THE BOOK OF REVELATION

INTRODUCTION - We have identified who the 144,000 of Revelation 7 are. Through a study of this passage, along with Revelation chapters 14 and 21, we can see that the 144,000 are a figurative rendition of the entire church, the true people of God, the true Israel of God, separated from the false Israel of John's day and protected during the first century judgment. The early church was both a persecuted people and a small group of congregations. Yet, despite their size and tribulation, the visions of Revelation 7 show the people of God that they are much bigger than they think. From the small beginnings of the first century, John 7 will show us that the church will be transformed into an immense and innumerable company of people, victorious through the name of the Lord Jesus.

1) WAYS THAT WE MISJUDGE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND SUCCESS OF THE CHURCH AND THE PLAN OF GOD - The point of the two visions found in Revelation 7 is that we are not to judge the church's success by what we see happening in the world around us. This is what the early church needed to learn and it is a lesson which today's church needs to learn again.

A) WE ARE NOT TO JUDGE THE CHURCH'S SUCCESS BY WHAT WE SEE HAPPENING AROUND US IN THE WORLD TODAY - A spirit of defeat exists in the church today. We are told that everything looks grim and hopeless, the world is in terrible shape, and the church is failing in her mandate. Thus, we are told to interpret these days as "the end", Christ is right around the corner, and the rapture is what will save us from this mess. Yet can you imagine what would have happened if the early church had taken this attitude? Their days were just as dark as our own. Yet if the defeatist attitude pervaded the early church as it does today, they would never have conquered the Roman empire with Christianity. Our mandate has never been to "hang on until the Rapture." Instead, we are sent out as the victorious church, conquering in the name of Christ, bringing every thing captive to His name!

B) WE ARE NOT TO JUDGE THE CHURCH'S SUCCESS BY THE SIZE OF THE CHURCH - Today we see churches and ministries obsessed with numbers. We somehow think that by sheer numeric force we can win and that if the church is small, we are failing. Yet again, imagine if the early church believed this. They were a miniscule group of people, with both Rome and Israel against them. Yet from these very small beginnings, the church triumphed. The same can take place in today's church.

C) WE ARE NOT TO JUDGE THE CHURCH'S SUCCESS BY ITS DOCTRINAL PROBLEMS OR HERESIES - Certainly we live in doctrinally ignorant days. It is difficult to hear a good sermon today. It is hard to find men who understand the Scriptures and preach the whole counsel of God. Yet this should not be a discouragement to us. The early church lived in days of shallow Christianity and abundant heresy. These things have always existed and the church has always triumphed over them.

D) WE ARE NOT TO JUDGE THE CHURCH'S SUCCESS BY BLAMING THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN - Sometimes Christians blame the wickedness of men for the failure of the church's ministry. Man is "too evil" which is why our churches are empty. Believers react to this by huddling into their own groups and cutting themselves off from the world. Yet imagine if the early church took this attitude? Rome was as perverse as our own world, yet the Spirit of God is able to triumph over any depravity and wickedness found within the hearts of men.

2) A DESCRIPTION OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST - Revelation 7:9,13,14

A) THE CHURCH IS AN INNUMERABLE HOST OF BELIEVERS - John "hears" the number counted, and it is 144,000. Yet when he "looks", he actually sees an innumerable number of people comprising the church. This is the church as we should truly view her. In verses 13 and 14, John is told that this innumerable host of people have come out of the great tribulation. The early church reading Revelation was going through tribulation (II Timothy 3:12; I Peter 4:12,13). They would also pass through the Great Tribulation which was coming on the city of Jerusalem at its fall (see our study of Matthew 24). Yet the early church would escape the judgment of Jerusalem. From Revelation 7, they were to see themselves as becoming this great innumerable people, from small beginnings to a great church. Revelation 7 shows the transformation which the early church would go through. They were not to let tribulation, doctrinal problems, or world events discourage them. They would become a great people.

We should note also here that the words of Revelation 7:9 are an echo of the covenantal promises made to Abraham in Genesis 22:17,18. God promised that Abraham would be a great nation and that all the nations of the world would be blessed through him. Both of these promises are fulfilled in the church. We are the true descendents of Abraham through faith, and the church, as describe in Revelation 7, has been formed from every tongue, people and tribe in the world. The promises to Abraham are fulfilled!

B) THE CHURCH STANDS BEFORE THE THRONE AND THE LAMB - Here is the church in her worship. When we gather for corporate worship, we are to picture ourselves in the true spiritual state described in Hebrews 12:22-24. We have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the innumerable company of angels and saints, to the Father and to the Son. The church gathers in the throne room of God for her worship.

C) THE CHURCH IS CLOTHED WITH WHITE ROBES, WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST - This is a familiar image throughout Revelation. The white robes symbolize the purity of the church, but it is a purity not of her own, but given to her through the atoning work of Christ (Revelation 7:14). No one is able to worship God without a robe of Christ's righteousness. No worship is acceptable without this robe.

D) THE CHURCH IS HOLDING PALM BRANCHES - The only other place in the New Testament where palm branches are referred to is John 12:12-16. Here we see apostate Israel coming to honor Christ by calling Him their "king". Yet a little while later they would be crying for His crucifixion. The palm branch was a symbol of victory and independence for the Jews. Yet the Jews of Jerusalem were destined for judgment. They did not really believe that Christ was their king. Instead, we see in the church's worship that the only true people who can call Christ "king" are the people of God. We wave our palm branches in worship, calling Him the true King of Israel.

E) THE CHURCH PRAISES THE FATHER AND THE SON - The central theme of the church is "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Notice that although the church is made up of every tongue and tribe, this song of salvation is sung with one loud voice. It shows us that though the church is multi-cultural and multi-lingual, the people of God speak the same theme all over the world. The core of our worship is that the Father and Son save! We have no merit of our own. Our robes are washed in Christ's blood. Thus, the eternal praise and thanksgiving of the church goes to the Father for His mercy and the Son for His atoning work.