144,000 - Revelation 7

7:1-3 - We are still here in the 6th seal and after the world leaders try to hide themselves from God, John sees the whole world with “four angels standing on the four corners of the world.” There are a lot of numbers being thrown around in this chapter, but the IM notes that the number four can indicated “geographic fullness,” such as the “four directions of the compass. “A fifth angels comes out of the east to give direction to the other four angels. This fifth guy is unique in that he “was given to hurt the earth and the sea,” but at this point he tells the others to “hurt not the earth, neither the sea, not the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” This seems to stand in contrast to the “mark of the beast” that is so popularly talked about in our society. Interestingly, these four destroying angels were referenced by President Wilford Woodruff as quoted in the IM manual saying, “God has held the angels of destruction for many years, lest they should reap down the wheat with the tares. But I want to tell you now, that those angels have left the portals of heaven… and are hovering over the earth waiting to pour out the judgments. And from this very day they shall be poured out. Calamities and troubles are increasing in the earth, and there is a meaning to these things. Remember this, and reflect upon these matters. If you do your duty, and I do my duty, we’ll have protection, and shall pass through the afflictions in peace and in safety.” It’s interesting to consider that this was said probably over 150 years ago, and if the angels of destruction were imminent then, I can only imagine what it is now. But then again, this begs the question, has the work of destruction already begun? I guess I imagined seeing the angels flying in the sky shooting at things on the earth with wands or something. But reasonably, how would they do it? Probably with natural disasters. Verse 1 says that these four angels were “holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, not on the sea, nor on any tree.” Maybe “wind” means any natural disaster because of the way that is encompasses anywhere and everywhere and earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, etc. can all mimic the tidal flow of wind. We’ve had an incredible increase in natural disasters all over the world in the last few decades, or at least I think so, given this is the only time I know, I can’t be that sure. So perhaps the angels of destruction have begun their work and I didn’t realize it because it just looks like natural disasters. But what can being “sealed… in their foreheads” mean? The IM suggests “the sealing or marking… is a metaphor of their devotion, service, and belonging to God.” It also notes that the term “seal” is used to describe the faithful who were baptized, and of course “seal” is used in the scriptures and modernly to denote someone who has made and kept covenants. I can also think about being “washed” in our heads or the Hebrew phylacteries, the little boxes of scripture they would wear on their foreheads to remind them of God. There is so much talk these days about what being “marked” or “sealed” in the forehead means with all types of people trying to make it fit into the mold of their cause. But I think it’s more nuanced than that, I think that it’s just those who have made and kept their covenants with God. 7:4-12 - Of those who were sealed, John hears the number as being “an hundred and forty and four thousand,” 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. I don’t really know exactly what this number is meant to represent, maybe it’s the number 12 meaning “whole or complete” and then the thousand indicating a large multitude of people, altogether representing all the worthy from the 12 tribes being made representatives for God. And I think it’s important to note that this number wasn’t seen by John, only heard so the “great multitude” of all people next seen surrounding the throne of God, isn’t the 144,000 of the tribes that were sealed, but I think, a visual representation of those who accept the gospel. This great multitude of people “which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothes with white robes, and palms in their hands,” and they are singing praises to God and they “fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God.” 7:13-17 – One of these elders asks John “what are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they?” John says he doesn’t know, and the elder answers saying, “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” It’s always been an interesting contrast for me to imagine washing clothes in a tub of blood and having it comes out white, that’s totally contradictory, but obviously means that through the atonement, our blood stained lives can be made clean as if it had never happened. These who wear the white robes and worship God “serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall swell among them.” There will be no more hunger, nor thirst, not it seems any environment unpleasantness. And the God that is among them “shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”