Revelation 7:
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 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.
It is not talking about the length of time from the cross to present. It is talking about intensity of when the abomination of desolation will be placed on the temple mount.
The events of the seals in Revelation 6 contain when the great tribulation will take place.... i.e. between the Antichrist being given a crown, made the King of Israel in the first seal - and his end when Jesus returns at the time of the sixth seal.
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If verse 14 meant a long period of time, i.e. for many generations - it would have said tribulation for many years - i.e. something that would have indicated time.
Revelation 7:13-15
- "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."
The context of Revelation 7 is addressing the sealing of
ALL Israel, representing the great multitude of
ALL believers, from the Old Testament and New Testament, who have overcome in Christ and
are servants of God so that they reign with Christ. They are those who have endured the great tribulation of standing for Christ. Not tribulation of the cross, but the tribulation that is in the world that they overcame in Him. The same thing Christ was warning the elect about in Matthew 24 in saying that much trouble, persecution, and
tribulation would come and that those who would endure it would be saved. Christ said that before.
John 16:33
- "These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
Because Christ overcame the tribulation of man, we will overcome the tribulation "in Him!" He is saying, in the world you won't have peace, but tribulation. It is the "great" tribulation because it spans from Abel to Last Elect. But we have nothing to fear because His strength is in our weakness. It is He that lifts us up in times of trial, so we can be of good cheer when tribulation in the world arises. The tribulation He speaks of is definitely "
NOT" in the cross,
but the tribulation believers experience in the world. He says
specifically, that in the world we shall have tribulation. All of us, because as followers of Christ we are at enmity with the world. The context here is clear! He is illustrating that the reason we do not fear the tribulation of the world, is because He has overcome. We have overcome the tribulation of the world "through" the work of the cross, not the work of the cross is tribulation we have overcome. I believe there is a big difference there.
We need to remember that this Israel "IS" Christ, the true Israel of God, the true Chosen of God (1st Peter 2:4), and the true Son of the Father (2nd John 1:3). Though the nation Israel was called all these things, it was only because it represented Christ.
It is by the tribes or families of Israel being sealed by the Holy Spirit (2nd Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). Through this sealing they are provided with peace and with safety. Peace with God, and safety from his wrath. This is how and why all the tribes (families) of "this" true Israel of God must be sealed or secured...through Christ first before Satan can be loosened. He is the family of God's only Peace and safety.
The number 12 is the spiritual number of the Church (ie. 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles), and 1000 is the spiritual number for the fullness (1000 years, 1000 cattle, 1000 hills, etc.). So the 12,000 from each family signify the fullness (1000) of each family or tribe of God's children (12). Or 12x1000. 12,000 from each tribe. Thus the number, a hundred and forty and four thousand "signifies" the
completeness or
whole body of the children of God throughout time! Not 1948 Israel. 12,000 times the 12 tribes or families. It's
God's way of illustrating through numbers His whole household, which
is the entire body of Christ. Or as it says,
"all the tribes of the children of Israel." All the Children of God through Christ! All Jews and Gentiles from the Old Testament and New Testament, are what the number 144,000 signifies. That means everyone who was ever saved. This is why John heard the number and saw the great multitudes as a result.
The great city of New Jersualem, coming down from heaven, is the bride of Chris representing ALL Elect, the 144,000. Not some literal stones and bricks. As is written in Revelation 21:
Rev 21:2-3
(2) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
(3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:10-23
(10) And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
(11) Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
(12) And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
(13) On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
(14) And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
(15) And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
(16) And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
(17) And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
(18) And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
(19) And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
(20) The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
(21) And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
(22) And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
(23) And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
The City of God is not 12,000 furlongs by coincidence anymore than each tribe has 12,000 sealed by coincidence. The wall is not 144,000 cubits by coincidence anymore than those sealed of Israel are 144,000. These numbers are God ordained to signify the full measure of the Israel of God. This liberal use of the number 12 in Revelation illustrates this. Whether the 12 Apostles, the 12 tribes, the tree of life which bare 12 manner of fruit, the 12 gates, the 12 pearls, the 12 foundations, etc., these are spiritual significations of the fullness, for, and of, the body of believers. Not a literal city Jerusalem in the middle east, but a Spiritual Jerusalem in the Israel which is Christ. Not a worldly Israel, but a heavenly habitation of God. This Israel is also illustrated in revelation chapter 14.
Rev 14:1-5
(1) And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
(2) And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
(3) And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
(4) These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
(5) And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Here God tells us clearly who these 144,000 represent! The body of Christ are those who stand on Mount Zion with this Lamb and all have the Father's name written in their foreheads. All part of a New Covenant with Israel, which is NOT an earthly nation, but a spiritual agreement or promise, which is something far superior. As also seen in Hebrews chapter 12.
Hebrews 12:22-24
- "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
- To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
- And to Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel."
This is the heavenly Jerusalem, the City of God which is 12,000 furlongs and the wall of which is 144,000 cubits. Quite obviously a Spiritual City made up of ALL Elect in Christ. Hebrews tells us, "THIS" is the City which those who are sealed have come unto. "THIS" is the Mount Sion that the New Covenant signifies, it's not just literally 12,000 each, or 144,000, but an innumerable company of messengers. We are the Children of God. Jew, Greek, or Roman, we are all "one" in Christ. He has broken down that middle wall of partition that separated Jew and Gentile, and has reconciled both as one unto God. There is NO SUCH THING as a separate New Covenant with a national Israel of Jews and a New Covenant with the Israel of Gentiles, there is only "ONE" New Covenant, and ONE mediator, which is Christ! Hebrews chapters 8 and 9 make that abundantly clear if we will receive it. The 144,000 "IS" the great multitudes which is the whole congregation of God.
@Spiritual Jew