A Pause...THE 144,000
THE SAINTS ON EARTH...
1 And after these things I saw four angels
standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth,
that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2
And 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 given to
hurt the earth and the sea,3
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed
the servants of our God in their foreheads.4
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an
hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
After the opening of the sixth seal, John sees a different
vision.
He sees four angels on the four corners of the earth holding the
four winds of the earth.
Notice how many times it is stated that these things occurred on
the earth. Not in heaven.
It appears that what we are seeing here is a restraining from
destructive judgment on the earth.
The four corners of the earth represent the four directions or
the whole face of the earth.
In the Old Testament, God often spoke of the judgments He
brought on nations as winds:
Against the people of Elam (Jer. 49:36).
Against Babylon (Jer. 51:1).
Another angel arrives from the east.
It is another angel of the same kind (allos).
Coming from the east means it is bringing good news.
When God left the temple in 586 B.C. before the
destruction of Jerusalem, He went toward the east (Eze. 11:23). When His
glory returned, it came out of the east (Eze. 43:2).
The angel has the seal of the living God. He comes with God
=s
authority.
He tells the other four angels not to hurt the earth or sea.
The coming judgment was not to hurt Christians.
This reminds one of Ezekiel 9:1-8.
The servants of God were going to be marked or sealed in order
to save them from this judgment.
This was not to be a physical mark but spiritual (Rev. 14:1;
22:4; 2 Tim. 2:19).
The number of the ones sealed was 144,000.
Is this a literal number?
Some say it is: the Jehovah
=s
Witnesses.
If the number is literal then the people from whom they
are chosen must be literal. Hence, on 12,000 from each tribe will be
chosen. This would exclude people like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus
said these people were in heaven (Mt. 8:11).
This also means that no one from Dan and Ephraim would
be in heaven. This would exclude men such as Joshua and Samson. Yet both
of these are mentioned in Hebrews 11 as heroes of faith.
It makes much more sense to view the number as figurative.
12x12x1000
12 is a religious number multiplied by itself and 1000 a
multiple of ten which represents completeness. Hence, this represents the
total number of saints on the earth at any given time.
5
Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were
sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.6 Of the
tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed
twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.7 Of the
tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed
twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.8 Of the
tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed
twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
Ephraim and Dan are omitted but Joseph and Levi are included.
These tribes are symbolic like the 144,000.
NOW TO THE SAINTS IN HEAVEN...
9 After this I
beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations,
and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the
Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;10 And cried with a
loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto
the Lamb.11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the
elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and
worshipped God,12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and
thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and
ever. Amen.
There is a great multitude before the throne.
White robes represent purity, holiness.
Palms in their hands represent joy (Lev. 23:40; Jn. 12:13).
All present fall and worship God and the Lamb.
13 And one of the
elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white
robes? and whence came they?14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he
said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed
their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
An elder asks John who these are who are wearing the white
robes.
The great tribulation being spoken of here is probably the
persecution brought about by the Roman Empire.
The word
Acame@
actually means a continuous coming, not something that has already been
completed.
They had made themselves pure through the blood of Christ.
15
Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his
temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.16 They shall
hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them,
nor any heat.17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed
them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes.
After making through the great tribulation, saints are allowed
into heaven where they enjoy all its blessings.
