Don’t Forget Israel: Daily Thoughts from Revelation (Revelation 7:1-8)

When we think of the book of Revelation we probably think about the judgments (chs. 6-18), the coming of Christ (ch. 19), and the new heaven and earth (chs. 21,22). We may not think that much about Israel. But God does.

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 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 were sealed. (Revelation 7:1-8 ESV)

Four angels stand poised to wreak havoc against the earth and sea and trees but are held back by an angel who bears God’s seal.  The goal of this angel is to seal God’s servants on their foreheads.

A seal identified something as belonging to its owner.  These servants are in the world on which the judgments foreshadowed in the 7 seals are going to be outpoured.  But by identifying these servants it seems there will be protection for them against this wrath because they belong to God (see Ezekiel 9:4-6).  All believers will be protected from God’s wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9), however, so it seems there is an additional safekeeping that is being provided by this sealing.  We see in Revelation 11 that God protects a couple of His witnesses from being harmed by persecutors.  Perhaps that is what is going on here, as well, for these Jewish tribes.

Their most likely identification is national Israelites who come to faith at the outset of the tribulation.  This does not mean that they are the only believers among Israel or on earth, but they are selected by God for a purpose.  What will they do now that they are sealed?  The answer seems related to what is next described in the remainder of chapter 7.

It is important for us to understand just how crucial to the bringing of history to a just conclusion is the nation of Israel. Revelation signals to us that God is not done with Israel. He addresses the church in chapters 2 and 3, but Israel is still intricately linked to the fulfillment of all of God’s promises. They are still His favored nation even though as a nation they have rejected the gospel. But we are seeing here what Paul predicted in Romans 11, the conversion of Israel to faith in Jesus Messiah. It’s going to happen! But we should be preaching now!

[see https://thimblefulloftheology.com/daily-thoughts-from-romans-anguish-for-israel/ and https://thimblefulloftheology.com/daily-thoughts-from-romans-beloved-enemies/]