I don’t know why Revelation 7 has been such a challenge for me…or maybe I do. At the first reading, I was amazed at God’s grace. God has withheld His wrath for such a long time, and it appears in chapter 7 that He’s doing it again. My first thought was God’s grace is truly amazing. And then, I started looking back on all the times it seemed that God’s grace was abused and then I started getting upset.

I remembered how by God’s grace He delivered Israel from Egypt to establish a relationship with them. But then Israel was repeatedly unfaithful to God, making their love for and relationship with God one-sided on God’s part. Yet God continued to show His grace by coming to the world as Jesus. As Jesus, God would show His love by sacrificing Himself to secure that relationship with Israel. But when Israel as a whole rejected Jesus, God offered His grace to the world. Yet, like Israel, the world as a whole has rejected Jesus. Thus for thousands of years God has said, “A day is coming when I will remove my followers and reveal my wrath.” By Revelation 7, that has occurred. Yet in chapter 7, it appears that God is offering His grace again.

In my mind, however, God’s grace has now moved from amazing to absurd. God has every right to say,

Enough is enough! What else can I do? How many times can I say to you and show you that I love you? I came and died for you. I’ve given you thousands of years of warnings and time to repent. Still, either you snub me with your arrogance, ignore me with your business, or tease me with your goodness and occasional interest. Even then, you refuse to surrender to me the way I have surrendered to you. Well, I’ve had enough. For years you have rejected ny grace, so now you will face my wrath.

In my mind God has every right to show His wrath without grace. Yet because He is God, it’s only right that He reveals His wrath with grace. I guess for God to do anything less would make Him less of God.

Yet the challenge in chapter 7 became personal for me when I saw what made God’s grace seem so absurd to me. As you will soon see, God’s grace was absurd because of the way He withheld His wrath for a time from those who deserved it. It was absurd because once again God sent out messengers telling of His grace. And it was absurd because those who had not surrendered to Jesus prior to the rapture of the church now could…and in doing so would receive all the benefits of heaven.

Then I realized that what God was doing for those living in the tribulation was the same He did for me prior to the tribulation. I deserved God’s wrath, yet He withheld it. He sent messengers, so I could hear of His grace. And because I surrendered my life to Jesus, I was promised all the benefits of heaven—benefits I could never earn or deserve.

I guess the difference between seeing God’s grace as amazing or absurd is the same difference between major and minor surgery. If you haven’t heard it before, “Minor surgery is on someone else while major surgery is on you.” Sadly, believers often see God’s grace as amazing when it’s offered to us, but absurd when offered to others. Yet God does offer it, even in the midst of His wrath, even when for some it might seem absurd. As you look at Revelation 7, see if it challenges you as it did me.

Absurd Grace!
When God Withholds His Wrath

In Revelation 6, six of the seven seals have been opened. God’s wrath has been unleashed. Those experiencing God’s wrath cry out in the last verse, “For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” Revelation 7:1-4 explains God’s efforts to give those who have rejected Him the opportunity to stand with Him.

1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

Revelation 7 can be seen as though you are standing in the eye of a hurricane. The winds of God’s wrath have blown in chapter 6 and will resume in chapter 8. But for this chapter, for this moment, God holds them back.

The ones used to hold back God’s wrath are His angels. In seven of Revelation’s remaining chapters, you will find them as instruments of His wrath (Revelation 8, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 19). Here, however, they are positioned at the four corners of the earth and God instructs them to hold back the wind. The four corners represent the four corners of the compass—North, South, East, and West. In Jeremiah 49:36, Daniel 7:2 and Hosea 13:15, the four winds are associated with God’s judgment. The Greek word for “holding back” is krateo. It conveys that the winds of God’s wrath are strong and the angels are struggling to hold them back.

A fifth angel appears in verses 2-3 charging them to stay strong, because they won’t have to hold back the winds of God’s wrath forever. Some have assumed that this fifth angel is Jesus, but it’s not. The Greek word for another (allos) means another of the same kind in numerical order. Yet, the angel’s charge reveals that the winds won’t be held back for long. Verse 3 states that they will be able to release God’s wrath once He has placed His seal on the foreheads of His servants.

In his book, What’s So Amazing About Grace?, Philip Yancey tells of the conversation overheard between two people on a bus. Yancey writes,

A friend of mine riding a bus to work overheard a conversation between the young woman sitting next to him and her neighbor across the aisle. The woman was reading Scott Peck’s The Road Less Traveled, the book that has stayed (at that time) on The New York Times Best-Sellers list longer than any other.

“What are you reading?” asked the neighbor.
“A book a friend gave me. She said it changed her life.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s it about?”“I’m not sure. Some sort of guide to life. I haven’t got very far yet.” She began flipping through the book. “Here are the chapter titles: ‘Discipline, Love, Grace,…’”
The man stopped her. “What’s grace?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t got to Grace yet.”¹

Her statement is tragically true of many today and will be tragically true of many in the future. During the future tribulation, there will be a season when God withholds His wrath to seal His messengers. He will do this with the hope that even during the tribulation people will see their sin, turn and surrender to Him, and experience the full benefits of His grace.

This is not only God’s desire for the tribulation period of tomorrow, it is also true of today. God is withholding His wrath right now. At any moment, He could rapture His church and allow Jesus to open six of the seven seals of His wrath upon the earth. The only thing keeping Him from doing so is His hope that many will see their sin, surrender to Him, and experience His grace right now. To withhold the wrath we deserve, in order to offer us the grace we don’t, is truly absurd grace.

Absurd Grace!
When God Sends Out Messengers

What is also absurd about God’s grace during the tribulation is that once again He will send out messengers. In the Old Testament, God sent leaders like Moses and Joshua, judges like Samuel, and prophets like Elijah and others to inform the people of God and His ways. In the New Testament, God came Himself as Jesus. Then after His resurrection and ascension, He charged His followers to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. As He had done before the tribulation, God, during the tribulation, sends messengers to inform the world of His grace. This is explained in Revelation 7: 2-8.

2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

Grace for Israel
Opinions have abounded for years regarding who represents the 144,000. Some believe they represent Seventh-Day Adventists because they have observed the Jewish Sabbath. Others think they will come from the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Years ago, Jehovah’s Witnesses claimed they were the 144,000 until their membership exceeded 144,000. A man once told preacher and author Warren Wiersbe that he was one of the 144,000. To the man’s surprise, Wiersbe asked him, “To which tribe do you belong and can you prove it?”²

Even a surface reading of the text makes it clear that the 144,000 will come from the Jews. Verses 5-8 specify that 12,000 will be sealed and sent from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. What’s amusing is that there are nineteen different listings of the twelve tribes in Scripture. In this particular list, Dan has been replaced by Joseph, and of Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh is mentioned but not Ephraim. When you look at the history of the tribes of Dan and Ephraim you see their unfaithfulness to God (Dan – Judges18:14-31; Ephraim Isaiah 7:17 and Hosea 4:17). Thus, God makes a strong point. When it comes to messengers He relies on those that are reliable.

This answers a question asked by many believers today: “How come some believers are better than others at helping people surrender to Christ?” In my opinion, it has little to do with being an introvert or extravert, persuasive or passive. It has everything to do with being open and obedient to God. I truly believe that God opens opportunities to those open to God. The tribes of Dan and Ephraim will still be recognized in heaven. However, God will not include them in the evangelistic force of the future because they were not faithful to God in the past. God’s work is too important to count on people He can’t count on. When souls are at risk, God will not take a risk on followers who are unreliable. That’s why the tribes of Dan and Ephraim will be excluded from this great campaign with God. That’s also why many believers miss out on the great experiences with God.

Not only do I believe the 144,000 will be from Israel because the Bible says it, I also believe it because God promised it. Listen to Romans 11:25-27.

25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”

Furthermore, Zechariah 12:1-14 tells of a day when all the clans of Israel will look upon the pierced hands of Jesus and weep with repentance. The Jews will experience a national revival and 144,000 will be sealed and sent by God.

What a picture of God’s absurd grace toward Israel. They have always been and always will be His chosen people. Yet, since the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus, Israel as a whole has not chosen to see Him as the Messiah. Yet by God’s absurd grace, He will keep His promise to Israel. They will see and surrender to Jesus. They will experience a great revival and 144,000 of them will be sealed by God to spread His grace to the world.

Grace for the World
Verse 3 states that God will put His seal on the foreheads of the 144,000. Revelation 13:16-17 states that the mark of the beast will be placed on the right hand and forehead of earth’s inhabitants. Only those with this mark will be able to transact business, including buying food. Because of this many believe that the seal of God will also be a visible mark on the foreheads of the 144,000. Yet the Greek words for seal and mark are different. Though both the seal of God and mark of the beast will be seen, I believe the mark of the beast will be tangible, while the seal of God will be intangible. Here’s why.
The Greek word used for seal in this verse is the same one used in Ephesians 1:13. There it says that at salvation you receive the seal of God which is the promised Holy Spirit. This word for seal refers to a signet that verifies authenticity, authority and security.

Even today, as a believer, it should be evident that you belong to God. If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, you should live a life that verifies the authenticity and authority of Jesus to forgive sins and transform lives. That’s the same word used in Revelation 7:3 when God seals 144,000. The evidence of their lives will give authentic and authoritative proof of God’s ability to forgive sins and transform lives. According to Revelation 7:9-10, they will be the most effective evangelists and missionaries the world has ever seen.

9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

Verse 9 begins with the words “After this”. Those two words appear seven times in Revelation and each time it marks the movement from one vision to another. Revelation 7:1-8 is John’s vision of God withholding His wrath to seal and send His messengers. Verses 9-17 describe John’s vision of the results of the messengers’ work.
As was true of Revelation 4 & 5, John is once again caught up in a moving worship experience. Those who surrendered to Christ and died during the time of tribulation are now assembled in heaven worshipping God. In verse 9, John says that they have come from every nation (ethnos)—“ethnic group,” tribe (phule)—“family group,” people (laos)—“people group,” and language (glossa)—“language group.” John is witnessing the heavenly celebration of a great worldwide revival.

In the history of great revivals nothing will compare to the revival during the great tribulation. You may ask, “What made the tribulation revival greater than all the others combined?” I believe it’s because the Jews are the messengers. When 120 Jews left the upper room and entered the streets of Jerusalem (Acts 2), within six months (Acts 6) the number of believers grew from 120 to 10,000. Now you have 144,000 Jews released on the world. No wonder John said the number celebrating in heaven was too great to count.

Yet something struck me when reading these verses. It was during the great tribulation that every ethnic, family, people and language group heard the gospel—not before. Here’s why that is important to hear. Because there are hundreds of people groups who have yet to hear of Christ, believers think, “I still have time. I still have time to ask my mom, dad, or child whether or not they have truly surrendered their lives to Jesus. I still have time to talk with my friend at school or work. I still have time to come back to their question about Jesus, or go overseas and present Jesus to a people group that’s never heard of Him.” If you are waiting for every people group to hear of Jesus before you get your urgency to share Jesus, you need to understand this: All groups will one day hear of Jesus, but according to Revelation 7, only after the church is gone. That means Jesus could come for the church at any moment. Therefore if you are a believer, you had better take advantage of every opportunity to share Jesus before He calls you home. Right now, you are the messenger of God’s absurd grace.

Absurd Grace!
When God Offers the Benefits of Heaven

In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells the story of a landowner who hires laborers to work for him. Some are hired at the morning, others during the day, and a last group right before the day’s work is finished. As all the laborers assemble to be paid, the landowner says that those who were hired last should be paid first. Furthermore, they are to receive the same pay and benefits promised to those who were hired at first. As you would think, those hired first complained because they expected to be paid first and to be paid more. Yet in verses 15-16, the landowner tells them, “‘ 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last .”

It is likely that when some believers read Revelation 7:9-17 they will be upset. They won’t like it that these who rejected God prior to the rapture are now offered God’s grace during the tribulation. They won’t like it that they will receive all the benefits of heaven. However, like the landowner, I can hear God say, “It’s my grace! Whether you think it unfair or absurd, don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own grace?”

Because it is God’s grace, God can do with it want He wants. And what God wants is to offer all the benefits of heaven to those who surrender to Him—even if it’s during the tribulation. Look at some of the benefits they will receive.

Praise
The first benefit of heaven described in Revelation 7:9-12 is praise—pure heavenly praise.

9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

Verse 9 describes the tribulation believers in heaven as wearing white robes—they are clean before God, holding palm branches—symbols of victory, and they are continually crying in a loud voice—God saved me!

It is wonderful to hear redeemed martyrs worship in heaven. Nine times in Revelation it describes them constantly crying out with a loud voice (Rev. 5:12; 6:10; 11:12, 15; 12:10; 14:7; 16:1; 19:1; 21:3) Though such worship would shock many in our churches today, Psalm 66:1 and Psalm 100:1 says that God desires it.

Furthermore, the angels are moved by the praise. Consider this. The martyrs in heaven are singing a song the angels will never know—“I’m Saved! Saved! Saved!” When the angels hear it, they are moved to sing of the greatness of God which they have always known. Bracketed between two “Amens” which loosely mean “I’m telling you the truth,” the angels add their voices and sing “Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks, and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever.” And if you think that the worship in heaven is all about volume, look at the position of the martyrs and the angels in verse 11. They are on their faces before God’s throne as they worship Him.

What an experience. What a benefit of God’s grace. What a series of lessons to be learned about heavenly worship from Revelation 7:9-17. Here they are in rapid succession.

• Unless you are an angel, you can’t truly worship God until you’ve been saved.
• When the saved worship, there should be some volume to our praise.
• When the saved sincerely praise God, it prompts others to do the same.
• Volume without reverence is a concert. Reverence with volume is sincere praise.

To be offered that experience with God is an act of absurd grace. To experience some degree of that while on earth is an indescribable blessing.

Protection
Another benefit from God’s absurd grace is God’s protection. In Revelation 7:13-17, you hear what the tribulation believers receive while in heaven.

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robe—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16 Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The gruesome treatment of tribulation believers is described throughout the book of Revelation. Yet in these verses you get an idea of what they endured on earth by how God treated them in heaven. Specifically, verse 16 says they will never suffer hunger (13:17), thirst (16:4), or lack of shelter again (16:8-9). In fact verse 15 states that the One on the throne will spread His tent over them. What a great description. The Greek word for tent means “dwelling.” For some reason John’s description of the believer’s experience in Revelation 7 reminds me of Jesus” longing for Jerusalem in Luke 13:34. There Jesus looks upon the city and says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings , but you were not willing!” What Jesus longed for Jerusalem then, He is experiencing with the tribulation believers now in heaven. They are under His protection. They are under His care, all because of God’s absurd grace.

Other Absurdities of God’s Grace!

Truly it is absurd to think that God would withhold His wrath in order to seal and send messengers so that those living during the tribulation could still experience all the benefits of God’s grace. Yet I think there are two other absurdities of God’s grace—not on God’s part but on ours.

The Selfishness of Those who Experience It
First, on the part of believers, I think it’s absurd when you consider the selfishness of us who have experienced God’s grace. How selfish of us to think that those in the tribulation don’t deserve God’s grace. What did we ever do to deserve God’s grace? Nothing! It was His gift that you received when you surrendered to Him. It had nothing to do with you and everything to do with Him.

Furthermore, how selfish of you to have experienced God’s grace and not be willing to share it. You are the one who has found the endless supply of food for a city of starving people, and yet you tell no one. You are the one in the spiritual concentration camp that has found the way out for all, and yet you keep silent. You are the one in the spiritual cancer ward that has found the cure, and you keep it to yourself.

If our Heavenly Father will continue offering His grace even to those in the tribulation, we should never stop sharing His grace prior to the tribulation. It’s absurd for us to live selfishly with God’s grace.

The Stupidity of Those who Reject It
The last absurdity comes from unbelievers. For God to show His grace by coming as Jesus to sacrifice Himself for your sins, and for God to share His grace by sending messengers now and even during the tribulation, it’s absurd stupidity for you to reject God’s grace. You cannot say, “I didn’t know.” If you are listening to me today, you know. You can’t say, “I didn’t have time.” God has withheld the wrath you deserve to offer you the grace you don’t. Besides, you have this moment right now.

It’s absurd how far God will go to offer you His grace. However, it’s even more absurd if you reject it. Don’t reject Him. Surrender your life to Jesus, and experience His grace today.