Introduction

Just as we discovered in 2 Peter 3:10 that Peter describes the bookends of ‘the day of the Lord’ in An Examination of the ‘Day of the Lord’ – and Revelation 14: Tribulation Outline gives us a timeline outline to help us insert events of the wrath of God during the Tribulation – so does Revelation 7 give us the bookends to the beginning and the ending of the seven-year Tribulation.

Let’s begin our excavation into this gold mine of a chapter!

The Beginning of the Tribulation – The 144,000 Israeli Evangelists

John witnesses the sealing of the 144,000 Israeli evangelists in preparing for their service up until the midway point of the Tribulation.

(Please see Revelation 14: Tribulation Outline for more information on this subject).

“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. 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, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads” (Revelation 7:1-3). (emphasis mine)

We need to take note that these evangelists will reside throughout the whole world as the angels are “holding the four winds of the earth” and told to “not hurt the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”

This is the key verse that tells us when the 144,000 are sealed, because of the information we are provided in Revelation 8.

“And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up” (Revelation 8:6-7). (emphasis mine)

And, in wrapping-up the phrase, “Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads,” the second angel’s trumpet takes care of the sea portion of this Scripture:

“And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed” (Revelation 8:8-9). (emphasis mine)

This should more than indicate that the 144,000 are sealed just before the sounding of the first trumpet judgment, which seems to herald the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation.

In case there is any question to who these 144,000 evangelists are, John clearly tells us:

“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” (Revelation 7:4).

Not only does John tell us who they are, he gives us a breakdown:

“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.

“Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

“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.

“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” (Revelation 7:5-8).

An interesting note is that the tribe of Dan is not mentioned – though they will be a part of the Millennial reign of Christ (Ezekiel 48:1-2, 32). The reason there are still 12 tribes listed is for the following two reasons.

One: Levi is listed. Levi is often omitted among the 12 tribes because they are the Lord’s inheritance and were not allotted a portion of the promised land as the other tribes were.

Two: Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, are always listed as two separate tribes because of Jacob’s pronouncement that Joseph’s two sons would be as the other sons of Jacob (Genesis 48:5). But in this list, while Joseph is still split between two tribes, they are listed as “Joseph” and “Manasses,” or Manasseh. Again, Joseph is omitted from other lists of the 12 tribes of Israel because of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, his sons. Thus, “Joseph” seems to be representative, in this list, for the tribe of Ephraim.

Additional Thoughts

I personally, believe the 144,000 will begin witnessing all over the earth after the rapture of the church. I discuss the reasons why in Revelation 14: Tribulation Outline. In that article, I also explain why the information provided to us in Revelation 14 indicates that they will be taken to heaven by Christ at approximately the midway point of the Tribulation, and possibly in conjunction with the resurrection and ascension of the Two Witnesses.

Even though they may be witnessing soon after the rapture of the church, it appears, from what we have learned, that they won’t be sealed until just prior to the beginning of the Tribulation in conjunction with the signing of covenant between Antichrist, Israel, and the many (Daniel 9:27). We can be sure that they will be supernaturally protected by the Lord during the gap of time in between the rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation when they will be sealed for their continued service to God, up until Christ takes them to heaven as a first fruit offering (Revelation 14:4).

What About Revelation 9:4?

When the fifth trumpet is sounded and the demonic “locusts” are released to torment men five months, we read:

“And it was commanded them [the demonic “locusts”] that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads” (Revelation 9:4).

These demonic “locusts,” described by John in Revelation 9:7-10, have only one mission: to hurt “men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads,” to the point that men would wish to die (Revelation 9:5-6).

There are two possibilities to this verse, in regard to those who have the seal of God in their foreheads.

1. Because I believe the trumpet judgments coincide with the first half of the Tribulation – and the seven vial judgments with the second half of the Tribulation – these “men which have… the seal of God on their foreheads,” could very well be the 144,000 Israeli evangelists.
2. The Greek word translated “men” is 444 ἄνθρωπος “anthrópos” and means a man, human, mankind. [Definitions biblehub.com] One could suggest that there is a possibility that, even though not mentioned, a remnant of Saints could be sealed that God intends to bring through the Tribulation and will be some of the “sheep” at the Separation of the Sheep from the Goats Judgment.

(For a study on the sheep that go on into the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, please see The Mystery of the Last Sheep).

I subscribe to the first possibility, as it makes much more sense in light of what we have been studying. Plus, we lack Scriptural support for the second possibility. These men must be the 144,000 Israeli evangelists who will be spared from the demonic hordes’ tortures.

The Ending of the Tribulation – The Great Tribulation Saints

John, in his vision, takes a leap of seven years into the future to the end of the Tribulation as he sees the Great Tribulation Saints before the Lamb and the Throne of God.

“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; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

“And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

“And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Revelation 7:9-17). (emphasis mine)

How do we know this is at the end of the Tribulation? Because these Saints “came out of great tribulation.” This is the same wording Jesus used to describe the last half of the Tribulation after the Abomination of Desolation.

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

“Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:15-20). (emphasis mine)

The Greek in both passages for “great tribulation” is exactly the same.

The Greek word for “great” 3173 μέγας “megas” meaning great, large, exceeding, in the wildest sense. And the Greek word for “tribulation” is 2374 μέγας “thlipsis” and means tribulation, persecution, affliction, distress.

In addition, in describing these Saints that came out of the Great Tribulation, verse 16 states:

“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat” (Revelation 7:16). (emphasis mine)

We see this very condition in the fourth vial that is poured out at the end of the Tribulation:

“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory” (Revelation 16:8-9).

Conclusion

Revelation 7 is another chapter we can add to our arsenal of prophetic understanding and helpful tools to align the proper order of events when God pours out His wrath on a God-hating, Messiah-rejecting world from the rapture of the church until Christ comes back at His Second Coming. When combined with Revelation 14: Tribulation Outline, the picture should begin to take shape and become clearer.

I always marvel at the Word of God – it never ceases to amaze me! I pray it does you, too!

May the Lord richly bless you all, as you continue to bless others through Him and for Him. Never grow weary, beloved Saint, of reaching the lost for Christ, until He calls us all home.

Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!

➢   Email: mab10666@yahoo.com

➢   If you have not given your life to Jesus Christ and are seeking answers about God, Jesus Christ, the gospel, and salvation, please email me at mab10666@yahoo.com for information.

➢   I am still taking questions for the Questions from the Body of Christ series. If you or someone you know has a question pertaining to the Word of God – theology, difficult passages, eschatology, etc. – I would really like to hear from you.

➢   A listing of past articles may be found at my Article Listings on Rapture Ready or my Home Page on FaithWriters.

 

The questions I get asked the most these days are, “Where are we now in eschatology?” and “How do you know we are in the end times?” For that first question, I like to use a rather simple analogy.

Every day, you drive past this empty lot with a For Sale sign posted in front. One day, you notice the For Sale has a “Sold” banner pasted across it, and you think, “Oh good, now someone will do something with that empty lot.” Time passes – weeks or perhaps even months – and nothing changes. The For Sale sign with its “Sold” banner still stands, but nothing seems to be happening. After a while, you start to believe the new owners have no plans to improve the property.

Then, one day, you pass the empty lot, and there is activity! A foundation has begun, and there are piles of construction material everywhere – stacks of bricks and lumber – with heavy construction equipment idling nearby and crews of workers bustling about. It is obvious that something is finally being built on that vacant lot.

This is not unlike where we are with Bible end-times prophecy, or eschatology. All that time you saw nothing going on at that vacant lot, there was actually a lot of activity behind the scenes: contract negotiations, transfer of title and registration of that new title, designing the new building that will go on that lot, more negotiations with the builder, and so much more – all behind the scenes. But you weren’t a party to all those transactions, so you didn’t know they were happening. Sound familiar?

While much has been happening behind the scenes in preparation for what will happen in the Tribulation, it is only in the last few years that much of that “behind the scenes” work has been revealed. The real difference between this vacant lot analogy and where we are in prophecy? We are well beyond the laying of the foundation.

For the answer to that second most commonly asked question, “How do you know we are in the end times?” let’s review what we have seen happening in the world arena over the last few years. In my previous book, the focus was primarily on Jesus’ response to the Apostles, in what is known as the Olivet Discourse.

“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

^“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:1-8, KJV).

In Go Set A Watchman, we examined each of those items listed: wars and rumors of wars, false prophets, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes and saw the rise in frequency for many of them.

“In summary, what Jesus told his disciples to look for as signs of “the beginning of sorrows” are indeed happening all around us. While the number of famines has not increased from over the last 3 centuries, experts predict we are headed for a famine “of biblical proportions,” partially due to the impact of the Covid-19 virus. Pestilences have increased notably since the turn of this century, with some new diseases, all of which are a type of corona virus. Lastly, the number of earthquakes has dramatically increased, and now we have the additional hazard of “man-made” earthquakes in areas not previously known to be at risk.”

We looked at the prophecy concerning the Nation of Israel and the rebuilding of the temple in Go Set A Watchman.

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:32-34, KJV).

The nation of Israel was formed on May 14, 1948. The third temple is not yet built, but plans for it have been underway for quite a while. As of the release date of Go Set A Watchman, many of the preparations for worship in that temple had already been completed, mostly by the Temple Institute:

• Temple coin. A new temple coin has been minted, with the image of President Trump and Cyrus the Great, and is available for purchase, with funds going to the rebuilding of the third temple.
• Completion of the restoration and construction of the many sacred vessels necessary for use in the service in the Holy Temple.
• The sacred garment or ephod of the Cohen HaGadol, his choshen (breastplate), and the tziz zahav (golden crown) are complete and ready.
• Building plans for the Temple are complete.

Since the publication of that book, the Temple Institute has been busy adding more to that list of items ready for the third temple:

• Table of showbread
• Altar of incense
• Golden Menorah
• Two rabbis from the Temple Institute have been to the site where they claim the Ark of the Covenant is stored and ready to be retrieved. (“Preparing for the Third Temple,” Jimmy DeYoung, https://israelmyglory.org/article/preparing-for-the-third-temple/, May/June 2012)
• The cornerstone for the temple, prepared by Gershon Solomon’s Temple Mount Faithful, is ready for construction to begin.
• A Training Center in the Jericho Valley has been training those from the tribe of Levi in the roles of priests in service to the Temple.
• All of the priestly garments are finished. Rabbi Kahane, the founder of the Temple Institute, has his hanging in his closet, ready to wear.
• And, lastly, the 4,000 harps needed for the Temple music are well underway and close to being completed by craftsmen at the House of Harrari.

So, plans and preparations for the third Temple in Jerusalem are in place and ready for construction to begin.

Indeed, since the publication of Go Set A Watchman, much has happened, and much of that is no longer behind the scenes. One of the big challenges, though there were many, in writing As In the Days of Noah is that as quickly as I would get one chapter written and start on the next, things relative to that previous chapter would occur, and I would have to re-write parts of that chapter. In fact, even since I finished chapters 7 and 8 particularly, much more has happened, and we’ll take a look at some of that.

If you’ve read the book of Revelation, you know there is much that happens during the Tribulation – the 7 seals, the 7 trumpets, the 7 vials, the Abomination of Desolation, the Two Witnesses, and of course, the Glorious Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those events are supernatural and require no preparation or “groundwork” to achieve – at least not by man. They will happen just as the prophecies have foretold.

There are other things that happen, however, that do require some preparation. The Mark of the Beast would, arguably, be one of those, as well as the One-World Church and the One-World Government.

1. The Mark of the Beast

The big question I most often hear about the Mark of the Beast is, is the Covid-19 vaccine how the Mark of the Beast will be implemented? Perhaps. All 27 nations of the EU have instituted a “vaccine passport” system, plus Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein. These vaccine passports permit those who have been vaccinated to travel and to purchase goods and services. The UK has not fully implemented a similar system but has stated plans to do so in the future. France and Israel have a fully implemented system. There are more countries that have accepted and implemented some form of the “vaccine passport,” but many of these are printed documentation or, as in China, a scannable QR code.

Most of these passports are restrictive to travel, not necessarily preventing those without the passport from purchasing their weekly groceries at the local grocery stores. At least, until recently.

Sweden was perhaps the first to introduce the implantable microchip that includes the vaccine and is scannable – by smartphone or other device – to prove they are vaccinated and allowing them access to restaurants, movie theaters, travel venues, and other public facilities. (“People Get Microchips Implanted That Include Vaccine Records Amid New COVID Restrictions,” Meghan Roos, https://www.newsweek.com/people-get-microchips-implanted-that-include-vaccine-records-amid-new-covid-restrictions-1655916, 12/3/21)

In New Brunswick, Canada, grocery stores may now ban unvaccinated shoppers. (“No jab, no food: New Brunswick grocery stores can now ban unvaccinated shoppers,” Harry Johnson, https://eturbonews.com/3010904/no-jab-no-food-new-brunswick-grocery-stores-can-now-ban-unvaccinated-shoppers/, 12/21)

So – no “mark,” no food – sound familiar?

If you want to learn more about the Covid-19 vaccine and its impact, I recommend watching Billy Crone’s series of videos on the subject. You can find links to his series on his website, Get A Life Ministries, Inc at https://getalifemedia.com.

“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:16-17, KJV).

2. One-World Church

One of the toughest writing assignments I’ve ever had was writing “Chapter 8 – One World Religion.” It was tough because it was hard reading and learning about what is happening in our churches today. It was tough because it was difficult seeing so many Christians, my brothers and sisters in Christ, literally sticking their heads in the sand and not wanting to hear about the times we are in. It was tough because I suspect some of those will not be Raptured with the Church and I will not see them seated at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.

How did the Church get to this place? Well, there are a lot of reasons, primarily that it is as God ordained it to be. A contributing factor might be that our educational centers – our seminaries – for preparing our church leaders do not teach eschatology, and many preachers, ministers, and shepherds of the churches today fear teaching it.

I recently listened to a radio broadcast put out by Olive Tree Ministries (https://olivetreeviews.org/), where Jan Markell, along with Pastor Tom Hughes and Pastor Mark Henry, discuss the remnant. In that radio broadcast, Jan Markell reads multiple emails she has received from people searching for churches where the whole counsel of God is taught, including eschatology. In one email, the writer states it has taken her many months, years even, to find a church that would teach from the whole counsel of God. (“The Loneliness of the Remnant Believer, Jan Markel, Pastor Tom Hughes, Pastor Mark Henry, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNWqOUonHwo, 11/24/18)

If you are a Pastor, Minister, or church leader and you are not teaching eschatology in your church today, you might want to listen to that radio broadcast. That broadcast was from 3 years ago, but that desire by so many to learn more about God’s Word is stronger today than it was then, and God’s people are still searching for answers. If you are not well-learned in that area of God’s word, then pray about it. God will send the necessary resources to you.

3. One-World Government

“Chapter 7 – One World Government” is probably the most re-written chapter in my latest book. Things are changing so fast, and the pathway to that One-World Government is being laid so quickly, it is difficult to keep up with all the changes and advances.

But this one-world government, or new world order, is not new. As far back as 1950, the banker James Warburg testified before the United States Senate, proclaiming, “We will have a world government, whether you like it or not. The only question that arises is whether this world government will be established by consensus or by force.” (“Infamous James Paul Warburg Quote,” LibertyTree, http://libertytree.ca/quotes/James.Warburg.Quote.BC08, 2/17/1950) Plans and decisions have been made to foster and bring about this concept of a one-world government.

In 1994, David Rockefeller was quoted at a UN dinner, “We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the ‘right’ global crisis, and the nations will accept the New World Order.” (“What the New World Order Would Look Like,” Kalee Brown, https://bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica//sociopol_rockefeller14.htm, 3/21/17)

There can be no question that the Covid-19 pandemic, or “planned-demic,” was created and is being used as that “right” global crisis.

“The United States of Europe, uncontrolled immigration, the reduction of wages, the cancellation of trade union guarantees, the renunciation of national sovereignty, the single currency, the control of citizens under the pretext of a pandemic, and the reduction of the population through the use of vaccines with new technologies are not recent inventions, but the result of a planned, organized and coordinated action — an action that clearly shows itself perfectly adhering to a single script under a single direction.” (“Considerations on the Great Reset and the New World Order,” Stephanie Shepard, https://www.theburningplatform.com/2021/09/06/considerations-on-the-great-reset-and-the-new-world-order/, 9/6/21)

Even the global map, dividing the world into 10 regions as prophesied by Daniel in his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, has been laid out since 1973 when The Club of Rome first published a proposed division of the world into 10 “economic trading blocs” (“The 10 Regions of the New World Order”, End Times Truth, https://endtimestruth.com/ten-global-regions/, nd)

Today, the European Commission has also divided the globe into 10 regions, which looks eerily similar to the earlier one.

These 10 regions represent the 10 “kingdoms” that will all cede their power and authority to the Anti-Christ in the Tribulation, giving him total dominion over the entire world.

Remember that analogy at the beginning of this chapter about the vacant lot? Well, the big difference between that analogy and where we are with End Times prophecy is this: in eschatological terms, the foundation is complete, the walls are up, the roof is on, and they are starting to move the furniture in. All that is needed now is to occupy.

Susan Mouw, Author

The Road to the Cross

Go Set A Watchman

(newly released on Amazon) As in the Days of Noah

Website: roadtothecross.org