Today’s chapter is Revelation 7

Tom writes:

This section is like an advert break in the midst of the main show. In the hiatus between the six seals and the seventh seal we peer through a crack in the door of heaven to remember where all this woe is going. God is winning his earth back so saints from many cities can share the made-good earth forever with their God. All through Revelation we get little “advert breaks” which remind us of this. Each advert is drenched with adoration; diverse saints singing and dancing as they see the victory of God being unleashed by the Lamb. These 144,000 represent the martyrs. We shouldn’t take the number literally (otherwise you’d have to feel quite sorry for the 12,001st martyr in the tribe of Naphtali. So close and yet so far!) The number 144,000 is what John hears announced. When he looks to see there is a huge multitude of every tribe and language. What is heard is a metaphorical description of the crowd he sees; 12 means ‘perfection of government’ and 10 refers to something being God’s choice. So 12,000 refers to those who have been definitely and irrevocably chosen by God to carry out His perfect governance.

The use of the names of the tribes of Israel shows how this vision is the culmination of the whole sweep of the biblical narrative from Genesis through to Jude. These symbolic representatives of all who have lived like the lamb - and been killed like the lamb - stand before the throne to celebrate the victory that the lamb is winning. Their standing and singing isn’t a vision of the eternal destiny of these saints; we get to that in the closing chapters. Instead, they stand like cheerleaders on the touchline, beholding what the lamb is unfolding and - without the slightest doubt that he can and will win back the earth. And so we should bear these people in mind when we read the chapters on the woes. In South London, visions of God’s wrath bringing decreation might seem rather unsettling; there is much in our way of life that we wouldn’t want to come to an end. But the point is this; in this infected and corrupted earth great multitudes are being chewed up and spat out by the schemes of Satan. These people from many nations and tribes - Nigerians and North Koreans and Naphtalians and even South Londoners - have yearned for justice and have begged God for salvation. They died without consolation but now - from the vantage point of heaven - they are seeing the God of all creation winning back the earth to make it good again.

Question for reflection

How conscious are you of those who have died for their faith in Jesus? Do you hear the songs they are singing?

Revelation 7 - Friday 6th December