Revelation 7
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.
after these things - Directly after the opening of six of the seven seals, as recorded in chapter 6.
that the wind should not blow - As worded in the KJV, the judgment upon all the world was set to begin with an end to all movement of winds upon the earth. It appears that the purpose of this would be a suffocating calm before the storm. As it is stated in the following verses that the four angels were about to hurt the earth and the sea, it is evident that the suffocating calm would have been severe.
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,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
till we have sealed the servants of our God - After the servants are sealed, the holding back of the winds that they should not blow upon the earth does not resume. Instead, the seventh seal is opened, there is silence in heaven for about an half an hour, and seven angels from before the throne of God are seen through whose announcements a different set of judgments commence. Does the sealing of the 144,000 of the twelve tribes of Israel alter the nature of the judgment that comes upon the earth?
Jamison, Fausett and Brown's commentary states: Not that the saints are exempt from trial:Rev 7:14 proves the contrary; but their trials are distinct from the destroying judgments that fall on the world; from these they are exempted, as Israel was from the plagues of Egypt, especially from the last, the Israelite doors having the protecting seal of the blood-mark. Also: He cannot do anything in the way of judgment, till His people are secured from hurt ( Gen 19:22 )
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.
5 Of the tribe of Judah 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 Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasseh 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.
The question is asked, why is the tribe of Dan not named? A simply answer is that it because the tribe of Levi is named. Another question might be asked as to why the tribe of Ephraim is named as the tribe of Joseph. Since Ephraim can be referred to under the name of Joseph one interpretation could be given that Ephraim lost his position due to fault and that descendants coming through him return to the headship of Joseph. Another interpretation could be given that Ephraim is being honored here to be called the very tribe of Joseph. If speculation cannot be conclusive that Ephraim's name does not appear due to some form of rejection due to sin, why should it be allowed that Dan's name does not appear due to some form of rejection due to sin?
Such interpretations betray a continuing willingness to see corporate Israel replaced with some other "more spiritual" form of Israel. The tribe of Dan is indeed represented here under the name of Levi, just as Benjamin has been counted for a long time under the name of Judah. What is significant here is that Levi is counted in the same way as the other tribes. The meaning of this is that corporate atonement has been made for the sin of the golden calf.
If it were not essential that this message be encoded here, the name of Dan could have appeared and the tribe of Levi would have been understood to have been sealed under the names of the other tribes. That Dan's name was chosen to be concealed here for this reason gives special merit to the tribe of Dan, as was alluded to in the blessings of Jacob. When we understand this well, we will understand why it is twelve thousand that are sealed from each tribe. Each tribe is counted as though it were twelve tribes in itself. This is because the corporate redemption of all Israel is yet concealed from the world, although the corporate atonement of all Israel has already been made in and through her Mashiach, who is himself yet concealed, but is being and will be revealed.
These things will be known by the 144,000 themselves. Therefore they are sealed with the knowledge of the name of Hashem, see chapter 14. This knowledge comes through the truth of the corporate atonement made for Israel in and through Mashiach and Israel's corporate redemption, which is being revealed. Instead of utter suffocation therefore, the earth and the sea and all trees are judged in measure, according to the measure required for the redemption of Israel. For it is through this redemption of Israel alone that the world and all of creation is saved, in accordance with the promise that God made to Abraham.
A Great Multitude from Every Nation
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;
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.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
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.
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.
These are they which came out of great tribulation - This is a picture of all those of every nation, tongue and people who came, by means of the great chastisement in all the world of the time of Jacob's troubles, to be cured of false notions about, and interpretations of, the Good News, that they inherited from their ancestors and that they willingly embraced, notions that dishonoured God through failure to believe that he provided redemption through his son for his corporate people Israel in fulfillment of his covenant which he made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Added information about: 13 = 12
| In the eternal and incorruptible new creation to come — and now having begun in Israel concealed in Mashiach — the nature of number itself will change, so that 13 = 12 if you count up and 13 only if you count down. (The eternal relationship of 12 = 13 / 13 = 12 can be seen in the Torah's calendar of months. This refers to the mystery of the moon and the sun and corresponds to the mystery of the 13 = 12 tribes. I plan to put a post elaborating on this soon on my blog entitled Notes On The One Eternal Covenant. For now, this link will take you to the related post there on "Benjamin, The Key To Redemption.
