THE EVANGELISTS SELECTED

Revelation 7:4-8 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. (NIV)

WHO SAYS THE TRIBES ARE LOST?

It never ceases to amaze me how far afield many interpreters go when they approach the Book of Revelation. This particular passage seems to drive some to new heights of imagination. Some say that these couldn't possibly be literal Jews. Others add that the numbers certainly are merely symbols, not to be taken literally.

To all of this sort of speculation, I say, "WHY NOT?" The fact that God redeems 144,000 literal Jews and ordains them as His evangelists not only makes good sense but fits in with the counsel of God's purposes as previously noted in the introduction to this chapter.

So, may I say loud and clear [or as President Bush would say, "Read my lips...!]: the 144,000 described here are NOT Jehovah's Witnesses, or Mormon elders, or some symbol of the Church; they are Jews, Jews, Jews! (Even IF 1st President Bush eventually raised TAXES!)

It's amazing to realize that even though most Jews today don't know which tribe they stem from, God does, and He selects twelve-thousand [12,000] from each of the twelve [12] tribes of Israel. There is a religious group called British Israelites ~ (Other British Israelites 1, Others 2, Others 3) who believe that the ten tribes of Israel (who lived in the north of Israel and were taken captive in the eighth century B.C. by the Assyrians) were subsequently intermingled through repeated intermarriage and turned into the modern Anglo-Saxons!

The physical difference between an Anglo-Saxon and a Jew ought to be sufficient to dispel such a myth, but if not, surely this passage should. The tribes certainly are not lost to God!

As you read through the list of the twelve tribes in verses 5 through 8, perhaps you noticed that two of the original tribes, Dan and Epheriam, are missing, and that two others are substituted in their place. Many scholars believe that the tribe of Dan is missing because the Jewish Antichrist (the False Prophet), will come from it. This certainly seems to be a possible meaning of an ancient prophecy that Jacob gave about the tribes of Israel in the last days:

Genesis 49:17 Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backward. (NIV)

Epheriam is left out because it led the way in causing the civil war which divided the ten tribes of the North from the two in the South. The tribes of Dan and Epheriam were the first to lead Israel into idolatry.

Individual members of these tribes can certainly be brought into God's kingdom by faith, but no representatives of these tribes are given the honor of being the great evangelists of God in the Tribulation. The priestly tribe of Levi is substituted for Dan, and Joseph (Epheriam's father) is substituted for Epheriam.

HOW ARE THE 144,000 CONVERTED?

Many have asked the question, "If all the Christians are snatched out of the world in the Rapture, how are these evangelists going to be saved?"

There are several ways.

Some Jews will have been witnessed to by Christian friends and will surely have herd something about prophecy related to the disappearance of Christ's followers. Though it may sound wild to them now, when "cloud-fulls" of Christians all around the world are suddenly missing, the Holy spirit will convince His selected witnesses that the gospel message is indeed true, and they will believe.

Others will surely be perplexed by this strange phenomenon of missing people and will not accept the reasons given by various Satanically-inspired groups. They will seek out an answer, find Christian literature of years past which explains the prophetic gospel, and then believe. To some, Jesus may even appear in person in much the same way that He did to Saul of Tarsus, who became the Apostle Paul.

It is very important to remember that the Holy Spirit will still function in His role of drawing people to Jesus. However, He will relate to believers as He did during Old Testament times. He will regenerate the human spirits of those who accept the Messiah, but he will indwell and empower only those whom God has chosen for special service. This will surely include more than the 144,000, for never will believers be more in need of the Spirit's sustaining power!

By whatever means, however, God will see that these Jews are quickly brought to true faith in Jesus as their Messiah and will send them on their ways with His message of forgiveness and deliverance. It will be like having 144,000 Jewish Billy Grahams turned loose...all at once!

WHAT A REVIVAL!

Revelation 7:9-10 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (NIV)

The effectiveness of the evangelism during the Tribulation is overwhelming. What a revival! It's enough to make a preacher's mouth water!

It is nearly impossible for us to really appreciate what these converts of the 144,000 will have to endure because of their faith. The fact that they are standing here before the throne of God in white robes during the Tribulation confirms that they were martyred because of their belief in Christ.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Revelation 7:11-12, See Note Page 1337 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" (NIV)

What a scene for John to have witnessed! At the center of everything was the throne of God. Closest to it were four Living Beings, and surrounding them and the throne were the twenty-four enthroned Elders. An unspecified number of angels encircled this whole scene, and when they saw the great multitude of martyred Tribulation saints waving their palm branches and praising God they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God.

I really like that! Every opportunity these angels and Elders get, they drop on their faces and praise the Lord. Perhaps you have heard it said that the angels in heaven rejoice when one sinner is saved. I am quite sure that they are happy for the sinner that has been redeemed, but I have a suspicion that the real reason for their joy is that it gives them another opportunity to fall down on their faces and praise the One who made the sinner's salvation possible.

THE IDENTITY OF THE MULTITUDE

Revelation 7:13-17 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes– who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (NIV)

Isaiah, the prophet of Israel, said that any "robes of righteousness" which men weave from their own good deeds are nothing more than dirty, soiled rags (Isaiah 64:6). But a beautiful thing is pictured here of these martyred saints-they took their SOILED robes and washed them in the CRIMSON blood of Jesus and they came out WHITE!

God graciously rewards these persecuted children of His with the new, immortal bodies which all believers will eventually receive. Notice what an improvement they are over the old ones. Night and day they serve, but they don't get tired. No more hunger, no more thirst, no more discomfort in the heat or cold; and God himself shall wipe away every tear. One of the most tender memories an adult has is that of his mother kissing his sore finger and wiping away the tears from his or her eyes. Oh, what we have to look forward to in heaven!

SUMMING IT UP

Revelation 7 tells three incredible stories.

(1) One is about the ancient people of God, the Jews. though they failed repeated to fulfill God's purposes in choosing them, God provides one final opportunity for obedience. This time a "remnant" of 144,000 Israelites hand-picked by God Himself and empowered by the Holy Spirit enjoys astounding success in evangelizing the world.

(2) The second amazing story of Revelation 7 concerns the new converts of these 144,000 evangelists. Despite unprecedented persecution and eventual martyrdom, these believers from every ethnic group on earth remain unwaveringly loyal to Christ, and they ultimately inherit God's rich blessings in eternity.

(3) The third and perhaps most remarkable story of Revelation 7 is the record of God's graciousness in judgment. Even while He is justly punishing the world from its persistent rejection of Christ, God offers both Jews and Gentiles still another opportunity to change their minds and receive the Savior.

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