Rev 7:1-8 – Flying Scroll

THE 144,000
This Chapter divides the elect into two categories: the elect in the Sanctified Church, the 144,000; and the elect from the Great Tribulation, the saints who carried on in the wilderness after the Temple of God was desolated by the Antichrist. In Ezekiel Chapter 48, and Revelation Chapter 21, the Church, New Jerusalem is described as a City with 12 gates, one gate for each tribe of Israel. John calls these the “144,000.” The LORD will again choose Jerusalem In Dan 9:26, we learned that Satan would destroy the City and the Sanctuary, that City was the New Jerusalem that was desolated by the Antichrist. In Zech 1:16-17, Zech 2:1-4, and Zech 8:1-3, we learn that “(the LORD) will again choose Jerusalem.” New Jerusalem will once again be inhabited by the spirit of God, “I will be the glory in her midst,” (Zech 2:5), “I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem … then Jerusalem will be called THE CITY of TRUTH, the mountain of the LORD of Hosts, the Holy Mountain.” (Zech 8:3). In Isa 2:2, and Mic 4:1, we read that in the last days, the Mountain of the LORD’s House will be established above all the mountains. This is the temple of God, “a Holy Temple in the Lord…a dwelling place of God in spirit,” (Eph 2:21-22). Ezekiel Prophesied the name of the City as “THE LORD IS THERE” In Ezekiel Chapter 48,, Jerusalem is divided into tribes. Ezekiel called this City, “the LORD IS THERE” (Ezek 48:35); meaning “the spirit of God is there”; this is the Sanctified Church of the end days. Here, in Revelation Chapter 7, John picks up Ezekiel’s twelve gates of New Jerusalem, for the 12 tribes of Israel, and tells us that there are 12,000 from each tribe. The same division of New Jerusalem into twelve tribes can be found in Rev 21:12, where we see the twelve gates around Jerusalem, one for each tribe. So we should not think that New Jerusalem is only for the blood born tribes of Israel. A comparison of Ezekiel and Revelation The Sanctified Church of the end days was prophesied in Ezekiel Chapters 40-48. We will see reminders of this prophecy of Ezekiel throughout the Book of Revelation, as shown in the chart below.

THE 144,000

This Chapter divides the elect into two categories: the elect in the Sanctified Church, the 144,000; and the elect from the Great Tribulation, the saints who carried on in the wilderness after the Temple of God was desolated by the Antichrist.

In Ezekiel Chapter 48, and Revelation Chapter 21, the Church, New Jerusalem is described as a City with 12 gates, one gate for each tribe of Israel. John calls these the “144,000.”

The LORD will again choose Jerusalem
In Dan 9:26, we learned that Satan would destroy the City and the Sanctuary, that City was the New Jerusalem that was desolated by the Antichrist.

In Zech 1:16-17, Zech 2:1-4, and Zech 8:1-3, we learn that “(the LORD) will again choose Jerusalem.” New Jerusalem will once again be inhabited by the spirit of God, “I will be the glory in her midst,” (Zech 2:5), “I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem … then Jerusalem will be called THE CITY of TRUTH, the mountain of the LORD of Hosts, the Holy Mountain.” (Zech 8:3).

In Isa 2:2, and Mic 4:1, we read that in the last days, the Mountain of the LORD’s House will be established above all the mountains. This is the temple of God, “a Holy Temple in the Lord…a dwelling place of God in spirit,” (Eph 2:21-22).

Ezekiel Prophesied the name of the City as “THE LORD IS THERE”
In Ezekiel Chapter 48,, Jerusalem is divided into tribes. Ezekiel called this City, “the LORD IS THERE” (Ezek 48:35); meaning “the spirit of God is there”; this is the Sanctified Church of the end days.

Here, in Revelation Chapter 7, John picks up Ezekiel’s twelve gates of New Jerusalem, for the 12 tribes of Israel, and tells us that there are 12,000 from each tribe.

The same division of New Jerusalem into twelve tribes can be found in Rev 21:12, where we see the twelve gates around Jerusalem, one for each tribe. So we should not think that New Jerusalem is only for the blood born tribes of Israel.

A comparison of Ezekiel and Revelation
The Sanctified Church of the end days was prophesied in Ezekiel Chapters 40-48. We will see reminders of this prophecy of Ezekiel throughout the Book of Revelation, as shown in the chart below.

Ezekiel Chapters 40 – 48	Revelation
The twelve tribes of Israel and their twelve gates in New Jerusalem (Ezekiel Chapter 48).	The number of each of the twelve tribes of Israel (Rev 7:4-8).
“This water flows toward the eastern region…when it reaches the sea, its waters are healed” (Ezek 47:8).	“A great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea” (Rev 8:8).
The measurement of all the areas of the future temple are described in Ezekiel Chapters 40-44, but no measurements are made of the outer court of the Gentiles.	“do not measure the outer court for it has been given to the Gentiles” (Rev 11:2)
“The glory of the God of Israel came by the way of the east, and its sound was like the sound of many waters” (Ezek 43:2).	“144,000 having His name, and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and … like the sound of harpists” (Rev 14:1-2) “then I heard the voice of something like a great multitude and like the sound of many waters” (Rev 19:6).

In Rev 14, there are three different descriptions of the end time Sanctified Church.

① The 144,000 in verse 1-5
② The Angel Flying in the midst of heaven with the Everlasting Gospel in verse 6-7
③ The Rider on the White Horse in verse 20

The Angel flying in the midst of heaven with the Everlasting Gospel in Rev 14:6-7 is the Angel from the East who seals the servants of God in Rev 7:2. These are the end time saints who are sealed by the spirit of God. Paul said, “for by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,” (1 Cor 12:13). The Sanctified Church is Christ’s Body, the Messenger of God that brings God’s judgment, “the hour of His judgment has come” (Rev 14:7).

The final description of the end time Sanctified Church in Rev 14:20 is the Rider on the White, the “one body” that strikes down the Gentiles using the Word of God. This is the Church of God, that is filled with the holy spirit, the spirit of truth, and corrects the Gentiles, or Nations, as described in Revelation Chapter 14.

We can all understand that the Angel Flying in the midst of heaven and the Rider on the White Horse represent the end time Sanctified Church, but how about the 144,000? Are these only the Jews who are saved before Christ returns?

The twelve gates of the New Jerusalem in Rev 21:12 have the names of the twelve tribes of Israel over them. The names of these twelve tribes in Revelation Chapter 21 represent the saints of New Jerusalem, as they also do in Revelation Chapter 7.

1 After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.

Rev 7:1
four winds – the four Angels are symbolic. Each Angel holds back one of the four winds of the earth. These winds bring destruction, as in Jer 49:36, “against Elam I will bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven.”

Not to blow on the earth, on the sea, or any tree – throughout the Book of Revelation, the earth means the people of the world, the sea means man’s salvation, and trees refers to those of the kingdom of heaven (the righteous). The Angel’s hold back the last moment’s for man’s salvation, until all of the elect are sealed.

2 I saw another angel ascend from the East, having the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea,

Rev 7:2
another Angel ascending from the rising sun – this Angel is the Spirit of Christ as the Body of Christ, the end time Sanctified Church. The Greek word translated as “rising sun” is ἀνατολὴ. The Messiah as the “rising sun” (ἀνατολὴ) was pictured in Luke 1:78.

In Zech 6:12, and Jer 23:5, Christ is described in English versions as”the branch,” but the Greek Septuagint describes Him as the “rising sun” ἀνατολὴ and means “east” or “rising sun” – a man whose name is “the East.” See the explanation of Philo at Zech 6:9-15.

In Ezekiel Chapter 43, and 47, we learn that the end time Sanctified Church will come from the East.

having the seal of the living God – the end time Sanctified Church will baptize with the holy spirit, to seal the end time saints.

3 saying, “Don’t harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!”

Rev 7:3
do not harm – he tells the Angels not to pour out flaming fire yet that will be poured out on this Day; as described in 2 Thess 1:7-8.

sealed the bond-servants of our God – the last of the elect of the Sanctified Church, and the last Israel will be saved, they will be sealed by the spirit (Eph 1:13-14). Of course, the bond-servants of God are not only blood-born Israelites. The Book of Revelation was written to all “the bond-servants our God” (Rev 1:1). In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek (Gal 3:28).

4 I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:

Rev 7:4
144,000 – being 12,000 of each tribe, resembling the listing of tribes and their land in Ezekiel Chapter 48, the “New Jerusalem.”

every tribe of the sons of Israel – the Book of Revelation is really the story of the battle between the elect, the true “the sons of Israel,” and the Gentiles. The Gentiles strayed from the message of salvation that came from the Jews. But they must learn that “salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22). The Gentiles trample the Holy City in Revelation Chapter 11, “do not measure the outer court for it has been given to the Gentiles” (Rev 11:2). The Gentiles or Nations are judged by the 144,000 in Revelation Chapter 14. In Revelation Chapter 19, the Rider on the White horse strikes down the false teachings of the “nations” or “Gentiles,” using the word of God. Throughout the Book of Revelation, “Nation” and “Gentile” are the same Greek word, representing those who are not a part of the chosen people.

5 Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 6 Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, 7 Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 8 Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

The listing of tribes excludes Dan, who is in all the primary Old Testament listings. Many speculate why Dan was taken out. The strongest view is that Dan’s tribe set up an image and worshiped, after entering the promised land, see Judg 18:31. This signifies that those who worship the image of the beast will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Dan is replaced by Joseph and Manasseh, rather than the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. Ephraim is representative of the corrupted Kingdom of Israel in Hosea Chapters 5 – 14, and the kingdom of the beast, called the “drunkards of Ephraim” in Isa 28:1.