Presentation 06
Presentation 06
The First Four Seals:
The Sealing Of God’s Servants [7v1-8]
As we open chap. 7 we ask, why was it so crucial
‘to prevent any wind from blowing’ v1. Why would
wind bring harm to the natural order v3? In chap.6
John had used the wind metaphorically to
compare something he had never seen in real life
(stars falling to earth) with something familiar to
him - figs falling from a tree. Jesus had used the fig
tree as a metaphor for the approaching end of the
world Mk. 13:28-29. In Revelation, wind is
introduced to the imagery, so that the fig tree is
not sprouting leaves but losing its fruit-perhaps its
leaves as well.
Presentation 06
The First Four Seals:
The Sealing Of God’s Servants [7v1-8]
In chap.7 the wind becomes part of the vision-and a
very real threat. John sees 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 v1.
All the disasters chap.6 are now wrapped up in the
single disaster of ‘wind’ - a metaphor for catastrophic
change. John's language echoes the prophecies of
Ezekiel, where scattering to the winds was the
culmination of a divine judgment that included plague,
famine and the sword, “… and a third I will scatter to
the winds and pursue with drawn sword” Ezek. 5:12.
Presentation 06
The First Four Seals:
The Sealing Of God’s Servants [7v1-8]
Four angels were given power to harm the land and the sea
v2 by releasing four terrible winds. They hold them back
temporarily v1 as another angel commands their restraint ‘until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our
God’ v3. cf. Ezekiel's visions, where a "man clothed in linen"
was told to "go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a
mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over
all the detestable things that are done in it"; those marked
are spared the destruction threatening the city Ezek. 9:4,6.
John does not claim that he saw this ritual of sealing in his
vision, only that he heard the number of those who were
sealed, ‘144,000 from all the tribes of Israel’ v4.
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The First Four Seals:
The Sealing Of God’s Servants [7v1-8]
And so Chap.7 introduces a blessed interlude
which takes us to the positive side of
judgement for we discover the divine
restraint placed upon natural calamities as
far as the elect are concerned.
In apocalyptic thought the forces of nature
are often pictured as under the charge of
angels. As we have seen in 7:1ff. four angels
are depicted as controlling the winds of
God’s judgements and they are restrained
until God’s servants are sealed.
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The First Four Seals:
The Sealing Of God’s Servants
[7v1-8]
Just as the elder's voice had announced earlier "the Lion
of the tribe of Judah" 5v5 so now John heard a list of
tribes announced beginning with the tribe of Judah. In
each case, however, what John immediately saw was
something quite different from what was announced.
Instead of "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" he had seen "a
Lamb, looking as if it had been slain" 5:6, and now
instead of ‘144,000’ from all the tribes of Israel he sees
‘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’ v. 9
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The First Four Seals:
The Sealing Of God’s Servants
[7v1-8]
In each case John's vision accomplishes a
transformation. A Lion is transformed into a Lamb,
and 144,000 Jews are transformed into an
innumerable multitude from every nation on earth!
The great multitude, wearing white robes and . . .
holding palm branches in their hands v.9, break out
in worship of God and the Lamb in a manner
recalling chapters 4-5 v. 10 and are answered by the
amen of all the angels . . . standing around the
throne and around the elders and the four living
creatures vv. 11-12; compare 5:11-14.
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The First Four Seals:
The Sealing Of God’s Servants
[7v1-8]
We might expect John to ask questions and the
elder to give the answer cf. Mark 13:3-4 Jesus’
revelation was prompted by questions from his
disciples. But a striking feature of Revelation is that
John never asks a question in the entire book!
In ch. 5 it was not John but a "mighty angel" who
asked, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open
the scroll?" 5:2. John wept "because no one was
found who was worthy" 5:4, then an elder
announced the answer to the angel's question.
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The First Four Seals:
The Sealing Of God’s Servants
[7v1-8]
Here the elder both asks and answers the crucial question,
while John is a passive observer. NB in the 2nd C. Shepherd
of Hermas, we read that every spirit from God "is not
asked questions, but has the power of the godhead and
speaks all things of itself because it is from above, from
the power of the Divine spirit…". This principle is found in
John's Gospel, Jesus told his disciples, “In that day you will
no longer ask me anything”16:23, and the disciples said,
“Now we can see that you know all things and that you do
not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This
makes us believe that you come from God” Jn 16:30.
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The First Four Seals:
The Sealing Of God’s Servants [7v1-8]
The purpose of the seal is to mark ownership,
cf. Rev. 9:4; 14:1; 22:4; Eph. 1:13. Ownership
entails protection not necessarily protection
from physical harm but of being kept by the
power of God through persecution and
brought into the kingdom of God.
This sealing takes the form of the name of the
Lamb and of God put on the forehead of the
elect [14:1, 22:4] - contrast this with the mark
of the beast [14:11; 13:17]. Who receives the
seal of God?
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The First Four Seals:
The Sealing Of God’s Servants [7v1-8]
The number of ‘sealed’ individuals is stated to
be 144,000. This figure has given rise to much
conjecture and discussion within and without
the church.
We have already seen that the numbers used
in Revelation are often highly symbolical.
Therefore we have good cause to expect
this number to be symbolical also. We
take the number to represent the
church throughout history.
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The First Four Seals:
The Sealing Of God’s Servants
[7v1-8]
Others have suggested the number represents
the full compliment of believers about to enter
the final turbulent period that will lead up to
the end of human history.
Others as representing the number of believers
to be martyred in the last days. You will notice
several irregularities appear in the listing of the
12 tribes in v5 ff... Judah, rather than Reuben,
Jacob’s eldest, heads the list. But Christ
belonged to the tribe of Judah therefore, giving
this tribe priority would be natural.
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The First Four Seals:
The Sealing Of God’s Servants
[7v1-8]
Secondly, Dan is excluded and Joseph has
two portions [Ephraim and Manasseh]. Dan’s
omission may be because of his early
connection with idolatry [Judges 18:30].
In the apocryphal book the Testament of Dan
[5:6] Satan is said to be the prince of the
tribe. Manasseh’s inclusion brings the total
number back to twelve.
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The First Four Seals:
The Bliss Of The Redeemed
[7v9-17]
The second vision in Chap. 7 describes ‘a great
multitude that no one could count’ those who
have come out of the tribulation. They are located
in the throne room of heaven and clad in victor’s
robes. They pour themselves out in worship to
God and the Lamb this in turn becomes the
catalyst for the response of worship from the
angelic orders.
The description of this state of bliss is designed to
encourage the endurance of those who are still to
pass through their own particular tribulation.
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The First Four Seals:
The Bliss Of The Redeemed
[7v9-17]
John is unable to identify them and is told they have
come out of ‘the great tribulation’. The tribulation is
called ‘great’ because it is all-inclusive, embracing the
persecutions of God’s people through the ages and
symbolised by the seals previously dealt with.
The important point being made is that the saints ‘come
out’ of their trials. They have placed their trust in the
atoning death of Christ and have discovered that his
atonement is not found wanting.
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The First Four Seals:
The Bliss Of The Redeemed
[7v9-17]
Christ has cleansed them from their guilt and sin
and hence, ‘washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb.’ They experience
the fullest, sweetest most intimate satisfying
fellowship with God in the immediacy of his
presence. The Lamb is now their shepherd and
therefore there is no deprivation, anguish or danger
ahead. [Isa. 49:10; Jn 4:7-14, 7:37-39; Rev 22:1-2].
No longer will they live in this ‘vale of tears’ but
where there is, ‘no more tears’.
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