associated with idolatry. Now, ALL of the tribes were, at one time or another, associated with idolatry. But if we go back and look at the Old Testament, these two tribes specifically were identified with bad associations, with idolatry, and so on. Could that have had something to do with it? Well, I don’t know. But, nevertheless, there are two tribes that are missing from this list, and in their place are listed Levi and Joseph. These two names have, perhaps, a more positive connotation.
But, now, watch this: If we take this literally, and that 144,000 come from these twelve tribes which are listed, guess who else is going to be missing from heaven? Some from these two tribes, Ephraim and Dan, who are prominently known, will be missing from heaven. I’m thinking about Joshua. Joshua was a member of the tribe of Ephraim. I’m thinking, also, about Samson. Samson was a member of the tribe of Dan. Well, in Hebrews 11, the chapter in the New Testament that we often refer to as “Faith’s Hall of Fame,” Joshua is not specifically mentioned there, but by inference, I think we can see him there in that listing. Samson, on the other hand, is specifically listed in Hebrews 11.
Well, what about that? I think that we can see that the understanding, the taking this literally as representing specifically and absolutely the twelve tribes of Israel, and that those 144,000 are the ones who are in view here, is just not right. It’s wrong. It doesn’t match up. That belief, that understanding, does not match up with the rest of Scripture.
Here’s another point that we might consider in this regard. Look over in Revelation, chapter 14—look there at verse 1. We see there that John continues telling us what has been revealed. He says, “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's Name written on their foreheads.” Who’s he talking about here? Well, let’s address the latter part of that verse first, the 144,000 with His Father’s Name on their forehead. Are those the same ones we see back in Revelation 7? Oh, I think so. That’s the implication.
Now, we also see someone else identified here. And who is that? It is “the Lamb.”Well, who does that refer to? Is it a literal, actual lamb that is there on Zion? Well, no, of course not! Even the Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t believe that! They know that, that is a figure—that, that is symbolic of Jesus Christ.
So, why is it, then, that we accept the Lamb as being figurative here, but we don’t accept the 144,000 as figurative—we interpret THAT as being literal? Well, you see the problem. We can’t pick and choose about what will be literal, particularly in the same verse. The context dictates how we understand that.
Now, there’s something else that we ought to notice as well. On down in Revelation, chapter 14, verses 3 and 4, John goes on and says, “They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand…” (there they are again) “…who were redeemed from the earth.” Now listen to this: “These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.” Well, again, if we take this literally, then we see that there are many, many others who are excluded from the list, as well. It is reasonable to believe that only 144,000 Jewish men, who are virgins, excluding Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua and Samson, is what is in view here? I’d think you’d agree with me that, No, that is not what is in view here. As we pare down the list here and this group gets smaller and smaller, at least from whom they can choose, that’s not what Jesus meant when He said, concerning heaven, that there will only be a few who will find it [Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”].
Pre-millennial Dispensationalists:
Again, according to their “rapture” theory, which is, of course, is not supported at all by the Scriptures, a seven-year period called “the great tribulation” is what they believe will occur here on the earth. During this period, these 144,000 will be mighty instruments used by God here on the earth that remains behind. And again, their belief is… I think I shared this with you before that Hal Lindsey identified this group as “144,000 Billy Grahams,” and someone made the comment, when he read that, “God help us if that be the case!” But one has to read an awful lot into this section of Scripture here in Revelation, chapter 7, and elsewhere, to get from here in the Scripture to where they are “over there.”
There are a number of things which militate [to operate or work (against)] against this position. Again, we go back to the very nature of the listing of the twelve tribes. As one writer put it, “It would seem that this list was intentionally…” and he used the term “…doctored.” That was said in a positive way, not in a critical way, but that the list “was purposely and intentionally doctored,” and that it was made in this way so that one would have a great deal of difficulty interpreting it literally. Verses 4 through 8 are meant to be interpreted spiritually rather than literally!
We note that Judah, for example, is listed first, rather than Reuben, who was the oldest. Is that because Jesus is identified here in Revelation as being the “Lion from the tribe of Judah”? Perhaps.
We also wonder, as well—with this theory that they have about the representation, this being only the Old Testament saved that are in view here, and that they are only Jews—what about faithful Gentiles from the Old Testament period, from the Patriarchal Period, perhaps, and certainly from the Mosaic Dispensation? What about those? And there were, indeed, faithful Gentiles. So that belief, that understanding, does not address that question, as well.
Enough about these other ideas and theories and interpretations. How are we to interpret this section of Scripture here in chapter 7—specifically this number, “144,000”? Seems to me that, once again, we are looking at something here that is to be interpreted, that is to be understood, in a figurative way. So, that is the first thing that we have in mind. The 144,000 are God’s servants. The Holy Spirit has already told us that back up in Revelation 7:4—that these are servants of God and that, indeed, there is an association, a figurative association, with the twelve tribes of being God’s people, AND the number of 12 x 12,000 is an optimally perfect number, representing ALL of God’s servants, His saved ones.
If we think about it in that regard, we can see here in these verses [verses 4-8] the comprehensiveness, the universality of God in saying, “I know those who are Mine.” The way you ensure [to make sure; to protect] with the seal, and what can be seen in the sealing process, I think, can be seen over in 2 Timothy, chapter 2, and verse 19. Listen to what Paul says here as he writes to the young evangelist: “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands…” (here we have something about “standing”), “…having this SEAL:….” Here are our two words, “standing,” and “sealing.” Now look: “‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the Name of Christ depart from iniquity,’”—“standing,” being “sealed,” standing on the firm foundation of God. And God KNOWS those who are His.
In view here in Revelation, chapter 7, are those who are standing up to be counted! They are standing up—the 144,000 were standing up in the latter part of the 1st Century. The 144,000 are still standing up and being counted today! And so, this number, again, demonstrates, shows the comprehensiveness, the universality of God, and represents God’s people, God’s faithful here on the earth, God’s people of every age, of every dispensation. We’ll see a little bit more about that as we move on.
Again, these are people who are, even unto this day, still being “sealed.” The 144,000 is clearly, is obviously, a symbolic number, and the twelve tribes of Israel, as well, are symbolic. What we see here in the original language, in the original text, is, in the Eastern mind, something called “rhymed repetition.” We’ve talked about this before, particularly when we’ve looked over in the Psalms and some other sections of Scripture, where we see, in that case, Hebrew poetry. As we think about poetry—verse, rhyme, and so on—we rhyme words for sounds. But rhyming to them meant rhyming thoughts, rhyming concepts. In this section of Scripture, we have an example of this “rhymed repetition,” stating the same thing, in effect, twice—1) the 144,000, and 2) the 12 tribes x 12,000, equaling 144,000.
Back to verse 1, with the four angels on the four points of the compass, the four corners of the earth. As we indicated before, we have to get all the way over to chapter 20 and verse 8 to see that the four corners represent the earth itself. Those four angels are withholding the wind, withholding God’s judgment until what? Until the 144,000, who are God’s people on earth—those people of every tribe, of every tongue, of every age, who are standing firm and true—are sealed. God knows them and they, WE, have assurance and comfort.
THE GREAT MULTITUDE IN HEAVEN (VERSES 9-17)
John Sees a Great Multitude (verses 9-12)
Now, we come to the second part of chapter 7. This is where we see that innumerable host.
Revelation 7:9-17
“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God Who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.’
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?’
14 And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’
So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 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 dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
Again, we see this innumerable host. Where are they? They are “standing before the throne and before the Lamb,” [verse 9]. We are looking here at the same people. We are looking at them from two perspectives, two vantage points, two positions, if you will.
What we’re looking at in the first part, verses 1 through 8, is the church militant, as several writers term that. What do we mean, “church militant”?
Go back to the opening of the first seal, Revelation 6, verses 1 and 2 [“Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, ‘Come and see.’ 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He Who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to Him, and He went out conquering and to conquer.”].
As we discussed, the Lord is in view, coming forth on that white horse. He has a bow; He is prepared for battle. What is the battle? It’s a spiritual battle. It’s the battle of bringing the Gospel to all the world.
And, who are the soldiers in that army? WE are! The 144,000 that were in view, that ARE in view. These are the soldiers in that battle. WE are the church militant, the church here on the earth, the church as it was represented in that day toward the end of the 1st Century, the church in every age, as viewed there in those first 8 verses of Revelation, chapter 7.
Then, in verses 9 through 17 we see the church triumphant. This is the church triumphant before God on His throne, and before the Lamb. This is the church in heaven, the church saved. We said that this 7th chapter contains a Message of hope, of comfort, of assurance, and indeed, it does, doesn’t it?
There are five points that we can make from this section. These five points have to do with this innumerable host, with these ones who are seen standing there before the throne.
The first point is a description of the innumerable host—this “great multitude,” as they are referred to here in the text. Notice what is emphasized, what is accentuated here.
FIRST of all, their number is accentuated. What is their number? Well, it is as a “multitude” that no one could count. In Revelation 7, verse 4, John HEARS the number, “144,000” [“And I heard the number of those who were sealed.”]. In Revelation 7, verse 9, John SEES the number, the “great multitude” [“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number….”].
Concerning this “great multitude,”what is their origin? Are they only from the twelve tribes of Israel? Are they only from the nation of Israel? No. You see, they are identified, their origin being “of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues,” not leaving anyone out. No, not that everyone is going to be there; that’s not what we intend at all. But, there will be those of every tribe, of every tongue, of every nation, who will be in that number—those who are saved, yes, from before the time of the cross, and those who are saved after the time of the cross.
SECONDLY, we see their appearance—what of their appearance? Well, they are “standing.” How is it that they are standing? Chapter 6 closed out with that question, “…who is able to stand?” At first, we might say, “Well, NO ONE could stand in the presence of God.” And, indeed, no one can stand in the presence of God on their own merit, on their own goodness. But those of the church triumphant, those of the great innumerable host, stand; NO, not on their own merit, but they stand on the basis of what Christ has done, what Christ has done on the cross, what Christ has done through His blood. This is how and why they are able to stand before the throne and the Lamb.
They are wearing “white robes,” a sign of victory, a sign of purity. They have in their hands “palm branches,” a sign of victory, a sign of peace, John 12, verse 13 [John 12:12-13: “The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: ‘Hosanna! “Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the LORD!” The King of Israel!”’”].
So, here we see assembled there in the throne room of heaven, standing before God Almighty and His Son, this great multitude, representing those saved of every age. They are arrayed in white, and they are victorious while on the earth, while being part of that tribulation on the earth. They were seemingly downtrodden, they were persecuted, they were put down, and they were even killed. But here, in this scene, they are victorious.
THIRD, we see the worship of “great multitude.” With one accord, John says that they cry “out with a loud voice.” They are not quiet. They life up their collective voice in praise and in adoration. They are, as the Psalmist said in the long ago, worshiping God “in the beauty of holiness,” Psalm 29, verse 2 [“Give unto the LORD the glory due to His Name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”]. They are worshiping God “in spirit and Truth,” as John wrote in his Gospel, John 4, verse 24 [John 4:23-24: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and Truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and Truth.”]. That’s what these ones are doing.
We are going to see, as we continue on through the book of Revelation, that this is going to be a consistent picture, a consistent depiction, of what those in heaven do—not for an hour on Sunday morning and an hour on Sunday night, and then again on Wednesday night. NO. This is what the saved in heaven do always. They praise, worship and serve the Lord. They say, “Salvation belongs to our God Who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” [verse 10].
FOURTH, in verse 11, we see that there is a response from the angelic host. You know, we may wonder and say, “Well, are the angels in heaven in any way affected by the things that man does?” Well, we know that they are, even now. We know from what the Lord said, Luke 15, that the angels rejoice when even one sinner repents. [Luke 15:7: “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”] Indeed, what we do affects the heavenly host.
But notice here in this scene, what is their response? What did they do? Well, when they heard the praise of this “great multitude,” they “fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.” Can you picture that in your mind? Can you picture this scene in your mind of the throne-room of heaven, of the angelic host face down, the “great multitude” standing there, all in one accord, praising and worshiping God? What a magnificent scene that is! Here we see this very grand worship by the redeemed of all ages and the heavenly host, as it takes place, unto God and to the Lamb.
FIFTH, notice verse 12 [“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”]. This is referred to as a doxology. It is a seven-fold doxology. A doxology is a statement of praise, in this case. Notice the things that are ascribed in this doxology—things that are being ascribed or attributed to God. Remember that this worship is directed toward HIM and toward HIS SON.
They’re saying, “Amen!”—“So be it,” “Let it be.” “Blessing and glory and wisdom….” And then, “…Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever.” And then there is a grand conclusion: “AMEN”—“let it be so.”
THE GREAT MULTITUDE IDENTIFIED (VERSES 13-17
In verses 13 and 14, a question is asked, and it’s actually asked by one of the elders who is assembled in this throng. He asks, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” One of the commentators that I read pointed out that John must have been an excellent student, because he allowed the teacher to answer the question.
John says, “Sir, you know.” YOU know the answer to the question.
Well, WHO are they and WHERE did they come from? The elder does answer his own question. “These are the ones who came out of the great tribulation….” What great tribulation? Well, what was taking place there on earth? And again, I emphasize, what was taking place on earth, even at the time that John wrote this? What took place, what is taking place in the succeeding 2000 years, and what will continue to take place if this earth stands for another 2000 years? That is the period that is being referred to. These are the ones who came out of the great tribulation.
Need we be reminded that this life is not a playground? This life on earth is never depicted in the Scriptures as a place of leisure, a place of play, a place of unconcern. Whoever came up with the theory that appears sometimes on people’s bumper stickers and license places that says, “Whoever ends up with the most toys wins,” suggesting that it’s just fun and games and play and amassing all the things that we can in this life, is wrong. This life is depicted in Scriptures as being “a battleground,” a place of war, a place where, as soldiers in the army of God, we are constantly in battle: 2 Corinthians 10, verses 4 through 6 [“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”]; Ephesians 6, verses 10-18 [“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with Truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints….”]. You know, that’s why the Holy Spirit, through Paul, told us about the armor of God that we should put on. We must keep that in our minds. As we are in this world, as we are fighting the battles of this world, as we are fighting against the forces of Satan—against evil and wickedness, and so on, we can look forward to one day being part of that “great multitude,” who came out of “the great tribulation” with robes washed in the blood of the Lamb.
Of course, we understand, without comment, what is indicated here—the blood of Christ that we come in contact with through baptism. His blood makes us clean, washes us, as it were, white as snow [Isaiah 1:18: “‘Come now, and 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 be as wool.”].
Verses 15 through 17 [“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 dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”].
In these verses, we see the status, the heavenly status, of this “great multitude.” We see that they are serving “day and night.” We see that they are worshiping without distraction. We see that they are serving without exhaustion.
You know, we in this world have many problems that we deal with in our lives. We stumble; we fall; we get tired; we get discouraged; we get down in the dumps; we even sometimes grow weary of worship and service. That’s not a diatribe [a bitter, abusive denunciation] against any of us—we’re human! These are part of our human frailties. But when we get to heaven, we will administrate without failure; we will worship without end. In heaven, we’ll fellowship without suspicion.
In this world, in this life, we must try every spirit, 1 John 4, verse 1 [“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”]. We must be on guard for false teachers, and so on. But over there, we won’t need to do that, because only those who are faithful and true to His Word will be there.
Also, we see here that we will rest without boredom. Some people wonder and ask me from time to time, “Since you don’t work, how do you keep from becoming bored?” [This is implying that preachers don’t work.] But, it is true that when we have time on our hands, we have a tendency to be bored. In heaven, we will not rest from all work, but we will rest from all want. We will not have want—we will serve and worship tirelessly and we will rest from all want. That is the rest that we will enjoy in heaven. No, we will not rest from work, but we will rest from want.
The entire book of Revelation points us toward our heavenly home. It assures us that, in the end, we win. The good guys are victorious. But, in a number of places, and in this place specifically [verses 13-17], it gives us these wonderful views of what heaven is going to be like. Even in our age of ease, in our age of convenience, in our age of really NOT wanting anything—even in our age, I trust that we can see through our “eye of faith” and through these images that the Holy Spirit has provided for us just how wonderful heaven will be.
I heard a good way of looking at this. I spoke with the pulpit minister at the Netherwood congregation [Netherwood church of Christ, Albuquerque, New Mexico] the other day. He has done some work in Russia in the past and plans to continue doing that. Many of us met Jim Miller and Dave Board [from Lifeline of Hope—International Orphan Aid & Adoption, working in Russia], who were with us Sunday night. They stayed through yesterday, by the way. We had some good visits with them. Anyway, David Nester [pulpit minister at the Netherwood church of Christ] and Jim Miller were talking about some of their experiences in Russia and that sort of thing.
One of the things that I have a hard time comprehending is that here in this country, we have a lot of people who really don’t care much about God or spiritual things. But I think it’s fairly rare when you run into someone who does not have any concept at all about God, or about Jesus Christ, or about spiritual things.
David was saying that when he first went to Russia, he was meeting with young people on the street—perhaps some of these two million orphans who are still on the street over there. There is something like 2.5 million orphans who are IN orphanages, but there’s still another two million orphans who roam the streets. David said he would run into a group of children—young people—and he would try to communicate with them; then he would pray with them. He would do this through a translator. He’d say, “Let’s pray,” and he would put his head down and pray. He said that about the third or fourth time that he did that, the translator said, “You’re putting your head down too soon. Keep your head up and keep your eyes open and see what happens.”
So, the next time, David did that. As he began to pray, the translator told him, “These children have no clue about what you’re doing. They’ve never heard of prayer; they have no understanding; they have no concept of prayer whatsoever.” Well, that was a valuable lesson for David.
David said that an exercise that he would use, and apparently still does use, is to give children [the Russian orphans on the street] a piece of paper and some markers or crayons—something that most of them have never seen or experienced. As he was trying to teach them about the Bible, about God, about Jesus, and so on, he would tell them, “Now you draw a picture of the most beautiful thing that you can imagine—a city, a farm, the countryside—whatever you can come up with in your mind. You just make it as beautiful as you can.”
He gave the children 20 or 30 minutes. These children, even though they’re very deprived, are apparently very, very creative, most of them. David said you wouldn’t believe some of the pictures that they could draw, and the detail. Then David would tell them, “This is the most beautiful thing that you can imagine, but there is a place that is so much more beautiful than this that you can’t imagine.” That was David’s way of getting them to develop some kind of a concept about heaven.
Well, I thought about that. We experience a lot of beautiful things, a lot of wonderful things, in this life. But the most beautiful, the most wonderful thing that we’ve ever seen, that we’ve ever experienced, will pale in comparison to what we will experience in heaven. We will be awe-struck! Let’s think about that.
Revelation 7:15-17: “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 dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”