Read Revelation 7
144,000 Sealed
7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
The Great Multitude in White Robes
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have 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 shelter them with his presence.
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
Go Deeper
In between the sixth and seventh seals in Revelation, God gives us an interlude of hope. In John’s vision, he looked, and “there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (v. 9-10). This is the end goal to which all of history is headed! God is on His throne, and believers from every nation, or people group are lifting up their voices in worship. In this verse we see the fulfillment of what was promised to Abraham back in Genesis 12, that all peoples on earth will be blessed through his descendants.
The Triumphal Entry of Jesus in Matthew 21 is a shadow of the Great Multitude we see here in Revelation 7. As Jesus entered Jerusalem the week He was crucified, “A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:8-9). This crowd is looking forward to what might be: future salvation and deliverance. The Great Multitude in Revelation 7 looked at what is: eternal salvation and deliverance. The crowd in Matthew 21 temporarily worships Jesus, and the great multitude in Revelation 7 will worship Jesus forever.
We must not miss the point! God’s greatest desire is redeeming all people to Himself, and He calls us to be a part of it. In the Great Commission, Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of all nations, and this mission is not complete (Matthew 28). There are currently over 3.2 billion people around the world who are considered “unreached.” Unreached people are not people who have rejected Jesus. They are people with no access to the gospel. They are people who will be born, live, and die without ever hearing the name of Jesus. They are not more lost than the atheist down the street; however the difference is they don’t have an opportunity to hear the gospel. The unreached make up over one-third of the world’s population and include thousands of entire people groups without any known believers. This means we have work to do! This task of making disciples of all nations is not just for a select few. God calls every single one of us to be a part of His global passion and purpose.
We are God’s “Plan A” for His glory to be made known to the ends of the earth. It’s our joy that we get to be a part of making Revelation 7:9-10 happen, and this has huge implications for our lives. Our time on earth is short, the Great Commission is urgent, and we are called to live for a greater reward. May we radically pray for the nations to know Jesus. May we give sacrificially for His global purposes. May we welcome internationals into our homes. May we be a part of sending believers to the unreached. May we go to the places of the earth who have never heard the good news. May we leverage our lives so that people from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue would worship the name of Jesus for all of eternity. May we look forward to the day where He will be exalted forever among the nations and on the earth. This is what we were made for: to help everyone from every nation follow Jesus!
Questions
- What does Revelation 7:9-10 give us a picture of? What does this reveal us about God’s heart? What other passages of Scripture show us God’s heart for the world?
- How does the triumphal entry of Jesus in Matthew 21 give us a shadow of what is to come in Revelation 7:9-10? Compare and contrast these two passages.
- What does it look like for you to practically be a part of the fulfillment of Revelation 7:9-10? How is this passage going to change the way you live?
Keep Digging
A great way to be a part of God’s global purpose is through prayer. The Lord has given us an incredible gift of intercessory prayer. Spend time today praying for the fulfillment of God’s promise in Revelation 7.
A great way to pray for those around the world to come to know Jesus is through a resource called the Joshua Project. The Joshua Project has the Unreached of the Day, where you can learn more about how to specifically pray for unreached people groups across the globe!
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4 thoughts on “Revelation 7”
Thank you for this great commentary and the challenge issued. I’m signing up for the Joshua Project to pray daily for unreached people groups. We are so blessed to be part of a body of believers that “exists to help everyone follow Jesus, by engaging the lost, equipping the saints, and empowering members for service.” That includes pursuing every nation, tribe, people and language with the gospel. As we read through Revelation and find things beyond our understanding, let’s be challenged with what we are able to grasp. Today let’s be about fulfilling the Great Commission.
Having spent many years living and traveling internationally, I am continually amazed at the connection experienced with fellow believers around the globe despite the many cultural, language, etc. differences. Therefore, this image brings tears to my eyes:
9 “there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”
Transformation
We are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Because we are holy as He is holy. We have a commission to speak the truth and to show people who God is and what He has done for us. Pray is also a part of that. If we cannot literally go to the uttermost parts of the earth, we can pray and intercede for those who do go. We can give financialy to those who can go also. Revelation 7 is showing us how transformation hearing and seeing what is/was and will happen per God and His word.
God may I be transformed by the renewing of my mind so that I can prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of You, God. God this is my superpower (and all human beings) that You gave me when You made me in Your image. I can control my thoughts, behaviors, choices, and feelings to the degree I can read Your word. Thank You for being able to pray and interced with You about those who are lost. Thank You for those who go out on a mission field in other countrys that they are able to speak and declare You. God thank You as I go on my mission field here. Thank You for Your love goggles to see, Your words to speak, Your love to share and what You want me to do in these minutes of this day in Jesus name amen.
Radically praying to fulfill the Great Commission beginning in my family.