Revelation 7: The 144,000, the Great Multitude, and the Great Tribulation…Get Ready to be Surprised! (Part 7)

At the end of chapter 6, the kings of the earth ask, “Who will be able to stand?” As soon as chapter 7 opens, we start to find out: four angels are standing, then another angel comes forth to seal the servants of God—144,000. Then John sees a great multitude standing before the throne of the Lamb; and then we find that all the angels, the elders, and the four living creatures are standing before the throne, worshipping God.

Now, chapter 7 of Revelation is the subject of much debate: Who are the 144,000? Who is the “great multitude”? What is the “great tribulation”? In dispensationalist theology, the 144,000 in 7:1-8 are seen as the number of Jews who are to be saved during a literal 7-year tribulation at the end of time, whereas the “great multitude” of 7:9-17 is seen as the believers who are raptured to Heaven either before, during, or after the “great tribulation.” But as I’ve said before in previous posts, such a dispensationalist interpretation is highly problematic. At the very least, it simply does not take into consideration the clear Old Testament imagery and context in this chapter.

The 144,000
First of all, who are the 144,000? Verse 3 tells us: they are the “servants of God.” In the Old Testament, the Jews considered themselves to be the servants of God, the nation of Israel, the chosen people of God. But with the coming of Christ, the chosen people were no longer seen as simply the nation of Israel. In Christ, the “True Israel” was formed. It was to be made up of both Jews and Gentiles, for it was the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to Abraham, namely that through his offspring, there would be a great nation (i.e. Israel), and through that nation, all nations would be blessed. These “servants of God,” therefore, are the True Israel in Christ—those who have put their faith and identity in Christ.

So why does it say “144,00” and then name the twelve tribes of Israel? The answer lies in the equation 12 x 12 x 1,000 = 144,000. The number is symbolic of the full number of the chosen people of God: 12 tribes (from Israel—i.e. Jews who put their faith in Christ) x 12 apostles (who went out to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles) x 1,000 (a symbolic number of completion). After all, the reason why Jesus named 12 apostles was because he was making a statement that he was redefining who the True Israel was. Therefore, 12 x 12 = 144 (Jews and Gentiles together) then multiply it by 1,000 (God’s number of completion) and voila: the 144,000 are the full number of believers from the Jews and Gentiles together, fulfilled in Christ.

The Great Multitude
And who is the “great multitude” in 7:9-17? Again, we are told: they are from every nation, tribe, people, and language. This is not a “second group” different from the 144,000. It is the same group. John hears the number 144,000 in 7:1-8, then he sees the countless “great multitude” in 7:9-17. Remember, the 144,000 is to be taken symbolically, not literally (unless, of course, you are a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses!).

So the 144,000 and the “great multitude” is the same group. Here’s something else: we are told that they are wearing white robes. Sound familiar? It should. This “great multitude” is the complete number that God mentioned to the martyrs under the Altar of Souls in the fifth sea. He told them to wait until the full number of their fellow servants are killed. And here is that full number. These are the one who will be able to stand on the Great Day of the Wrath of YHWH.

The Great Tribulation
Furthermore, John is told that these are those who have come out of the “great tribulation.” No, this is not a reference to the dispensationalist idea of a literal 7-year tribulation at the end of time. (Where in chapter 7 does it say anything about 7 years, for that matter?). As I stated in an earlier post, “tribulation” is the Greek word in the New Testament that describes what Christians go through. In the context of the Revelation 6-7, the picture John gives is of those Christians who were martyred and who thus went through that great tribulation. They may have been killed by Rome, but John’s declaration is clear: they are standing before the throne of the Christ the Lamb—the one who has conquered death itself. They are in God’s Temple, and Christ the Lamb is their shepherd.

But one thing must be made clear: “tribulation” is something that the Christians in the first century expected they might have to endure and go through, not something that they would be rescued from.

Conclusion
In any case, the events in chapter 7 act as sort of an interlude between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals. Now that the “full number” of martyrs have been sealed as the servants of God, the time is ready to open the seventh seal…