1 Then I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
- What happens when the wind doesn't blow? It is a barely conceivable interference with the climate, where there is no balancing of pressures and temperatures in the atmosphere. Perhaps it could manifest itself in weather extremes?
- Reportedly, there is disagreement among interpreters as to whether the holding back of winds is a positive or negative circumstance: it may be temporary protection from destructive tornadoes, but it may also be an ominous calm before a terrible storm. The pent-up winds build up to then strike with all the more force. It is conceivable that some disturbance in the air circulation could cause a build-up of huge pressure differences in the atmosphere, which would then be released in countless destructive hurricanes.
- But according to the next verse, it seems clear that these angels are meant to harm and are waiting for the time being according to the command - that is, that when the detained whirlwinds are released, it will be disastrous. Their restraint is a preparation for the coming "harming" of the sea and the earth and the trees (trees are broken by storms with overwhelming efficiency - cf. the 2007 Kyrill storm that "shaved" the ridges in the Bohemian Forest).
- It may be an ominous silence like the half-hour silence in Rev 8.
- Jesus also talks about winds in the little apocalypse in Matthew 24 (31 And he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the one uttermost end of the heavens to their other uttermost end.). There, however, apparently in the sense of the four cardinal points in the sense of "The angels will thoroughly sweep the whole earth".
- From the mention that the wind is not to blow on the land, sea or trees, the more likely possibility seems to be "of the ominous sultriness", when the air stops and there is an ominous calm - everyone feels the gathering destructive energy of the approaching terrible storm.
- From the following verse it may be inferred that these angels who prevent the flow of air are at the same time the pests of the sea and the earth, who temporarily hold back the hurricanes of terrible catastrophes until God's slaves are named.
- So the season of the pent-up winds is a temporary period of calm designed to seal the believers.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels who were given to harm the earth and the sea:
- Another angel enters the scene and brings instructions from higher places: the storms must be waited out.
- Perhaps this will prolong the oppressive windlessness a little longer.
- The seal, as we shall see, is used to sealing Or labelling Christians.
3 "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we mark the slaves of our God on their foreheads!"
- R.: We don't seal it;
- It is questionable whether sealing and marking (as translated by the CSP) are the same. They may or may not be.
- It can be a mere marking, but it can also be something more - the seal on the forehead can have some added value for the marked person, e.g. to protect his mind from doubt, from falling away or from attack. In this way God strengthens the minds of His faithful before the next round of disasters begins.
- If it is merely a label, what is its meaning? As we shall see, the markings will be exclusively Jews, and there will not be too many of them (twelve thousand from each tribe).
- The marked persons could be protected during the general destruction (as the Baylonites did not harm Jeremiah or Baruch during the plunder after the capture of Jerusalem).
- The mark is put on the forehead - the beast will also mark the forehead. So the problem is not the brand as such, but what the brand is and who is giving it.
- Another positive marking on the forehead:
- Rev 9:4 locusts were not supposed to harm grass... but only unmarked people,
- Rev. 14:1 stands with the Lamb on Zion.
- Rev 22:4 in the New Jerusalem "...they shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads."
- Eze 9:4 "Mark the foreheads of men who mourn over abominations" - God's faithful ones.
- Deuteronomy 6:8 "Bind them as a sign on your hand, let them be as a girdle between your eyes."
- Negative marking on the forehead:
- Rev 13:16-17 "...to all... he puts a mark on the right hand or on the forehead... no one could buy or sell who did not have the mark..."
- Rev 14:9-11 "...he who bows down to the beast and receives his mark on his forehead... shall drink the wine of the wrath of God..."
- Rev 16:2 "...sores on the people who had the mark of the beast..."
- Rev 20:4 "...the souls of those who were executed... because they received no mark on their foreheads or on their hands..." Before the first resurrection to MIllenio.
4 And I heard the number of them that were marked, an hundred and forty and four thousand out of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
- Or: marked;
- Is it really only 144,000 Jews? That is not many, even if it were only Jews alive at the time.
- Israel has about ten million inhabitants, three quarters of whom are Jewish. There are about 7 million Jews in the Diaspora, making a total of about 15 million Jews living in Israel today.1.
- If the marking began today, the 144,000 would make up about one percent of the living sons of Israel; one in 100 would receive the mark.
- What minority are they?
- They may be Messianic Jews, that is, Jews who have believed in Jesus as the Messiah.
- There are reportedly ten to twenty thousand of them living directly in Israel and 350,000 to 400,000 in the Diaspora. That would be a rough approximation - one in two or three would be judged by God to be true believers.
- It is a symbolic number representing "all believers"
- Something along the lines of: 12 tribes of Israel × 12 apostles × 1000 (a large number) = all the redeemed.
- They may be Messianic Jews, that is, Jews who have believed in Jesus as the Messiah.
- The 144,000 are mentioned in Rev. 14:1-5:
- are with the Lamb on Zion
- have the name of the Lamb and the Father on their foreheads
- singing a new unteachable song before the throne
- are the masters
- They follow the Lamb wherever he goes
- were redeemed from men as firstfruits to God and the Lamb.
- they don't lie
- Here, then, could be captured a situation where the Christian martyrs killed are already in heaven (celebrating under the throne) while a series of disasters are about to occur on earth. These catastrophes are to fall on Israel, with Messianic Jews (i.e., Jews who believe in Jesus as the Messiah) to be marked before their outbreak.
- In chapter fourteen we could then witness a later separate gathering of these Messianic Jews with their Messiah (perhaps they died in a series of disasters and so came to the Lord).
- The situation could perhaps be summed up as: Before disasters fall on Israel, in which many perish, those who believe in Jesus must be marked so that they can meet their Messiah at Zion after death (in chapter 14).
5 Of the tribe of Judah are 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 Shimeon 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 are marked twelve thousand.
- [one of Joseph's sons fills in the number 12 instead of the omitted Dan];
- The list is somewhat "confusing" compared to the SZ:
- Dan is omitted
- is replaced by Manasseh, Joseph's son
- Joseph's second son Ephraim is not mentioned and is replaced directly by Joseph
- the Levi's are listed.
- This may be because it is a list "purged" of tribes that have committed idolatry and apostasy (both the Danites and the Ephraimites had a problem with them).
9 And I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of all nations and tribes, (languages and of each to the people)standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, palm branches in their hands,
- ř. : of the people (lid - pl.) and of languages;
- The marking of the 144,000 Jews would be followed by the action of the angels holding back the plagues. Before that, however, John witnesses a huge gathering.
- It's so huge that the number of people present uncountable. It is probably all the saved of all places and times.
- Here already believers are standing before the throne of the resurrection. After the breaking of the fifth seal, they stood before the altar of the souls (of the martyrs). Perhaps, then, the resurrection has taken place in the meantime.
- Also, this crowd is wearing white robes - as a sign of purity from sin.
- They also have palm branches - we'll see what for.
10 and cry with a loud voice, "Rescue belongs to to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb."
- All the saved are absolutely united in one thing - all the credit for saving anyone, including themselves, belongs to God and Christ alone.
- And the elders also saw it before the throne, when they gave up their crowns.
- All Christians see and will see it the same way. As God has set the rules for salvation, all boasting and all merit for salvation are excluded.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God
- The angels around the throne join in the worship of others already in Rev 5:11, where they also call upon God in a very similar way: And I saw and heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and of the living creatures, and of the elders, ten thousand, ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."
- In chapter 5, the angels join the beings and the elders, here apparently speaking alone.
- In chapter 5 the praise is addressed to the Lamb, here to God (although the Lamb is apparently also present at God's throne).
- It is therefore very crowded and lively around the throne.
- Angels surround the throne and those closest to it (elders and creatures).
- They bow down in the most humble way possible.
- In the West, we no longer bow to anyone in our daily lives - this idea is completely alien to us. Nor is it the custom towards people worthy of maximum respect for whatever reason - because of their qualities (e.g. heroes) or because of their position (e.g. the president).
- To some extent it is unhealthy, because worship is sometimes right and we humans are made for it. Giving respect to someone who is worthy of it is right, natural, and to a large extent, pleasurable.
- On the other hand, we are willing to indulge in the worship of athletes or artists (e.g. at concerts) without scruples.
- The attitude of bodies is closely related to worship. While it is possible to worship inwardly, in the spirit, for example while sitting in a chair, the attitude of the body is the logical outgrowth of our inward attitude. There is no reason why inner worship should not be expressed by the attitude of the body.
- Interestingly, to some extent, things work the other way around as well, i.e. the soul sometimes follows the body.
- If my body adopts a posture of worship (for example, kneeling), the inner attunement changes secondarily.
- If the body is sitting in a chair with coffee and a "foot over the foot," it is not easy for the soul to get into an attitude of worship.
- It is in no way hypocritical to change the attitude of the bodies in prayer or worshipa - to bow the head, kneel, raise the hands, close the eyes, or something similar.
- If we are too "civil" and afraid to "bat an eyelash" in worship, it can have a negative effect on our inner attitudes.
12 (with the words)Amen! Blessing and glory, wisdom and gratitude, reverence and power and strength. belongs to to our God forever and ever. [Amen.]"
- r.: saying;
- So what do the angels say, or rather call?
- Amen! Thus, they emphasize the importance and validity of what is said. Apparently, the "amen" "lines" the spoken words front and back.
- They confess these things to God forever (forever and ever) - belong forever and it should never be and will never be otherwise.
- They confess seven things to God:
- blessings: God should always be spoken of only and only well
- fame: All existing glory belongs to God, or comes from Him and is on loan from Him
- Wisdom: God is undoubtedly the owner, or the source and lender of all wisdom
- Gratitude: If there is anything to be thankful for, the giver of good things is always God
- respect: All respect belongs primarily to Him. It is possible to have reverence for others, but this reverence is also exclusively derived
- power: Ability to govern
- the power of: the ability to get things done. God's power exceeds any other power in the universe.
- Again: These things can be granted to beings other than God (including humans) - but they will always be derivative, secondary, or minor:
- It is possible to speak well, to be grateful, to celebrate and to have respect for others than God - but if anyone has done anything good, it always has its source in God. First, because He created everyone, but also because there is no good outside of God. He defines the good. To do good is to do God's will.
- Others than God also have power or strength, but always less against God and always bestowed by God.
- Is this list spoken to God the same as that spoken to the Lamb two chapters earlier? Almost:
- In chapter five, the list also has seven items, with six of them repeated (power, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing), and gratitude is replaced by wealth.
- We can wonder why this renewal? Perhaps because God is the natural owner of all things, whereas God is yet to give them to the Lamb?
- And gratitude is omitted, perhaps because gratitude to the Lamb is perfectly natural for those present, because the Lamb sacrificed himself?
- And gratitude is not added as an eighth item because the perfect number of seven "invoked" "items" is to be maintained?
13 One of the older ones (spoke to me): "Who are these, and whence come these that are clothed in white robes?"
- ř.: answered me saying;
- So John was all the time quite close to the throne, close to the elders, God, the Lamb and the creatures, at the very "epicenter" of this gigantic gathering.
- If John observed everything from afar or from the periphery, one of the twenty-four elders would have to go to him.
- Why does one of the elders address John with such a question?
- It seems most likely to me that the elder John was sorry for being empathetic - he noticed how lost, confused or disoriented John was in the midst of the calling crowds. That he didn't understand who was who and what was going on.
- It would then be about striking up a conversation - like noticing a stranger looking around desperately and asking if they need advice. We don't want to be intrusive, so we ask: Do you know this place? Or: Dude, do you want some advice?
- Perhaps the elder really wasn't sure if John knew the identities of the people present - he didn't want to impose himself with useless information (no one likes to be lectured on familiar things).
- In any event, it was not a fact-finding question.
14 I said to him, "My lord, you speech, You know." A with he told me: "These are they that come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
- John did not know the identity of the people present and I respectfully ask the elder to explain.
- He understands that the elder does not want to inquire with him, but he offers help and explanation in a friendly way.
- So what is the correct answer? Who makes up a great uncountable multitude, white-robed, palm-branched multitude standing before the throne and before the Lamb? Where did those people come from?
- These were a specific group of Christian martyrs - those who were killed during the Great Tribulation (i.e., the particularly intense anti-Christ persecution before Christ's return).
- Wash and bleach the robe in blood is a contradiction in terms. Blood doesn't wash or cleanse anything.
- In a symbolic sense, the blood of Christ has the ability to wash away and whitewash our sins.
- Roucho is a picture of our condition before God - having dirty clothes makes us unfit to approach God. If we want to get close to God, we need to be dressed in white.
- Did martyrdom add any additional quality to their washing away of their sins?
- Surely these were Christians (no one else would be killed for Christ) - and they had already had their sins "cleansed" from the moment of their conversion and baptism.
- Apparently this is the final sealing of these believers for eternity. Only those who endure to the end will be saved (says Jesus in the little apocalypse to his disciples).
- Blood of Christ purifies at baptism and then continually throughout the Christian's life of obedience.
- Perhaps it could be said that the blood of Christ is the living power that continually sanctifies, protects, and gives victory.
- These people come out of the "great tribulation" as victors - not victims. Their robes are not soiled by suffering, but whiter than ever because of their faithfulness to the sacrifice of Christ.
1 Wherefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him in his sanctuary day and night: and he that sitteth upon the throne spreadeth his tent over them.
- The martyrs have shown extraordinary loyalty to Christ - and they will receive extraordinary Rewards.
- What will this reward consist of?
- In permanent residence in the nearness of God.
- The relationship with the Lamb also "ensures" a warm acceptance by God. Christ was the "test object" on this earth - on the relationship with Him men were free to make known their relationship to God.
- God is on the throne, but the Lamb Himself is also on the throne.
- Being in God's presence is its own reward. There is nothing better to strive for in life.
- In continuous service in the sanctuary.
- A stay with God will not be a mere relaxation or a bath in pleasant feelings.
- Surely there will be room to rest in "definite joy" in the sense of: I'm really over it. I'm really done. I will never experience anything terrible again.
- However, even before the throne, it will be service. Presence will not only be passive but also active. The martyrs will do something for God. (We know that God, although He doesn't actually need anything, likes to give people and angels room for their own activity - not for His sake, but for their sake).
- What can such a service consist of? What can be the role of the "ordinary! people (with exceedingly limited intellectual and physical abilities) in the presence of an omniscient and omnipotent God and very capable angels?
- What humans have, and what is apparently very valuable to God, is a strong faith - the willingness to be killed for a relationship with the invisible Jesus is one of the most valuable cosmic "commodities." And that precious commodity can only be obtained by carnal people who are blind to the spiritual world.
- It is possible that the ministry is the very presence in God's presence.
- But it is also possible that Christians will have their say at the throne. That they will be questioned and their opinions will be sought.
- Alternatively, they may be assigned other specific tasks - e.g. rule in the Millennium Kingdom.
- This ministry will be around the clock - rather than in the sense of being on call (24/7), it is about never having to leave the presence of God.
- And he that sitteth upon the throne shall pitch his tent over them.
- It is probably a symbolic image of the definitive inclusion under God's rule and protection: If someone belongs in my tent, he is a member of my household. He's mine. I take care of him and protect him.
- But it is also possible that these people will be granted access to the Sanctuary, which is in heaven, as we know from Rev. 15:5.
- In permanent residence in the nearness of God.
16 They shall no more hunger or thirst, (it won't hurt them) the sun or any other heat,
- ř.: will not fall on them;
- The inhabitants of the tabernacle of God will be taken care of, protected from all adversity.
- Hunger and thirst are basic human signals of scarcity, lack of food and water. Hunger and thirst can also be symbolic images of longing for God, for goodness, for justice, for acceptance or for love. All the physical and spiritual needs of the people will be permanently met in the tabernacle of God.
- The Sun, if applicable different heat (There is no need to worry about the heat outside the throne, nor will it be overheated there).
- They are a picture of the difficulties of earthly life, where we are not only hungry or thirsty, but also have to take care of our thermal comfort and many other things. After all, how much time does it take us every day to provide the basic necessities of life, i.e. food, drink, clothing and housing.
17 For the Lamb, who "I have in the midst of the throne, he will feed them and lead them to the springs of the waters of life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
- The Lamb's location is strange and probably not precisely describable - the Lamb is not sitting on the throne (where God is), but neither is he somewhere nearby - he is Middlewhatever that means.
- The Lamb will intensely claim his martyrs, which will manifest itself in several ways:
- He's gonna herd them: I mean, take them where they're comfortable. Jesus is already leading us through life, but His leading sometimes seems indistinct or blurred and our understanding and obedience is weak. At the throne it will already be clear.
- And lead them to the springs of the waters of life: Where will Jesus lead his flock? Somewhere where the resources of eternal unfailing life will be available.
- It is obviously a symbol - such a spring is the presence of God, a symbolic spring flowing from the throne of God.
- But it can also be a reality - just as there will be a tree of life in the heavenly Jerusalem, there can be a physical spring of water giving eternal life.
- And God will wipe every tear from their eyesA: There will be no more cause for sorrow - and if there is, God will see to it that it is resolved.
- How God will do this is a great mystery and secret.
- It will almost certainly not interfere with our "brain" or soul in the sense of erasing memories of anything unpleasant or painful. That it would permanently irritate the joy center and shut down the crying center in the "brain". ¨How then?
- Will the beauty and power of God's presence be so strong that it will permanently "trump" anything unpleasant in our minds?
- Or does God have a "great compensation" in reserve? Will everyone receive a reward so unimaginable, according to the amount of suffering they have experienced on earth, that all their tears will be permanently compensated?
- None of the solutions is entirely satisfactory. There must be. Could it consist in discovering the meaning? When we discover that everything we have experienced and suffered has had a deep meaning , could that be enough to stop all the crying?
- How God will do this is a great mystery and secret.
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- If we include those who are eligible for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return (for example, those with Jewish ancestry), the total number of people with Jewish ancestry is up to 25 million. ︎