Revelation Chapter 7 Study

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Gathering Essentials

If you haven’t been with us, we have deconstructed these gatherings down to the essentials: We begin with prayer, sing the Word of God set to music (as a means to get it into our heads), and then we sit for a moment in silence here at the Church/Studio. When we come back, we pick up where we left off last week in our verse by verseTGNN’s Bible teaching series—book-by-book, through the lens of fulfillment and spiritual liberty. study. And that takes us to Acts chapter 23 verse 12.

• Prayer
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• Silence

Revelation 7: The Break of Silence

Revelation 7. Part III
Meat
July 30th, 2017

Okay, we are in Revelation chapter 7, which is considered by some to be a break of silence between the sixth seal and the seventh. Last week, we talked about the 144,000 and the tribes. We then entered into another vision John has where we wrote:

Revelation 7:9 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 honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

We discussed the potential meaning of this vision and had some different interpretations of it. I believe that it is describing the saved hosts of heaven which are innumerable because there are so many. I suggested this because I believe that the 144,000 “are the few” (that find it) whom Jesus spoke about taken from the House of Israel. Finally, even though the stance is tough to support completely – I am convinced that God will have the total victory over all through His Son and all will ultimately be reconciled to Him – after they go through their respective tribulations.

I must say, however, that this view clouded my interpretation of Revelation and in last week's teaching I suggested that the innumerable number was John seeing all the reconciled host of heaven before the throne. I now see from further study that this view was wrong. You see, the book of RevelationA symbolic prophecy fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not a prediction of future global events. and the entire Bible for that matter, was to them then – in that day and age. My desire to see total reconciliation represented in the text came about last week as I interpreted the innumerable host before the throne as including us. Not right. Apologies.

Revelation 7:13-17 Discussion

We will see today in our verse by verse where I went wrong. Finally, there were other views that suggested that we are still waiting on this scene to be fulfilled and that perhaps, it really represents a few believers when compared to vast number of people who have ever lived. So, let’s continue on with the text and what John says happened when he saw this innumerable host gathered around the throne of God. (verse 13)

Revelation 7:13 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 tribulationA real historical event fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not a future apocalyptic crisis. More, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
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.

Alright, back to verse 13:

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, “What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?” When Revelation speaks of the Elders in John’s visit (or one of the Elders) it seems that they are representatives of the Church – one of the oldest members.

John's Vision of the White-Robed Host

– and, of course, in the King James, when it says, “and one of the elders answered, this best means, “one of the elders asked” – in this case, “one of the elders asked John.” In the vision, John was looking on the host, and reflecting on the state of things, and one of the elders asked Him (or we could say, “answered John’s state of observation with”: “What are these which are arrayed in white robes? Who are these?”

Now, there is some debate here on who the these were that the Elder is asking about. Because John says He saw innumerable hosts in white waving palm frons before the throne of God, most suggest that the elder is asking John who the whole host was. In other words, who are all of these innumerable people standing around the throne? But some suggest that John first says that He saw the whole host waving Palm frons, and then the Elder, focused on a particular group, asks John: And out of all of this enormous group, who are these (referring to a specific segment of the group).

Interpretation of the Elder's Question

The thinking here is, if the host was innumerable and the Elder simply asked who they were, that it couldn’t refer to the innumerable host because that many could not have come through what scripture calls, “the Great Tribulation.” So again, this view is that the Elder is directing John to a specific or select group of the innumerable masses and asks Him to identify them. This is hard to tell. But in the end, either the whole host came through Great Tribulation and the elder was referencing them OR the Elder was referring to a smaller selection of the group who had come through Great Tribulation. One things we can probably say is the phrase “great tribulation” used here SEEMS to only mean the great tribulation that the Church was facing in the last daysThe final years of the old covenant age—fulfilled in the first century, not future end times. before the destruction of Jerusalem.

We can say this because this is the same Greek phrase Jesus uses in scripture to describe what the end-time tribulation would look like. The Greek is MEGAS THLIPSIS and it is specifically used in Matthew 24 when Jesus is asked by His disciples to describe to them the end of the ageThe close of the old covenant era, fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not the end of the world. and what would accompany His return. There He said:

Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

The only other place where Megas Thlipsis is here in Revelation. For this reason, most Christian readers do not believe the Megas Thlipsis has occurred and are therefore futurists in their eschatologyStudy of “last things”—TGNN teaches all biblical eschatology was fulfilled in 70 A.D. More.

Identity of the White-Robed Host

I would suggest (for now) the following: That the 144,000 were the special members of the House of Israel that were saved from destruction. That the innumerable number around the throne of God waving Palm branches were all the Nation of Israel, and that The Elder asked John about a certain group of the host in white as to their identity. And perhaps these were martyrs who had made it through the end time tribulation. The question the elder asks John is who are they and where did they come from? Verse 14

14 And I (John) 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.” “Sir, thous knowest” was a polite (kurios – Lord) address and the humble admittance that he was ignorant of the answer “And he said unto me, these are they which came out of great tribulation.” Most of what we have read thus far in Revelation pertains to the tribulation the saints of the Apostolic church faced in that day and age and as was foretold of by Jesus in Matthew 24.

Most of the epistles written toward the end of that age were rife with advice from the apostles warning them to hang on through the trials and tribulation that was all around them. So the Elder tells John that these (whether a special group or the innumerable masses) were they that came through Great Tribulation AND “have washed their robes making them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

There is a bit of an immediate paradox here in saying that robes could be made white through the blood of another human being. From this we realize that this is speaking of heavenly purification, that the shed blood of any other martyr or individual would do nothing but stain our white clothing and

The Role of Jesus' Blood in Salvation

Perhaps somehow implicate us in their deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God.. But only in the case of Jesus and His death would and could His shed blood have the ability to wash all people clean of the stains from life and sins on earth. There is also the temptation to believe that those who are being discussed here are present in heaven because they have made it through “great tribulation.” This is not so. The only reason they are there before the throne of God is because their robes have been washed clean and made white in the blood of the Lamb. They may be distinguished in heaven by different factors – as the 144,000 or those who made it through great tribulation, but in the end, all are only there TO BE DISTINGUISHED by and through the blood of the Lamb.

Service in Heaven

The elder continues and says: (verse 15)

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.

The Elder gives John a “therefore” at this point. Therefore is a way of saying, “as a direct result of the fact that their robes have been made white in the blood of the lamb. . . THEREFORE . . . The reason why they are there before the throne of God, THEREFORE, for no other reasons other than His shed blood applied, Therefore . . . These who you have seen washed in the blood of the Lamb now . . . “serve him night and day in his temple (meaning heaven): and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. Uninterrupted service, constant devotion, continually in the presence of God.

Now, in our world, this sounds really hellish to me – laboring day and night as a servant. I’m just being honest. But I am uncertain about exactly how this would play out in another dimension, one where there is no weariness, no need of intermission, and where the service of God would be a total unequivocal joy rather than an exhausting burden. The Elder also says that He that sits on the throne would “dwell among them” a term that properly means that He would “pitch a tent” with them. In my estimation, could be wrong, I see this as a way of saying that God would dwell with them in a tent or in the very body of Jesus Christ. To see one is to see the other.

Continuing with the conditions of those who would be there in His midst the Elder tells John (verse 16)

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

The Resurrected Life's Promise

This is a quote from Isaiah 49:10. It therefore speaks plainly to Jews who had gone through great tribulation. As famine was one of the signs of the end of that age it is possible that the Elder says this. 1st Corinthians 15:44 informs us, contrary to most peoples views, that the resurrected body will be spiritual, therefore all the things that contribute to our physical discomfort here will be lost in the presence of God. The list goes on and on. Neither hunger, nor thirst, neither the need for the rays of the sun – perhaps intense burning rays of heat – but the light of God, bearable in and through the shed blood of the Lamb.

At verse 17 the Elder seems to give the heavenly response to hunger, thirst, and the misery of having to live under the heat of the burning sun, saying:

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.

From this verse Jesus, the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, remains the great agent in promoting the happiness of the redeemed in heaven. He is the one who will feed and lead them to living waters. The word used here for feed is poimanae – which is essentially saying that He will perform the role of shepherd – which we know means far more than just feeding sheep, but caring, protecting, guarding, watering, and leading.

Spiritual Symbolism of Living Waters

The idea of Jesus leading the saved to living waters is very symbolic for the reader from the far east as running streams of cool water through hot deserted lands is felt to the core to such people. This imagery is of course spiritual, and refers to the

Eternal Solace and the Seventh Seal

Constant refreshment of the spirit to these heavenly inhabitants gathered around the throne of God. Then finally, “and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” Again, this is another passage taken from Isaiah, (25:8) which says, "The Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces." So again, we have the fulfillment here among the very people of God – those by birth and those by adoption. We can take the phrase literally to mean that when the citizens of heaven cry God will dry their tears giving them solace. Or we can take the imagery symbolically and suggest that in heaven no tears are ever shed of which the line, God will wipe away every tear represents. Again, this is describing a state that we humans will have a hard time comprehending for this life is shrouded in a veil of tears. Because these heavenly hosts have been through so much these passages seem to be present, in part, to soothe them in describing the future that awaits all who endure.

The Seven Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls

And this brings us to chapter 8 and the opening of the seventh and final seal on the scroll presented to the Lamb. Before we get into it I want to do a little preview of the way things begin to unfold for us here. Admittedly, I have not looked forward to teaching these things because at first sight (which is all I have given them) it appears that they speak to future, world-wide calamities – which have not occurred in chronological succession and therefore SEEM to be looming out over the world in the future. That is my immediate concern. I honestly am open to stepping in and teaching these passages according to what they say, not what I think, in order to see if there is a futuristic view in them I have therefore discounted. Now let’s go to the board and lay all of this out.

The seven seals (Revelation 6:1-17, 8:1-5), seven trumpets (Revelation 8:6-9:21; 11:15-19), and seven bowls/vials (Revelation 16:1-21) are three succeeding series of end-times judgments from God. The judgments get progressively worse and more devastating as the end times progress. The seven seals, trumpets, and bowls are connected to one another as the seventh seal introduces the seven trumpets (Revelation 8:1-5) and the seventh trumpets introduce the seven bowls (Revelation 11:15-19, 15:1-8).

The Four Horsemen and Beyond

As we’ve seen the first four of the seven seals are known as the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. The first seal introduces the Antichrist (Revelation 6:1-2). The second seal causes great warfare (Revelation 6:3-4). The third of the seven seals causes famine (Revelation 6:5-6). The fourth seal brings about plague, further famine, and further warfare (Revelation 6:7-8). The fifth seal tells us of those who will be martyred for their faith in Christ during the end times (Revelation 6:9-11). God hears their cries for justice and will deliver it in His timing—in the form of the sixth seal, along with the trumpet and bowl judgments. When the sixth of the seven seals is broken, a devastating earthquake occurs, causing massive upheaval and terrible devastation—along with unusual astronomical phenomena (Revelation 6:12-14). Those who survive cry out words Jesus presents in Matthew 24, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:16-17).

The seven trumpets are described in Revelation 8:6-13 which we are about to read. The seven trumpets are the “contents” of the seventh seal which is described in (Revelation 8:1-5). The first trumpet causes hail and fire that destroys much of the plant life in the world (Revelation 8:7). The second trumpet brings about what seems to be a meteor hitting the oceans and causing the death of much of the world’s sea life (Revelation 8:8-9). The third trumpet is similar to the second, except it affects the world’s lakes and rivers instead of the oceans (Revelation 8:10-11). The fourth of the seven trumpets causes the sun and moon to be darkened (Revelation 8:12). The fifth trumpet results in a plague of “demonic locusts” that attack and torture humanity (Revelation 9:1-11). The sixth trumpet releases a demonic army that kills a third of humanity (Revelation 9:12-21). The seventh trumpet calls forth the seven angels with the seven bowls of God’s wrath (Revelation 11:15-19, 15:1-8).

Then the seven bowl/vial judgments are described in Revelation 16:1-21. They are called forth by the seventh trumpet. The first bowl causes painful

The Seven Bowls of Wrath

The Book of Revelation describes a series of catastrophic events unleashed upon the earth, known as the Seven Bowls of Wrath. These events begin with sores breaking out on humanity (Revelation 16:2). The second bowl results in the death of every living thing in the sea (Revelation 16:3). The third bowl causes the rivers to turn into blood (Revelation 16:4-7).

The fourth bowl intensifies the sun’s heat, causing great pain (Revelation 16:8-9). The fifth bowl results in great darkness and worsens the sores from the first bowl (Revelation 16:10-11). The sixth bowl dries up the Euphrates River, allowing the armies of the Antichrist to gather for the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-14). The seventh bowl brings a devastating earthquake followed by giant hailstones (Revelation 16:15-21).

God’s Judgments Declared Just

In Revelation 16:5-7, it states: "You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve. … Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments." This passage underscores the apocalyptic imagery as fitting judgments upon those who have persecuted God's saints and prophets.

The Trumpets Sound

Revelation 8:1 describes the opening of the seventh seal, resulting in silence in heaven for about half an hour. Seven angels, each with a trumpet, stand ready before God. An angel offers incense with the prayers of all saints, and the smoke ascends before God. The angel takes fire from the altar, casting it to the earth, causing voices, thunderings, lightning, and an earthquake (Revelation 8:1-6).

The first four angels sound their trumpets, resulting in catastrophic events: hail and fire mingled with blood burn a third of the trees and all green grass, a burning mountain turns a third of the sea into blood destroying sea life and ships, a great star named Wormwood falls, making waters bitter, and a third of the sun, moon, and stars are darkened, affecting the day and night (Revelation 8:7-12).

Woe to the Earth’s Inhabitants

An angel warns the earth's inhabitants with the words: "Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!" (Revelation 8:13).

Revelation 9 describes the sounding of the fifth trumpet. A star falls from heaven to earth, opening the bottomless pit, releasing smoke that darkens the sun and air. Locusts with power like scorpions emerge, commanded not to harm the earth's grass or green things.

Revelation and Prophecy

Tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

The Sixth Angel and the Four Angels

13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. 20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Upcoming Events

I think we will let all of that sink in and percolate and then come back next week and see what we can learn about the seals, trumpets, and vials.

Comments and Questions Prayer Reminder

August 7th 6PM here at CAMPUS – GROUP IN HOPE AND LOVE – a gathering about Recovery.

Then on Sunday August 20th join us for an Open Water Baptism and hot dog barbeque 11:30 – 1:30 PM

All invited.