Revelation chapter seven. Biblical eschatology.
The 144,000 sealed and the multitude dressed in white clothes, a study of great interest in biblical eschatology.
The performance of the five angels, according to Revelation 7:1.
“After this I saw four angels at the four corners of the earth. They were standing there, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
These first four angels are located at the four cardinal points of the earth, who control the winds and storms, with the power and command to harm the land and also the sea (verse 2b).
The Scripture continues to tell us that a fifth angel rises from the east, and because of his characteristics he is of a special rank, Revelation 7:2a “I also saw another angel ascending from where the sun rises, and he had the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels that were there.”
This fifth angel has been entrusted with the seal of the living God that will be used to seal the servants of God, and also gives orders to the four angels. In this simple example, we are taught that the kingdom of God is a kingdom of delegated and respected authority, with clear and forceful functions.
The servants of the Lord will be sealed. (Biblical Eschatology).
Revelation 7:3 “DSaying: Do no harm to the earth, nor to the sea, nor to the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
In the word of God, the seal has several meanings, the seal serves to: protect, indicates ownership, it also serves to certify or guarantee. These servants will be protected from the afflictions of the great tribulation. The seal is placed on their foreheads, because it is the most visible place and seat of the intellect. We must bear in mind that the Beast will do the same to his followers.
So, the Bible reminds us here that we “have believed in him, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise”, and this is our guarantee of the good things to come, of His protection and is the seal that indicates that we are property of God.
Revelation 7:4, the 144,000 sealed. (Biblical Eschatology).
The Bible tells us in Revelation 7:4 “And I heard the number of those sealed: one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from all the tribes of the children of Israel.”
Let us consider here several aspects: The apostle John sees the sealed ones and hears their number. We are presented with twelve thousand from each of the tribes of Israel, Revelation 7:5-8.
Interpreting the biblical text correctly, we see that they are Israelites, literally one hundred and forty-four thousand Hebrews, and they will have a special service or mission in those times.
It is interesting to note that the names of the tribes of Dan and Ephraim are omitted, probably because of their idolatry and infidelity.
We must emphasize here, the great importance and value of fidelity not only for service (privileges) today, but for eternal privileges. Let us remember that Judas not only lost his salvation, but also the privileges of his participation in the coming kingdom. God rewards faithfulness.
These 144,000 sealed ones will be the evangelists during the Great Tribulation and multitudes will turn to the Lord (see verse nine).
Revelation 7:9 “After this I looked, and a multitude appeared, drawn from all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages; it was so big that no one could count it. They were standing before the throne and the Lamb, dressed in white robes and with palm branches in their hands.
The song of the one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed. (Biblical Eschatology).
Revelation 14:1 “After I looked, and behold, the Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.”
For most Bible scholars this is the same group as in Revelation seven.
The apostle John sees them in victory after the great tribulation (in the millennium), on Mount Zion.
These are Jews saved by faith in Jesus Christ (“were redeemed,” read verse 3b).
It is very interesting to note that there is a new song. It comes out of heaven, it’s sung before the throne, and before the three living creatures and the elders, and the Bible teaches us that only the 144,000 can learn it, see verses two and three.
“And they sang a new hymn before the throne, and before the four living creatures, and before the elders; and none could learn the song but those one hundred and forty-four thousand who were ransomed from the earth.”
Characteristics of the one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed. (Biblical Eschatology).
Revelation 14:4-5 “These kept themselves pure, they did not defile themselves with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb; and no lie was found in their mouths, for they are blameless before the throne of the Lord.”
The Bible highlights their virtues, among those mentioned are: Purity, holiness, loyal to the Lamb, they are first fruits for God, and they are also honest and irreproachable.
Revelation 7:9-10. The crowd dressed in white clothes.
“After this I looked, and there appeared a multitude, which no one could number, from all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, with palm branches in their hands, and clothed in white robes. ; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
We must bear in mind that this multitude differs from the one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed (by number, nationality, and where they are found).
This crowd is made up of all Gentiles saved from the Great Tribulation.
In this chapter of Revelation a second picture is described to us, and it is an innumerable multitude with white dresses and palms in their hands that is around the throne of God in heaven. This multitude represents those who have known Christ during the period of the tribulation judgments on earth.
According to Revelation 7:11 and 12, the angels render adoration and express their joy at such a great salvation.
The apostle John has a dialogue with one of the elders, according to Revelation 7:13-14.
“Then one of the elders asked me: These who are dressed in white clothes, who are they, and where did they come from? I told him: Lord, you know. And he said to me: These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation, and have washed and whitened their robes in the blood of the Lamb.
As we can conclude, this great multitude has come out of the Great Tribulation and believed in the power of the blood of the Lamb. The benefits they will have are also described, in verses 15 to 17, which indicate: Privileges in the heavenly sanctuary, they experience the presence of God, they will not suffer earthly afflictions, they will be shepherded by Christ himself; great blessings for all those who approach the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ the Lord.
Biblical eschatology, Revelation 7.
Biblical eschatology:
Revelation 9. The seven trumpets. Christian eschatology.
1st Part of the 7 trumpets of the Apocalypse.
Within biblical eschatology, and especially in the book of Revelation, symbolic language stands out. For example, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, the seven bowls, all of these describe God’s judgments on men on earth. Let us remember that the trumpet sounded in the Old Testament for various reasons, for summoning, royal announcement, preparing for war, among other things.
The seven trumpets of the Apocalypse.
“And I saw the seven angels standing before God, to whom seven trumpets were given… And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.” Revelation 8:2 and 6.
Basic considerations for the interpretation of the biblical eschatology of this chapter.
First of all, the trumpet, which is an evolution of the shofar, the animal horn that was replaced by metal. Let us remember that God ordered Moses to make two silver trumpets, and these were only played by the priests, to meet, to move the camps, to go out to war and in days of joy and sacrifices; how we can see it in the book of Numbers 10:1-10.
So, the trumpet was used for various purposes:
To summon the princes, or all the people.
To proclaim royal decrees, laws or instructions from their generals or delegates.
It was also used as an alarm for battle.
To order the time to break camp.
This last purpose is very interesting, since the Bible tells us in the New Testament that a trumpet will sound when Christ raises up his church: “For the Lord himself with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, will descend from heaven; and the dead in Christ will rise first”, the Bible tells us in the First Letter to the Thessalonians 4:16.
Let us now consider the seven angels and the seven trumpets, according to Revelation 8:2 and 6. Here we can observe very important things:
They are before God in heaven.
The seven angels receive seven trumpets (they are reserved, they are of divine material and the time has come to be used).
Let us remember that in the Bible the number seven indicates integrity, complete, sacred.
The Bible teaches us that each blast of the trumpet corresponds to a plague, and little by little the intensity or force of the punishment is increasing.
1) Trumpet number one. Revelation 8:7. biblical eschatology.
“The first angel sounded his trumpet, and they were thrown hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown on the earth; and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.”
The Bible teaches us that it will be a mighty storm of fire and hail, which will devastate (burn) a third of the earth’s trees and green grass. The mixture with the blood can refer to the result of the storm on living beings that inhabit the earth.
We can also see that that immense hail will kill many living beings, birds, animals and even human beings, and with the force of the wind the blood will mix with the hail. A raw and difficult scenario.
two) Trumpet number two. Revelation 8:8-9. biblical eschatology.
“The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something that looked like a huge mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and the third part of the sea turned to blood. And a third of the living creatures that were in the sea died, and a third of the ships of the sea were destroyed.”
We can consider this mountain as a large meteorite, an atomic bomb, among other things. The interlinear New Testament says, “like a great mountain on fire.”
We can imagine something like a great volcano erupting, its size is great and it is burning with fire, and it was “precipitated into the sea”,…