REVELATION
Chapter 7
"Salvation In The Tribulation"
Introduction:
1. It is the first parenthetical vision of the book.
2. It is not chronological in sequence.
3. It introduces two major groups of people of the Tribulation Period.
I. THE CESSATION (vs.1-3)
A. The Angels of Action (v.1)
1. They are the ministers of God and are active in the affairs of the world. (Heb. 1:7,14)
2. They receive their orders and direction from God and do not act independently. (Heb. 1:14 - "sent forth")
3. They are prominent in God's judgment of the earth. (cf. Gen. 19:1-17)
4. Their sphere of action in regard to the Tribulation
a. "The four corners of the earth" (Rev. 7:1)
b. On the entire surface of the earth (earth, sea, tree)
5. They are used to set in motion the trumpet judgments of Rev. 8:2.
B. The Angel of Authority (vs.2,3)
1. A respite for the earth ("hurt not") - The judgments were to be suspended for a time.
2. The reason for the suspension (v.3)
a. To seal the servants of God (cf. Ezek. 9:4)
b. Takes place prior to the trumpet judgments
3. The redemption of the sealed ones - how will it happen?
a. The Holy Spirit is always the agent of salvation. (I Cor. 12:13)
1) "The fact that the Holy Spirit is the Restrainer, to be removed from the earth before the Tribulation begins, must not be interpreted to mean that the Holy Spirit is no longer omnipresent, nor operative in this age. It is only insisted that the particular ministries of the Holy Spirit to the believer in this present age do terminate: baptism, I Cor. 12:12,13; indwelling, I Cor. 6:19,20; sealing, Eph. 1:13,4:30; and filling, Eph. 5:18." -Pentecost
2) The Holy Spirit did not indwell believers in the O.T. days, yet salvation was clearly by His operation. (Psa. 51:11; John 3:5,6)
3) Though the Holy Spirit is not indwelling in the Tribulation, He is still operative in regeneration. (Joel 2:28-32)
b. The Word of God is that instrument that the Holy Spirit uses to bring about salvation. (Jn. 3:5,6)
c. Salvation will be on the basis of the shed blood of Christ. (Rev. 7:14,12:11; cf. I Pet. 1:18,19)
d. Salvation is based on the faith principle. (Heb. 11:6 cf. Heb. 11:4-31)
e. Salvation is any dispensation is always predicated on grace, i.e.:
1) Adam and Eve clothed in the righteousness of God without any work or merit of their own. (Gen. 3:21)
2) Noah spared the judgment of the flood only by the grace of God. (Gen. 6:8,9)
II. THE COMMISSIONING (vs.4-8)
A. The Order of the Tribes - who they are:
1. They are not the church; it was taken out of the world at the Rapture before the Tribulation begins.
2. They are Israel.
a) The list of tribes is literal.
b) The numbering of the tribes is literal.
3. If God had wanted it to be understood that these meant something else, He would have stated it. He not only can speak understandably, He can also count!
B. The Omission of the Tribes
1. Dan and Ephraim are left out because of gross idolatry.
a. Dan
1) The first to go into idolatry (Jud. 18:30)
2) Became the headquarters of calf worship (I Kgs. 12:25-30)
3) Prophesied by their father, Jacob, to be a rebellious tribe (Gen. 49:17)
4) These is some indication that the Antichrist will come from the tribe of Dan. (Jer. 8:16)
b. Ephraim
1) Also guilty of idolatry (cf. Hosea 4:17, 7:8-16)
2) Ephraim was the tribe that led in the division of the kingdom of Israel. (I Kgs. 11:26)
2. Reuben
a. Listed second although he was the firstborn and should have been named first.
b. Lost his position of honor through immorality (cf. Gen. 49:3,4; Gen. 35:22)
3. The grace of God to the tribes of Dan and Ephraim
a. Dan, given a place of priority in the Millennium (Gen. 49:16; Ezek. 48)
b. Ephraim - God does not give up on Ephraim. (Hosea 11:8)
4. Joseph takes the place of Ephraim and Levi takes the place of Dan.
III. THE CONVERSIONS (vs. 9-14)
A. The Redeemed
1. The populace (v.9)
a. These are converts from the Gentile world.
b. The 144,000 were out of the tribes of Israel.
c. These come from the nations.
d. They are from all different nationalities (kindreds).
e. They come from every language division.
2. Their position ("before the throne") They are standing positionally before the throne of God (v.9), as believers of the Church Age are seated before His throne. (cf. Rev. 4:4; Eph. 2:6)
3. Their purity ("white robes") speaks of the righteous- ness of Christ with which they are clothed. (cf. Rev. 3:5,18; II Cor. 5:21)
4. Their palms (v.9) - a symbol of victory
a. Roman conquerors wore garlands of palm leaves.
b. Greek athletes found a palm branch awaiting the winner at the end of a race.
c. These converts celebrate the victory of having been redeemed during this time of great conflict.
5. Their praise (v.10) They ascribe praise to Him who is the only source of salvation. (cf. Jonah 2:9; Psa. 3:8)
B. The Rejoicing (vs.11,12) Angels join the saints in praise
1. They do not rejoice in their own salvation. (cf. I Pet. 1:10-12)
2. They rejoice in the salvation of these Tribulation saints. (cf. Luke 15:10)
3. They rejoice in worship for the attributes of God. (v.12)
C. The Recognition (vs. 13,14) "Who are these?"
1. They are not the church - already gone up.
2. They are a special company of all peoples saved in the Tribulation.
3. They represent those who had not heard or rejected the Gospel during the Church Age. (cf. II Thess. 2:8-12)
IV. THE CONTENTMENT (vs. 15-17)
A. No more hindrance -"Serve day and night"
B. No more hunger -Cf. Rev. 2:17; Rev. 2:7; Jn. 6:35; 4:13,14
C. No more heat -Trials and troubles of life
D. No more heartache -Cf. Rev. 21:4 with Isaiah 25:8; 35:10; Rev. 7:17; Isa. 51:11; Isa. 65:19
E. No more hurt -"Shall dwell among them" = lit. "He will pitch His tent over them"