Sunday
Evening Bible Study
May 20, 2001
Introduction
In Revelation 4, John finds himself caught up into heaven before God’s
throne. In a sense, he is a picture of the Rapture of the church. There in
heaven he sees the things that the earthly Tabernacle and Temple were built to
be models of. He sees God’s throne room.
The main characters John has seen thus far:
He sees One sitting on the throne, God the Father.
Around the throne are twenty four thrones, with twenty four elders sitting
on them. I believe this is probably the leadership of Israel and the Church
(twelve tribes, twelve apostles).
Also around the throne are four “beast” or “living beings”. These are
angelic creatures that have six wings and four faces. These are the beings
known as “cherubim”.
The scene in heaven is one of worship. The cherubim and the elders are
worshipping God on His throne.
Revelation 5
Background to the chapter:
There are some subtle things happening in chapter five that we are only going
to understand if we take time to do a little background work.
When God brought the nation Israel into their promised land, He gave each
family an inheritance, a portion of land.
It was very important to God that each family retains their inheritance, their
land. The land was never to leave the possession of its family.
But God knew that there would be instances where a family might become poor
and need to sell their only possession left, their land.
Yet even in these circumstances, the sale of the land was not permanent. It
could be bought back by a “redeemer”, if the redeemer was from the same family
as the original owners.
(Lev
25:25 KJV) If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of
his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.
Most typically, this transaction would take place at the gates of the city,
the place where the judges sat, the rulers, the ELDERS of the city.
You see a partial example of this happening in the book of Ruth where a
widow named Naomi has come back to her family property along with her widowed
daughter-in-law, Ruth, and is looking for some financial help. The kinsman
named Boaz calls the city elders together (Ruth 4), and buys the land.
In Jewish custom a deed of sale was written and sealed. A duplicate was
also made, the latter remaining open so as to bear testimony to what was in the
sealed copy, and to be available for records and reference. The sealed copy,
however, could only be opened by the rightful owner (as identified on the open
copy), and the transaction was not fully consummated until he came forward to
break the seals and exhibit the official title deed and right of ownership. (Revelation
Record by Henry Morris, p. 97)
You see another example of this with Jeremiah, when he was told by God to
buy his uncle’s land.
(Jer 32:10-15 KJV) And I
subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the
money in the balances. {11} So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that
which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open: {12}
And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son
of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of
the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews
that sat in the court of the prison. {13} And I charged Baruch before them,
saying, {14} Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these
evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this
evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may
continue many days. {15} For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel;
Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.
The title deed of the land was written on a scroll and sealed.
Review:
1. God gave each family an inheritance, and wanted the land to stay with
each family
2. If a man sold his land, it was not a permanent sale, but the original
owner, or a near relative could later buy back the land.
3. The transactions of redemption took place at the city gates, the place
of government, before the elders of the city.
Significance
1. God gave man the earth for a possession. (Gen.1:27-28)
2. Man sold his inheritance to sin and Satan at the fall. (Matt.4:8-10;
John 12:31; Rom. 6:16; 7:14)
3. We're now (Revelation 5) at the gates of the city, the government in
heaven, ready for someone to buy back the earth, sold into sin.
:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written
within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
book – biblion – a small
book, a scroll, a written document
John sees the Father with holding a scroll. The scroll had writing on both sides, John notices this as the scroll is
unrolled later on.
I believe this book is the “title deed”
to the earth. It’s definitely an important document, something that causes John
to weep over, something that requires someone with the right qualifications to
open it. As the document is opened, the process of redeeming the earth takes
place, ending with the return of Jesus to rule the earth.
We’re seeing the process of redemption,
where a “kinsman redeemer” is going to buy the earth back from Satan.
seals – sphragis
– a seal; the seal placed upon
books
The idea is that the scroll had some
writing on it, then was rolled up a little, then a wax seal was applied, more
writing was done, more rolled up, another seal, and on and on.
The breaking of these seals is the
process of unrolling this document.
:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to
open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
angel – an angel. I’m not sure we need to put a name and a face on
every being mentioned. It’s just an angel, probably somebody important
(“strong”)
worthy – who meets the qualifications to open the book?
This person will have to have two
qualifications:
1. They will have to be a near-kinsman, somebody
related to Adam.
2. They will have to have the ability to purchase
the property. They have to have some purchasing power, someone who can buy us
out of our sin.
:3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to
open the book, neither to look thereon.
:4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the
book, neither to look thereon.
John is totally bummed that no one is qualified to open the scroll. The
idea is that no one is qualified to purchase the earth back from Satan.
Lesson:
Do
you weep for the world?
I think that sometimes we can get a
little too callous about the world around us. I wonder if we should be weeping
instead.
John sees the world up to be redeemed,
and nobody able to do it, and it makes him weep.
Do you weep for your unsaved friends?
:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the
tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose
the seven seals thereof.
the Lion of the tribe of Juda – Any guesses as to who this is? It’s
Jesus! (Gen 49:9-10; Isa. 11:1)
:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four
beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain,
having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent
forth into all the earth.
Jesus is a Lion that's a Lamb.
slain –
sphazo – to slay, slaughter, butcher; to put to death by violence;
mortally wounded. The verb is a perfect tense, the idea is that the slaughter
has happened in the past and the results continue on into the present.
seven horns – horns in scripture
tend to speak of power and authority (I Samuel 2:1; 2:10; II Samuel
22:3; Job 16:15; Psalms 18:2; 89:17; 89:24; 132:17; 148:14; Jeremiah 48:25;
Lamentations 2:3; Daniel 7:8; 8:21). Jesus is seen as having complete (seven)
authority and power.
:7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon
the throne.
:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty
elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden
vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
fell down – It seems to me that we ought not to have a
problem with the deity of Christ. The very cherubim around God's throne fall
down in worship of Him.
odours – thumiama – an
aromatic substance burnt, incense
vials – phiale – a broad
shallow bowl, deep saucer. This is a parallel with the bowls of incense used in
the Tabernacle –
Num.7:14 one gold pan of ten
shekels, full of incense
Lesson
The sweetness of prayer
The use of incense in the tabernacle and temple worship was to be a picture
of prayer.
There was even a special formula to be used for the incense burnt before
God.
Here, the cherubim and the elders are carrying bowls filled with incense,
filled with our prayers. The idea seems that as we pray, the bowls in heaven
are filled with our prayers.
It helps me to know that as I am praying, real actual things are occurring
in heaven as a result of my prayers.
:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and
to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by
thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
new song – the song of the elders is “new” because this will be the
first time in history that it will be sung. John is witnessing it ahead of
time, but when the time in earth’s history is right, this song will be sung.
hast redeemed us – if the King James is correct here (a
Byzantine Greek text), then these “elders” would seem to be human, having been
redeemed.
Note: the Alexandrian Greek texts (including NIV and NAS) do not
have the Greek word for “us”, and translate this “you purchased men”
Jesus is the one who has “redeemed” us, He has bought us with His own
blood.
:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on
the earth.
We already saw this back in chapter one:
(Rev 1:6 KJV) And hath made
us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for
ever and ever. Amen.
:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the
throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand
times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
ten thousand – muriades -
ten thousand, a myriad.
10,000 x 10,000 = 100,000,000 angels
1,000 x 1,000 = 1,000,000
:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and
blessing.
All the angelic beings in heaven are watching what is unfolding and they
respond with worship of the Lamb.
:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,
Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
him that sitteth upon the throne – God the Father
It’s not just those in heaven that are excited about Jesus being able to
open the scroll and buy back the earth. It’s all of those on earth as well!
(Rom 8:19-23 NLT) For all
creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his
children really are. {20} Against its will, everything on earth was subjected
to God's curse. {21} All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's
children in glorious freedom from death and decay. {22} For we know that all
creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the
present time. {23} And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit
within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain
and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our
full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
All of creation has been waiting for this moment to come.
:14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down
and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Amen – amen – firm;
verily, amen; at the end - so it is, so be it, may it be
fulfilled. It was a custom, which passed over from the synagogues to the
Christian assemblies, that when he who had read or discoursed, had offered up
solemn prayer to God, the others responded Amen, and thus made the substance of
what was uttered their own.
worshipped – proskuneo –
to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence; among the Orientals,
esp. the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the
forehead as an expression of profound reverence; in the NT by kneeling or
prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to
express respect or to make supplication
All of heaven is pretty excited about what is about to follow. Jesus is
finally starting God’s Grand Finale.
Revelation 6
Jesus now begins to unroll this scroll containing the title deed to the
earth. As He breaks a seal, the scroll unrolls a little way until it reaches
the next seal.
These first four “seals” are each going to bring a horse onto the scene.
These are often referred to as the “four horsemen of the apocalypse”. Each of
these first four seals is also associated with one of the cherubim saying,
“Come and see”.
:1-2 Seal # / Horseman #1 - antichrist
:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were
the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
one of the four beasts – one of the four cherubim before the throne
(Rev. 4:6-8)
Come and see – John is invited by the cherub to see what happens on
earth as the seal is broken and the scroll opened a little bit.
This is the official beginning of the seven year period on earth known as
the “Tribulation”.
:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow;
and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
I’m not sure we can specifically identify the riders of each of these
horses, but this one we have an idea.
Who is this rider on the white
horse?
Let's get a clue:
(Rev
19:11-13 KJV) And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that
sat upon him was called Faithful and
True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. {12} His eyes were as a
flame of fire, and on his head were many
crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. {13} And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called
The Word of God.
Who could this be in our verse?
It’s not Jesus Christ, it’s the “antichrist”. He's going to be a very close
copy, but not the real thing.
Both have a “white horse”. Both seem to have “crowns”, but the Greek words
are different, they are different kinds of crowns. Jesus has a Sword, the
antichrist has a bow.
Jesus Himself said,
(Mat
24:23-24 KJV) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it
not. {24} For there shall arise
false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders;
insomuch that, if it were possible,
they shall deceive the very elect.
Before the Antichrist comes something has to get out of the way.
(2 Th 2:7 NIV) For the
secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it
back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
I believe the thing that is holding back the antichrist from being revealed
is the work of the Holy Spirit through the church. When the church is removed
from the earth through the Rapture, the antichrist will be able to gain power.
It's interesting that John, as a picture of the church, has already been
caught up into heaven in chapter 4, and the antichrist and the beginning of the
tribulation begin in chapter 6.
:3-4 Seal #2 / Horseman #2 - war
:3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say,
Come and see.
:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to
him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill
one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
I don’t know if we can place a specific identity on the rider of this
horse, but when he is released he will bring war on the earth.
kill – sphazo - to slay,
slaughter, butcher. It’s not simple deaths involved, but ugly, slaughter
of people.
(NLT) there was war and
slaughter everywhere.
a great sword – a huge weapon. Could this be the use of nuclear
weapons? Perhaps.
:5-6 Seal #3 / Horseman #3 - famine
:5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come
and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair
of balances in his hand.
balances – a device used in buying and selling. We might see it
today as having a cash register in hand.
:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of
wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt
not the oil and the wine.
measure of wheat - about how
much one person consumes in one day
penny – denarius
– a Roman silver coin used in NT times, it was roughly equivalent to a day's
wage for a common laborer. (Mat.20:2-13)
We could think of it in the sense that a man working all day at minimum
wage will only be able to make enough money to feed himself. This isn't so
great if you have to pay for a mortgage, or other expenses. It's even worse if
you have a family.
We might also look at it as if a loaf of bread might cost about $50. This
could be descriptive of famine, or inflation.
hurt not the oil and the wine – Not crude oil, vegetable oil.
Oil and wine aren't considered necessities, but luxuries.
For the common or poor person, there will be a great famine. But for the
rich and privileged, there won't be any lack.
:7-8 Seal #4 / Horseman #4 - death
:7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth
beast say, Come and see.
:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was
Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the
fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death,
and with the beasts of the earth.
pale – chloros (chlorine) -
green; yellowish pale
Hell - hades
The idea is that as “Death” rides along, killing people, Hades comes
behind, collecting the souls of the dead.
the fourth part of the earth – one out of every four people will
die. With 6.1 billion people on the earth, this comes to 1.5 billion
deaths. This could be across the entire planet, or localized in a
certain continent, such as in China or Africa.
with the beasts of the earth – wild animals will be killing people
:9-11 Seal #5 – the martyrs
:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls
of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they
held:
Whereas the previous seals caused things to happen on earth, this seal
starts something in heaven.
Just as there is an altar in the Tabernacle, there is an altar in heaven.
the souls of them that were slain for the word of God – these are
Tribulation martyrs. These are part of the 1 ½ billion that have died already.
Of the Antichrist we are told:
Revelation 13:7 And it was
given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was
given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
for the testimony –
Lesson
Be ready for persecution.
Even if the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation, there’s no guarantee
that we won’t ever experience persecution in the United States before the
Rapture. There are many places in the world today where Christians are being
severely persecuted for their faith.
What will you do if persecution comes (and if we should still be here)?
Jesus said:
(Mat
13:20-21 KJV) But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he
that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; {21} Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for
when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is
offended.
Are you allowing God’s Word to go “deep” into your life?
Do you have any “depth” as a Christian, or are you a shallow person?
If you were put on trial today for being a Christian, would there be enough
evidence to convict you?
:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and
true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
These Tribulation saints are asking God to avenge their deaths.
:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto
them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants
also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be
fulfilled.
white robes – the clothing of righteous deeds. This doesn’t mean
they receive a new body at this time. Their resurrection (new body) happens
after the Second Coming (Rev. 20:4).
until their fellowservants … should be fulfilled – there seems to be
a number that will be martyred during the Tribulation. These that are under the
altar aren’t the last of those who will be put to death.
Lesson
Don’t wait
Some people have the idea that they won’t decide to follow Jesus Christ
until after the Rapture. They figure they will choose to accept Jesus during
the Tribulation.
Though this is something that could conceivably happen, if you can’t follow
Jesus now when it’s easy, how are you going to follow Him later when it means
torture and death?
:12-17 Seal #6 – earthquake
:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a
great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon
became as blood;
earthquake – seismos – a
shaking, a commotion; a tempest; an earthquake
There is an interesting parallel between the first six seals and the first
section of Matthew 24 –
(Mat 24:5-8 KJV) For many
shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. {6} And ye
shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all
these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. {7} For nation shall
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines,
and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. {8} All these are the
beginning of sorrows.
In Revelation, the order is: Antichrist, war, famine, death, earthquake,
same as Matthew. Jesus said this was only the “beginning of sorrows”.
sun became black – could be from an eclipse or from smoke in the
atmosphere.
:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth
her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
This could refer to angelic beings (also known as “stars”) or it could
refer to things from space coming into our atmosphere such as meteors,
asteroids, comets, satellites, or even nuclear missiles.
:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and
every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Some have suggested that this is a perfect picture of a nuclear explosion.
:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and
the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man,
hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
This is everyone on the earth. Sounds like they’re going into bomb
shelters.
:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the
face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Some have suggested that these six seals are the same as the trumpets of
the bowls up ahead, but there is a difference. Here, at the sixth seal, the
earthquake comes and people are running and hiding from the Lamb. In Revelation
sixteen, at the seventh bowl (Rev. 16:17-21), as the earthquake comes people
are getting ready to fight the Lamb (Rev. 19:19).
Also: This doesn’t look like repentance, does it? The world seems to
have an idea that Jesus is coming back (“the wrath of the Lamb”), but they
don’t seem to want to do anything proper, like repent.
Revelation 7
:1-8 The 144,000 Sealed
John’s vision now takes a break from the seals being opened. The seventh
and final seal won’t be opened until chapter 8.
:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of
the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow
on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
For some reason these four angels are supposed to keep the wind quiet.
:2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the
living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was
given to hurt the earth and the sea,
four angels … to hurt the earth … – we think that these will be the
first four angels to blow trumpets during the seven “trumpet” judgments of
chapter 8.
:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have
sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
sealed – these servants of God will have some kind of “seal” on
them, perhaps something visible, perhaps something invisible. This “seal” will
be a form of protection, keeping them safe from any harm.
We too are “sealed” with the Holy Spirit when we come to believe in Jesus.
Eph 1:13 …in whom also after
that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
The “seal” is like a mark of ownership on our lives.
:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed
an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of
Israel.
There have been lots of people over the years who latch onto this section
of Scripture and like to claim that they are the “144,000”.
Probably the most famous is the Jehovah’s Witness cult.
They ran into difficulty, however, when the group grew beyond 144,000. They
have had to come up with different categories to keep people joining their
group.
Who are the 144,000?
They are Jewish believers. We know this because John specifically lists
them by their tribe. If someone claims to be part of this group, ask them which
tribe they belong to!
These people are called servants
We believe that they will be a group of evangelists who will rock the world
with their message of the gospel. We’ll see the fruit of their evangelism at
the end of the chapter.
By the halfway point in the Tribulation, their job will be done and they
will be seen in heaven (Revelation 14). We’ll see more about them when we get
to chapter 14.
:5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben
were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
:6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed
twelve thousand.
:7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi
were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve
thousand.
:8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve
thousand.
What’s with the tribes listed?
The tribe of Ephraim isn’t mentioned. But they were a part of the tribe of
Joseph, so in a sense they are here.
In particular, the tribe of Dan is missing entirely.
What happened to Dan?
There are a couple of possibilities, but nothing definite.
One suggestion is that this might have something to do with the tribe of
Dan's reputation towards idolatry.
(Judg
18:30 KJV) And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the
son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe
of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
Being the northern most tribe, it was also often one of the first tribes to
be attacked, and one of the first tribes to fall during times of invasion.
Another suggestion has been made in regard to Jacob's prophecy over Dan:
(Gen
49:16-18 KJV) Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. {17} Dan shall be a serpent by the way,
an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall
backward. {18} I have waited for thy
salvation, O LORD.
A very interesting idea has been proposed, and apparently even held by some
Jewish Rabbi's (according to Chuck Missler), that the antichrist will come from
the tribe of Dan.
Reread the passage in Genesis with that idea in mind. Interesting.
Yet when Jesus returns, the tribe of Dan will receive a portion of the land
once again.
(Ezek
48:2 KJV) And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Asher.
:9-17 The Great Multitude – tribulation saints
:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the
throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their
hands;
after this … a great multitude – after the 144,000 are sent out,
this huge multitude appears. I think it is possible that these people are the
fruit of the 144,000’s evangelism.
no man could number – earlier John described the number of angels as
“ten thousand times ten thousand” (100 million; Rev. 5:11). Could this be a larger
number?
all nations – whereas the 144,000 are Jews, this group consists of
people from around the entire planet.
If you understand all of Matthew 24 as
an outline of the tribulation period (which I think it is), you see that the
gospel will be preached to all nations during this time:
Mt
24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a
witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
white robes … palms – This is the completion of the number of
Tribulation martyrs that was referred to in Rev. 6:11. Palm branches were waved
as a sign of victory (like Palm Sunday).
:10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
:11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders
and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped
God,
:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and
honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
All of heaven’s residents are in awe at God in His salvation of this great
multitude of people.
:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which
are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
The elder wants to know if John recognizes these people. It’s just a test.
Warning! There may be “pop quizzes” in heaven!
:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are
they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb.
out of great tribulation – the King James is a poor translation
here. It literally says, “Out of the great tribulation”.
This is not the church. These are Tribulation saints. If this was the
church, I think that John might have recognized a few of the faces.
made them white in the blood of the Lamb – just as now, people will
be saved during the Tribulation by trusting in Jesus’ blood to pay for their
sins.
:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and
night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the
sun light on them, nor any heat.
:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and
shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes.
This is heaven.
Illustration
The Fork
At the funeral people were walking by the
woman’s casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and her favorite
bible and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over the pastor heard the
question “What’s with the fork?” And over and over he smiled. During his
message the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman
shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it
symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking
about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop
thinking about it either... He was right.
So the next time you reach down for your
fork, let it remind you oh so gently that there is something better coming.