Chapter 7: Angels and the Multitude

 Six Seals ◦ Authorized by God ◦ Opened by Jesus  Coming Judgment ◦ Upon the enemies of God ◦ End of their “world” is coming  God’s People Avenged ◦ A purpose to fulfill ◦ The time is at hand

 Seven men ◦ Six executioners (judgment) ◦ One man “clothed in linen”  A mark ◦ On the foreheads… ◦ …of those who are righteous ◦ Sealed from judgment  The judgment ◦ All suffered (Eze. 21:1-5) ◦ Suffering vs. judgment

 The angels ◦ Four in judgment ◦ One of mercy  The sealing ◦ The number of the sealed ◦ The identity of the sealed  The multitude ◦ Traits of the multitude ◦ Tabernacle references

 “Four” ◦ The world number ◦ The entire world (four corners) ◦ Every direction (Eze. 1)  “Winds” ◦ Activity of God (plagues, flood) ◦ Isa. 57:13, Jer. 18:17 ◦ Kingdoms of Daniel 7 ◦ Same word as “spirits”

 Sunrise = good news ◦ God (Psa. 84:11) ◦ Jesus (Mal 4:2)  Carrying the seal ◦ Think back to Eze. 9 ◦ Denotes the righteous  Do not harm… until ◦ Again, Eze. 9 ◦ A delayed judgment

 The number ◦ 144,000 ◦ 12 = people of God ◦ 10 = completeness ◦ Multiplication means magnification ◦ All were sealed (3:12, 22:4)  Sons of Israel ◦ Romans 2:28-29 ◦ Galatians 3:7, 29

 Traits of the multitude ◦ Innumerable ◦ From every nation ◦ All languages ◦ White garments ◦ Before the throne ◦ Praising God  Who are the multitude? ◦ See verse 14

 The Seventh Feast ◦ Thanksgiving for harvest ◦ 7 days, then the great day ◦ Sang psalms ◦ Built booths/tents (wilderness) ◦ Generosity  Symbols for the tabernacle ◦ Palm branches ◦ Deliverance from Egypt ◦ Water ritual (Moses’s rock) ◦ See verse 15 (ASV), also 21:3

 Seven days ◦ Lev. 23:34, Deut. 16:13  Eighth day ◦ Lev 23:36, Num 29:35  Jesus and the feast ◦ Jonh 7 and 8 ◦ Especially 7:37-39

 Similar in structure to Ezekiel 9 ◦ Judgment on the wicked ◦ Righteous sealed ◦ Protected from judgment, not suffering  An image of the church ◦ Holy ◦ Diverse ◦ Innumerable  References to the tabernacle