REVELATION LESSON 18

    We will begin this lesson in Revelation 7:1 "And after these
things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on
the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree."

    This "...after..." is after the happenings of the first six seals.
These angels (ministering spirits) were to do something to the whole
earth (four corners of the earth).  These angels were waiting for
orders from God. Their job at this moment was to control these four
winds until God said release them.  The wrath is held back until those
who must be sealed are sealed.

    Revelation 7:2 "And I saw another angel ascending from the east,
having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to
the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,"
    Revelation 7:3 "Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor
the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their
foreheads."

    This angel sent from God was probably an archangel, or maybe even
Jesus, Himself. This angel is entrusted with the job of taking a
signet and putting God's mark upon the group that God will protect in
the midst of the wrath of God. Even though this group will be on the
earth during this terrible wrath that shall fall on the inhabitants of
the earth, they will be protected, for they are sealed with God's name
on their forehead in full view.

    This angel comes from the east.  This is the same location from
which the light comes. This angel has authority over these four
angels.

    The "...sea..." here could be a literal sea or as in other places
it means large groups of people.

    God has said over and over throughout the Bible that there has
been a remnant of Jews who have not bowed their knee to false gods. At
one point in the Old Testament, He said that the number then was 7000.
We read in the 11th chapter of Romans that God told Elijah that there
were 7000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal.  Romans 11:4, "But what
saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven
thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal." You
see, God has always had a remnant of physical Israel.

    Here the Christians have been raptured into heaven, and this group
that is about to be sealed is physical Israel.  This remnant has grown
from 7000 to 144,000. Most expositors believe this 144,000, that we
are about to read about, are the believers in Christ (spiritual
Israel). I believe these are physical Israel. I will explain further
as we go along.

    Twelve is a representative number, but I believe it represents
those of each tribe of the twelve tribes of physical Israel who will
be saved. There are some religious groups who believe that only
144,000 people will be saved, and that their little group is the only
group saved.

    Abraham, the father of all believers in Christ, was promised so
many that they would be like the sands of the sea and could not be
numbered for multitude, Genesis 22:17.

    This 144,000 a fifth grader could count.  This could not be the
number of spiritual Israel.  Physical Israel, which is numbered
144,000, is not innumerable.

    Revelation 7:4 "And I heard the number of them which were sealed:
[and there were] sealed an hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand of
all the tribes of the children of Israel."

    Just the fact that there is a specific number given tells you that
these are not the believers. The believers cannot be numbered for
multitude. The Christians are not from the tribes of Israel
necessarily. Many of them have no Jewish blood whatsoever. In
Galatians chapter 3, we read that believers in Christ are Abraham's
descendents because of faith, not blood. In V-8 of chapter 3 of
Galatians the believers are called heathen, which people of physical
Israel are never called. Abraham is not the father of believers
because of blood line, but because they (the same as Abraham) are
saved by faith. Galatians 3:7-8, "Know ye therefore that they which
are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." Galatians 3:8
"And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen
through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, [saying], In
thee shall all nations be blessed." You see, the tribes we are about
to see listed are all of the nation of Israel. The only way this makes
any sense is that this 144,000 is the remnant of physical Israel that
God has always had.

    Revelation 7:5 "Of the tribe of Juda [were] sealed twelve
thousand.  Of the tribe of Reuben [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of
the tribe of Gad [were] sealed twelve thousand."
    Revelation 7:6 "Of the tribe of Aser [were] sealed twelve
thousand.  Of the tribe of Nepthalim [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of
the tribe of Manasses [were] sealed twelve thousand."
    Revelation 7:7 "Of the tribe of Simeon [were] sealed twelve
thousand. Of the tribe of Levi [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the
tribe of Issachar [were] sealed twelve thousand."
    Revelation 7:8 "Of the tribe of Zabulon [were] sealed twelve
thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the
tribe of Benjamin [were] sealed twelve thousand."

    We see from this list of names that Dan and Ephraim are omitted.
Dan was omitted because of the evil in his life.  On the other hand,
Levi, Joseph, and Manasses help to make up the twelve.  Levi was not
listed before, because he got no land. He was priestly.  God chooses
whom He will.

    My own personal opinion is that the spiritual (not physical) tribe
 of Ephraim is in the large multitude in V-9. I really believe the
 144,000 are physical Israel and the great multitude is spiritual
 Israel: The believers, followers of Abraham in faith.

    Most expositors believe that the 144,000 are a spiritual number
for all the multitude in V-9. I believe they are different people
entirely. They are even located in two different places.  Physical
Israel will still be here on this earth.  Spiritual Israel will be in
heaven with the Lord. Look now at V-9 and see that this is a different
group entirely.

    Revelation 7:9 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude,
which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people,
and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed
with white robes, and palms in their hands;"

    These are obviously the believers in Jesus Christ (Lamb) who have
been washed in the blood of the Lamb and raptured into heaven.

    For us to really understand physical and spiritual Israel, we must
understand the 37th chapter of Ezekiel.  If we will concentrate on
Ezekiel 37:19 "Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will
take the stick of Joseph, which [is] in the hand of Ephraim, and the
tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, [even] with
the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in
mine hand." I emphasize, read over and over the 37th chapter of
Ezekiel.

    We must look beyond the physical and see the spiritual, as well.
I would like to insert here some of my thoughts on Ephraim, and who he
really is (that I found when I researched the Right Hand of God).
Ephraim (double fruit) received the right hand blessing from his
grandfather Israel at the protest of Joseph.  Manasseh was the oldest
and was placed in the position to receive the right hand blessing, but
the Bible says that Israel wittingly (or knowingly) crossed his hands
(making the sign of the cross) and put his right hand on Ephraim's
head. Genesis 48:14 "And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid
[it] upon Ephraim's head, who [was] the younger, and his left hand
upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh [was]
the firstborn."

    We see here that Ephraim got the spiritual blessing of the right
hand, and Manasseh received the physical blessing of the left hand. In
V-16, we see that these lads, Ephraim and Manasseh, take on the names
of Abraham and Isaac and, of course, Israel for he is covered in the
"my name".

    Genesis 48:16 "The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless
the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers
Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of
the earth."

    You see, both shall be called Israel (I believe physical and
spiritual Israel). With God there are only two types of people, Jew
and Gentile. If we will look at V-19 of this same chapter of Genesis,
we will see that even though Joseph protested and tried to get the
preferential (right hand) blessing for Manasseh (Joseph's first born),
Israel would not change his blessing.  Both right and left hands are
blessing the boys, but look at the difference Genesis 48:19, "And his
father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall
become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger
brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a
multitude of nations."

    Can you see that Ephraim received the Abrahamic (believers),
blessing promising he would become a multitude of nations? Physical
Israel is only one nation. Even when they were scattered, they did not
become nations. They were not those nations, they were exiles in those
nations.

    I believe all Christendom is intended by the multitude through
Ephraim (spiritual). All believers are spiritual descendents of
Abraham (Gal. 3). I believe this Abrahamic blessing was passed down
through Ephraim to all believers in Christ.

    In Hosea, we read where Ephraim sinned before God, and it seems as
though God dropped Ephraim.  We read though in Hosea 11:8-9, where God
repents of the curse on Ephraim and forgives him, just like He forgave
every Christian who ever came to Him. Hosea 11:8 "How shall I give
thee up, Ephraim? [how] shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make
thee as Admah? [how] shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned
within me, my repentings are kindled together." Hosea 11:9 "I will not
execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy
Ephraim: for I [am] God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of
thee: and I will not enter into the city."

    Why did God save him? Because He loved him.  He (God) does not
have to explain to us why. He can save anyone He pleases. He really
did not have any real good reason to save us, except He loved us while
we were yet in sin.

    I hope I have shown, somehow, physical and spiritual Israel.  One
 more scripture which might help, and then I will get off this.  When
 Jesus was ministering in Jerusalem, he left the Jews and went to the
 city of Ephraim. John 11:54 "Jesus therefore walked no more openly
 among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the
 wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his
 disciples." You can see here that Ephraim is not classed as a Jew.
 Enough said.
    Read the whole 37th chapter of Ezekiel, Genesis 49, and Ezra 6:17.

    Memorize Galatians 3:7 and St.  John 11:54.
 





                      REVELATION QUESTIONS 18


1.  Who did John see standing on the four corners of the earth?
2.  Why were they there?
3.  What do the four corners show us?
4.  Who were these angels awaiting orders from?
5.  Where did this other angel ascend from?
6.  What did this angel have?
7.  What instruction did the angel, that called out, give the four
    angels?
8.  What was this angel to do with the signet?
9.  Where will this group be during the Wrath of God?
10. What, besides a literal sea, could be meant here?
11. In the 11th chapter of Romans, we read that God said, He had a
    remnant of how many who had not bowed the knee to Baal?
12. Is this 144,000 physical or spiritual Israel?
13. This 144,000 were from where?
14. In Galatians chapter 3, we read what about the believers?
15. What is a name physical Israel is never called?
16. Name the twelve tribes who had 12,000 each sealed?
17. Who was obviously missing?
18. Why was Levi not listed in other lists in the Bible when they were
    dividing the land?
19. Where will spiritual Israel be, when physical Israel is sealed
    here on the earth?
20. What does the fact that this multitude is dressed in white robes
    tell us about them?
21. What book and chapter of a prophet in the Old Testament do we need
    to fully understand to know who spiritual and physical Israel are?
22. What does Ephraim mean?
23. Who gave the right hand blessing to Ephraim?
24. What did this signify?
25. Who tried to change the hands on the boys so Mannasseh could
    receive the right hand blessing?
26. Why?
27. What sign was made by this crossing of Israel's hands?
28. What is the difference in the right hand blessing and the left
    hand blessing?
29. Which boy received the Abrahamic blessing?
30. In the first of Hosea, what do we read about Ephraim?
31. In Hosea 11:8-9, what do we see?
32. Why did God forgive Ephraim?
33. When did God save us?
34. What scripture tells us for sure that Ephraim is not classed as a
    Jew?
35. Write Galatians 3:7.
36. Write St. John 11:54.
37. What is your opinion of the 144,000?