Rev 7.1-17 tells us about the calling of the 144,000 right before the birth-pains, and who they are; God’s multitude of worshipers in heaven and who they are; their service to Yehovah.
v 1…After this (after the sixth seal) I saw four angels (alludes to the four spirits of the heavens in Zech 6.5)standing at the four corners (the four directions called the “four winds” in Dan 8.8 meaning the whole earth) of the earth holding back the four winds (destruction, whirlwinds-Jer 49.36; Dan 7.2; Hos 13.15; Zech 6.5) of the earth so that no wind (no destruction can start) should blow on the earth or on the sea (humanity-Isa 57.20) or on the trees (people-Psa 1.3; Ezel 17.24; Matt 7.16-20; Rev 9.3-4).
v 2…And I saw another angel descending from the rising of the sun (the east, from Israel) having the seal (the Ruach Ha Kodesh-Eph 1.13) of the living God and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea (humanity-Isa 24)
v 3…saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees (humanity, people) until we (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) have sealed (based on Ezek 9.1-11 and may be symbolized by the Hebrew letter “shin” symbolic of the name of God. Jerusalem is like the letter “shin” with its topography=Deut 12.11. Satan will counterfeit this in Rev 13.14-18 with a false shin made up of three Hebrew letters called the “vav” which looks like a serpent ready to strike) the bond-servants of our God on their forehead (seat of the intellect, the mind, heart; like the head piece of the High Priest. This sealing happens on the first day of the Day of the Lord, right after the Rapture, on Rosh Ha Shannah. The 144,000 will flee “Babylon” (Jer 50.1-10; 50.16,28; 51.6,9, 45-50; Isa 48.20) They are the first fruits of those saved-Rev 14.4; Micah 5.3; Isa 52.7-12).
v 4…And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel (notice they are not “lost”-Matt 19.28; Luke 2.36, 22.30; Jam 1.1 and they are not listed in their birth order);
v 5…from the tribe of Judah (meaning “praise”, mentioned first because Yeshua the king is from them), twelve thousand were sealed (saved), from the tribe of Reuben (meaning “see the son”, the first born of Jacob until he sinned) twelve thousand; from the tribe of Gad (meaning “a troop”) twelve thousand,
v 6… from the tribe of Asher (meaning “blessed) twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali (meaning “my wrestling”) twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh (meaning “to forget”) twelve thousand,
v 7…from the tribe of Simeon (meaning “to hear”) twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi (meaning “to join”) twelve thousand, from the tribe if Issachar (meaning “my hiring”) twelve thousand,
v 8…from the tribe of Zebulon (meaning “dwelling”) twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph (meaning “to add”) twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin (meaning “son of the right hand or last days”) twelve thousand were sealed (These will be literally twelve thousand Jewish males from these tribes. Joseph is the same as Ephraim, who is not mentioned. Levi is usually not listed because they had no inheritance and they dwelt among all the tribes, but they are listed here because of the spiritual nature of their calling. The tribe of Dan is replaced by Manasseh-see Gen 49 list. From Jewish and early Christian literature it was understood that the false messiah would come from Dan. In Gen 49.16-18, the serpent is the symbol for this tribe. Satan is also described as a serpent in Gen 3.15. The twisted serpent Leviathan is a picture of the false messiah in Isa 27.1 and so is Pharaoh, who wore a serpent on his crown. Egypt is a type for Europe, from where the false messiah will come because Dan 7 and 9.26 says he will come from “Rome.” Other verses referring to the false messiah are: Lev 24.10-14; Isa 19.4; Jer 11.4; Deut 4.20; Ezek 29.1-12; Ezek 32; Num 14.4. The false messiah will not come within the context of Judaism, but will be the “Jesus” of Christianity. Dan was considered to be an assimilated tribe and apostate-Micah 2.4. He will be “lawless”=Greek “anomos” which means “Torah-less” which means not subject to the Torah and against it-Dan 7.25; 2 Thes 2.1-12. He will not believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, he deceives people into thinking he is “Jesus” and God in the flesh. That is why Dan is omitted in the list of the 144,000. The 144,000 will come primarily from the country of “Babylon” which symbolically is the USA. Rev 14.1-4 says that they are the “first fruits” to receive the Messiah in the Tribulation. The apostle Paul was a picture of them, knowledgeable in the Torah and trained by the president of the Sanhedrin, Gamaliel. In 1 Cor 15.8 where he says that he is “born out of his time.” The 144,000 will be of the same caliber, trained in Torah and believing in Yeshua. We know that Babylon is destroyed during the Day of the Lord. Babylon is described in Jer 50 and 51 as a rich, economic giant, the last of the great Gentile nations, most powerful nation in the world, has a large Jewish population, established on the Word of God but departed, has anti-Semitism in the land, a land of plenty and a land of liberty, a land of mingled people, sits on many waters, a land that the rivers divide, sensual and given to pleasure, a treacherous dealer, filled with pride, covetous and full of idols and the hammer of the earth. There is only one nation in the last days that this describes. The 144,000 come out of her before the destruction comes and flee Babylon and goes to Israel for the first half of the Birth-pains, then to the nations during the second half-Jer 50.4, 8, 16; 51.6; Micah 5.7; Isa 49.1-6; Isa 52.7-12; Matt 24.14. They will believe right at the beginning of the Day of the Lord, on Rosh Ha Shannah, flee Babylon and goes to Israel and begin their ministry on Yom Kippur, the first day of the seven year Birth-pains-Isa 18.3; Zeph 3.10; Micah 4.10, 5.3; Hos 3.4-5; Isa 66.7-9).
v 9…After these things (this portion has Sukkot, Messianic Kingdom, Sabbath of God and the Lord’s Day themes and deals with the fruits of the 144,000. This is the Bride, the “New Jerusalem”) I looked and behold, a great multitude which no man could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb clothed in white robes (glorified bodies, symbolic of the priestly garments and righteousness of Messiah) and palm branches (called “lulavim”, these are Sukkot idioms and phrases, reminiscent of the Beit Ha Shoevah ceremony in the Temple during Sukkot) were in their hands (looking forward to making a sukkah);
v 10… and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation (Hebrew=Yeshua and should be understood in the Jewish context of salvation, which is both personal and national) to our God who sits on the throne (the Father), and to the Lamb.”
v 11…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 worshipped God,
v 12…saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever (the past ages) and ever (the future ages). Amen.”
v 13…And one of the elders answered (Hebrew idiom for “began to speak”), saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and from where have they come?”
v 14…And I said to him, “My Lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who came out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes (like Joshua the high priest in Zech 3.1-5) and made them white (Yom Kippur terms-Isa 1.18) in the blood of the Lamb.
v 15… For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne shall spread his tabernacle (sukkah-Isa 4.5-6) over them (a theme of Sukkot).
v 16…They shall hunger (for the truth) no more; neither thirst (for the water of truth and life) any more; neither will the sun beat down on them (to reprove, correct) nor any heat (no more trials or persecutions);
v 17…for the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd (king) and shall guide them to the springs of the water of life (true teaching-Jer 2.13; 17.12); and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes.
Leave a Reply