Revelation 7:1–17

Notice that the two visions of Revelation 7 form no part of the sequence of the seals. The sixth seal is now open, and the seventh does not come until Revelation 8. These visions are introduced as something separate: "After this I saw." They are a parenthesis between the sixth and seventh seals. Indeed they could not form part of the seals, for they are different in nature. The seals are judgments. These visions are visions of remarkable grace — to Israel first, and also to the Gentiles. There is a moral beauty in this interruption. The seal judgments are rolling on, and the sixth has come. But the Lord stops the procession to display this magnificent show of grace — in wrath He remembers mercy.

Angels, as always, are the servants of God's providential rule. Here they act as the ones who carry out His judgments... In fact they hold back the powers of evil here. They are also the ones who, in God's own time, bring His vengeance through those same powers. They stand on the four corners of the earth. The whole earth is under the control God has given them, because the number four is the symbol of completeness on earth.

The "four winds of the earth" are those disturbing elements existing in all quarters, which God can at His will let loose in judgment.

The winds of the earth are the various influences that affect it from outside. They are certainly not divine influences, or God would not need to hold them back. They are the power of the enemy at work. Satan, as we learn elsewhere, is "the prince of the power of the air," and the course of this age is under his control. God is above it all, as we now see. Nothing exists unless God permits it. That is the security of His people, whatever hostile circumstances they pass through.

"That no wind might blow on earth" — the scene of settled government (Rev. 10:2; Ps. 46:2); "or sea" — nations and peoples in anarchy and confusion (Dan. 7:2-3; Isa. 57:20); "or against any tree" — the might and pride of earth (Dan. 4:10, 22; Ezek. 31:3-9, 14-18). The verse gives the reason for the pause in judgment in exact terms: "until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads" (v. 3).

John here views the earth as a vast open plain, bounded by the four main points of the compass, north, south, east, and west. At each of these corners an angel stands so as to have full control over the destructive forces of evil. Repeating the number "four" three times marks how complete and how wide-reaching the action is... The earth here must be understood in its largest sense.

This pictures God in His providence holding judgment back, so that the servants of God can be sealed in their foreheads. If Antichrist will seal his servants in their foreheads (see Revelation 13:16), God will seal His servants and preserve them.

The order of these things is important. It shows that God has complete control of the situation, even of the worst powers that may act on the earth. The earth may be in total turmoil but God takes care of the saints. He knows each one and this is so important for our comfort and consolation. Nothing is too difficult for Him, nor any situation too dangerous.

The four angels were given their power to harm the earth and the sea. So the judgment is in God's hand, even though the instruments may be working their own will. The angels have "power to harm" simply because they have the power to restrain the harmful influences, or not. So there is a time of quiet and relative safety until God has finished His own work in those who serve Him.

In every upheaval, in every preparation for God's judgments, the angel who shows God's power in mercy is stronger than the angels who carry out His judgments. Good is more powerful than evil. That angel who holds the seal can cry with a loud voice, Do not harm. We see the same thing with Lot, who is a picture of the remnant that escapes at the coming of the Son of Man. The angels could do nothing to Sodom until he had left it. So there is an order among the attributes of God: His mercy always goes before His justice.

He rises from the east, the sunrise, "with the seal of the living God." This sealing angel comes up from the sunrise for the preservation and blessing of Israel. He seems to be a herald of the Messiah. As the Sun of Righteousness, Messiah will rise with healing in His wings (Mal. 4:2) and shine on the land and the people with a brightness nothing can dim. The angel brings the first fruits of the nation's blessing; the full harvest waits for Christ to appear from heaven.

Some have supposed that the sealing angel is Christ. One reason is the assumption that the work being done is the giving of the Holy Spirit of promise, the seal of redemption. To me all this is more than doubtful. Our Lord never takes an angelic form and title until we reach the trumpet series.

No angel could give the Holy Spirit. This angel's own words show he is a creature. The "we" shows that more than one carries out this ministry, and those who do it speak of God as "our God."

"The seal of the living God" implies safety from death. The seal on the forehead means a public, open acknowledgment that those who are sealed belong to God. We are not told what the seal is.

The instructed reader will see at once how this sealing differs from the sealing of believers now with the Holy Spirit. God seals believers of this present time as soon as their sins are forgiven, and He seals them for the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30). The 144,000 of this chapter are sealed with the seal of the living God. It keeps them safe through the judgments that will fall on the world. For Israel those judgments will be the day of Jacob's trouble (Jer. 30:4-9; see also Matt. 24:21-22). They are sealed for blessing on the earth in the kingdom of their glorious Messiah.

These servants are drawn from the twelve tribes of Israel, and their number, "one hundred and forty-four thousand," is symbolic. This surely shows that during this time of tribulation God will raise up His servants from among His ancient people Israel. They will be a public witness to Himself in every part of the world to which they may have been scattered.

The contents of our chapter form no part of events under the Seals. There is no historical sequence… So between the sixth seal and the seventh, belonging to neither, God brings in a deeply interesting episode of blessing to Israel and to the Gentiles. Judgment pauses, and the veil lifts so that we may see the heart of our God. It is not all judgment in those dark and evil days.

"That no wind might blow upon the earth," the scene of settled government (Rev. 10:2; Ps. 46:2): "nor upon the sea," nations and peoples in anarchy and confusion (Dan. 7:2-3; Isa. 57:20); "nor upon any tree," the might and pride of earth (Dan. 4:10, 22; Ezek. 31:3-9, 14-18). The angel states the reason judgment stops in precise terms: "until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."

Here we read that the four angels were given the power to hurt the earth and the sea. So the judgment is in the hand of God, although the instruments may be working their own will. The angels have "power to hurt" only because they can hold back the harmful influences, or let them loose. So there is a time of quiet and relative safety until God has finished His own work in those who serve Him.

We learn, next, that God governs the world with His people in view… In the same way, judgment was about to fall upon Jerusalem. The Lord had a mark put on the foreheads of the men who sighed and cried over all the abominations done in it (Ezek. 9). He kept this faithful remnant safe while the scourge swept over everything.

"The seal of the living God" means safety from death. The seal on the forehead is a public, open acknowledgment that those who carry it belong to God. What the seal is we are not told.

God's seal on their foreheads stands in contrast to the mark of the beast that unbelievers receive in Revelation 13:16-18.

Any instructed reader will at once see the difference between this sealing and the sealing of believers now with the Holy Spirit. Believers today are sealed as soon as their sins are forgiven, and they are sealed for the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30). The 144,000 of this chapter are sealed with the seal of the living God. This preserves them through the judgments that will fall upon the world… They are also sealed for blessing on the earth in the kingdom of their glorious Messiah.

I have little doubt this points to Christ (though in a new character, and in connection with the earthly people) and the saints. He holds the seal of the living God. Of course He alone could; but the saints are associated with Him. He says, "until we have sealed the servants of our God."

The words "until we have sealed" would be beneath the surpassing dignity of Christ. So would the closing words of the angel's cry, "the servants of our God." The language and spirit of John 20:17 runs right through the New Testament: "I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God." We never meet the terms "our God" and "our Father" as covering Christ and believers together.

They had kept up the testimony of God through trial and difficulty. Their path was marked by conflict and service. So the title "servants" fits them well.

Revelation 7 is a parenthesis — in the middle of judgment, mercy is remembered. First, 144,000: that is, 12,000 from each tribe of Israel are sealed, so that no judgment meant for the earth may reach them (verses 1-8). Second (verses 9-17), a countless multitude from all the nations of the earth stand before the throne and the Lamb, clothed in white with palms in their hands. How precious these rays of mercy are!

Those twelve tribes, described as they are there, with their names given, can mean nothing but the literal twelve tribes of Israel... The prophet sees another multitude which no one could number, drawn from all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages. That is, it is as expressly a Gentile body as the hundred and forty-four thousand were out of the tribes of Israel.

Their sealing guarantees that they will come safely through the Great Tribulation. They are kept not simply as individuals, but as Israelites, and so with earthly blessing as a nation in view. The tribes are mentioned by name (vv. 5-8), which would have no place if their destination was heaven.

When David tried to number the people, it was a presumptuous sin. But here it is the grace of God taking a full number out of the tribes of Israel for Himself. The number 144,000 is a regular and complete number, though I take it to be a symbolic one, with a view to God's use of Israel, His favoured nation, here on earth. The number twelve always points to what is perfect for God's work when man administers it. You can see this in the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve patriarchs, the twelve apostles, and even the twelve gates and twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem.

The numbers given here might of course be literal. More probably we should take them as symbols, since twelve and the square of twelve carry a symbolic sense elsewhere in the book. The godly remnant of Israel will have an important place in the government of the coming age, and twelve is the number of completeness in government.

"The seal of the living God" implies safety from death. The seal on the forehead is a public, open acknowledgment that those who are sealed belong to God. What the seal is, we are not told.

This sealing is the work of angels. It is very different, therefore, from the present sealing with the Holy Spirit, and from any power or gift of the Spirit. No angel could give that... The effect is that God's people are shown to be His, and so kept safe from the judgments about to be sent.

In Revelation 7, where the tribes are sealed for blessing, Dan is left out, as a type of the Antichrist. Ephraim is also left out, the number being made up by inserting Levi and by naming Joseph as well as Manasseh. In the future division of the land Dan will have a portion, but will be the farthest from the temple (Ezekiel 48:1-35).

Faith is sure that God knows where they are, and that He will make it clear in His own time and way... Israel is in the dark of night, beyond all question; but God's eye is on them. Not one of the tribes is forgotten before Him. He knows where to lay hands on them when He needs them for restoration and blessing.

Revelation 7 is a parenthesis — while judgment is going on, mercy is remembered. First come the 144,000: 12,000 sealed out of each tribe of Israel, so that no judgment coming on the earth may reach them (vv. 1-8)… Here in purest mercy 144,000 of Israel, who had crucified their Messiah, are guarded from grief.

In our English version three tribes are named in each verse. But the real arrangement of the tribes, like that of the apostles (Matt. 10:2-4), is in pairs. First, Judah and Reuben… Fourth, Simeon and Levi, the second and third sons of Leah, joined together in the prophetic list (Gen. 49:5-7), and also in the Lord's revealing of Himself to saved Israel (Zech. 12:13). Fifth, Issachar and Zebulun, the fifth and sixth sons of Leah.

In this prophetic and symbolic picture every distinction is wiped out. Only Judah keeps the first place. In Revelation it is a matter of God's government and of Christ's millennial reign. Here we no longer find the half-tribes of Manasseh. Levi is sealed like the other tribes. Joseph replaces Ephraim.

I would add this. Some parts of Scripture leave Levi out because they look at the land as lived in by the nation. That reason plainly does not hold good here. The question here is not about the land, but about witness before the nations.

When the kingdom divided, Simeon belonged in name to the ten tribes, but was completely cut off from the other nine. So they had two options only. They could merge with the two tribes — and of this we read nothing — or, as Jacob had prophesied, be "scattered in Israel." They were, in a way, lost in the land. Ezekiel prophesies about a future day. Then the twelve tribes will be restored and the land divided again. In that day the tribe of Simeon has its portion. Ezek. 48:24-35. They are also mentioned in Rev. 7:7, when a remnant of them will be sealed for blessing.

He will have an election from that people. But it will be a personal and individual election — not merely a national one as of old. When David tried to count the people, it was a presumptuous sin. Here it is the grace of God taking a full number of the tribes of Israel for Himself. The number 144,000 is a regular and complete number, though a mystical one, as I take it… The number twelve always points to what is perfect for God's work, carried out under man's administration.

The natural order of birth is not kept here. So Judah, and not Reuben, heads the list, for blessing on the ground of mercy can only come through Him who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root and Offspring of David. There have been many guesses as to why Dan is left out. Some have thought it is because the tribe of Dan was so mixed up with idolatry. Others suppose that "the man of sin" will be a Danite. But the hundred and forty-four thousand are an election out of Israel, so these reasons cannot be entertained for a moment… We may notice also that the tribes are sealed with the seal of the living God, which shows their security and preservation in a time of judgment and death. Their standing before God is that of "servants," not "sons," or members of the body of Christ, as we are.

The Gentile company (v. 9) is not numbered. The company from Israel, by contrast, is counted with care. The result is not a round number but an exact one: a hundred and forty-four thousand. Twelve thousand out of each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The numbers, whether on their own (12) or multiplied (144), mean a complete and definite number. Twelve is the number that marks Israel... The number of the sealed is symbolic, of course. It simply means that God has claimed for Himself a certain, complete, yet limited number out of Israel.

Twelve is the number of perfect government in the hands of man. So it appears in the foundations, gates, and measurements of the new Jerusalem. (Rev. 21.) It will mean, then, a perfect number kept for the kingdom — the people through whom Messiah will rule the nations on the earth.

Their sealing guarantees that God will keep them safe through the Great Tribulation. He keeps them not simply as people, but as Israel, and so with blessing on earth as a nation in view. The tribes are named (vv. 5-8), which would have no place if their destination was heaven. Verse 8 speaks of Joseph, but this clearly means Ephraim, Joseph's son, since Manasseh, Joseph's other son, is also included.

The order in which they are listed is found nowhere else. It is unusual in the way the sons of different mothers — wives and concubines — are mixed together... "In the fourth group Zebulun is joined with Joseph and Benjamin — the later children of Leah with the later children of Rachel."

In this prophetic and symbolic picture every distinction is wiped out, except that Judah holds first place. That is because in Revelation the subject is God's government and Christ's thousand-year reign. Here we no longer find the half-tribes of Manasseh. Levi is sealed like the other tribes. Joseph replaces Ephraim. Dan is left out completely. He is judged, in line with Jacob's prophecy; the Antichrist and his people, pictured by Dan, cannot be sealed.

The tribes of Dan and Ephraim are omitted from this list, although we find Joseph, the father of Ephraim, mentioned in his place. Their history in the Old Testament ties them closely to idolatry. But we also see grace coming in, because God is not finished with these two tribes. In Ezekiel 48 the land is shared out among the tribes, and both Dan and Ephraim are named — Dan first of all. God has not forgotten them; grace has come in and they have been restored.

The meaning, then, is this: before the various judgments fall on creation, God will have claimed a certain people for Himself. They are sealed with the seal of the living God. That is, a stamp is put on them marking them out as set apart to God... Protection may also be involved here. In any case, they are sealed on their foreheads. Of course that means no physical mark. It means God setting them apart for Himself — and, I think, doing it openly.

Notice that they are not simply sealed for God, but as "the servants of our God." It is in this character that they carry the gospel of the kingdom to the nations.

This is not a picture of the redeemed of all times. Scripture says plainly that it is a countless crowd of Gentiles, set in contrast with Israel, and seen in relation to God ruling as judge. So it is not universal. These Gentiles stand in clear contrast with the sealed ones out of Israel. One of the elders spoke about them and explained them to the prophet, who would have been at a loss without it. ... They are a crowd of Gentiles whom God will preserve by gracious power in these last days. They are not said to be glorified, and there is no reason to doubt that they are still in their natural bodies.

Do not confuse the twenty-four elders with the sealed one hundred and forty-four thousand of Israel. Do not confuse them with the great multitude of chapter 7 either. Each company is distinct. As to the one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, what is that? Measured grace. God's faithful grace to Israel is absolute and perfect. He keeps every promise He made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and He blesses their descendants. But after all, it is what I may call measured grace. But "a great multitude that no one could number" tells of unmeasured and immeasurable grace. Its very largeness is refreshing.

Another thing also marks the two companies apart. God seals the elect of Israel, marking them out for preservation, before His more direct judgments begin. The Gentile multitude wears the white robe of righteousness and holds the palms of victory, having come out of the great tribulation. The one case, then, shows that God knows how to secure those already in relationship with Him before the judgment begins. The other shows how God can overrule tribulation, even of the fiercest kind, to reach people who had no relationship with Him before. He brings them into relationship with Himself and carries them through the tribulation in victory.

The wicked will fall before the judgments of God's throne and of the Lamb who acts in judgment. But there will be those who stand in safety before the throne and the Lamb. When God judges the nations for their wickedness, there will be those whom He accepts as righteous, as the "white robes" show. The devil, the beast and the Antichrist will lead the world into rebellion against God. Even then there will be those who are victorious over all the power of the enemy, as the "palms in their hands" symbolise.

Notice again who asks the question: one of the twenty-four elders, one of the heavenly saints. He asks, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?" John said, "Sir, you know." The elders understand who the earthly companies are. Clearly they are not the church, which the elders stand for. This must also be an earthly scene, because the temple is there (v. 15). In Revelation 21, where the church is seen in glory, there is "no temple."

It comes from their circumstances. The throne they stand before is not a throne of mercy but of righteousness. Here the Lamb appears not as slain for sin but as carrying out judgment... For them, Christ's coming means rescue from tribulation on earth and a settled place of blessing on earth. They are not thinking here about God's grace in giving His Son, or about Christ's love in redeeming them by His blood. Their minds are on the delivering power that has stepped in with judgment on their behalf.

Here they do not sing like the elders. They ascribe "salvation to God" as the One who sits on the throne — in this book, His judicial throne — and to the Lamb. In other words, no one could have raised this cry before Revelation 4… This is far from a picture of the redeemed of all times. The text plainly says they are a countless throng out of the Gentiles, marked off from Israel. And this is not now or long ago. It relates to God as He governs in judgment at a future time.

Their struggles and trials are over. The throne before which they stand is now and for ever their strength and security… They ascribe salvation, in its fullest sense, to God and to the Lamb. Not a member of that redeemed host is silent… Sovereign grace has done its mighty work. Out of all lands and languages it has gathered a Gentile host beyond all human counting. Each and all were once "dead in sins." Now grace has placed them saved and blessed before God's throne.

The devil, the beast, and the Antichrist will lead the world into rebellion against God. Even then, some will be victorious over all the power of the enemy… But if God brings them safely through the judgments, they take no credit to themselves. They ascribe all their blessing to God and the Lamb. On the very day when judgment is going out from "the throne" and "the Lamb," they can say, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

Their song ascribing deliverance to "God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb," is very different from the praise of the Church — "To Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood"… These victors say nothing of the blood or redemption. They only ascribe salvation to God on His throne, and to the Lamb. Yet later we see that they had "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Why, then, are they silent about this in their praise?

The throne before which they stand is not one of mercy, but of righteousness. Here the Lamb is seen not as slain for sin, but as carrying out judgment… For them the coming of Christ means rescue from tribulation on earth, and a settled place in earthly blessing… They are not thinking here of the grace of God in giving His Son, or of the love of Christ in redeeming them with His blood. Their thoughts are on the delivering power that has stepped in with judgment on their behalf. This is the constant theme of the Psalms.

It is Jehovah, but Jehovah in the Son. It is the throne of God, yet the eternal living One in the Person of Jesus. So we see that the Lamb was in the midst of the throne… We may say the Father is seen, but seen in the Lamb, the Son; see also Revelation 7:10, 17, in the Greek. They are never different, but they are distinct — it is "The throne of God and of the Lamb."

What an answer! "A multitude that no man could number!" Every race called in to swell the triumph of the Lamb and to proclaim the mighty results of His work on the cross! What a plan is our God's!

The grace that gathers this vast crowd for blessing, on the very day when judgments are falling on the world, brings out a burst of praise in heaven. The angels, the elders, and the four living creatures fall down and worship before the throne.

In both scenes the angels form the outer circle around the throne… The elders and living creatures form inner circles, and these two come in a different order in the two scenes. In the earlier one the elders form the innermost circle; in the later the living creatures are nearest the throne… In the first, the Lamb is in full view, so the redeemed in heaven (the elders) gather around Him. In the second, God sits on His throne, the symbol of universal sovereignty, and that would account for the near place of the living creatures, who represent the executive authority of the throne… You can see something of how deep the angels' worship is from their position: they fell down on their faces.

The angels now enter the scene, and worship God face down before the throne… They watch with interest as the white-robed multitude honour God and the Lamb. But salvation to the Lamb was not their own part of the song, because they had always stood in their own perfection as creatures. So, having added their "Amen" to the praise of the multitude, they worship their God.

All this belonged to the white-robed multitude and the angels; only the multitude speak of the Lamb, who was also their salvation. The angels add their Amen to this, but they praise their God. They had given glory and blessing to the Lamb before… The four living creatures and the elders do not worship here, because their own relationships were different… Each gives the motives of worship according to the relationship he is in. The angels' relationship is with their God. The white-robed multitude's is with the God of the throne, and with the Lamb, who holds the title to the government and deliverance of the earth as a present thing.

In verse 12 the angels give glory to God in seven terms: "Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might." But they don't mention salvation, because they don't need any.

Compare this with the song of the angels in chapter 5. We no longer find "the Lamb that was slain" as the prominent object… Here the subject is not the title, but the fact. The angels praise God that His kingdom is at last established in open power and glory, while the deliverance so worked out is what the palm-bearing multitude gives thanks for.

Further, it is clear the elders are not angels, because Revelation 7:11 keeps these classes separate. The elders were dressed in white clothing and had crowns of gold on their heads.

God's grace gathers this vast crowd for blessing on the very day when judgments are falling on the world. That grace calls out a burst of praise in heaven. The angels, the elders, and the four living creatures fall down and worship before the throne, giving God "blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might."

Compare this with the song of the angels in chapter 5. "The Lamb that was slain" is no longer the main object. No doubt Christ as man takes the kingdom by that title. But here the subject is not the title; it is the fact. The angels praise God because His kingdom is at last set up in open power and glory. And the rescue He has worked is what the palm-bearing crowd give thanks for.

All this belonged to the white-robed crowd and the angels. Only the crowd speak of the Lamb, who was also their salvation. The angels add their Amen to this, but they praise their God. They had given glory and blessing to the Lamb before. But, of course, salvation to the Lamb was not their own part of the song.

The angels are moved to worship. They add their Amen when the crowd credits salvation to God and the Lamb. They do not experience salvation themselves, so they do not name it in their own sevenfold praise in verse 12. Though they do not share the salvation, they can see the excellence and glory of God in it. They give honour and power for all eternity to the One who has done it.

They watch with interest as the white-robed crowd honour God and the Lamb… So, having added their "Amen" to the crowd's praise, they worship their God, giving Him their sevenfold theme of praise (compare Revelation 5:12), and sealing it with another "Amen."

In both scenes the angels form the outer circle around the throne, while the elders and living creatures form inner circles… In the earlier scene the elders form the innermost circle; in the later the living creatures are nearest the throne. The difference is not hard to explain. In chapter 5 the Lamb is in full view, so the redeemed in heaven (the elders) gather around Him. Here God sits on His throne, the symbol of rule over all, and that explains the near place of the living creatures, who represent the throne's executive authority.

Neither of the last two take part in the celebration of praise. Only the Gentile crowd on earth and the angels in heaven do that… Chapters 4 and 5 show how the elders and living creatures stand in relation to God, so their worship belongs in those chapters, not here.

The Gentile crowd on earth had ascribed salvation to "our God," but He is also the God of angels. So they too, in their place in heaven, say "our God."… The terms in the angels' praise come in a different order from the list in chapter 5. There the last two terms, "glory and blessing," are the first named in our chapter. There the word is "riches"; here instead it is "thanksgiving."

As the book unfolds one revelation after another, and as their character deepens, the praise grows fuller. It is twofold in the first chapter; threefold in Revelation 4:11; fourfold in Revelation 5:13; and sevenfold in Revelation 7:12.

Besides, one of the elders raises the question and then gives us the answer. In this book the elders are always marked by their spiritual understanding, as we have noticed before. He asks: "What are these who are dressed in white robes? And where did they come from?" Do not these questions at once distinguish them? The elder does not say, Who are we? but, What are these? and where did they come from?

Note how strange such a question is, and how much stranger John's inability to answer. But he had seen another company in heaven. They still kept their place before his eyes, and they had sung the new song, with fuller praise at that. No one had raised any question about them at all. You would think he could work out who these were — and one of those elders was now speaking to him!

But one of the elders explains to the prophet who the white-robed crowd are. The elders always have understanding from God. This crowd was no part of the prophetic revelation up to now, and it was not the church's own place. "Sir, you know," says the prophet. They had come out of the great tribulation, faithful in it, their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

They are certainly not all the saints, because we have seen the hundred and forty-four thousand of Israel expressly distinguished from them. They are a crowd of Gentiles whom God's gracious power will keep safe in these last days. Not a word implies that they were glorified here, and there is no reason to doubt that they were still in their natural bodies. The words "before the throne" cannot overturn the many proofs that they are alive on the earth.

First, then, they have come out of the great tribulation. It is not only great, as older English versions put it, but pointedly the great tribulation... It is not the same thing as "Jacob's trouble," though it is surely connected with it, if it does not spring out of it. It will happen during the three and a half years of antichrist's terrible rule. "The great tribulation" refers to the oppression and persecution the Gentiles will have to pass through.

In God's purpose the blood of the Lamb was shed from the foundation of the world. That blood is the only basis for appearing before the throne of God, and it is enough. "Therefore," or on this account, "are they before the throne," that is, because of the blood. The blood made these sinners saints; the tribulation made them sufferers.

They have renounced the thought of any proper whiteness in their robes except that produced by the blood of the Lamb. On this ground they are as we, and we are as they.

The blood of the Lamb is the basic and effective cause of all their blessing. But the white robes may show that they were morally fit for their position. They had kept up practical holiness.

Our consciences are purged, but we want our robes washed too. That company is fit outwardly as well as inwardly. One might have a cleansed conscience, but a soiled robe. A believer ought not to allow a spot. Your robes are to be spotlessly white as you go along — fit to walk with the Lord.

"Therefore," or on this account, "are they before the throne," that is, because of the blood. The blood made these sinners saints; the tribulation made them sufferers.

Not their sufferings have washed their robes white, but the Lamb's blood: and here again, though the expression is unusual, they stand on common ground with saints at all times.

Their place is "before the throne." We believe this phrase shows where they stand morally and spiritually: God brings them into close touch with Himself. They also have a priest's place, since they serve Him day and night in His temple.

They are not only like Israel in the courts, or the nations in the world; they have a priest's place in the world's temple. The millennial multitudes are worshippers — these are priests. Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, was always in the temple itself. Like her, they serve day and night there, and they always have access to the throne.

Yet it cannot be literally in Israel's millennial temple, for a number beyond counting could never be there. It speaks instead of the vital work of the Spirit of God in their hearts. That work makes them God's servants in His temple at all times, in a spiritual way.

They are saved Gentiles of that future day. They are never said to be "around the throne," still less to be enthroned themselves. They are not only before the throne of God; the verse also says they "serve him day and night in his temple." This separates them from the bride, the new Jerusalem, where there is no temple and no night. God will bring them very near to Himself in great favour, but on earth.

The presence of the temple shows it is not the church. Yet these saints will have the advantage over those who are born in the millennium. They have had to go through the great tribulation, and there they have learned most blessed experiences of God.

God spread His tabernacle over the tent of meeting of old. That tent became the centre and rest of the thousands of Israel. It covered them in the desert. The huge canopy God spread over them sheltered two and a half million people from scorching sun and winter storms. They were a picture of the Lord's redeemed host. It was the nation's glory and defence… In the eternal state the tabernacle of God is with men. In millennial times God's tabernacle will be over them.

This sets forth the gracious shelter of God's care and goodness. This matters. God now dwells by the Holy Spirit in the church as His habitation. It will not be so when God calls these Gentiles into the enjoyment of His favour. He will grant what is more suited to their character and state — His protection.

They are certainly not all the saints. We have already seen the hundred and forty-four thousand of Israel clearly marked out as a separate group... Who are they, and what are they? They are a crowd of Gentiles whom God's gracious power will keep safe in these last days. Nothing here says they were glorified, and there is no reason to doubt that they were still in their natural bodies. Saying that they are "before the throne" cannot overturn the many proofs that they are alive on the earth.

When they went through the tribulation they were hungry, they were thirsty, and they were in the burning heat. So their blessing matches what they have suffered. I think there is practical teaching in that for us. How far we have found the Lord Jesus with us in our trials will be the basis of our blessing and worship, now and in the future. That is why our journey through this world matters so much.

There is no doubt that this points to the days of Christ's thousand-year reign on earth (see Isa. 49:10). These strong negatives assure the saved Gentile crowd that the hardships of life — hunger and thirst, persecution and tribulation, sun and burning heat — will never again be their sad lot. Past evils will not come back.

They also had blessings under the Lamb, to whom they too give the credit for their salvation. He is the good Shepherd who was cast out, and who had Himself passed through tribulation just as great. He would feed them. They would not hunger any more or thirst any more, as they had often done, and neither persecution nor tribulation would reach them.

These are blessed promises, but promises fitted for an earthly rather than a heavenly people. In the eternal state "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore" (Rev. 21:4). Then tears and sorrow, pain and death are gone for good. The blessings of this Gentile crowd are more a matter of being spared trouble and kept safe from evil. To an earthly people just rescued from suffering, but still in the place where they suffered, this promise is full of grace. Yet it hardly suits those living in the Father's house.

The description is not limited to their blessing in the coming kingdom on earth. It goes on into eternity, since all who are born again will one day share what verses 16 and 17 promise: no hunger, no thirst, no scorching heat, and every tear wiped away from their eyes... All of this shows that God's purposes stand, however great the trial of the Tribulation may be.

Peace, plenty and security characterise the portion of the Lord's beloved flock... This beautiful passage shows how deeply the Lord delights in the sealed remnant of the Gentiles. It will come literally true during the thousand-year reign of Christ for all who are faithful to "the King of glory"... But it is also true now, in a spiritual sense, of every sheep and lamb in the highly favoured flock of Christ... Our rest and plenty are not natural and worldly, but spiritual and heavenly.

I confess to you that I think such a promise is much more exactly suited to a people about to be on the earth than to men in a glorified state above. What would be the point of promising glorified people that they will not hunger or thirst any more? If it is said to a people on earth, we can all understand the comfort of its assurance.

The Lamb "in the midst of the throne," exercising its power and expressing in Himself its majesty, will graciously provide for every need. This is not the angelic and providential care we know now (Hebrews 1:14). It is the shepherd grace of the Lamb at work — tending, caring, preserving, and guiding each and all of the redeemed Gentile multitude.

They had blessings under the Lamb too, and they also ascribe their salvation to Him. He is the good Shepherd who was cast out. He had passed through tribulation Himself, tribulation just as great, and He would feed them... For us the promise is a well of water springing up into everlasting life and flowing out as a river. Theirs is not that. They would be fed, refreshed, and perfectly cared for by the grace of the Lamb whom they had followed... They would have the consolations of God, worth all the sorrows they had passed through. But their blessings are consolations, not proper heavenly joy.

He "shall lead them to fountains of waters of life," not to channels or springs merely, but to the sources of life. The fullness and joy of earthly blessing shall be theirs. The Lamb Himself will be their guide to these fountains, these sources of unmixed delight.

The deepest well of human happiness may soon run dry, but the "living fountains of waters" have their spring in the heart of God, which can never fail.

No words match the closing ones for depth and tenderness together: "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Notice that it is God, not the Lamb. He is the One against whom they and we have sinned, and He Himself will remove the causes and occasions of sorrow. If He wipes away every tear they shall never weep again.

All this description is blessed, yet it seems to fall short of the full eternal blessing, and certainly short of what is heavenly. The impression given is that the earth's warfare is not yet over, and sin and evil are not completely banished. Yet they themselves are truly sheltered.

He who laid down His life for the sheep, and washed them from their sins in His own blood, now feeds them and leads them with His own hand. What grace! What gentleness! The very hand that was pierced for our sins protects and feeds us on our journey through the wilderness. That should fill our hearts with perfect confidence in our Shepherd, despite the many trials and difficulties of the way.