Seventh Seal and the 144,000

Who can stand?

• Chapter 7 answers
this vital question
• Shows what
appears to be two
groups of people:
-144,000
-Great multitude
from every nation
 Angels holding back the winds..
• Rev. 7:1 – there
are angels holding
back some “wind
s”
• Winds – from the
seven seals we
understand that
these are natural
disasters, wars,
etc.
From blowing on the land, sea or tree
• These are obviously
symbolic figures:
• Land – non-densely
populated region
• Sea – multitudes of
people – Rev. 17:15
• Tree – people of
God (Psalms 1:3,
52:8, 92:12)
Until the Servants of God Have a “Sea
l”
• Pun: Jesus is
opening the “seal
s” while “seals”
are being put on
His servants
• Angel puts it on
the forehead of
the servants of
God
 What is this Seal?
• What were the
reason that God
sent the first six
seals?
• People didn’t obey
God’s laws or
commandments –
didn’t even know
the Bible
 Sealed Servants
• Servants of God sealed
– Sealing signifies ownership, authenticity
– Eze. 9 God’s people are marked, saved
from destruction- those that lament sin
– Eph. 1: 13-14 God’s people sealed with
Holy Spirit
• John 16:13 Holy Spirit guides you into all truth
– God’s people stand firm in the final crisis
 What is this Seal?
• Seal – Law of God
• Forehead – the
mind and character
• Jeremiah 31:33 – a
new covenant – “I
will write My law in
their minds and on
their hearts.
 What is this Seal?
• What started to be
preached about the
time of the sixth seal?
(1833)
• Sabbath of the Bible
• Christ’s ministry in the
sanctuary
• Judgment of God
• State of the dead
• Second coming
 144,000
• Symbolic number
• Historians say that
even at the time of
Christ there were
no “pure” tribesmen
in Israel
 144,000
• 12 = disciples, tribes
of Israel
• 1,000 = multitude
• 12 x 12 x 1,000 =
multitude of true
disciples of Christ
• Maybe, people that
actively spread the
gospel from all
churches and
religions
 Great Multitude
• No one could number
this group – very big
• From everywhere
• White robes, palm
branches
• Thankful for salvation
to the Lamb and to
God
• Rev. 7:10
 Two Groups?
• 144,000 = great multitude
• Literary device – “hear” then “see”
• Rev. 1:10-13 – hears loud voice as trumpet, then
sees Jesus
• Rev. 5 – hears that Lion has overcome, then sees
the Lamb
• Rev. 17 – hears of “great prostitute” then sees
“woman on scarlet beast”
• Rev. 21 – hears of “bride, wife of the Lamb”, sees
“holy city of Jerusalem”
Where did these groups come from?
• 7:13,14 – Came
through “great
tribulation” – Daniel
12:1-4
• Washed their robes
and made them
white with the
blood of the Lamb
 The Lamb
• The Lamb will take
care of them
forever – no more
crying and troubles
• Will drink living
water
• Rev. 7:15-17
 The Seventh Seal
• Silence in Heaven
for half an hour
• Prophetic time
• 7.5 days
• Second coming
• God, Jesus and
angels left
Seals – Why was only the Lamb able
to open them?
• 7 reasons
• 1. Christ is our
mediator (I Tim.
2:5)
• Rev. 1:1 –
Revelation is a
book which God
gave to Jesus
Christ to show us
Seals – Why was only the Lamb able
to open them?
• 2. The Lamb sees
the future
• 5:6 – has “seven eyes”
• 1:8,19 – Jesus is
revealing to John the
future
• Only God can reveal the
future – Isaiah 45:21,
Dan. 2:27
Seals – Why was only the Lamb able
to open them?
• 3. The Lamb has
“seven horns” –
Rev. 5:6
• All authority in
Heaven and earth
has been given to
Jesus (Matt. 28:18)
Seals – Why was only the Lamb able
to open them?
• 4. The Lamb has
suffered – Rev.
5:6
• He was slain –
Isaiah 53
• Nobody can relate
to the suffering in
the seals like Jesus
– Matt. 27:46
Seals – Why was only the Lamb able
to open them?
• 5. The Lamb has
conquered! Rev.
5:5
• Heb. 2:14 – he
conquered the
devil, who had the
power of death
• “It is finished!” –
John 19:30
Seals – Why was only the Lamb able
to open them?
• 6. Jesus’ death
redeemed people’s
sins – Rev. 5:9,10
• Jesus paid the price
for salvation – Heb.
9:11-28
• Only Jesus could make
us into a new kingdom
of priests
Seals – Why was only the Lamb able
to open them?
• 7. Jesus is our
Passover Lamb –
I Cor. 5:7
• Before we could
become kings and
priests – we
needed to be
delivered from our
Egypt of sin
 God is in Control
• Again we see that
because of Christ’s
sacrifice on the
cross – He is the
Ruler of mankind
and history that He
revealed in the 7
seals