seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
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Here's the link to the commentary I read. Please follow the link to the commentary, I left some stuff out.
Four angels standing at the four corners of the earth: The phrase four corners of the earth is an ancient (and sometimes modern) equivalent to the idea of “the four points of the compass.” The idea is that these angels effect the entire earth.
Holding the four winds of the earth: These winds were a destructive force of God’s judgment, as they often are in the Old Testament.
Hosea 13:15 gives an example: Though he is fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come; the wind of the Lord shall come from the wilderness. Then his spring will become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up.
The four winds of the earth may refer back to the four horsemen of Revelation 6:1-8, after the pattern of Zechariah 6:1-8. In that passage, four chariots with horses of the same colors of Revelation 6:1-8 go out to all the earth, and are called the four spirits of heaven. Spirits in that passage translates the Hebrew word ruach, which can also be translated winds.
Another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: Another angel had a seal, and he sealed the people of God. In the ancient world, such seals were familiar. A king or a property owner could use a seal to show ownership or authenticity.
Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads: These servants of God will receive a protective seal on their forehead, containing God’s name in some manner (Revelation 14:1).
In Ezekiel 9:4, a similar protective seal was given to the righteous before Jerusalem was judged.
The servants of our God: We are not told what exactly their service is, but the 144,000 are sealed for a specific and unique purpose. However, the general idea of being sealed is not limited to them.
One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: This is their general identification. They are of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Ethnically, they are Jewish, and there are 144,000 of these chosen ones.
Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed: This is their specific identification. The 144,000 are divided among the 12 tribes of Israel. Though only God may know their tribal ancestry, there are 12,000 from each tribe.
Of the tribe of: In this listing of the tribes, the tribe of Dan is left out. Some think this is because Dan is the tribe of the Antichrist, based on Daniel 11:37 and Jeremiah 8:16. This may or may not be the case, but without doubt, Dan was the tribe that introduced idolatry into the nation of Israel (Genesis 49:17; Judges 18:30).
There is a wonderful redemption for the tribe of Dan. Dan is the first tribe listed in Ezekiel’s millennial role call of the tribes (Ezekiel 48).
Of the tribe of: This list is also interesting in the way that the tribe of Ephraim is referred to, but only indirectly. The tribe of Joseph is mentioned, but Joseph was represented by two tribes: Ephraim and Manasseh. Since the tribe of Manasseh is mentioned, by elimination, the tribe of Joseph must mean the tribe of Ephraim — who is listed, but not by name.
Perhaps Ephraim was slighted because the tribe of Ephraim was also associated with great idolatry (Hosea 4:17).
Of the tribe of: It is sometimes claimed that this list must be purely symbolic because it is “irregular,” but what is a regular listing of the tribes?
There are not less than 20 different ways of listing the tribes of Israel in the Old Testament, including one that omits the tribe of Dan (1 Chronicles 4-7).
Just because a list is different doesn’t mean it is fanciful symbolism. It is proper to regard each of these lists as legitimate, and to consider that each specific variation serves a purpose, meaning to emphasize something.
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According to the commentary, no one is sure why these particular 144,000 men were selected and sealed. This morning, I tried to write my opinion of the 144,000 and the reasoning for posting this "roll call" in the Book of Revelation. I was having a real problem with why... and then I remembered the "trail of tears" here in the United States.
In the US, the European Invaders wanted the land. They wanted all of the land. So, they marched the Native Americans off the land and put them on Reservations... scrub land. Along the way, a lot of the Native Americans were killed or died of natural causes... but at any rate, not all of the Native Americans made to the end of the trip. They survived to be attacked again and again, and told they were a subspecies by the "conquerors".
Back in the beginning, there were twelve brothers [well, step brothers... brothers from another mother]. The brothers got angry with Joseph because their father favored Joseph.... so, the brothers sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt. Joseph had two sons... and their descendants are counted in this census instead of their father, Joseph. But that would make 13 tribes... not twelve... So, one tribe had to be left out.
Dan's tribe was left out! They, according to the commentary, were idol worshipers. They cared more about themselves and what they wanted than anyone else around them. They're the ones who would put the statues of fake gods in all the temples.
When you have twelve sons and a couple of grandsons at a reunion... someone has to show his ass... and that's the one that gets left out of the family portrait. In this case it was Dan.
According to some preachers I've heard over the years, they disguised the fake gods as important religious figures like Mary. The statue of Dianne, for example, was plopped in the Temple to be worshipped, only they called Dianne something the church would accept... Mary.
I don't know if the preachers were right... I'll find out when I get there... right?
So... I think... I don't know... but I think... This listing of the twelve tribes are actually relatives [DNA matches] to Jacob and his wives. These are the ones who stuck with God all the way through the Old Testament. These are the ones who knew Jesus would come, leave, and return. These are the ones who stuck with God even though their synagogue said Jesus was not the Messiah.
I'm sure there were way more than 144,000 Believers in the masses who survived the massive earthquakes. God is rounding up His Troops for Battle. He needs 144,000 and He's selecting men He sculpted for the Battles that will take place when Jesus comes back. Jesus won't need all the Believers... He won't draft all the boys from your high school [like they did during Vietnam]. He'll only take the few that meet His Standard for a Soldier of God's Army.
These troops will be riding for Jesus! These aren't the only ones who Believed and survived the Rampage of the Four Horsemen.
IMHO....These are God's Special Forces!
