Last week covered the sixth seal: the sun and moon darkened as a result of the war of Gog of Magog and the man of lawlessness. The sky rolled up like a scroll and stars falling like figs describe the shaking of that war. Gog of Magog is Russia with allies including Germany, Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya. They attack Israel while Israel is still at peace with the man of lawlessness and is not suffering the worldwide famine. They come because Israel has goods. Russia and her allies are destroyed on the mountains of Israel (Ezekiel 38–39). The war causes Israel to recognize that God is dealing with them again. The man of lawlessness is slain and resuscitated, not resurrected. After he is restored he sets himself up as God in the temple of God, and Israel flees into the wilderness. Just before mid-tribulation the two witnesses come—Elijah and a contemporary Jew (Revelation 11). Revelation 13 records the man of lawlessness brought back to life. Israel flees and the Great Tribulation begins.
Revelation 7 then shows the 144,000 sealed Jews so they cannot be harmed. Angels at the four corners hold the four winds. Later demons from the abyss also cannot harm them. They preach the gospel of the kingdom of the heavens. They are from the tribes of Israel. After the church is gone God deals with Israel again in the realm of the dispensation of law. That does not mean Israel returns under the law to be obedient; Israel failed under the law by crucifying the Messiah who would wipe out the nation’s sins and settle them in the promised land. There is judgment on the dispensation of law. In the first half of the tribulation Israel is under the protection of the man of lawlessness. Heavy destruction on the Gentiles comes in the Great Tribulation. The 144,000 go throughout the world with the message of the kingdom of the heavens—12,000 from each listed tribe. Levi is included because the list is not about land inheritance. Dan is omitted because Dan brought idolatry into Israel; the tribe is not wiped out, but Dan has no protected 12,000.
Revelation 7:9 jumps three years forward to the result of their ministry. A great multitude with palm branches cries, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.” These are those saved by the 144,000. They serve day and night in His temple—the temple on earth, not the heavenly temple. “Dwell” means He tents among them. Palm trees in Ezekiel 41 mark the millennial kingdom temple, which is not Solomon’s temple. Cherubim and palm trees decorate it. Those saved by the 144,000 reside in that earthly temple for the thousand years. The throne in the heavens will be visible from the temple on earth. New Jerusalem is over the earth and supplies its light (Revelation 21:23–24). The nations walk in that light.
These come out of the Great Tribulation. They are not the fifth-seal saints under the altar slain by the harlot in the first half. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb—they believed the message of the 144,000. They will not hunger or thirst. The sun will not scorch them. If God did not shorten those days, not even the elect would survive. The Lamb in the midst of the throne shepherds them to living fountains of water and God wipes every tear from their eyes. They live in the temple the entire thousand years.
Revelation 8 opens the seventh seal. Silence in heaven for about half an hour returns the narrative to mid-tribulation. Silence does not mean no sound; it means no one is speaking. Satan is being cast out of the third heaven (Revelation 12:7–9). Michael and his angels fight the dragon and his angels; no place is found for them in heaven. Satan and his angels are cast to the earth. His time is short; his wrath is on the earth. Angelic warfare is not clashing swords; spirit beings are described in human terms so we understand. Michael, an angel, casts out Lucifer, a cherub—the highest rank of created beings. Michael had previously said to Satan over Moses’ body, “The Lord rebuke you.”
Seven messengers who stand before God are given seven trumpets. The trumpets belong to the messengers, not to God. They are for Israel’s deliverance while Israel is in the wilderness. Satan attempts to destroy them and fails. Gentiles are occupied with other judgments. Six trumpets are detailed; the seventh jumps to the end of the millennial kingdom just before eternity. Revelation covers more than the seven years.
Another messenger with a golden censer stands at the altar. He is given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. “Angel” means messenger and can be a spirit being, a human, or the second Person of the Godhead as the Messenger of Jehovah. This messenger acts as high priest for Israel. The earthly temple was a shadow of the heavenly. The brazen altar, laver, and altar of incense (Exodus 27; 30) explain the scene. The golden censer belongs with the Holy of Holies (Hebrews 9:4) and was used on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:12). Coals and incense filled the place of covering so the high priest would not die when he sprinkled blood on the place of propitiation.
The incense is the prayers of the tribulation saints (Revelation 5:8). Saints after the church is gone are not added to the church. The church has a heavenly hope; Israel has an earthly hope. Different groups in the tribulation have different promises. The 144,000’s converts serve in the earthly temple. Christ adds His prayers to theirs. The messenger puts the incense on the golden altar, fills the censer with fire from the altar, and throws it to the earth. There are voices, thunders, lightnings, and an earthquake.
The coals relate to cleansing of lips for judgment on Israel (Isaiah 6:6–10). Isaiah was sent to make ears heavy, hearts hard, and eyes shut—to judge, not to save. The fire purges unbelievers from Israel in the wilderness, as carcasses of unbelievers fell in the desert for forty years. The work now is three and a half years. “Noises” means voices; cleaned lips can now be heard. Judgment falls on unbelievers. The messenger is Christ acting as the Messenger having a quality of Jehovah, completing the dispensation of law. After the incarnation the Angel of Jehovah is not seen because He is no longer dealing with Israel in that manner. In the tribulation He submits again to the Father for Israel. The same Person delivered Israel from Egypt (Exodus 14:19, 24)—Jehovah in the pillar of cloud and fire.
God will keep a remnant of Israel. They will possess the land from the river of Egypt to the headwaters of the Euphrates. The seven messengers then prepare to sound the trumpets. God the Son performs priestly duty related to Israel and the purging of unbelievers from Israel.
