Naravist

The Revelation · New Testament

Revelation 7

Revelation 7: the sealed of the tribes and the numberless multitude

General context

Four angels stand on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds so that no wind blows on earth, sea or tree. Another angel ascends from the east with the seal of the living God and calls to them not to hurt the earth, the sea or the trees until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. John hears the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty and four thousand from the tribes of the children of Israel, and the tribes are then listed one by one with twelve thousand from each. After this John sees a different group, a great multitude which no man could number, out of all nations, kindreds, people and tongues, standing before the throne and the Lamb in white robes with palms in their hands, crying out that salvation belongs to God and to the Lamb. The angels, elders and beasts fall on their faces and add a sevenfold blessing. One of the elders asks John who the white-robed are and where they came from, and then answers his own question. The chapter closes with promises of no hunger, no thirst and tears wiped away.

Cited passages: Revelation 7:1, Revelation 7:2, Revelation 7:3, Revelation 7:4, Revelation 7:5, Revelation 7:8, Revelation 7:9, Revelation 7:10, Revelation 7:11, Revelation 7:12, Revelation 7:13, Revelation 7:14, Revelation 7:15, Revelation 7:16, Revelation 7:17

Revelation 7 (KJV)

1And 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.

2And 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,

3Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

4And 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.

5Of 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.

6Of 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.

7Of 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.

8Of 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.

9After 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;

10And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

11And 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,

12Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

13And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

14And 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.

15Therefore 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.

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

17For 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.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The text supplies its own answer to one question here. The elder asks who the white-robed are, and then says, "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Nothing similar is said about the hundred and forty-four thousand; they are described only as "of all the tribes of the children of Israel", sealed in their foreheads, and the text does not say what the sealing protects them from beyond the angel's instruction not to hurt the earth, the sea or the trees. The tribe list runs Juda, Reuben, Gad, Aser, Nepthalim, Manasses, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zabulon, Joseph and Benjamin. Dan and Ephraim do not appear, and both Joseph and Manasses do; the text gives no reason for either feature. Whether the sealed group and the multitude are the same people is not stated.

Cited passages: Revelation 7:3, Revelation 7:4, Revelation 7:5, Revelation 7:6, Revelation 7:7, Revelation 7:8, Revelation 7:9, Revelation 7:13, Revelation 7:14

Literary context

The chapter is built as two visions joined by a hinge, "After this I beheld", and the pair is set off against each other at every point. The first group is heard and the second is seen: "I heard the number of them which were sealed" against "I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude". The first is counted exactly, twelve thousand twelve times over, and the second is "which no man could number". The first is drawn from named tribes, the second from "all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues". The listing of tribes is deliberately slow, repeating the same clause twelve times. The chapter also interrupts the seals, standing between the sixth seal of chapter 6 and the seventh at 8:1, so the reader waits. The closing promises are mostly negative in form, naming what will no longer happen rather than what will.

Cited passages: Revelation 7:4, Revelation 7:5, Revelation 7:9, Revelation 7:16, Revelation 7:17, Revelation 6:12, Revelation 8:1

Key moments

  1. The winds held back (Revelation 7:1). Four angels hold the four winds so that none blows on earth, sea or tree.
  2. Sealing commanded (Revelation 7:3). An angel calls for the servants of God to be sealed in their foreheads before any harm is done.
  3. The number heard (Revelation 7:4). John hears that a hundred and forty-four thousand of the tribes of Israel are sealed.
  4. A multitude beyond counting (Revelation 7:9). John sees a crowd from every nation in white robes before the throne and the Lamb.
  5. The elder answers his own question (Revelation 7:14). The elder says these came out of great tribulation and washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.
  6. Tears wiped away (Revelation 7:17). The Lamb is said to lead them to living fountains, and God to wipe away all tears.

For reflection

The chapter counts one group down to the last twelve thousand and says the other cannot be numbered, without saying how the two relate. What do you do with a text that puts two pictures side by side and declines to join them?

People in this chapter

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