RSV ~ Revelation 7 Notes

Rev 7:1-17 | ISB Notes

Chapter 7 is an interlude that follows the sixth seal and delays the opening of the seventh, just as 10:1-11:14 is an interlude that follows the sixth trumpet and delays the blowing of the seventh. John sees the remnant of Israel (7:1-8) and the saved of all nations (7:9-17).

Rev 7:1 | ISB Notes

the four corners: Perhaps the earth is pictured as a four-cornered altar (cf. 9:13) upon which the martyrs shed their blood in sacrifice (6:9-11).

Rev 7:3 | ISB Notes

sealed: A seal is a mark of ownership and protection (9:4). Here the seal of God is related to the seals of the scroll, giving protection to the believing remnant of Israel, who will pass through the tribulation. This may refer to a grace of spiritual perseverance rather than a guarantee of physical survival. In the broader context of Revelation, there is a contrast between the seal of God stamped on the foreheads of the righteous (7:2) and the mark of the beast inscribed on the brows of the wicked (13:16). The former bears the divine name of God (14:1; 22:4), while the latter bears the demonic name of the beast (13:17) (CCC 1296). See note on 2 Cor 1:22.

• The entire scene parallels Ezek 9:1-7, where a messenger seals the foreheads of the righteous in Israel to protect them from the wrath of God poured out on Jerusalem. The seal was shaped like the Hebrew letter taw, which in ancient script looked like a cross (x or +). Marks of divine protection can be traced as far back as Cain in Gen 4:15.

Rev 7:4 | ISB Notes

a hundred and forty-four thousand: The number of the tribes of Israel squared (12 x 12) and then multiplied by a thousand, signifying completeness (144 x 1000).

Rev 7:5-8 | ISB Notes

Two irregularities stand out in the enumeration of the twelve tribes. (1) The tribe of Judah heads the list, even though Judah was the fourth son of Jacob. The descent of Christ from Judah probably accounts for this (5:5; Mt 1:2-16). (2) The tribe of Dan is missing. It is possible that Dan was cut from the list because of the tribe’s infamous love for idolatry (Judg 18:16-19). Others suggest that John is following an ancient tradition that held that the Antichrist would come from Dan. Whatever the reason for the omission, Israel was technically a family of 13 tribes (the tribe of Joseph splitting into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, Gen 48:1-20), and so one of the tribes had to be dropped to keep the symbolism of the number 12 intact (Rev 21:12).

Rev 7:9 | ISB Notes

a great multitude: The saints in heaven who passed through the great tribulation without compromising their faith (7:14).

no man could number: The uncountable throng represents the spiritual offspring of Abraham, i.e., those who imitated his faith (Rom 4:11-17).

• The Lord had promised to make Abraham the father of many nations (Gen 17:5) and to give him progeny too numerous to count (Gen 15:5).

white robes: The garments of the faithful who endured the purifying trials of tribulation (Dan 11:35; 12:10). See note on Rev 3:4.

palm branches: Waved at the annual Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) in the liturgy of ancient Israel (Lev 23:40; 2 Mac 10:67).

• The international celebration of Tabernacles has its background in Zech 14:16.

Rev 7:12 | ISB Notes

Blessing … and might: The seven acclamations signify that God deserves the totality of praise from his creation.

Rev 7:14 | ISB Notes

great tribulation: A time of unprecedented distress triggered by the opening of the seals (6:1-17; Dan 12:1). Some link this with the “great tribulation” that Jesus warned would engulf the Roman world in connection with the violent conquest of Jerusalem (Mt 24:21); others link it with the Domitianic persecution of Christians near the end of the first century. See note on Rev 3:10.

they have washed: The blood of Christ whitens the robes of the saints (6:11).

• The rite of priestly ordination in Israel included the purification of priestly garments with blood (Lev 8:30). The sacrificial blood of Jesus likewise consecrates believers for service in the heavenly temple (5:9-10; 7:15).

Rev 7:15-17 | ISB Notes

The unending benefits of heaven.

• These blessings correspond to Isaiah’s visions of the messianic age: God’s sheltering presence (Is 4:5-6), immunity to hunger, thirst, and heat (Is 49:10), and the divine consolation that wipes away every tear (Is 25:8).

Rev 7:15 | ISB Notes

his temple: The heavenly sanctuary of God (11:19). .