Episode 14. Revelation 7- Another View into the Future

 

We have here in chapter 7 an intermission, or as the commentaries put it, a pericope. In other words, we are taken out of the flow of the vision in Chapter 6 and we see another vision which changes our focus, before we come back to the last seal being opened in chapter 8:1.

One of the things you will have noticed, or at least that I hope you have noticed as we have gone through Revelation is that I see this book as quite a hopeful book. Revelation is not the dreary, terrifying, end of days horror story that so many people make it out to be. At least it is not mainly that. It does contain some of that in it. I mean it does have dragons, and terrifying beasts coming out of the sea, and horrific demons called Abaddon and stuff like that. For sure, there are some horrifying scenes in it.

But that that is not the totality of the book. The book of Revelation is primarily about Jesus, and is therefore in essence an evangelistic text. The beginning of the book tells us that Jesus is revealing himself and we read this:

“1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Rev. 1:1-3).

We then see how Jesus is calling to himself a people. And at the end of the book we see that we finish with an invitation,

“17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen” (Rev. 22:17-21).

The book of Revelation ends with an invitation for who to come to Jesus, and also with a call for Jesus to come soon. Whether this applies to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 66-73 or, to the end of days judgement of the world, or both. The heart of this book is an invitation to escape the wrath to come and find salvation in Jesus. Revelation, therefore, is a book of hope.

If there was not hope for the sinners and this book said that everyone was going to be judged. Then it would be terrifying and horrific. But it shows the opposite. It shows that right up till the end Jesus is offering salvation for all that would reject the devil, the beast and Babylon and who trust in him. Chapter 7 drives this message of hope home.

1.     “After this” is this referring to a sequential event, or just what John saw next?

 

2.      What is the seal referred to in vv. 2-4? (John 6:27, 2 Cor 1:22, 2 Timothy 2:19, Eph 1:13, 4:30, cf 9:4).

  

3.     What does verse 3 mean? (cf Rom 11:25).

 

4.     Who are the 144 000? Are they simply 144,000 Israelites? Or are the Jehovah’s Witnesses possibly right? Who are they? What is going on here? 

 

5.     Who are the people in verse 9?

 

6.     What is vv. 9-17 a scene of?

 

7.      Why do you think that this passage is here in the middle of the sixth and seventh seal?