Assurance to the Faithful

MEMORY VERSE: “Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God forever and ever.” —Revelation 7:12

REVELATION 7:9-17

IN REVELATION 7:1-8 we have brought to our attention a group of the servants of God numbering 144,000. In today’s lesson, which begins with verse 8, another group is mentioned which is described as “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues.” These stand “before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.”

Many students of the Bible seem unable to fit these two groups harmoniously into the plan of God. Perhaps one of the difficulties is in the fact that the 144,000 are said to be made up of the twelve tribes of Israel. Many take from this that all these must be natural Israelites. It is true that to begin with these followers of the Master—for such they are—were Israelites after the flesh. It was to natural Israel that Jesus confined his ministry, and he instructed his disciples not to go to the Gentiles. Naturally, therefore, the first members of Jesus’ true church would all be Israelites.

John said of Jesus, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:11,12) But not a sufficient number of Israelites believed on Jesus to make up the foreordained number of 144,000, so beginning shortly after Pentecost the Gospel began to go out to the Gentiles.—Acts 1:8

James later explained that the Lord’s purpose in this was to take out from the Gentiles a people for his name; that is, his sons. In the 11th chapter of Romans the Apostle Paul uses the branches of an olive tree to illustrate the significance of the incoming of Gentile converts. The original or natural branches of this tree, he indicates, would illustrate the natural Israelites. The unbelieving among these are broken off, in this illustration, and “wild” or Gentile branches are grafted in to take their places.

These partake “of the root and fatness of the olive tree”; that is, they take on the characteristics of the tree into which they are grafted. Paul speaks of this as being “contrary to nature,” which indeed it is, for in ordinary grafting the in-grafted branch is in no way changed by “the root and fatness” of the tree onto which it is grafted. What this means, in the illustration, is that the Gentile followers of Jesus, in taking the places of unbelieving Israelites, are looked upon by the Lord as Israelites—in this case, of course, spiritual Israelites. So the true church of Christ is made up first of believing Israelites, and then it is completed by believing Gentiles, who in their belief and engrafting are considered by God to be Israelites, the total number being 144,000.

The “great multitude” discussed in our lesson are different in many ways from the “little flock” of 144,000. They stand “before the throne” instead of being on the throne with Jesus. (Rev. 3:21) They “serve” God in his temple, instead of living and reigning with Christ a thousand years, as do the 144,000.

Not a great deal is said in the Bible about this “great multitude.” It would seem, however, that it will be made up of professed followers of the Master who prove to be something less than full overcomers, although they are shown as finally being victorious, as illustrated by the “palms in their hands.”

They recognize the establishment of the messianic kingdom, and rejoice that through that kingdom salvation will come to all mankind. They also recognize the greatness of their God, and join with the angels and others in ascribing glory to him, as indicated in our memory verse.

The 144,000 are exalted to immortality with Jesus. They will have life within themselves which will not need to be sustained. But the “great multitude” will be fed by the Lamb, and by him be led “unto living fountains of water.”

QUESTIONS

What group of God’s servants is described in Revelation 7:1-8?

Why are these referred to as Israelites?

Note some of the differences indicated between this group and the “great multitude” of our lesson.

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