Last 5 Days
Best of the Best
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 7 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
The book of Revelation contains a lot of mystery that cannot be fully understood until time is near. We are now certainly closer to the apocalypse than the writer, who lived 2,000 years ago. Thus, we can interpret Revelation better than people of the past. However, there are still many mysteries we cannot solve. That is a good thing; it means the time still has not arrived. Much of chapter 7 remains a mystery to all of us. Different theologians have different interpretations. Thus, I give my interpretation independent from other theologians. I hope it offers you some fruits of thought.
Rev. 7 gives us a background action amid judgement. This happens at the end of the 6 seals before the judgement intensifies into the last seal. God holds up the judgement until two background works are done. V.1 – 7 presents the first background work to mark the 144,000. Who are these 144,000? Are they, as described referring only to the Israelites? I think it is symbolic as all Christians are also considered to be the children of Abraham in the Book of Romans. The 144,000 are again mentioned in Rev. 14. There, they are described as pure people who follow the Lamb. It seems to be that they are the chosen ones who would fight in the final warfare. Not every Christian is chosen for this war. Only the best of the best is chosen. These are the privileged few selected to suffer and win the final battle.
Perhaps, based on my interpretation, many of us would rather not be one of the 144,000. Yet the Bible considered them as faultless – the best of the best. Will you not want to be the best?