Sermon Text: Revelation 7:1-12
Below is a sermon manuscript from August 17, 2025. Watch the sermon here.
Introduction
Are you someone who can’t stand cliff-hangers? Some people can let something sit and return to it later. Others just click the next episode. In a time where full seasons of TV shows drop at once on streaming services, many get sucked into watching one after the next after the next. They need to know! Last week, we ended Revelation 6 on a cliffhanger, but John is not going to leave us hanging. In the next chapter, we have the answer to the question “who can stand.” Let’s look at it together.
God Is Sovereign
The passage starts “after this.” We saw something similar before. In fact, chapter 4, verse one has similar language. Some take this to be referring to the events that he sees as following, but I think the more natural reading is that the image we are discussing this morning came next for John, but where it falls in the timeline of history needs to be answered through other considerations. When we discussed the sixth seal last week, it seemed like it was discussing the end. If this is the case, then the scene we have here runs parallel with that. If it is an event that anticipates the end, then this may follow. Because of the type of language we read last week, I believe it was describing the end, and that this runs alongside the six seals.
So it seems that chapter 6 has given us the progress of history that fulfills what Jesus said in Matthew 24, and then chapter 7 gives us another perspective on that history, dealing mainly with how God’s people are protected.[1]
God is sovereign over all
This is not a hill to die on for me. Some see it as following the sixth seal and that there is a certain number that are sealed and protected through what is referred to as the tribulation period at the end of history. We will touch on how this view intersects with the images that we see in a little bit. For now, regardless of one’s view, we have a familiar theme that resurfaces: the sovereignty of God. By this, I mean that God rules above all. This has been a common theme in the book of Revelation. We have seen it with the focus on the throne room that is the center, and all creatures being represented around the throne. We have seen it in how Jesus is authoritative over the seals. And once again, this theme surfaces. Here we see it in the words that come from this angel in the first few verses. There is instruction to not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until the sealing has taken place. We get an idea of the comprehensiveness of the restraint by how they are first described. They are discussed as standing at the four corners and holding back the four winds. These descriptions aren’t meant to map out geography; the earth doesn’t have literal corners. But the language is meant to paint a picture of totality. If you remember that the four horsemen are related to the four chariots in Zechariah 6, there is a reference to the four winds as well.
This withholding may be to make the number complete
They acknowledge the sovereign plan of God by stating that they will not do harm until the sealing has taken place. It is interesting that here we have servants not used in a generic or list fashion, but about serving God. This could be a reflection back to 6:11. Remember, in that context, we have the martyrs asking how long, and they are told they have to wait until their fellow servants are complete. If that is the case, then there could be a relation between the ones who are sealed here and the faithful witnesses.
In any case, God’s people are protected. The outcome will depend on how one draws up the timeline.
Sealed to persevere
The sealing in view here probably does not guarantee that the servants of God who are sealed will have no pain, but 9:4 indicates that those who are sealed are spared the pains of judgment. The sealing in view ensures the preservation of the servants of God in the faith. God seals them in the sense that he keeps convincing them that he is trustworthy. He keeps compelling them to trust him. He makes sure that they will always have compelling evidence to believe what he has said.[2]
God’s People Are Safe
In the Bible, news of salvation often appears from the east, just as Ezekiel said that the Lord would enter his temple from the east (Ezek. 43:2) and as the magi who worshiped Christ came from the east (Matt. 2:1). Now from that direction comes an angel bearing “the seal of the living God” to mark “the servants of … God” (Rev. 7:2–3).[3]
A seal identifies, authenticates, and protects
A seal would be used to identify something as belonging to its master or to authenticate a message. A common object, and one we saw in our Esther series, was the signet ring. These rings would mark out an object with a special emblem. In our passage, there are echoes to Ezekiel 9, where God gave a prophecy of the coming judgment of Jerusalem, but first, he marked his faithful people.
“Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it” (Ezek. 9:4). Only those marked with God’s seal would escape his judgment.[4]
The idea of seal also denotes the idea of protection. Again, this does not mean that God’s people will not experience difficulty. But it does mean that God is not absent in the difficulty and even when we don’t understand everything we can still know that we belong to the One who does.
Who are these people?
Who? This is the question that divides interpreters regarding this passage. But there is more that is considered than just the passage at hand. The two main interpretations are that this is discussing ethnic Israel on the one hand and that this symbolically represents the church on the other hand. We should be aware that either interpretation is using the images and symbols, so it’s not fair to say one is symbolic and the other isn’t.
Why are these various conclusions reached? The view that says it is ethnic Israel sees this passage as fulfilling, in whole or in part, the future hope for the salvation of Israel in Romans 9-11. That passage itself is tricky, and one commentator said bluntly, “Everything about Romans 9-11 is controversial.” Typically, this interpretation coincides with a dispensational approach to Scripture that sees distinct promises for Israel that are yet to be fulfilled. So the sealing would be the future mass
Literal 144,000 Dispensationalists
Many dispensational thinkers relate the 144,000 to a specific number of Jewish Christians. In this case, both the ethnicity and the number are literally described.
Jehovah’s Witness believe only 144,000 will go to heaven
Interestingly, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that only 144,000 people will go to heaven and the rest will reign on earth. In the 1930s, the organization believed the number was sealed and no more could be a part of it. But now many believe it will be sealed before the great tribulation.
Evidence for seeing this relating to ethnic Israel
Those who advocate that this refers to ethnic Israel, to Jewish Christians, state the phrase “from every tribe of the sons of Israel” must relate to ethnic Israel and physical descendants of Jacob. They argue that Israel is synonymous with Jacob and always used to refer to the Jewish people.
The listing of the tribes. The listing is curious and both need to account for it. Let’s see how it is curious. First, Jacob, who is later named Israel, had twelve sons. His sons were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Dan. Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Gad, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin. But as we consider the tribes, we need to take a couple of things into consideration. Joseph was replaced on later lists of the tribes by his two sons, Ephraim and Manessah. And, Levi was consecrated to the Lord; we see an account of this in Numbers 3:11-13. So, leaving off Levi and replacing Joseph with his two sons, you have twelve tribes. This is the list we see in Numbers 1:20-43. But that is not the account that we have here. In this list, we see it start with Judah. This can be explained because Jesus is from the tribe of Judah, a fact we have already referenced. But the list leaves off Dan, includes Levi, and has Manasseh and not Ephraim.
So, if this is a reference to Israel, why such a curious list? Both Dan and Ephraim were associated with idolatry. This may be the reason they are left off, and Levi and Joseph are included. But others also see the curious arrangement as a way to understand this symbolically. After all, Revelation has a major theme of conquering through faithfulness, and perhaps it is getting at that idea.
Evidence for seeing it as a broader group, all Christians, either in a specific time period or throughout time
The list of the tribes is one major evidence that this may be a broader group. Another piece of evidence is the large round number that symbolizes completeness. One advocate of this view says,
…numbers in apocalyptic literature are regularly symbolic. Here we have the number twelve representing the people of God from the twelve tribes in the OT, and the number is squared and then multiplied by 1,000. Hence the number should be understood as a symbolic way of designating the entire people of God.[5]
This may correspond with the number’s use in Revelation 14, where it is not associated with Israel. In that passage, they have the name of God on their foreheads, something that was also promised to those in the church in Philadelphia who persevere. Revelation 14 also gives a more general description of those who are the redeemed from the earth. That chapter also describes the 144,000 as virgins, a symbol of their purity before the Lord and not falling into the spiritual adultery of idolatry. It’s used of all Christians in 2 Corinthians 11:2.
Those arguing for this understanding would also show that throughout the book of Revelation, the focus is on the church, and this seems inconsistent with the book as a whole. Later on, the twelve tribes and twelve apostles are unified in describing the gates and foundations of the New Jerusalem.
Another strong argument comes from the context of John’s visions. When in Revelation 5, John heard the lion and saw the lamb. Both referred to the same person, Jesus Christ. In Revelation 7, we have John hearing the 144,000 and seeing the great multitude, perhaps referring to the same group of people, highlighting different aspects.
God’s people are sealed
A few weeks ago, we outlined various approaches to the book of Revelation: the partial-preterist, the futurist, and the idealist. As we think of this, the question is not only about the group and who is in it, but also about the timing. Is this completely in the future, is it something that takes place throughout the history of the church, or is it something in the past?
Regarding this section, those who see it as the past see the 144,000 as either relating to Jewish Christians or the church, but particularly those who were faithful during the fall of Jerusalem. This relates to them being referred to as the “first fruits” in Revelation 14 because they were early in the history of the church.
For others, they see this as in the future; these are those who are faithful during the great tribulation period at the end of the age.
For the idealist, these are Christians throughout the church age, those who are faithful.
What is important is for us to recognize that, regardless of one’s view, we can all recognize how this group points to Christians throughout the ages. This is why many views are eclectic, they see aspects of the future and ideal, they also see glimpses in the past. But this word seal is used of Christians as well. Look how Ephesians 1 relates to our passage this morning,
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.[6]
Even within that passage, we see the ideas of identification, authentication, and protection. Those who belong to God are those who have been sealed with the Spirit. He is our guarantee. This is great hope in the ups and downs of life. We are not alone; God is with us. When we don’t have the words to pray, Romans 8 tells us the Spirit groans for us.
God’s People Are Sent
Another aspect of this is reflecting on how these tribes are listed. “The numbering of the tribes have the form of a census, and in the OT, a census was done to determine the size of the army in preparation for battle.”[7] There are similarities between this and Numbers 2. While this is likely not the primary aspect of the passage, it does serve to help us with what has been referred to as the church militant. This does not mean that the church goes about conquering with weapons, but it refers to Christians taking the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit, to those who do not yet believe, willing to lay down our lives for God. In this way, we reflect the One whom we proclaim, the conquering lion who conquered by being slain.
God’s People Celebrate
After the sealing, we see the celebration of a great multinational, multi-ethnic multitude. As I mentioned, I am persuaded that these are the same group as the sealed. If that is the case, then this celebration coincides with the sealing. Either way, there are many aspects of this group that are important for us to consider.
God’s people are from every people group
There is both unity and diversity. The diversity is clear; there are people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Nation, we shouldn’t think of it as a nation state, but it is getting more at the idea of a people group. Those of common ancestry and language, those who have similar customs and backgrounds, are now united in something bigger than themselves. This is not to downplay the distinctions. In fact, there is a beauty in it. I’ve appreciated Herman Bavinck’s depiction of this about what we have to look forward to, he writes,
Tribes, peoples, and nations all make their own particular contribution to the enrichment of life in the new Jerusalem (5:9; 7:9; 21:24, 26). What we have sown here is harvested in eternity (Matt. 25:24, 26; 1 Cor. 15:42ff.; 2 Cor. 9:6; Gal. 6:7–9). The great diversity that exists among people in all sorts of ways is not destroyed in eternity but is cleansed from all that is sinful and made serviceable to fellowship with God and each other.[8]
It is that service that we see on display in this passage. The multi-cultured multitude that no one can number, praising the one who is worthy to be worshipped by all. This picture gives us a glimpse of what to expect, and it should serve as a motivation for us in the present. How we long to see people from every tribe, tongue, and nation come to worship their Savior.
God’s people celebrate their Savior
Do you notice the language, salvation belongs to our God. Here we have a worship scene in heaven of God being as savior. Before we noticed that God was worshipped as creator, but for the Christian, God is not only Creator, but he is Savior. God spoke the world into existence, but Jesus came to this world in order to redeem it. As one theologian said, the only thing we contribute to our salvation is the sin that made it necessary. All glory goes to God who saves. The gospel of grace gives no opportunity for pride. It says that we fell short and that salvation had to come from something outside of ourselves. How different is this from the world that we live in.
There is celebration, there is proclamation of the saving work of God. Do you recognize that this is what we do every time we take communion? 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.[9]” It is a visual proclamation of the saving work of God. It is also an invitation. Right now, there are some who are far off, some who have not bowed their knee to King Jesus. I want you to be a part of this great multitude. Today is a great day for that.
[1] James M. Hamilton Jr., Preaching the Word: Revelation—The Spirit Speaks to the Churches, ed. R. Kent Hughes (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 188.
[2] James M. Hamilton Jr., Preaching the Word: Revelation—The Spirit Speaks to the Churches, ed. R. Kent Hughes (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 189.
[3] Richard D. Phillips, Revelation, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2017), 240–241.
[4] Richard D. Phillips, Revelation, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2017), 241.
[5] Thomas R. Schreiner, “Revelation,” in Hebrews–Revelation, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. XII, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018), 622.
[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 1:13–14.
[7] Osborne, Revelation, 313.
[8] Herman Bavinck, John Bolt, and John Vriend, Reformed Dogmatics: Holy Spirit, Church, and New Creation, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 727.
[9] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Co 11:26.
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