Revelation 7:1-8. The activity of the 144,000 (Part 1)

POST OVERVIEW. A detailed study of Revelation 7:1-8 and the sealing of the 144,000. This study explores the timing of this “sealing,” the identification of the 144,000, and the nature of “the seal of the living God” in this scene. (The 144,000 also appears in Rev. 14:1-5. This will be another post.)

This article will be included in a future larger work called “Studies in Revelation.”

See also Post #693 (2/8/2024) which addresses Rev. 14:1-5.

THE PRIMARY INTERPRETIVE TASK

We encounter the 144,000 only in Rev. 7:1-8 and in Rev. 14:1-5. As is typical of the prophecy of Revelation, the primary interpretive tasks for the reader are discerning when these two scenes take place and who or what is represented by the figurative elements of the scene.

PRELIMINARY COMMENTS. Before we begin to dig into the text, we will make a few general comments. First, these two appearances of the 144,000 represent the same group of people. In other words, whoever the 144,000 represents in 7:1-8, it represents the identical group in 14:1-5. Second, we assume that the number 144,000 has figurative significance and is not to be taken literally. Third, knowing that numbers in Revelation often have symbolic meaning, we will begin our exploration of these two passages by noticing that the number 144,000 is the sum of twelve times twelve times one thousand. Twelve is significant because it recalls the twelve tribes in the Old Testament and the twelve apostles in the New Testament. In Revelation, the number one thousand represents a large unspecified number. Therefore, one possible interpretation of what the 144,000 represents would have something to do with a really large number of people from the Old Testament era and from the New Testament era. Fourth, in both appearances, it is clear that the 144,000 represents saints. In 7:3, the bond-servants of God are going to be sealed on their foreheads and in 14:1, they are standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, “having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.” Thus we know that the 144,000 are certainly redeemed.

OUR INTERPRETIVE APPROACH. Because the 144,000 in Rev. 7:1-8 is the identical group that is presented in Rev. 14:1-5, we can use clues taken from either appearance to help us identify who this group represents. Also, whatever is true of the group in one appearance must be true of the group in the other appearance, because it is the identical group in both scenes.

Our next step will be to simply read the two passages carefully and observe what we see occurring there.

OBSERVATIONS FROM REVELATION 7:1-8

7:1. Four angels are “holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.” (A figurative picture, but the meaning is unclear). Reading ahead, we see that these winds, once released, will “harm the earth and the sea” (7:2) and will “harm the earth and the sea and the trees” (7:3). Thus these winds represent a threat of harm.

7:2. John “saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun (the east), having the seal of the living God.” Who is this angel who is ascending and who has “the seal of the living God” in his possession? Also, to what “angel” would the living God entrust His seal?

And we also must ask, “What does this ‘seal of the living God’ represent?” It must be of immense significance, for not only is it the “seal of the living God” but history cannot move forward until this sealing has been accomplished. These are clues to what this seal represents.

7:3. The angel ascending from the rising of the sun (7:2) cried out to the four angels, “Do not harm . . . until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.” The interesting word here is “we” (see Genesis 1:26; 11:7). It seems that this “angel” is working together with the living God to seal the bond-servants of God. Again we ask, “Who is this ‘angel’ that shares the responsibility with God of sealing His bond-servants?” We conclude that this “angel” represents Jesus. Thus we see that Jesus and the living God are both involved in this sealing of the bond-servants of God. This gives us more information about what this “seal” represents.

SEALED PASSIVELY. It is also worth noting that the sealing of the bond-servants is accomplished by the living God without the active participation of those who were sealed. That is, the 144,000 were passive in their sealing. This is a clue to what the seal represents.

ALL ARE SEALED. We read that “the bond-servants of our God” were sealed (7:3, 4). We ask then, “Are these who are sealed all of ‘the bond-servants of our God’ or just some of ‘the bond-servants of our God?’” The only answer that makes sense is all. It must be that all the bond-servants of God were sealed with the seal of the living God. Now we think, “What ‘seal’ would Jesus and the living God apply to all the bond-servants of God?” This, too, is a clue to what the seal represents.

IDENTITY. The identity of “the bond-servants of our God” is not difficult to determine. In Rev. 11:18 we read, “the time came to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great.” Again in Rev. 19:5, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” Thus, as we suspected, “the bond-servants of God” is just a phrase for believers, for the redeemed, for the disciples of the Lord Jesus.

REVIEW. We should take a moment to review what we have learned so far.

  • The bond-servants are sealed together at the same time as a group.
  • All the bond-servants of God are sealed with the seal of the living God.
  • The 144,000 are passive in this sealing. That is, they are sealed by the will of the living God alone.
  • “The bond-servants of God” simply means believers (the elect, the redeemed).  
  • The 144,000 represents the full number of believers (proving that 144,000 is figurative).
  • The angel “having the seal of the living God” appears to represent Jesus.

We have gone through the passage very slowly and deliberately, making observations and venturing a few interpretations, but we must still answer three crucial questions.

  1. What does this sealing of the bond-servants of God mean? What is its significance?
  2. What or Who does the 144,000 represent?
  3. When does this sealing of the bond-servants of God take place?

CONCLUSIONS

First, since “the bond-servants of God” represent the full number of believers, we conclude that “the 144,000” represents all the elect, all the redeemed of all time. The 144,000 represents all those who will ever be justified by faith, all those who will ever be born again, all those who will ever pass from death to life (John 5:24), all those who will ever be called and justified and glorified (Romans 8:30). The 144,000 represents all old covenant saints (twelve tribes) together with all new covenant saints (twelve apostles), “a great multitude which no one could count” (7:9).

Second, as we consider the characteristics of the “seal of the living God” and what event of redemptive history this sealing could represent, we conclude that Rev. 7:2-4 is giving us a picture of God choosing His elect “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4) and then giving them an invisible seal identifying them as chosen by Him.

So, the sealing of the 144,000 is the figurative identification, in eternity past, of all the bond-servants of God of all time, the setting apart of those who will be purchased by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 5:9; 14:3), who will be called and justified (Rom. 8:30) and who will be glorified (Rom. 8:30; Rev. 7:9).

Soli Deo gloria            rmb                 2/5/2024                     #692

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