Ch 7: The 144,000 and the great multitude
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3. The 144,000 sealed (7:1)
- 7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
- Rev 7:5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
- from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
- from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
- 6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
- from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
- from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
- 7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
- from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
- from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
- 8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
- from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
- from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
Who are the 144,000?
Introduction
There are a couple of basic questions that need to be addressed.
- Is this number to be taken literally?
- Is this a select group of people?
The approach taken in this commentary is that Revelation is symbolic unless it is clearly literal. The fact that each of the twelve tribes consists of exactly 12,000 suggests a symbolic interpretation. Rather than being a select group of believers I will argue that the 144,000 represents the whole church of God on the earth, and the "great multitude" of Rev 7:9 represents the whole church of God in heaven. Brighton sums up chapter 7 of Revelation perfectly by calling the two groups "the church militant on earth and the church triumphant in heaven" (Revelation (Concordia Commentary) by Louis A. Brighton).
The 144,000 are the church on the earth
This vision of the 144,000 and the vision of the great multitude (7:9 ff.) form an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals. Just as in the interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets we see a description of the witnessing church so here we get a description of the church. There is no such interlude between the sixth and seventh bowl. Before the seven trumpets are to be sounded which serve as warnings to mankind, the church is first sealed to protect them from these disasters that come upon mankind. The number 144,000 is a symbolic number (cf. 21:12 ff.) and the description of the 144,000 sealed, symbolically describes the NT + OT church not just the OT tribes of Israel. Neither are they a select group of Jewish missionaries who arise in the last days. It should be noted that the list of the twelve tribes is not just a list it is a census. The reasons why the 144,000 represent the church are summarised below:
i. They are described as the servants of our God in verse 3, a term that refers to the church, and is used more than 11 times in Revelation, see 1:1, 1:6, 5:10, 6:11, 7:15, 19:2, 19:5, 19:10, 22:3, 22:6, 22:9. The book of Revelation was written to God's servants (1:1, 22:6).
ii. The NT Church is called the Israel of God (Gal 6:16). Both Jews and Gentiles are members of Christ's body and share the same promises, the church is Abraham's offspring (Eph 3:6, Gal 3:6-9, 28-29). See also James 1:1.
iii. Judah is the firstborn instead of Reuben. Jesus is the firstborn of the dead (Col 1:15 ) and he is descended from Judah (Heb 7:14). Note while Jesus was on earth he went through the initiation rights of both Jews (circumcision) and Christians (baptism). Judah offered himself as a substitute for his brother Benjamin (Gen 44:33) and is therefore a type of Christ.
iv. Levi the tribe of priests is included in the census, they are normally excluded from a census (Num 1:47), the saints are described as priests in 1:6, 5:10 and 20:6.
v. Joseph, who is a type of Christ is included (instead of Ephraim), there is nothing wrong spoken about him, see verse eight for more detail.
vi. Dan and Ephraim who went off into idolatry are excluded, they are replaced by Levi and Joseph, there are no idolaters in the church, 21:8, 22:15. Irenaeus thinks that the antichrist will come from Dan and quotes, Jer 8:16.
vii. Those in an OT census are ransomed people (cf. Exo 30:12).
viii. The number 144 (12*12 i.e. OT * NT) and 12,000 occur again in the description of the New Jerusalem, Rev 21:12-17, which is clearly both OT (twelve tribes and 12 gates) and NT church (twelve apostles and 12 foundations). This could also be a description of the Jewish and Gentile church, but the emphasis is that it is the complete church.
ix. The 144,000 are found again in 14:1 where they have the name of the Lamb and the Father written on their foreheads. In the description of the new Jerusalem, 22:3-4, we also find God's servants with his name on their foreheads. The 144,000 in 14:1-5 are described as followers of the Lamb, they sing a new song, they are pure and blameless, they are redeemed from the earth.
x. Milligan points out that if the seal is the antithesis of the mark of the beast which is on all his followers then the seal of God will be on all His followers and not just a part.
xi. God is sealing all of his people against the coming trumpets not just a part just as all God's people escaped the plagues on the Egyptians. All those who put the blood of the lamb on the door posts and lintels escaped from the destroying angel.
John's theology clearly sees the church as being composed of OT and NT saints, the OT continues into the NT, both Jews and Gentiles are saved on the same basis of faith (Gal 3:6-14). This is made amply clear in his description of the New Jerusalem whose gates have the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on them and whose foundations have the names of the twelve apostles on them. Even where he does describe the OT church as 'the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head', Rev 12:1, after she gives birth to the Christ she becomes the NT church, 12:13. It should be clear from NT scripture that as far as the church is concerned there is neither Jew nor Gentile we are all one body (Eph 3:6), the Gentile believers by following the faith of Abraham are spiritually children of Abraham and inheritors of the same promises (Gal 3:6-9, 28-29). The church is a continuum from OT to NT but as they are here sealed prior to the trumpets being sounded this would reduce this group to the NT church rather than both OT and NT. Our Lord only has one body on the earth, John no doubt has our Lords words in mind "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:20-21 see also John 17:11).
There is a modification to this view in which rather than considering the 144,000 to be OT and NT saints they could be the Jewish and Gentile church. The Jewish line extends into the NT period in so far as the Jews accept Jesus as the Messiah, fortunately many are doing so. Just as in the OT period there were Gentile converts, e.g. Ruth, so in the NT period there will be Jewish converts. Either way the 144,000 should be considered to be the complete church and not just a portion of it. There are a number of commentators that consider the 144,000 to be Jewish converts to Christianity in which case most of the analysis aforementioned would also fit these Jewish Christians since by definition they would be part of the church and would therefore share its characteristics. However the use of the term 144 would seem to link this group with the new Jerusalem which clearly depicts the whole church of all saints either OT or NT, Jew or Gentile and therefore it is more likely that this is referring to the complete church.
(Rom 11:25-32) I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. {26} And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. {27} And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." {28} As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, {29} for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. {30} Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, {31} so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. {32} For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
v1 - After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree - This section is the answer to - 'who can stand?' - coming from Rev 6:17 and it now shows us those who will be able to stand on the day of God's great visitation. Only those sealed will be able to stand on the day of his wrath, 1 Thess 1:10. 'After this I saw' refers to John's chronology and refers to a new vision that he saw and not that the events now depicted follow on from those in the previous section. This verse refers to the angels with the first four trumpets which affect the whole earth (the four winds of the earth, the four directions of the compass i.e. they affect the whole earth geographically showing the universality of the judgement), in particular the first two trumpets (Rev 8:7-8) which affect the earth, trees, grass and sea.
First trumpet:
Rev 8:7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
Second trumpet:
Rev 8:8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood,
v2 - Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: - The angel comes from the east (sun rising) God's deliverance was expected from that direction, Ezek 43:1. The angels had been given power to harm the land and the sea indicating the sovereignty of God. The seal (Gr. sphragis (n)) of the living God, the verb form of seal is the Greek sphragizo. The same word is used of Jesus on whom the Father has placed his seal of approval (John 6:27), of Abraham who received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised (Rom 4:11), the seal of ownership (2 Cor 1:22), marked in Jesus with the seal of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13, 4:30), the seal of ownership (2 Tim 2:19). The same word is also used of the seven seals, the sealing up of the bottomless pit (20:3), sealing up the seven thunders (10:4) and not sealing up the words of Revelation (22:10). Vine defines sphragis as 'a seal' or 'signet', Rev 7:2, 'the seal of the living God', an emblem of ownership and security, here combined with that of destination (as in Ezek 9:4), the persons to be 'sealed' being secured from destruction and marked for reward.
v3 - "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." - The seven trumpets which are sounded later (Rev 8:70) are warnings to the unsaved of mankind, not to the saints who must therefore first be sealed to mark them as being distinct from the rest of mankind. It is God's servants who must be sealed, the book of Revelation is written to God's servants (1:1, 22:6), Christians are referred to as servants 10 times in the book and as saints 12 times. Notice that all the plagues of Egypt which resemble the trumpets did not hurt the people of God, they were protected (Exo 9:4, 9:26, 10:23, 11:7, 12:23), the Lord made a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel, Exo 11:7. God's deliverance of his people is also shown by the experience of Noah, Lot and Esther. Before he died Jesus prayed that the disciples would be protected by the power of the Father's name (John 17:11 cf. Rev 14:1 where they are sealed in the Father's name and of the Lamb), in John 17:15 he prays that they are not taken out of the world but protected from the power of the evil one. The image of the seal comes from Ezek 9:4 in which a mark is put on the foreheads of those who grieved and lamented over all the detestable thing done in Jerusalem, they were then protected from the ensuing slaughter. The seal is of ownership because they are God's servants, but it is also the seal of protection, in the fifth trumpet the locusts were told to only harm those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads (Rev 9:4). The seal marks those who belong to God, 2 Tim 2:19, 'the Lord knows who are his'. In v2 it is called 'the seal of the living God', the seal is also the seal of the Holy Spirit, Eph 1:13, it is the seal of ownership. It was put on their foreheads i.e. their mind, it reminds us of the gold plate that was engraved as a seal with the words 'HOLY TO THE LORD' which the high priest wore on his forehead (Exo 28:36-38), this marks him out as consecrated to the Lord. Contrast this to the title written on the forehead of the harlot, 'MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH' (Rev 17:5). In Rev 14:1 the 144,000 are described as having the name of the Lamb and his Father on their foreheads, i.e. thrice sealed by God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. At baptism we are baptised into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Mat 28:19). This seal is in contrast to the mark of the beast, on the right hand or forehead, which marks those who are the beast's (13:16) and who are subject to the wrath of God (14:9-11, 16:2).
v4 - Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel - He heard their number, 144,000 which is clearly a symbolic number, later he sees them as a great multitude which no one could count. In the NT the church is described as the Israel of God, Gal 6:16, and as Abraham's seed in Gal 3:29, in Rom 4:16 Abraham is the father of those who believe. The number 144 also appears in Rev 21:17 which is the thickness of the walls of the New Jerusalem, which is a clear reference to the complete OT and NT church. 12,000 is found in Rev 21:16 as the length of the New Jerusalem, again this is a vision of the new Jerusalem whose gates had the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on them and whose twelve foundations had the names of the twelve apostles on them because the city is composed of both old and new testament saints. A number of dispensationalist commentators particularly from America hold that there is a separate place for Israel and the church in their theology, but this does not accord with NT theology about the church, the 144,000 are not Jewish converts in the last days but are the church. The church is the true Israel of God, God works in the world through his church, in the OT it was through the twelve tribes and in the NT through the twelve apostles. The place for Israel or rather the Jewish people in the last days is as part of the church. The number thousand means complete so the 144,000 represent all God's people from the old and new testament. The 144,000 is not a literal number, it is the complete church not part of it. 144=12 * 12, i.e. OT * NT church, 1000=10*10*10 which means completeness. The symbolism ought to be evident from the breakdown of the number 144,000 into twelve tribes of exactly 12,000 for each tribe. Israel was the name given to Jacob after he struggled with God and with men and overcame (Gen 32:28), once again a reference to God's people as overcomers.
v4 - 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel - What follows is clearly a census of all the tribes of Israel, however when we examine the census it has some significant differences from actual censuses taken in the OT. Each tribe has exactly 12,000 counted so the census should be regarded as symbolic. When the first census was taken of the tribes they had to pay a ransom, Exo 30:12, so those in the census were ransomed people. The 144,000 are found again in 14:1 where they have the name of the Lamb and the Father written on their foreheads. In the description of the new Jerusalem, 22:3-4, we also find God's servants with his name on their foreheads.
v5 - From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, - The 144,000 sealed, the first born of the twelve tribes of OT Israel is Reuben who is normally mentioned first, he is listed second to Judah, but here the first tribe in the list and therefore the first born is from the tribe of Judah, Jesus is the first born of the dead (Rev 1:5, Col 1:15) and is from the tribe of Judah (Heb 7:14, Rev 5:5). He is the firstborn of many brothers, Rom 8:29. The number of people in each tribe is 12,000 which is symbolic, this number also occurs when the New Jerusalem is measured, its length, width and height is 12,000 stadia. It had twelve gates and on each gate was written the name of one of the tribes of Israel, the city had twelve foundations on which were written the names of the twelve apostles.
v7 - from the tribe of Levi 12,000, - Levi is the tribe of priests, it is now include in the census, whereas they are not normally counted (Num 1:4749) 'You must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other Israelites'. The NT saints are a royal priesthood, 1 Pet 2:9, there is no need now for a separate tribe of priests.
v8 - from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, - Joseph is not normally mentioned as a tribe, his sons Manasseh and Ephraim are normally mentioned as two tribes (Gen 48:5), however Ephraim went into idolatry and is not mentioned here as did Dan who is not mentioned, idolaters are excluded from the New Jerusalem (Rev 22:15). Joseph is a type of Christ, there is nothing bad mentioned about him in scripture. Both Joseph and Christ were unjustly tried, Joseph was unjustly charged with trying to rape Potiphar's wife (Gen 39:1-20). Both suffered, Joseph in prison and Jesus on the cross. Both were later crowned with glory and honour (Gen 41:39-45, Heb 2:9).
The census thus reveals Christ as the firstborn, it includes the priests together with Joseph as a type of Christ, all have been ransomed, but there are no idolaters in it; it is the church of the redeemed.
4. The great multitude in white robes (7:9)
Rev 7:9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
Rev 7.11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying:
"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
Rev 7:13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" 14 I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore,
"they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
8:1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
The great multitude: the church in heaven
v9 - After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. - First John hears their number, 144,000 (7:1), they are first described symbolically, now he looks and he sees a great multitude that no one could count. This great multitude is this same 144,000 who are also the same as the new Jerusalem, see Rev 21:1-4 and 21:12-17 in which the New Jerusalem is 12,000 stadia in length and as wide and high as it is long. The 144,000 also occur in Rev 14:1-3, where they have the name of the Lamb and of God on their foreheads as do the saints in the New Jerusalem, 22:4. The great multitude here are also found described in the New Jerusalem: they have washed their robes (22:14), they are before the throne of God and serve God (22:3), God will wipe away every tear (21:4). John also sees a great multitude in heaven in 19:1 ff. who praise God because he has avenged on the great prostitute the blood of his servants (19:2), these are described as God's servants (19:5) and as the bride (19:7). This great number that no one could count is the fulfilment of God's promise to Abraham that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars or grains of sand on the seashore (Gen 15:5, 22:17, Heb 11:12).
v9 - from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. - Notice the four fold description indicating that they come from the four corners of the earth, it also lends weight to the argument that they represent the complete number of the redeemed, they are not just Gentiles. These saints come from the same group that the beast has authority over (Rev 13:7) and to whom the angel has an eternal gospel for (14:6). This illustrates the universality of the gospel, we are to preach the gospel to all creatures, even those who worship the beast. They are standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb which answers the question posed in 6:17 'who can stand on the day of their wrath', clearly only the church can stand before God. Because John sees them standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb they are in heaven (Rev 4:2, 5:13, 22:3). Compare this with the vision of 'someone like a son of man' in Daniel 7:13 in which 'all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him' Dan 7:14.
v9 - They were wearing white robes - The white robes are robes of righteousness, see v14, in which they are stated to have 'washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb', also see Isa 61:10. The martyrs were also given a white robe 6:11, see also Rev 3:4-5, 3:18. The armies of heaven are dressed in fine linen white and clean, 19:14. The white robes are imputed righteousness, that is the righteousness of Christ, their own good deeds are like a filthy garment, Isa 64:6, Zech 3:3.
v9 - holding palm branches in their hands - This reminds us of the praise given to Jesus before his death, John 12:13, the palm branches were emblems of triumph. It is also a reminder of the feast of booths celebrated at the harvest of the crops (Lev 23:39 ff.), here they celebrate the eternal harvest of the saints. Palm trees are in the city described by Ezekiel, Ezek 41:17-18.
v10 - And they cried out in a loud voice: - "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." - These are they that acknowledge that their salvation comes from God (Isa 25:9, Rev 12:10, 19:1) and from Jesus as the NT affirms, (Eph 2:4, 2 Thess 2:13, 1 Tim 1:15, Titus 3:4). God and the Lamb are linked together, their salvation was God's plan and implemented by the Lamb of God. They are saved from the wrath of the Lamb because they are sealed. It is interesting to consider that in heaven we will all speak one language as in pre-Babel times. There is now no need for the confusion of languages, man is embarking on a correct activity, namely the worship of God and of the Lamb.
v11 - All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, - The rest of heaven now joins in agreement and in worshipping God, who is the only one to whom worship is due cf. 4:10, 5:8, 5:14. The angels worship God and it is an angel who twice tells John not to worship at his feet but to worship God, 19:10, 22:8-9. Contrast the worship of God here with the worship of the beast and the dragon in 13:4.
v12 - "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" - They all join in this sevenfold doxology as they did in 5:12.
v13 - Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" - This is a rhetorical question that the elder then proceeds to answer.
v14 - I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. - What is the great tribulation? The word 'great' is frequently used in the book of Revelation (see introduction). We have already heard about 'the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth' in 3:10. The fifth seal has revealed the souls of the martyrs under the altar slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained, 6:9. Those who come out of the great tribulation are those who have washed their robes, they are the redeemed who are the Church of God. Compare with the description of the redeemed in Rev 22:14 who have washed their robes so they may have the right the tree of life and to go into the city.
The book of Revelation speaks of two tribulations, one for the church which is persecution, the other for the world featured in the seven trumpets and seven bowls and especially at the second coming. Thus we need to distinguish between tribulation for the believer and wrath on unbelievers, believers are sealed before the trumpets are sounded. The great tribulation is the time of persecution throughout this current church age but rising to a crescendo to a period of unparalleled distress just prior to the return of Christ (Mat 24:29, Dan 12:1). It is described from the point of view of the redeemed in heaven rather than from human history; he sees their final countless number. It is the tribulation that all believers have come through (Acts 14:22), it is not just an isolated single future event in history, this should become clear from the rest of Revelation which goes on to describe more persecution that the saints will have to go through. Jesus said that in the world you will have tribulation, a word that includes pressure, suffering and persecution (John 16:33; cf. Rom 12:12; 2 Cor 1:4; 7:4; 2 Thess 1:4; Rev 1:9; 2:9 NTSB).
The great multitude he saw that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, is more likely to be the whole company of believers than just those who come through the final great distress. That the 144,000 consist of both OT and NT saints ought to make it clear that the tribulation occurs throughout the OT and NT eras, the New Jerusalem shows both OT and NT saints. The OT church suffered tribulation under Pharaoh in Egypt which is a model for much of the NT persecution in this book.
It is easy for the church in the west which is not under persecution to look for a future fulfilment of the great tribulation, however the reformers, the church in China and Russia will disagree, they have had and are having their tribulation now. The idea that the rapture will occur before the great tribulation is also against scripture (1 Thess 4:13-17, Mat 24:30-31) and is also demonstrated here in this verse. The book of Revelation testifies that the saints will come out of great tribulation in this verse and the following verses:
- The fifth seal reveals the martyrs slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained (to the end). 6:9
- When the two witnesses finish their testimony they are killed by the beast, 11:7, they are later raptured, most futurists regard the beast as the antichrist.
- The beast was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them, 13:7
- The second beast caused all who refused to worship the image of the first beast to be killed, 13:15.
- The woman riding the beast is drunk with the blood of the saints, 17:6.
Finally, Jesus himself testifies that the elect will come out of the great tribulation, Mat 24:20-31, Mark 13:18-27.
v14 - they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb - This is a glorious paradox, he has freed us from our sins by his blood (Rev 1:5), white indicates purity (1 John 1:7, Isa 1:18). Isa 61:10 refers to the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness. It is also connected with the Israelites washing their cloths in preparation for the Lord to come down at Mt. Sinai (Exo 19:10), in this it indicates that they were to be ceremonially clean to see the Lord.
v15 - 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 spread his tent over them. - The 'therefore' is because they are cleansed and have suffered for Christ's sake. The rewards indicated here are reiterated in 21:3 ff. 'The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him' and is further evidence that this group of saints are the whole company of believers. They are before his throne, that is in his presence and they serve God, as they had while living on the earth. Compare those who serve God day and night with the fate of those who worship the beast and his image, and the devil who accused them day and night, they will be tormented and have no rest day and night for ever and ever (Rev 14:11, 20:10). The great multitude of the saints serve him day and night in his temple, that is the inner sanctuary or the Holies of Holies, thus fulfilling Ezek 37:26, in which God will put his sanctuary among his people forever.
v16 - Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.- This is a picture of heaven, as a set of negative, they will never thirst because they will have springs of living water (v17). They will never be scorched by the sun, because there will be no sun (Rev 21:23, 22:5 cf. Isa 49:10), this is in contrast to the fourth bowl which scorched people, see Rev 16:8. It is also in contrast with those in the lake of fire. They will never hunger because of the fruit of the tree of life, Jesus said I am the bread of life.
v17 - For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." - The Lamb will be their shepherd, they shall not want (they will not thirst or go hungry) and he will lead them to springs of living water, Psa 23:1, the spring of the water of life is found in Rev 21:6, whose source is the Lamb. We have already seen the Lamb standing at the centre of the throne, Rev 5:6. God will wipe every tear from their eyes, this is repeated in 21:4, compare with its OT equivalent in Isa 25:8, contrast this with the weeping of the ungodly Mat 13:42. This does away with the curse, Gen 3:17, there will be no more curse 22:3. Compare the similarity of verses 15-17 with the description given in Rev 21:3-6, we are seeing the same event, a foretaste of heaven, thus the parallelism of the book. This section can be seen as the fulfilment of Jesus prayer before he was crucified in that he prayed that his disciples would be with him and see his glory (John 17:24).
8:1 - When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. - After these two pictures of the church the seventh seal is opened, followed by silence in heaven. This could be time of reflection on what has happened up until now. It could be because the first heaven and earth have passed away. The visions of the 144,000 and the great multitude form an interlude between the sixth and seventh seal. There is also an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets which features the two witnesses, that is the witnessing church. The following verses show other biblical passages in which there is silence.
- Psa 76 the land feared and was quiet when the Lord pronounced judgement from heaven.
- Isa 18:4 before the harvest of the earth the Lord looks upon the earth from heaven in silence.
- Isa 24:8 tells of the quietness of musical instruments and revellers after the Lord has devastated the earth.
- Isa 47:5 Babylon will go into silence.
- Isa 41:1 the islands are to be silent before the judgement of the Lord.
- Ezek 27:32 Tyre is silenced.
- Hab 2:18-20, the Lord is in his holy temple and the earth is to keep silent before him.
- Zep 1:7 the earth should be silent before the Lord because the day of the Lord is near when he will punish the wicked.
- Zec 2:13 mankind is to be still before the Lord because has roused himself from his holy dwelling and is coming in judgement.