| Scripture |
Additional Comments |
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| 1 And after this I saw four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding fast the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow upon the earth, nor upon the sea, nor upon any tree. |
Four corners – From Every direction.
The earth – Organized society under religious restraint. R498
Holding the four winds – Keeping the destructive powers in check.
The reason these destructive powers were being held back is clearly stated to be to give opportunity for the servants of God to be sealed in their foreheads. This makes perfect sense. The church is described as being "the salt of the earth." Matt. 5:13. The salt being here referred to for its preserving power. Thus the symbolic earth was not to be destroyed prior to the saints receiving this intellectual sealing.
Wind – war.
The wind Elijah saw at mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:11).
The sea – Irreligious masses of mankind. R498
Any tree – Any nation. As the fig-tree represented the nation of Israel, so the trees represent the nations. Trees are used again to picture the nation of Israel in Matt 3:10. |
| 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it had been given to hurt the earth and the sea, |
Another angel – Our returned Lord.
Ascending from the east – Rising from the east, the sunrise, thus picturing the dawning of the Millennial Age.
Seal of the living God – The Seventh Seal, Present Truth. This seems to indicate that the seventh seal has now been opened.
He cried with a loud voice – Showing this is under the command and control of our Returned Lord Jesus. The loud voice is the same as is found in 1 Thes. 4:16. |
| 3 saying, Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we shall have sealed the bondmen of our God upon their foreheads. |
Hurt not – Do not seriously disrupt the status quo.
The earth – Organized society under religious restraint cannot be (seriously) hurt until all the 144,000 have been sealed in their foreheads.
Nor the sea – Irreligious restless masses of mankind. R498
Nor the trees – Nations, household of faith.
Sealed .. in their foreheads – Until the little flock have been given an intellectual (forehead) understanding of the time features and the presence of our Lord. See B169 top. |
| 4 And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel: |
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| 5 out of the tribe of Juda, twelve thousand sealed; out of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand; |
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| 6 out of the tribe of Aser, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Nepthalim, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand; |
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| 7 out of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand; |
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| 8 out of the tribe of Zabulun, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand sealed. |
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| 9 After these things I saw, and lo, a great crowd, which no one could number, out of every nation and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palm branches in their hands. |
A great multitude – As compared with the "Little Flock," the 144,000.
Which no man could number – Unlike that of the Little Flock, the 144,000 enumerated in the previous verses.
Possibly two (R2942) or three times (R4304:1 the size of the little flock.
Of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues – Compare Rev. 5:9.
Before the throne – See Bible Topics "Before the Throne."
Palm in their hands – see Palm Trees |
| 10 And they cry with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb. |
Loud voice .. Salvation to our God – see Rev. 19:1. Great Multitude here and "much people" in 19:1 are the same (Strong's 4183 & 3793). |
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| 11 And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne upon their faces, and worshipped God, |
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| 12 saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and strength, to our God, to the ages of ages. Amen. |
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| 13 And one of the elders answered, saying to me, These who are clothed with white robes, who are they, and whence came they? |
One of the elders – Which one? We suggest Daniel, based on what the elder says in vs. 14. |
| 14 And I said to him, My lord, *thou* knowest. And he said to me, These are they who come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb. |
Came out of – Babylon. The great company should have come out long before the great tribulation began. Instead they did not have the spirit of the little flock in quick obedience to the command "come out of her my people."
Great tribulation – Daniel 12:1. |
| 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sits upon the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them. |
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| 16 They shall not hunger any more, neither shall they thirst any more, nor shall the sun at all fall on them, nor any burning heat; |
This appears to be a quote from Isa. 49:10. In that context those who are described are those who receive the blessings from the church. It there appears to be the world of mankind.
Our thought is that this describes those who will attain to eternal life but not immortality. As such it is descriptive of both the world of mankind as well as the great company.
They – The Great Company.
Shall hunger no more – No longer do they hunger for righteousness because they will then have it.
Neither thirst any more – No longer will they thirst for righteousness for they will then possess it.
Neither shall the sun light on them – Isa. 60:19; (Matt. 24:29); Rev. 21:23; 22:5
This could also have reference to the Tabernacle picture. While the spirit-begotten class is normally shown by the Priests, who alone had access to the Holy (except on moving days), the Levites had access to the court. If this pictures the Great company then it pictures a class that should have been dwelling in the Holy (spirit-begotten) condition but instead chose to dwell in the court (in sunshine). For those who dwell in the Holy use the light of the candlestick to allow them to see spiritual things (not the bright light of the sun). Our eyes need to be come adjusted to seeing spiritual things by the eye of faith and not by actual sight (as would be the case in the court).
Nor any heat – Deut. 29:24; 32:21-25; Psa. 19:6; Isa. 4:5-6; 25:4-6; Jer. 51:37-41; Matt. 20:12; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 16:8-9. |
| 17 because the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall shepherd them, and shall lead them to fountains of waters of life, and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. |
The Lamb – Jesus in His glory.
In the midst of the throne – In his reign as King.
Shall feed them – Jesus is the sustaining force for these, the great company.
Lead them to fountains of waters – These are lead to the church which has a wellspring of water (life, truth) coming from within them. The great company will drink of that water, whereas the church will produce that water.
Wipe away all tears – While there will be tears for the Great Company, God will remove their sorrow. |