An Inset Chapter

Well, thank you very much to the choir and to Ms. Volk for the directing. That was a number written by a church member. I believe that the Commodoreses are from the Cedar Willy area, somewhere up north. So... The last time we finished Revelation 6, and I'm sure there are some of you sitting here thinking, hey, he only has one chapter to go through today. They can't get to chapter 8, so this is going to be short and won't have much to say. I hate to disappoint you. A tremendous amount of material in chapter 7, and it's important that we understand this is the first inset chapter. This is where all of these things that have been happening basically in chronological order in this vision that began a couple chapters earlier, these seals and then the various... Well, first the horsemen and then the seals. These are actually coming to a stop, at least for a moment, in the chronology of John. He is being told to hold on for a second and consider what's been going on sort of in the background or over here on the side or in some cases in the panorama of history leading up to this point. Revelation has several places where it's like going to a movie and you stop and the movie goes to a different scene where something else is happening but at the end of that scene it comes back to the point where you just left it and sometimes even the sitcoms today or the serial shows are done in somewhat of the same fashion. So we are going back in chapter 7 as an inset. This is not chronological.

Six of the seven seals have been broken up to this point and a series of events has been revealed. However, before the breaking of the seventh seal, an inset has been put in here to help us understand something relevant to the fifth seal because very likely if there is a sort of time or point in time when this takes place it's between the fifth and sixth seals but it's introduced here at the end of the sixth. It is in verse 17 of chapter 6 where the announcement is made the great day of his wrath has come, who was able to stand but then it stops because chapter 7 really has nothing to do with his wrath yet.

But chapter 8 and chapter 9 will commence the beginning of that wrath. This shows us something that has to happen before that wrath actually begins. Now, Revelation chapter 7 expounds on two groups and it's important that we understand Revelation is a book of contrasts in one's sense and that there are a number of twos that are presented and a number of opposites that are presented.

There are the two gods, the god of creation, the true god and the god of this age or Satan the devil. There are two trees, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There are even trees in the book of Revelation towards the end. Much of what is in here are the two churches in the sense of the true church, the small flock of God and the great worldly church, also called modern Babylon or the system of modern Babylon.

There is Jerusalem above and there is Babylon here below. And there are two outcomes, eternal life, which is the gift of God and, of course, eternal death. There are also two seals. There is the seal of the beast or the mark of the beast. The word is the same, the Greek word chargba, but the seal of God is mentioned in this chapter because it is just as important as the mark of the beast or the seal of the beast.

This chapter essentially explains verse 11 of the previous chapter. Revelation 6 and verse 11 says that a white robe was given to each of them and it was said to them they should rest a little while longer. So this chapter concerns those who are given a white robe and have to rest a little while longer until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. It's important to understand that there is a number that must be completed, that God is not a God of scattered gun approach to anything.

Everything is done decently and in order, and in things that God created or works with, there are always definite numbers. And we'll go through some of those in just a few minutes. The two groups we are concerned with here in Revelation chapter 7, verses 1 to 8 basically concern the group of dedicated, faithful people who are sealed by God, protected from the events at the end. Verses 9 to 14 explain the completion of the group of martyrs or the brethren who must be killed as they were.

This is those who are going to fulfill that final number that is yet to be determined, the final number of seats necessary to fill those in the wedding supper. So let's continue on. We'll begin in verse 1 of chapter 7. After these things, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. Now, was he in outer space and saw them at the four corners of the earth? No. John's perspective was the Isle of Patmos. And as far as he could see on the horizon, north, south, east, and west, apparently he saw four horsemen or four angels standing there at the corner holding the four winds of the earth so that the wind should not blow on the tree or the sea or on any tree.

So here we have essentially these events of the wrath of God being held up. That there are angels that are holding them up because there's another message to John here in this chapter. Something else must take place. I saw another angel ascending from the east. So here we have coming from the east. You know, Jesus Christ is going to return from the east. When the new temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem, there will be a gate on the eastern side facing the Mount of Olives, and it says, only the prince will be able to enter that gate.

And that was the entrance that was used by the priest during the time when the temple of Herod was standing. But the gate facing east, or facing the Mount of Olives, is very important. And in this case, we have an angel ascending from the east.

There are some commentators or Bible scholars that believe this is Jesus Christ, kind of a picture of him returning. I really don't think it is. I think it's more of a messenger angel to John.

But that's what the direction is. So he comes in from the east having the seal of the living God.

Now, what is the seal of the living God? Just what does it mean? What is he trying to tell us, or what is being told to John? The seal of the living God. Well, let's do a little bit of research.

First, let's go to 2 Timothy 2, verse 19. Because very definitely, God's people, who are going to avoid the wrath of God—Revelation chapter 8 and 9, are going to have the seal of God on them.

Second Timothy chapter 2, verse 19, says, Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal, the Lord knows those who are His. So the seal says God knows you. God knows those who belong to Him. And what does that seal mean? It says, Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. So the seal of God has to do with naming the name of Jesus Christ, accepting His plan for your life and His payment for your sins and keeping the commandments of God, departing from iniquity. Because iniquity is lawlessness. Let's also go over to Revelation chapter 3 and verse 12.

Revelation chapter 3 and verse 12 will go back to chapter we covered earlier.

It mentions here, He overcomes, I'll make a pillar in the temple of my God, He shall go no more out. I will write on Him the name of my God, the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from heaven. And from my God, I will write on Him my new name.

So the seal could very well have to do with this name of God being written upon them, because they are able to teach or to keep the commandments of God. Let's also go over to Revelation chapter 14. Revelation chapter 14 is the other place where the famous 144,000 are mentioned. I mentioned twice in Revelation 14 and once in Revelation 7. But in Revelation chapter 14 in verse 1, I look to behold a lamb standing on Mount Zion. So we understand this is the return of Jesus Christ standing on Mount Zion within 144,000, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. So the seal has to do with the Father's name being written on their foreheads. And there's one more place we need to look at, and that is Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 13. But that will open up something else. So let's go to Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 13. So the seal is an identification. And the identification is keeping the commandments of God and having God's Spirit, having His name on their forehead. Ephesians 1 and verse 13 says, "...in him you trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of His glory." Now the redemption of the purchased possession is the redeeming of the church, which was purchased, and that will occur, of course, at the first resurrection. But what is the seal? Kind of going back historically. Let's go back over to Isaiah chapter 8 and verse 16.

The seal in Isaiah has to do also with the commandments. The commandments are sealed in a person's mind in the way they believe. They make a commitment to keep the commandments of God until the day that they die. Isaiah chapter 8 and verse 16 says, "...bind up the testimony and seal the law among my disciples." Prophecy about Jesus Christ. "...and I will wait on the Lord who hides his face from the house of Jacob." So here we have a prophecy about Jesus Christ sealing up the law among His disciples, teaching them, of course, about the meaning of those commandments. And he says in verse 18, "...here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me. We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts who dwells on Mount Zion." So Isaiah is speaking personally about his signs being signs and wonders to the house of Israel, but also in a prophetic sense, perhaps, about Jesus Christ and the children whom God has given him also being signs and wonders to the people of Israel. Now let's go back to the final place, Revelation chapter 22 and verse 14.

We could talk about the commandments of God in Revelation 12, where Satan goes after those who keep the commandments of God and had the testimony of Jesus Christ, and also Revelation 14, which mentions the keeping of the commandments of God. But the important thing we understand about this seal is it has to do with God's Spirit and keeping God's commandments, because the mark of the beast is the exact opposite. Revelation 22 and verse 14, "...blessed are those who do His commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates of the city." Now let's go back to Revelation chapter 7.

So we have this seal in verse 2, 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea. So there are angels that are granted to begin the wrath of God, the wrath of His day that has come in verse 17 of chapter 6. But this angel tells them, hold off, wait until this sealing is done. The angel said, verse 3, "...do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of God on their foreheads." The name of God put on their foreheads, and they were going to be sealed. And they heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed. So we have this seal, which very likely is a designation of those who are going to be in the first resurrection.

God knows the faith of His servants. We have a list of some of them in Hebrews chapter 11.

We also have those who we know are asleep in the graves that even Paul talked about that would be there. But the sealing must be completed before the seventh seal, because God is not going to use His wrath to punish His faithful followers. He will allow some of His wrath to test and try those who are lukewarm and who have not yet made the commitment to be in one of those seats in the wedding supper. 144,000. Now, this must be the most written-about, confusing section of Scripture, maybe in the entire Bible. If you were to do a Google search on who are the 144,000, there would be endless web pages. The ideas are all over the map, the most common of course being that these are 144,000 Jews that they are over in Israel, and somehow the church, the missionaries, all go over there and they get this, you know, all of them. You know, they preach about Jesus Christ or whatever, and the Jews all come to repentance in a big mass, and there's 144,000 of them.

The problem is only one of these is the tribe of Judah, and the other tribes, as we know, are scattered in other places on the earth. Another one is some believe that their church is the group that's going to be in this 144,000, and so they believe that when their church reaches 144,000 that Christ has to return. And of course, a couple groups have done that, and Christ hasn't returned, and so then there was, you know, had to do a little bit of backpedaling.

There are also those who believe this is a spiritual Israel, and they are partially correct. Their understanding of spiritual Israel is not, but the idea that this is a spiritual group, not a physical group, is accurate. Now, the 144,000, this is the first time it is mentioned.

It also appears twice in chapter 14 verses 1 to 5. Now, what are the facts? What can we say about these people? Judging from here and on chapter 14. They stand with Christ on Mount Zion.

They have the Father's name written on their foreheads. They are the only ones who can learn the new song before God's throne. Them and the four living creatures and the elders.

They follow Jesus wherever he goes. They are redeemed of the earth. They are no longer tied to the flesh. They are also redeemed from among men, meaning they were individually selected by God. And the last one, the seventh one, describes them as they are the first fruits unto God and the Lamb. So, these details reinforce that the sealing in their forehead is done to identify those that the Father claims as his children, those who will be in the first resurrection.

The process seems to be connected with the prophecy of the scroll of remembrance. Let's look at a couple other places in the Bible that kind of discuss this same process going on.

Let's begin over in Malachi chapter 3 beginning in verse 16.

Malachi chapter 3. I think you're probably familiar with it for a number of reasons. Tithing, perhaps, is one. But in verse 16, later in the chapter, when he was really talking about the day of the Lord and some of the events that are going to occur at the time of Christ's return, Malachi chapter 3 and verse 16 says, "...then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another.

And the Lord listened and heard them." So they're speaking, they're fearing God, and they're sharing their faith one among another. So a book of remembrance was written before him. Those who fear the Lord and who meditate on his name. Another name, perhaps, for the book of life, the book in which lists all the names of all of those who have God's Spirit and are headed towards the first resurrection. So those who fear God and who meditate on his name.

God says, "...they shall be mine." So we know this book contains the names of people who are headed for eternal life. "...they shall be mine on the day that I make up my jewels." He calls them precious stones or jewels. "...and I will spare them." So this group is going to be spared. Well, spared from what? Well, perhaps, spared from the wrath that is going to be unleashed on the earth when these four angels who stand on the four corners of the earth are finally released.

"...as a man spares his own son who serves him, then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked." So this list that's being put together has to do with the time when the righteous and the wicked are being separated, when there is a difference between the righteous and the wicked being made. It says, "...between one who serves God and one who does not serve him." That really is a summary of two of those groups in the book of Revelation. Those who serve God and are sealed by him and those who don't and are sealed by the beast. They have the mark or the seal of the beast. But there's also a third group who understand God's laws and to keep his testimony as commandments, but have not yet made the decision to follow God like they should.

Chapter 14, which we haven't got to yet, indicates this group is composed of all the servants of God, and that's in agreement with what is here. So this group is made up of those descended from, well, we'll see what. First, let's go back to Galatians chapter 3 and verse 26.

Let's talk about the concept that these might be physical descendants of Israel.

It's hard to force that into this chapter for a couple reasons.

Number one, that in the New Testament, the physical temple and the physical people of Judah are not entirely inconsequential, but they are certainly not the focus. And Paul talks in at least four different places in his writings about the real identity of Israelites is spiritual, and he who is a Jew is one who is one inwardly, not outwardly. The entire book of Matthew contains over and over and over again affirmations from Jesus Christ that the kingdom of God was being taken from the Pharisees and the Jews of his day and giving to another nation that produces fruits. In other words, a spiritual nation that produces spiritual fruit to God. The transition from the Old Testament Levitical priesthood to the New Testament church, the foundations of all of that is in Matthew chapter 16. In Matthew 16, 18, a number of chapters, but all through the book. It seems to be the sort of the second major underlying theme of the entire gospel of Matthew. And perhaps at some point we'll cover that. In fact, I think we probably will at some point in the future when we go through the seven changes in the Old and New Testament. One of them being the transition from the Old Testament ministry to the New Testament ministry. But let's go back here to Galatians chapter 3 and verse 26, one of the places where Paul discusses this.

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. So Galatians 3, 26, we have that these people he's writing to, they were all Jews and Gentiles, sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. You put him on by becoming part of his family, part of his teachings, and reflecting what he wanted us to do, letting him live his life through you, live the spirit of God through you, and producing fruits from it.

There's neither Jew nor Greek. Very profound statement when he made it, because the Jews had a very different approach. They said they were the chosen people and nobody else was. And to say there was neither Jew nor Greek in the eyes of Jesus Christ, in the eyes of our Savior, and God is very, very offensive to many of them. There's neither slave nor free, so no strata as far as the social system goes. No castes. There's neither male nor female. So in God's eyes, all have the same potential to be in the family of God. For you are all one in Christ Jesus, and if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, which means you inherit everything promised to Abraham, and heirs according to the promise. And those promises, of course, are listed for us beginning in Genesis chapter 12, where Abraham is called out, and a number of places where that promise is increased as the life of Abraham demonstrated obedience to God. So we have Abraham's seed, then, are those who are according to the promise if they are Jesus Christ, if they have been baptized, if they have put on Jesus Christ. Let's go over to Galatians chapter 6. Galatians chapter 6 introduces an interesting phrase, a phrase that we must understand if we are going to understand Revelation chapter 7 and the 144,000. Galatians 6 and verse 16, as many as walk according to this rule, which simply means that all Christians were considered the same potential, the same place by God. He's going through that. Verse 13, not those who are circumcised to keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised. God forbid that I should boast.

And he mentions here, verse 15, in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything. What does avail is becoming a new creation. Therefore, as many as walk according to this rule, the rule is becoming a new creation because we have the Spirit of God. We've gone through a spiritual changing process. As many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God. So he introduces the title to those who are walking according to this new rule, having God's Spirit becoming a new creation, as the Israel of God.

So the Israel of God, by the time Paul wrote this, which is early in his ministry compared to a couple of the other books, is now considered as a spiritual Israel. Those who are walking according to the purpose of becoming a new creation, and he calls it the Israel of God. Now, the next book is Ephesians. Let's go to Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 11. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 11, therefore, remember that you once Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, made of the flesh by hand. In other words, these people point at you and say, well, you're not one of us. You're in the uncircumcised group. That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. So that was their status as Gentiles, as non-Israelites. They were aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel. They were strangers to the covenants, the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They had no part in it. And in fact, those who are non-Israelites still have no part in those. Having no hope and without God in the world. That describes the vast majority of mankind today. They have no hope when they are without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who are once far off have been brought near.

So those Gentiles who were far off have now been brought near by Jesus Christ, brought near to Israel. For He Himself is our peace and has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of separation. So here we have people who are no longer aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel. No longer strangers, no longer apart from the covenant. They have now been brought clear. They've been essentially grafted in. They've now made both one, and the middle wall of separation has been broken down. So they've been brought near. And essentially He's saying now they are part of the real Israel. In chapter 3 in verse 16, He says that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. So here we have people who are there to be brought back in and strengthen with might in the inner man because they are now part of the people of Israel. Now, in addition to Paul's emphasis, I want to go over to the book of James. James chapter 1. Take a little slightly different take on what we normally assume is the meaning of this phrase. But James wrote to the 12 tribes that are scattered abroad. Now, his message is spiritual. His message is not one that is about their physical circumstances, necessarily. It's about brothers treating each other right, controlling their tongues, faith without works is dead. So it could be that what he's writing has two meanings. We know that geographically the book was taken to areas where the 12 tribes of Israel lived. Nothing wrong with understanding that. But is it possible that he's also talking to people as spiritual Israel?

As you are the tribes of Israel scattered abroad. You're scattered all over the place, but you are God's people. It's just a good possibility because he's basically talking about them falling into trials, the testing of their faith, their patience being learned.

So he's running to brethren in trials who are having their faith tested. And perhaps the fact that he mentions Israel has a double meaning there. But now let's go back to Revelation 7, and we'll start getting complicated. I know it's been simple as clear water up until now, but now it's going to start getting complicated. So you'll have to forgive me.

I didn't write it. I'm just trying to explain it the best way I know how.

So the tribes of Israel in chapter 7 begin in verse 5. They're listed as 12,000 sealed from Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Isaac, Arzebulon, Joseph, and Benjamin. Now, what is wrong with that list?

Three very significant things. Number one, damn is omitted.

Number two, they're not listed in any particular order, well, that we can think of right away.

When you see the tribes of Israel listed in the Old Testament, how are they listed?

Always in one of two ways. Birth order or by their mother. You got Bilna, you got, you know, all these four different women, Zilpah, Bilna, I think was Bill and the one that had six, each other two, Rebecca and Sarah, each other, Rachel had two apiece. I think there's two, two, two, two, and six. So they can't list them by birth mother. That's the way you would do it, you know, by, like, Thanksgiving. But remember when Joseph had his brothers come to Egypt, and he set the table for them, right? He set the table according to their birth order. You know, he had Reuben, Simeon, Levi, all the way down to the end, and then he left his seat between his older brother and then his younger one, which was Benjamin. So in the Bible, you always have the tribes of Israel listed in birth order or in rare occasions by mother order. This order is not either one. This is the only place where they are listed like this, and not only that, Joseph is a replacement for Ephraim, and instead Manasseh is there, who is, was the firstborn of Ephraim and Manasseh Manasseh Ephraim. And then, of course, Dan is missing. So the tribe of Dan has been omitted. So there apparently is a message or a reason for this. Now, we have no official publication or statement on this, so what I'm about to give you is my best discernment, and you'll have to trust that after studying this for 40 years, it's not thus saith the Lord, but it's thus saith Rex after a lot of studying. Okay? Does that help? So if someone says, he said this, does that mean all of United says this? No, that means that's what Mr. Sexton said, because, you know, he had a heartburn one night and got up and got this figured out in a way he thinks it makes sense. But I think it does make sense, and I think it's at least got a message here that helps us to understand the meaning of the chapter. If we focus, in first place, the word Dan is not here. The name Dan means judge. Now, as you recall, when each one of these children were born, back in the account in Genesis, Exodus, actually Exodus, not Genesis, the mother said something every time they were born, right? Ashley was born, she says, ah, made me happy. Naftali was born, mom said, man, this has been a struggle, this has been a lot of work.

And so each one of these babies, when they were born, mom said something, right? And go back and look at it. A lot of it, much as I say that my wife never said any of these things when our children were born. Mostly she said, that's over, but you know, you know, women are when they have babies, they're crying, they're happy, the baby's all cute, and whatever. But these, these children were named by these things that mom said after the baby was born. And in one case, you know, the woman and mother had been barren for a while, she finally has a baby, God's taken away my reproach, you know, all those things. So let's talk about the names that are here. And if we assume that we start by saying, why is judge not mentioned? Because maybe we're supposed to judge something, maybe we're supposed to look at this and judge something. So Dan is not mentioned. But if we focus on the meaning of the name, instead of the name itself, there is at least an interesting pattern or interesting phrase that comes out. Is this what God inspired? Well, I think so, but I'm not going to say thus saith the Lord because the Lord doesn't thus say it, but I think it makes a lot of sense. The name Judah means thankfulness or praise can also mean celebrate. The name Reuben, remember when Reuben was born what mom said? I see a son or I see a father of nations. I see a nation. Remember the firstborn? Aha, I've got a, it wasn't a daughter because see a daughter wouldn't have been a nation. A daughter wouldn't have been a progenitor of nations. A daughter would have been a beautiful thing to have and they're wonderful, but they are not, in the Bible sense, fathers of nations. So Reuben, I see a son or I see a nation. Gad, I see a troop or there's a troop or an assemble. It means to come together. It was kind of an assembly. Asher, happy. Member's mother said, aha, I've had another baby, I'm happy. So Asher means happy. Naftali means struggle or to have a sort of a contest, struggle. Manasseh means forgotten or removed. Simeon means hearing or in hearing and obeying. God has heard me and I've obeyed. I've heard God and obey. So his mother was celebrating and said Simeon means hearing and obeying. Levi means joined together. God has now joined me together with my husband because I have born him a son. Isaacar means he will bring a reward or lift up for a reward. Zebulun means habitation to reside in or dwell in. So I'm going to have some water. This is not the one contaminated with the with the cough, is it? No, it's a new one. Okay, good. Thank you. So that's good. So I didn't say AIDS, I said cough, so it's much nicer.

Okay, Zebulun means habitation, place to dwell in. Joseph means God adding or adding or in addition to. And Benjamin means son of the right hand. Now we have to take these a little bit loosely and we have to understand that they are put in this order for a reason.

Judah, let's just kind of go through them in order here.

Thankfully, we see a nation assembled that is happy. The struggle has not been forgotten, but in hearing and obeying, we are joined to be rewarded in our habitation, adding the son of the right hand. Now, if you think about that for a minute, that's just reading what the names mean.

Thank God, or thankfully, we see a nation assembled that's happy. Their struggle has not been forgotten. Those hearing and obeying will be joined to the reward of their habitation, adding to the son of the right hand. Now, there are some other ways that this has been translated.

One of the more liberal, you might say, interpretations of the names reads this way.

I will praise the Lord for He has looked on me and granted good fortune. I'm happy because of my wrestling. God is making me forget. God hears me and is joined to me. He has purchased me a dwelling and will add to me the son of his right hand. So the scriptures, these names presented in this order describe a brief story summarizing the church's struggle, redemption, victory, and ultimate marriage to the Lamb. It seems evident that the message contained in these names listing in this order has a message about the final reward of those who have gone through the nation that's been assembled and gone through a struggle, not been forgotten, and is now joined to the Son of God at God's right hand. So I think it tells us if that is the correct interpretation that these 144,000 are those who are slated to be in the resurrection, those who are going to be joined to God in this family forever and make that spiritual nation that we call spiritual Israel. So the interpretation of names around this nation who succeeded in hearing and obeying God, I think is an interesting way to interpret or to understand what this 144,000 is about and why the names are listed in the order that they are. So it's a hidden message, perhaps, but according to the Strongs, we have the name Israel, and Israel means, according to Strongs, number 3478, he will rule as God or ruling with God. So spiritual Israel is ruling with God.

So we have these who are sealed. It doesn't mean they're sealed at the end time, although it could be of that understanding. But essentially, he's talking about those in chapter 6 and verse 11, who are given white robes and told they must wait a little longer until those who would be killed, as they were, are then killed or are then martyred. So we have this number, this 144,000, but I want to go through the number 12 just for a few minutes, because there's a whole lot more to the 144,000 and the 12,000 than often we acknowledge. You might know that there are 12 inches in a foot because the ancient kings had a foot, and they thought that they should divide into a measuring stick. They used the term 12. It could be because there were 12 patriarchs from Shem to Jacob. In the Bible, the number 12 always represents leadership or organization. There are 12 spies that were sent into the Promised Land, 12 judges from Joshua to Samuel, 12 often associated with God's church. Of course, typically the woman in chapter 12 is about, she has 12 stars above her head. There's also an interesting story in the Gospels concerning the number 12. In just one hour, Jesus Christ healed two women, or two females, with miracles associated with the number 12. First, he healed the woman who had had a issue of blood for 12 years. Now, perhaps, from that event, he went directly to the 12-year-old girl. The first woman, perhaps, represented the church that had been bleeding, the time, essentially, being persecuted and suffering. It might have something to do with that. The young girl, perhaps, symbolized the New Testament church that comes to life after resurrection, because right after the lady who had the issue of blood for 12 years was healed, the 12-year-old girl who had died was healed. That was a reason why the number 12 was mentioned in both cases.

They both reached out, or they both touched Jesus that day. The lady followed behind and just touched the hem of his garment, but Jesus then touched a little girl who was healed.

It's so interesting that both of those represent 12. A church represented by a woman or by a female in the Bible, often, and so there may be some connection there. Certainly, it's an interesting thought. In Revelation 12-1, it was a great sign that appeared in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet on her head a garland of 12 stars. Perhaps that symbolizes God's church and this woman, the spiritual Israel, the 12 aspects of it. Another interesting clue is in 144,000. In 1 Chronicles 27, the first 15 verses, we read that David's army was composed of 12 sets of 24,000, equaling 288,000, which is two armies of 144. 1 Chronicles 25 tells of a literal group of Levites who were singers, 24 times 12 Levites to lead in music and praise in the temple. That would be two groups of 144. Also, there were 24 courses of priests that were serving in the temple during David's time. In Revelation 4, we've already read about the 24 elders, the four beings under the throne of God and the 24 elders around the throne of God. Perhaps there is a connection with or they represent 12 patriarchs in the Old Testament and 12 apostles in the New Testament. Just a thought. God does things in an organized manner. In Matthew 19-28, Jesus says to the apostles, you have followed me and you will sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

And he makes a promise to those who will come out of the last age, known as Laodicea. To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne, also as I overcame, and sat down with my father on his throne. Now in heaven, of course, we know that around God's throne there are 24 elders, perhaps six on each side, and there'll be 144,000 around them, perhaps then 36,000 on each side. So we'll kind of wait and see. But Jesus says they're around the throne, doesn't say if they're in a circular fashion or in a square. But another reason for the 12, there are 12 stones on the breastplates of the high priest. These stones were also the same stones, essentially, as are predicted in Revelation 21 to be on the foundation walls of the New Jerusalem. Each of the gates have a name of one of the 12 apostles, but the foundation stones have these same stones that were on the breastplate of the high priest. It also says that the walls of Israel were 144 144 different cubits high, which would be, of course, about 350 feet. And there are 12 trees. They each produce a different fruit for 12 months. There's 144 different kinds of fruits in the trees listed in Revelation. So we have just a whole lot of numbers there that reflect the number 12 and the 144. So this is not sort of a new number that God came up with in Revelation.

He's been working with and perhaps one of his key numbers of organization all during the time.

So just before the trumpet plays, let's get back into a little bit now the...

Let's go let's go to one more. Before we go back to Revelation 7, let's go to Romans 9.

Here he mentioned the Word of God has taken effect and that they are not all Israel who are of Israel. This is the second time he alludes to the fact that Israel is the Israel of God is spiritual. Romans 9, beginning in verse 6, it is not that the Word of God has taken no effect, for they are not all Israel who are of Israel. So they're not all Israelites who are in spiritual Israel. Nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham, but in Isaac your seed shall be called. And in Isaac the seed was called of the promise. And so he's showing that they don't have to be the sentence just of Abraham. That is, those who are the children of flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

So the children who live according to the promises. And of course, Galatians 3, 29, those who have the promises of Abraham on them are those who are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise if they have the Spirit of God. So we have, again, this group that is called spiritual Israel, not physical Israel, and that is the focus of the New Testament in discussing these tribes of Israel and who they might be. So let's go back now to Revelation 7, have then looked at some of the possibilities here on these 144,000, and a little bit of biblical background concerning the number and God's use of it. Concerns priests, concerns God's army, or David's army. The number also affects the New Jerusalem. So a number of things we know the people of God are going to be involved in or symbolized by have already been used or already been symbolized by 144,000, you know, that number. After these things, I looked, and behold a great multitude no one could number of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and with palm branches in their hands. Now this is one of the more misunderstood verses, I think, in the entire New Testament. There are some who try to use this to say, well, this great number is so large that it could not possibly be counted. I don't think God can count any number. But we have here, I think in the Greek is a little more important understanding of it. I have here the interlinear King James version by George Berry, based on the majority text, the 1550s text of Saint Stephen, what they call Saint Stephanus. But it says literally, if you just look at the Greek words, after these things I saw, and behold, a crowd great, which to number it no one was able, out of every nation, and he goes on to continue, nation and peoples all around the earth. So it's a number that no man knows. It does not necessarily mean it is a number of millions and billions that we simply cannot comprehend. There are a number of places in the Bible where it says a great multitude.

One of them says a great multitude came, and Christ fed the 5,000. So the 5,000 was called a great multitude. 4,000 was called a great multitude. It even says in one place that a great multitude came with Judas, a great multitude of chief priests and elders, to arrest Jesus Christ in Matthew 26. And that great multitude may not have been more than about 60 to 70 people.

Let's go back and get some background before we try to decipher exactly what this first means.

And we're not going to get it exactly. We're going to get some ideas and some hopefully educated probabilities. Let's go to Luke chapter 14. In Luke chapter 14 is perhaps the fundamental teaching of Jesus Christ to understand these two chapters of the Bible. Luke chapter 14 and verse 16.

Much of what is said in parables, as you know, is meant to be hidden from the world, hidden from those who are not called. But in Matthew 13, Jesus Christ said, I speak in parables because to you it is given to understand, but to them it is not. In Luke chapter 14 and verse 16, he said to them, a certain man gave a great supper and invited many. Now the background of this in verse 15 is important. When one of those who sat at the table with him heard these things, he said, blessed is he who shall eat bread or eat the meal, the wedding supper as it's called, in the kingdom of God. So this next parable explains the wedding supper in the kingdom of God.

Very important to understand that. So a certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, so it's almost time for the supper.

He says, come for all things are now ready, so those who were invited are told to come.

But they always want to cord began to make excuses. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of ground. I must go and use it or see it. I ask you to have me excused. Another said, I have brought five yoke of oxen, and I'm going to test them. I ask you to have me excused. So another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, go out quickly into the streets and the lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind. So the first group that was invited to the wedding supper, if we use that understanding, simply said they were too busy, too many other important things. So then the poor and the lame and the blind are all brought in. And the servant said to the master, it is done as you command it.

So those who were invited first to the wedding supper didn't come. Those who were invited second came, but there was still room. Then the master said to the servant, go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come, that in my house it may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper. But notice the servant is to go out into the highways and to compel people to come. Now what does that mean, to compel them to come? Well, it means they're given a choice. Essentially, come or die. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 10. These people understand, but they have not yet made a commitment. These people understand the truth. The same group in Revelation 12 says they had the testimony of Jesus Christ and they had the commandments of God, but they are not protected. They are not sealed, as it looks like in Revelation chapter 7. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 10. Paul said, According to the grace of God, which was given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it, but let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and straw, each one's work will become clear. Notice for the day we'll declare it. The word day in New King James is in capitalized. Perhaps it's referring to a time right before the day or during the day of the Lord. The day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is. When Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, he likely believed Christ was coming in his time. Perhaps he's warning these people about the same scenario we're talking about in Revelation, that if their work is tried and it is gold and silver, precious jewels and metals, then they'll be sealed. They'll be in God's kingdom. But if it is not, if it's hay and wood and stubble, perhaps they will have to make a choice. Let's go to Revelation chapter 3 and verse 18. Because the land is sea and era, God says they are lukewarm.

They're not cold. They're not hot. They think they are rich. They're wealthy. They don't need to do anything urgent, just like those who turned down the invitation to be in the wedding supper. They had other things that were more important. So, verse 16, so then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold or hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say I am rich and have become wealthy and of need of nothing, do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, naked, and blind, I counsel you to buy for me gold refined in the fire. And the fire can be the time of testing. The fire he's talking about may be that time of great trouble that is coming that will find people have to say, yes, I believe in God and die or accept the mark of the beast. But it's gold tried in the fire. Paul talked about the fire in 1 Corinthians 3. That you may be rich and white garments, that you may be clothed. And these people don't have white garments. The Laodiceans don't until after the fire tests them. And some are then judged to be worthy of white garments.

That the shame of your nakedness may not reveal, anoint your eyes with eyesave, so that you may see. So we have this group that doesn't quite have the qualifications to be sealed. It's another group. But it's a group that comes in—let's go back to Revelation 7—a group that comes in to fill those seats that were left vacant, because some who were invited didn't come. Perhaps it's even some of these who were invited who didn't come. But let's see what it says about them, continuing here in verse 9.

And it just says, a number of which no man can number. It's impossible to understand this without understanding that God lets us make decisions. God gives us free will. God does not know exactly how many of us are going to make the right decision and be qualified to be sealed in spiritual Israel and avoid the trials coming on the earth or avoid that great fire to try people's faith and how many seats are vacant. You know, God knows how many are in the grave.

And we are certainly putting more in the grave. It seems like on a regular basis, but they are waiting for the resurrection. God knows that number. It is a finite number.

God knows the number of seats in the wedding supper. And He knows the difference that needs to be filled. Just like it said in the parable, there are seats, still seats, left to be filled, go out and compel them to come. So we have in verse 9 a great multitude or a large number.

It doesn't say, doesn't tell us, millions, thousands, hundreds, hundred million. We don't know.

Which no one can number because no one knows their character or what decisions they're going to make. No one would know how many are in the graves or are sealed while still alive, so to speak, before these events of Revelation 8 and 9 take place. So we are still, in the time preceding, the wrath of God that is going to be coming on the earth. So we have these people of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues standing before the Lamb clothed with white robes. These are the ones that become white during this time of trial. With palm branches in their hands. So palm branches symbolize victory. In the Roman Empire, if a person won a race, they were given this palm branch. Sometimes they put it around their head, but a palm branch symbolized victory. And crying with a loud voice saying, salvation belongs to our God, or it could be translated, our salvation comes from God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures and fell on their faces before the throne of God. And they worshiped God saying, amen, blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. They're giving glory to God because of the blessing that they've been given, the wisdom and the honor. They're very thankful, be to our God forever and ever.

So here's this celebration, this sort of song of celebration going on. In Revelation 14, we have a little more detail about it. But then we have a question asked. It's a very important question.

One of the elders answered and said, who are these who are red and white robes and where did they come from? And of course, if asking John, John doesn't know. So he simply says, well, I don't know, but you do. So he said, sir, you know, or can you please tell me? So he said, these are the ones who come out of great tribulation. The definite article V is not in the original Greek. So they come out of great tribulation and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. So these are the ones that apparently fill up the final seats to the wedding supper. And once those seats are filled up and God's wedding supper is complete, then the wrath of God can fall upon the earth because, as it says, human who is righteous be righteous, still human who is unrighteous, be unrighteous, still. It does seem to indicate very strongly in a couple places that there is not an opportunity for people to come to God once these plagues begin, that there simply is not an opportunity because all of God's servants are taken out of the way and protected or in the grave. But let's continue on. So these are the ones who come out of the tribulation, washed their robes. They were the ones who we read in Laodicea were basically spiritually naked. Their robes were dirty, had to have them washed and made white. 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 dwell among them. So here we have people who are going to be living with God as spirit beings for all eternity. He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They'll be perhaps part of the temple or serving in the temple. We don't know exactly how all this is going to work out. So the elder's answer, or the elder answers, by the way, this is the final time that one of the 24 elders speaks with John. The first time was when John was told not to weep because no one was found qualified to open the scroll in John chapter 5 and verse 5. But this is the last time that one of these elders talks to John. In the rest of the cases, it's an angel or messenger from God, but not one of the elders. So we have this unrepentant group, you might say, that goes into the tribulation and then has their time, their final chance. They are coerced. You either are going to obey God or you're going to be part of the beast. Revelation chapter 12, let's go to chapter 12 and verse 19. I'm sorry, verse 17, where they're mentioned again. We've alluded to this a couple times. Verse 13, when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. One of the ways God brings on the plagues is by casting the dragon to the earth, apparently. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly in the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the presence of the serpent. So she's protected for three and a half years. She's taken out of the way and she is nourished by God. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood, but the earth helped the woman. So God protected the woman. And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood, which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged because he couldn't get to the woman. She's protected. But he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, those who were not sealed, those who were not given qualification by God to be protected.

But they keep the commandments of God and they have the testimony of Jesus Christ. So therefore they're turned over to the devil who makes war against them. And the mark of the beast is enforced. And they have to come to their senses and say, no, I'm not going to be a part of this mark of the beast. I would rather die. And so they will be killed and lose their lives, and fulfilling that prophecy in chapter 5 and chapter 6, that the rest of your brethren should be killed as you were. And those are the ones who will finally fill up those seats in the wedding supper. And that will all occur during this time when the plagues are beginning. So their destiny is to be before the throne of God. These are the ones who are going to be sort of the last comers, so to speak. They're going to be the last ones to take their place in the wedding supper.

But the positive thing is over at the end of chapter 7, is a great blessing is pronounced upon them. It says, therefore, in verse 15, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple. And he who sits on the throne will dwell among them. So they are welcome as members of the family of God, all of these who are in these two groups, those who were sealed and those who were sealed at the last minute, giving their life during this time of great testing and trial. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore. The sun shall not strike them nor any heat. So their physical suffering is a thing of the past. For the lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.

So there will be a process where they grow, where they learn. They'll be led to living fountains of waters. And those are described more in detail in Revelation in the New Jerusalem and the rivers of living water going out. Notice God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, because during their time of obeying God in Satan's world, there have been tears. There has been suffering and has been pain. But the positive thing about this is wonderful. God is going to wipe every tear from their eyes. They are given white linen. They are then becoming part of God's temple and God's family that live with Him for all eternity. And after all this occurs, then the winds are let loose and the plagues of God begin on the earth. And we'll start there next time.