Episode 51: Understanding the Second Coming: The 144,00 and the Great Multitude

AskGod365. Discover answers to life's difficult questions.

Send us a text

Understanding the Second Coming: The 144,000 and the Great Multitude

Understanding the Second Coming: The 144,000 and the Great Multitude

Who Shall be Able to Stand?

Revelation 7 can be seen as an interlude, an interruption of sorts,

to the seven seals. In this chapter John is answering the question put

forth in the last verse of chapter six, “who shall be able to stand?”

(Revelation 6:17). This being the case, the interpretation of Revelation

7 is bound up in the context of the sixth seal.

The Second Coming of Christ

The sixth seal describes the second coming of Christ. As He approaches

the earth there is tremendous commotion in sky, land and

sea. Stars fall and entire mountains and islands are moved out of place

(see Revelation 6:13-14; Matthew 24:29-30; Mark 13:24-26).

So awesome and terrifying is the sight that “the great men, . . . and

the mighty men” call for the “mountains and rocks” to fall on them

rather than face God, who sits on the “throne,” and the “Lamb,” who

is on His “right side” (Revelation 6:15-16; Matthew 24:30; Matthew

26:64; Mark 14:62). As “every eye” sees Christ coming, the lost who

have survived “the seven last plagues,” and who have just “blasphemed

the name of God,” now long to “hide” from “the wrath of the

Lamb” (Revelation 1:7; 15:1; 16:9; 6:15-16).

The Servants of God

In this context the question is asked, “who shall be able to stand?”

(Revelation 6:17). The question is answered twice in chapter 7, first by

the angel with the words, “the servants of our God” (Revelation 7:3), and

then when John says, “I beheld, and lo, a great multitude” who “stood

before the throne” and “before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9).

Notice that the question is: “Who shall be able to stand” before “the

throne” and before “the Lamb?” (Revelation 6:16-17).

And it is answered twice: 1) “the servants of God,” “an hundred and

forty and four thousand” (Revelation 7:3-4). 2) “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” (Revelation 7:9).

Two Groups of Redeemed

John’s vision is consistent with the rest of the Bible which pictures two

groups of people who shall be able to stand before “Him that sitteth on the

throne,” and the “Lamb” at the Second Coming: (1) Those whose hope is

in Christ and are “alive” when He comes, (2) those who “sleep in Jesus”

and are resurrected at His second coming (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; see

also 1 Corinthians 15:12-23, 51-52).

The Seal of the Living God

The central focus of this chapter is the seal of God which is placed

upon the “foreheads” of the servants of God (see Revelation 7:2-3). What

is this seal of God? The Bible gives four meanings to the sealing which

all seem to apply to this chapter.1

1) In the book of Revelation the seal of God in the forehead is the same as

the name of God in the forehead (compare Revelation 7:2-8; 14:1; 22:4).

This word name in both the Old Testament and the New Testamen

Thank you for being part of the AskGod365 podcast community.

We value you and appreciate greatly the time you are spending with us today.

Please share your comments and questions at

AskGod365.com

Listen. Learn. Think. Grow. Together.

AskGod365. Answers to life’s difficult questions.