“And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
Of course this is not to be literally taken. Such a convulsion would be the total destruction of the universe, whereas the world exists long after these events. It is then a figurative description, borrowed from the magnificent prophecy of Joel concerning the events preceding the day of the Lord: “I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.’’ (Joel 2:30, 3130And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. (Joel 2:30‑31)). A portion of the imagery is taken also from the words of Isaiah, describing “the indignation of the Lord upon all the nations” [or Gentiles], where he says, “All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their hosts shall fall down, as the leaf falleth from off the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig-tree” (Isa. 34:2, 42For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. (Isaiah 34:2)
4And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree. (Isaiah 34:4)). These passages show not only the time and circumstances, but the proper interpretation of the figures used in the Revelation. The time is before the coming of “the great and terrible day of the Lord.” The circumstances are God’s judgment of the nations. The interpretation of the figures is the overthrow of the powers of the earth by great social and political convulsions. This is the meaning to be attached here to the “great earthquake.” The sun, the supreme authority, is obscured, and the lesser powers, the moon and stars, are either disturbed or utterly overthrown. Places of strength and security, the mountains and islands, are removed; and a general shaking of all the kingdoms follows the wars that have raged, and the wretchedness and anarchy they have brought in their train.
This vast disruption fills all hearts with dismay. Christ’s return in judgment had been foretold; and though the world then scoffed, this wide-spread overthrow recalls the prophecy, and a shudder of coming judgment seizes the people. There is no repentance, no cry for mercy, merely a terror of vengeance, and a frantic desire to escape shown by their calling on the mountains and rocks to fall on them, and hide them from the dreaded wrath. But their horror is premature. The judgments preceding the great day of wrath have begun; but not the day itself. Man will be allowed to go on a little longer in his sin to show that this fear does not change his heart, but that with him, as with Pharaoh, each judgment, when passed, only increases its desperate hardness.
There is something fearful in the thought of a world crying out to be sheltered “from the wrath of the Lamb,” the wrath of the meek and lowly One, who “was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities.” But it is a solemn truth. The same voice which now says, “Come unto Me,” will, if His tender invitations are refused, at length say, “Depart from Me, ye cursed.” Now is the day of salvation; then will be the day of judgment; and surely every shaft of judgment will be barbed by the memory of slighted grace.
Interval Between the Sixth and Seventh Seal (Rev. 7)
After the sixth seal comes a pause, during which we see a faithful remnant who are saved on earth, as we have already seen one saved for heaven. This remnant consists of two companies; first, a definite number from Israel; and next, a countless multitude from the nations.
I. We see the saved remnant of the twelve tribes of Israel (Rev. 7:1-81And 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. 2And 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, 3Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4And 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. 5Of 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. 6Of 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. 7Of 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. 8Of 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 7:1‑8)): “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” (Rev. 7:1-31And 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. 2And 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, 3Saying, 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)).
The “four angels standing on the four corners of the earth” are the ministers of God’s judgments, occupying even the remotest regions of the world. “The four winds of the earth” are those disturbing elements existing in all quarters, which God can at His will let loose in judgment. Thus Gog, the great hostile power named in Ezekiel, is said to “ascend and come like a storm” (Ezek. 38:99Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. (Ezekiel 38:9)); and Jehovah, when delivering Israel from her enemies, is described “as an hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest” (Isa. 32:22And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. (Isaiah 32:2)).
What, then, is signified by the earth, the sea, and the trees? The earth in Scripture is used for the nations under settled, stable government; while the sea is a figure naturally suggestive of multitudes, especially of people in a disorganized condition. Thus among the few symbols explained in this book we read that “the waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Rev. 17:1515And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. (Revelation 17:15)). In another chapter the last Gentile monarchy is described as rising “up out of the sea” (Rev. 13:11And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (Revelation 13:1)); and in Daniel all the four beasts which represent the four Gentile powers come out of a weltering scene of confusion and anarchy, where “the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea” (Dan. 7:22Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. (Daniel 7:2)). The figure is in frequent use, as where the Psalmist speaks of the Lord as stilling “the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people” (Psa. 65:77Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people. (Psalm 65:7)). A tree, on the other hand, is a well-known Scripture figure of a great one of the earth: “The day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan” (Isa. 12:13). The meaning of the imagery therefore is, that God is about, through His providential agents, the angels, to let loose various elements of social convulsion on the nations under settled government, the troubled mass of the peoples, and the great ones of the earth.
But before this vast up heaving begins God remembers His elect, and provides for their safety. For their deliverance an angel ascends “from the east.” The east is the quarter of the sunrise, and how will God’s elect then be occupied? They will be looking for “the Sun of righteousness to arise with healing in His wings” (Mal. 4:22But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. (Malachi 4:2)). In our dispensation the believer is to look to the east, to have his eye fixed on the “bright and morning star,” the herald of the coming day. In the time described in this scene the east is still the quarter of hope, and though the Lord Himself does not yet appear for His people’s deliverance, His angel ascends to mark them in the forehead with “the seal of the living God.” This is not “the Holy Spirit of God” sealing “unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:3030And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)). The Spirit will not then be given as now; but the angel, one of those “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Heb. 1:1414Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Hebrews 1:14)), sets the seal of the living God, the pledge of life and deliverance, in their forehead. It is as “the Son of the living God” that Christ builds a church secure against the power of hades. It is as sealed by the living God that these later saints will be secure against the power of death. The shafts of death and hades glance harmlessly aside from those who are protected behind the shield of “the living God.”
Here the number is clearly symbolic, twelve being the number of administrative perfection, as seven is of mystical or heavenly perfection. Thus there are twelve patriarchs, twelve apostles, and here twelve thousand sealed from each of twelve tribes. Why the tribe of Dan is omitted can only be conjectured. It is not because the tribe is cut off; for, in the new division of the land foretold by Ezekiel, Dan occupies the northernmost portion. (Ezek. 48:11Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan. (Ezekiel 48:1)). Looked at historically, this remnant doubtless represents the Israelite believers in the early Church; but the historical fulfillment is, as we have seen, only a subordinate one, and the main scope of this prophecy is still future. What therefore we here learn is, that before the woes about to fall on the earth after the sixth seal, a remnant out of the twelve tribes of Israel will be specially marked out by God for deliverance.
II. But besides this sealed multitude from Israel, we see another countless throng of Gentiles, also reserved for blessing. (Rev. 7:9-179After 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; 10And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11And 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, 12Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14And 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. 15Therefore 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. 16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17For 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)). “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” (Rev. 7:9-109After 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; 10And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. (Revelation 7:9‑10)). This multitude are “clothed with white robes,” the symbols of righteousness, and “have palms in their hands,” the symbols of victory. Their song ascribing deliverance to “God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb,” is very different from the praise of the Church — “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood;” and from the song of the elders in proclaiming the worthiness of Him who was “slain, and hast redeemed to God by thy blood out of every kindred.” These victors say nothing of the blood or redemption, but merely ascribe salvation to God on His throne, and to the Lamb. Yet we afterward see that they had “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Whence, then, the silence on this subject in their outburst of praise?
It arises from their circumstances. The throne before which they stand is not one of mercy, but of righteousness, and the Lamb is here seen, not as slain for sin, but as executing judgment. As the souls under the altar prayed that their blood might be avenged, so these saints have been crying for deliverance by the judgment of their adversaries. Christ’s coming is to them deliverance from earthly tribulation and establishment in earthly blessing. The prophet’s eye looks forward to the complete result, when their praise ascends to God and to the Lamb, as having thus intervened for their salvation. The grace of God in giving His Son, or the love of Christ in redeeming them with His blood, is not here the subject of their thoughts, but rather the delivering might which has interposed in judgment on their behalf. This is the constant theme of the Psalms. “Therefore shalt Thou make them turn their back, when Thou shalt make ready Thine arrows upon Thy strings against the face of them. Be Thou exalted, Lord, in Thine own strength; so will we sing and praise Thy power” (Psa. 21:12-1312Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them. 13Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power. (Psalm 21:12‑13)).
The angels’ response to the cry of this multitude is in a like strain. “And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God forever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 7:11, 1211And 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, 12Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 7:11‑12)). Comparing this with the song of the angels in Rev. 5, we no longer find “the Lamb that was slain” to be the prominent object. No doubt Christ as man takes the kingdom by this title. Here, however, the subject is not the title, but the fact. The angels give praise that God’s kingdom is at length established in manifest power and glory, while the deliverance thus wrought is the subject of thanks to the palm-bearing multitude.
But the true character of this scene unfolds as we advance: “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 unto me, These are they which came out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:13, 1413And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14And 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. (Revelation 7:13‑14)). These victors, then, are persons who have come out, not merely of “great tribulation,” but of “the great tribulation.” Now “the great tribulation,” which is the true reading, is an era as definite as the day of the Lord, or any other clearly-marked Scripture epoch. It is the period mentioned in passages already quoted from Jeremiah, who calls it “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” and declares that “he shall be saved out of it;” the period spoken of by Daniel, who says it is a “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book;” the period named by our Lord Himself, who also emphasizes its unparalleled character.
This is “the great tribulation” out of which these Gentile victors come; for the sorrows, though having their focus among the Jews, reach out to “all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” Whatever secondary application therefore this prophecy may have to the Church in the early period of persecution, its principal reference is to another and very different class of sufferers. The Church will never enter into the “hour of temptation.” These, then, are believers existing on earth after the Church is taken, and looking for the coming Messiah. Though not of Israel, they trust the word specially spoken of that day, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered” (Joel 2:3232And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. (Joel 2:32)). They have therefore “washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Now why is “the great tribulation” named here? And why are we shown a vision of those who pass victoriously through it? The introduction of such a subject would be wholly unmeaning if it were not that the narrative has now brought us to the very verge of this dreadful epoch. The judgments described under the first six seals are providential visitations of a terrible nature, but they are only “the beginning of sorrows.” The heavier judgments attending “the great tribulation” are about to commence, and two things are therefore first displayed. The one is the sealing of a definite symbolic number from the twelve tribes of Israel, showing that they shall still be preserved, and preserved in administrative perfection, through all these impending judgments. The other is a vision from which we learn that a countless multitude of Gentiles will also pass victoriously through this period, and be dignified with special marks of God’s favor.
Everything here agrees with God’s ways of dealing with the world after the Church is taken. The distinctive blessing of the Church is, that it does not come into the great tribulation; while the blessing of those here named is that they come victoriously out of it. Their praise, too, is quite different from that of the Church, referring, not to redemption through Christ’s blood, but to salvation through His power. It is the acclamation of persons delivered, not from their sins, but from their oppressors. Besides, while the Church consisted of a remnant of Israel, together with saved Gentiles, they were, when once converted, “baptized by one Spirit into one body,” and formed in Christ “one new man;” whereas nothing is more marked in this scene than the prominence given to Israel, and the difference between God’s ways towards these tribes and towards the Gentiles. The hundred and forty-four thousand are sealed beforehand as the special objects of God’s care; the others only appear at the close, when the marks of victory are seen upon them. This is natural; for in the judgments preparatory to the Messianic kingdom Israel will be the peculiar object of God’s counsels and love. That they should be sealed before the judgments is therefore quite consistent with the principles on which He will then be acting, while it is also consistent that multitudes of Gentiles will be saved though not thus specially distinguished.
But some may think that, since this multitude stand “before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands,” they must be in heaven, instead of being a saved remnant on earth. We must remember, however, that the scene is symbolic, and so regarded, it is quite consistent with their being in the world. If it is on earth that they wash their robes, and make them white, why should it not be on earth that they wear them? If they are conquerors on earth, why should they not carry their palms on earth also? The multitudes in heaven are said to stand “around the throne,” but these are said to stand “before” it. This position does not imply that they are in heaven. During Christ’s reign God will have His earthly throne, and Christ’s glory will be manifested on earth. Even now believers can “come boldly unto the throne of grace” without being in heaven, and surely similar language might be used about God’s people when His presence is vouchsafed to them as it will be at that time. Standing “before the throne and before the Lamb” may therefore only mean special nearness of access to God, such as Moses enjoyed, in the way in which He will then be approached.
The association in which they are placed also favors this conclusion. The sealed thousands of Israel are manifestly delivered, and reserved for earthly blessing; for the object of their sealing is that they may be uninjured by the judgments. Now though the Gentile multitude is separately named, yet its association with the Israelites shows that it forms an outer circle to this sealed remnant, sharing the same kind of salvation. Indeed the words, “came out of the great tribulation,” can only refer to persons brought through it, not to those falling in it; for deliverance from this time always means escaping with life, not suffering death. Moreover, in the case of the souls under the altar, and those afterward slain by the beast, their martyrdom is distinctly mentioned, and they are presently seen as living and reigning with Christ, and having “part in the first resurrection” (Rev. 20:4-64And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4‑6)), whereas nothing of the sort is spoken about this white-robed multitude. And surely if they had joined the elders and the angels in heaven something would be said to show their presence. But the company in heaven is just the same in this chapter as before; nothing indicates that a fresh multitude has entered.
This countless number of Gentiles, then, represents those who have, during the great tribulation, believed on the coming Messiah, and at length, after severe sufferings, escaped with their lives. Their reward is then told. “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 [or rather, “tabernacle over”] them” (Rev. 7:1515Therefore 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. (Revelation 7:15)). This does not mean that they are in heaven. The aged Anna “departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:3737And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. (Luke 2:37)). The longing of the godly remnant to dwell in God’s temple is constantly expressed in the Psalms. “How amiable are Thy tabernacles, O Jehovah of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of Jehovah: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God” (Psa. 84:1-21<<To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.>> How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! 2My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. (Psalm 84:1‑2)). This blessing therefore is strictly in accordance with the longings of the saints during the millennial age.
Believers in heaven dwell in the Father’s house, or with Christ, but it could hardly be said that God tabernacled over them. This He did, however, in the pillar of cloud in the wilderness; and this He will do when He shall “create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: and over all the glory shall be a covering. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain” (Isa. 4:5,65And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. 6And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain. (Isaiah 4:5‑6)). Thus the blessings which these multitudes enjoy are those promised to the millennial earth.
“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb that 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” (Rev. 7:16, 1716They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17For 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 7:16‑17)). These are blessed promises, but promises fitted for an earthly rather than a heavenly people. In the eternal state “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” (Rev. 21:44And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4)). Then tears and sorrow, pain and death, are all done away, while the blessings of the Gentile multitude are rather exemption from trouble and protection from evil. They shall neither hunger nor thirst. To an earthly people just rescued from suffering, but still in the scene of their privations, this promise is most gracious, but how little appropriate to those dwelling in the Father’s house.
These blessings too are those promised to the earthly people during Christ’s reign. For He will come and “say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for He that bath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them” (Isa. 49:9, 109That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. 10They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. (Isaiah 49:9‑10)). This is not a prophecy about heaven, but about restored Israel; for it goes on to declare, “I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh,” and concludes by saying that “all flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, am thy Savior, and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob” (Isa. 49:2626And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. (Isaiah 49:26)). And though these blessings are promised to Israel, the same prophecy shows us also a Gentile remnant, who share, at least in part, the same portion. “It is a light thing that Thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that Thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth” (Isa. 49:66And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6)).
Again, speaking of the time “when Jehovah of hosts shall reign in mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His ancients gloriously,” it is said that “He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth” (Isa. 24:23; 25:7-823Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. (Isaiah 24:23)
7And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. 8He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 25:7‑8)). The time then at which this prophecy in the Revelation receives its fulfillment is neither during the Church period, nor in the eternal state; and the place is not in heaven. It is a prophecy about people on the earth during that blessed age when Christ, having judged His enemies, will reign in righteousness and peace over the nations of the world.
Looking back then on this and the previous chapter, we see the connection and meaning. The first six seals record the earlier judgments following the rapture of the Church. After these “the great tribulation” is about to begin. At this moment God remembers His elect of Israel, and the judgment is stayed, figuratively, till these are sealed for deliverance. But His grace includes also multitudes of Gentiles. These indeed, not being then His peculiar object, are not sealed like the Israelites; but the vision, passing forward to the close of the tribulation, displays them robed in white, and with palms of victory, enjoying the nearest access to God, and in the fullest enjoyment of His care and favor during the period of the Messiah’s reign. This interval therefore is not, as some have supposed, an interruption in the orderly development of events. It marks the conclusion of the lighter judgments recorded under the first six seals, and shows God’s gracious care of His elect during the heavier judgments that are yet to follow. Or if we compare this book with our Lord’s prophecy in Matthew 24, it marks the division between the “beginning of sorrows,” named in the first verses, and the “great tribulation,” foretold later in the discourse.
“And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half-an-hour.” The prophecy then goes on, “And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets” (Rev. 8:22And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. (Revelation 8:2)). Some have thought that the seventh seal inaugurates the reign of Christ, and that the seven trumpets refer back to another set of previous judgments. The text however, both by its silence and its words, points to an opposite conclusion. It makes no mention, expressly or by implication, of the reign of Christ having come. On the other hand, the apparition of the trumpet-angels seems to be just as much the development of the seventh seal as the apparition of the warrior on the white horse was the development of the first seal. The solemn preparations in the interval after the sixth seal appear to show that the opening of the seventh seal must be followed by very great results, and it is clear that the half-hour’s silence in heaven is no adequate fulfillment of such expectations. Yet no other result is stated, unless the appearance of the seven angels is so regarded.
This then seems to be the natural sequence, and indeed the only sequence which the text admits. From the opening of the first seal to the sounding of the last trumpet is one consecutive series of events. The first six seals disclose a number of judgments preceding the great tribulation. The drama then pauses while God declares His purpose of saving a multitude, both from Israel and from the Gentiles, amidst the sorrows of this dreadful time. After this announcement the tragedy proceeds. The last seal is opened, and the response is the appearance of the seven angels to whom the trumpets are given. As these trumpets are successively sounded the various judgments of the great tribulation are unfolded. The opening of the seventh seal is therefore a most momentous event, and its deep solemnity is marked by the brief, but impressive, silence in heaven. At the sounding of the last trumpet, which really does introduce the reign of Christ, there are “great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of, this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.” The “silence in heaven” is as appropriate to the opening of the seventh seal as the “great voices in heaven” are appropriate to the sounding of the seventh trumpet. For while the last seal inaugurates the age of the world’s supreme suffering, the last trumpet inaugurates the age of its supreme blessing.
We now come therefore to the second and heavier series of judgments heralded by the angels with trumpets.