Lesson #24

REVELATION AND THE SECOND COMING
LESSON #24
THE 144,000 AND THE GREAT MULTITUDE–REV 7

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 7:17

• REVELATION CHAPTER 7 IS A PARENTHESIS OR A PAUSE FROM THE ROUND OF JUDGMENTS DEPICTED IN CHAPTER 6 AND 8. IT IS AS THOUGH GOD IS SAYING THAT NOT EVERYTHING IS BAD. THERE IS SOME GOOD NEWS!

• READ REV 7:1-8 THE SEALED 144,000
• 4 ANGELS = IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THESE ARE GOOD ANGELS OR EVIL ANGELS. IN EITHER CASE, THEY ARE UNDER THE CONTROL OF GOD.
• THE FOUR ANGELS HAVE TRIBULATION IN THEIR HANDS TO DISTRIBUTE TO THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE WORLD.
• HOWEVER, BEFORE THEY CAN DELIVER TRIBULATION TO THE EARTH, ANOTHER ANGEL SEALS 144,000 JEWS.
• WHO ARE THE 144,000?
• OVER THE YEARS, CULT GROUPS HAVE USED THIS NUMBER TO DISTORT THE TRUTH AND PRESENT A FALSE CONCEPT OF THOSE WHO ARE SAVED.
• THE BIBLE TELLS US WHO THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY:
• THEY ARE JEWS THAT GOD HAS CALLED OUT TO WITNESS ABOUT JESUS.
• REMEMBER THAT ONE OF THE MAJOR PURPOSES OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS TO BRING THE JEWS TO JESUS CHRIST.
• IT IS BY MEANS OF THE PRESSURE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD LINKED WITH A CLEAR WITNESS BY 144,000 JEWISH BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST THAT GOD ACCOMPLISHES HIS PURPOSES.
• IT IS POSSIBLE THIS IS A REPRESENTATIVE NUMBER AND NOT AN ACTUAL NUMBER.BECAUSE THE GREEK IS PLURAL.
• HOW DO WE KNOW THEY ARE JEWS?
• WE KNOW BECAUSE THEY ARE FROM THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL DESCENDED FROM THE 12 SONS OF JACOB.
• IT IS INTERESTING TO FOLLOW THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL DOWN THROUGH THE BIBLE TO SEE HOW GOD USES THEM OR SETS THEM ASIDE ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSES.

• AN EXPLANATION OF THE ABOVE CHART: THE ONE HUNDRED FORTY FOUR THOUSAND AND THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL THROUGH THE BIBLE:
• THE TRIBES ORIGINATE AS THE 12 SONS OF JACOB IN GEN 29:31-30:24; 35:18. HOWEVER, IT IS INTERESTING THAT THERE ARE ACTUALLY 14 NAMES FOR THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, BUT GOD DEALS WITH THEM 12 TRIBES AT A TIME.
• A PROPHECY IS GIVEN IN GEN 49 TO EACH OF THE ORIGINAL 12 TRIBES.
• IN OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY, HOWEVER, THERE IS A CHANGE IN THE LISTING OF THE TRIBES.
• THE ADOPTION OF THE 2 HALF TRIBES OF EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH REPLACE THE NAME OF JOSEPH. (GEN 48:5)
• THE NAMES OF REUBEN AND SIMEON DISAPPEAR FOR AWHILE BECAUSE OF THE SIN OF IMMORALITY AND CRUELTY. (GEN 35:22) (GEN 34:13-15) (1CHR 5:1-2)
• IN THE INHERITANCE OF THE PROMISED LAND UNDER JOSHUA (JOS 13 JOS 15-19) NINE TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE PROMISED LAND BECAUSE 2 TRIBES REFUSED TO ENTER THE PROMISED LAND AND REMAINED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE JORDAN RIVER AND BECAUSE THE TRIBE OF LEVI DID NOT INHERIT ANY LAND. THE LEVITES WERE THE PRIESTS AND POSSESSED CITIES THROUGHOUT ISRAEL.
• IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD THE NAME OF JOSEPH IS ADDED AND THE NAMES OF DAN AND EPHRAIM ARE EXCLUDED.
• THE EXCLUSION OF DAN IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE JUDAS AND POSSIBLY THE ANTICHRIST ARE FROM THE TRIBE OF DAN. (JOH 6:70-71) (REV 13:11) OR PERHAPS IT IS OMITTED BECAUSE IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TRIBES TO BEGIN IDOLATRY. (JDG 18:30 1KIN 12:28-29)
• THE EXCLUSION OF EPHRAIM IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THIS TRIBE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL INTO TWO NATIONS AFTER KING SOLOMON. (1KIN 11:26 1KIN 12:20)
• IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM ALL THE TRIBES ARE MENTIONED BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT THE SIN, GOD RESTORES THOSE WHO PUT THEIR TRUST IN HIM. (EZE 47:13-48:29)

• HOW DID THE 144,000 GET TO KNOW JESUS IN THE TRIBULATION?
• THE BIBLE DOES NOT TELL US. WE ARE ONLY TOLD THAT THEY ARE SUDDENLY PRESENT IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• PERHAPS THEY COME TO KNOW JESUS FROM WITNESSING A PRE-TRIB RAPTURE.
• WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT THE 144,000 JEWS?
• THE 144,000 ARE SEALED IN THEIR FOREHEADS.
• THERE ARE SOME WHO BELIEVE THEY ARE NOT SEALED UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• READ REV 14:1
• THIS IS A MARK OF SEPARATION AND PRESERVATION. IT MAY BE A PHYSICAL MARK OR IT MAY BE A SPIRITUAL MARK THAT CANNOT BE SEEN.
• IT MAY BE SIMILAR TO THE SEALING OF THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST. (EPH 1:13; 4:30)
• THIS MARK IS IN CONTRAST TO THE MARK OF THE BEAST ADMINISTERED BY THE ANTI-CHRIST’S IN REV 13:16.
• THE 144,000 JEWS ARE PERSECUTED AND MANY KILLED BY THE ANTI-CHRIST.

• READ REV 7:9-17 THE GREAT MULTITUDE
• WHERE ARE THEY?
• THIS GREAT MULTITUDE ARE IN HEAVEN BEFORE THE THRONE WORSHIPPING GOD.
• WHO ARE THEY?
• THE GREAT MULTITUDE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN MARTYRED DURING THE LAST HALF OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, WHICH JESUS CALLED THE GREAT TRIBULATION.
• THIS IS THE SAME GROUP OF BELIEVERS THAT WAS MENTIONED IN REV 6.
• READ REV 6:9-11
• WHAT COMFORTS ARE GIVEN TO THE GREAT MULTITUDE? (16-17):
• NO MORE HUNGER (REV 6:5-6 REV 13:17)
• NO MORE THIRST (REV 8:10-11 REV 16:10)
• NO MORE BURNING SUN AND HEAT (REV 16:9)
• NO MORE TEARS (REV 6:9-11)
• WHY ARE THESE SPECIFIC COMFORTS GIVEN?
• THEY ARE DIRECT RELIEFS FROM PLAGUES MENTIONED IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• EVEN THOUGH THESE PEOPLE ARE MARTYRED, GOD WILL PRESERVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THE WRATH OF THESE JUDGMENTS ON EARTH. AT TIMES GOD DOES NOT PROTECT BELIEVERS FROM THE WRATH OF MAN. THE POINT IS MADE THAT GOD MAKES A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BELIEVERS AND NON-BELIEVERS IN REGARDS TO THE WRATH OF GOD.
• CONCLUSION:
• THE TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE SEEN IN THIS CHAPTER WILL APPEAR AGAIN LATER IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION.
• THE 144,000 JEWS APPEAR AGAIN IN REV 14:1-5.
• THE GREAT MULTITUDE APPEAR AGAIN IN REV 20:4 AT THE RESURRECTION.
• APPLICATION:
• THIS PAUSE IN THE JUDGMENTS ON THE EARTH IS AN ENCOURAGEMENT
• THAT GOD FULFILLS HIS PROMISES NO MATTER HOW MUCH TIME SEEMS TO PASS.
• THAT GOD KNOWS WHAT WE SUFFER AND SUPPLIES JUST WHAT WE NEED WHEN WE NEED IT.
• THAT GOD CAUSES US TO BE VICTORIOUS NO MATTER HOW BAD THINGS MAY SEEM TO OUR PHYSICAL SENSES.
• THAT GOD IS IN THE BUSINESS OF REDEEMING AND RESTORING NO MATTER THE SINS OF THE PAST.

HOMEWORK
REVELATION 8
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF REVELATION 7
• TO PROVE GOD’S FAITHFULNESS, LIST ANY PRAYER THAT YOU PRAYED FOR A LONG TIME BEFORE YOU FINALLY SAW IT FULFILLED.

• WHAT PRAYERS HAVE YOU PRAYED FOR A LONG TIME THAT YOU STILL AWAIT THE ANSWER?

• PREPARATION FOR REVELATION 8
• READ REV 8:1-13
• BACKGROUND:
• READ EXO 27:1-8
• THE BRAZEN ALTAR IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST, THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE.
• THE OLD TESTAMENT PRIEST WOULD TAKE A COAL OFF THE ALTAR BEFORE ENTERING THE HOLY OF HOLIES.
• READ EXO 30:1-10
• THE ALTAR OF INCENSE IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF PRAYER.

• WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THESE ILLUSTRATIONS AND FROM REVELATION 8 ABOUT PRAYER?

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 8:4