Revelation 7:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,

NIV: from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

NASB: from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,

CSB: 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,

NLT: from Simeon — 12,000 from Levi — 12,000 from Issachar — 12,000

KJV: Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

NKJV: of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;

The tribes of Simeon, Levi, and Issachar are named in this verse as being sealed, 12,000 from each tribe. Both Simeon and Levi were violent men. In an act of rage, they slaughtered all the men of Shechem because the prince of the land, Shechem, had seized and raped their sister Dinah (Genesis 34). Their father Jacob rebuked them, but Simeon and Levi defended their actions (Genesis 34). When dying, Jacob referred to their violence. He recalled that in their anger they had killed men and hamstrung oxen. He cursed their anger and their wrath. He prophesied that they would be divided and scattered (Genesis 49:5–7). However, God extended His grace to both tribes. Levi became the priestly tribe, and both tribes appear as God's servants in Revelation 7.

According to Jacob, Issachar would occupy a pleasant land but would become "a servant at forced labor" (Genesis 49:14–15). When Israel settled in the Promised Land, Issachar took possession of the pleasant plain of Esdraelon but became vassals of invading armies. During the tribulation, they will be willing servants of the Lord.

Revelation 7:5–8 lists the tribes to which the 144,000 saved Jews belong. They are the firstfruits of all the Jews who will believe on Jesus as their Messiah during the tribulation. Each tribe listed in this passage includes 12,000 sealed believers. Although some teach that ten of the tribes have been lost, they have not been lost to God. We may not know the identification of each tribe today, but God knows each tribe and who belongs to it. The tribe of Levi is listed, but Dan is missing. The absence of the tribe of Dan from the list may indicate that the false prophet of Revelation 13 comes from the tribe of Dan. The Danites were the first to plunge Israel into idolatry (Judges 18:30–31). Nevertheless, God extends grace to the tribe of Dan in the tribulation and saves some members of the tribe. Ezekiel 48:2 includes Dan in the distribution of land in the millennium.

Revelation 7 occurs after the opening of the sixth seal, and before the seventh. John sees four angels standing at the four corners of the earth and another angel ascending from the rising sun with the seal of God. He seals 144,000 saved Jews on their foreheads. These 144,000 sealed servants of God are instrumental in leading a great number of people from all parts of the world to faith in Jesus Christ. This multitude of believers have passed through the tribulation and will serve God perpetually in the millennial temple. Their troubles and tears will be behind them.

The last and largest section of Revelation began in chapter 4, where John is shown events yet to come (Revelation 1:19). Chapters 4 and 5 describe what John saw in heaven, including a scroll of God's judgments. Chapter 6 focused on the events that transpire when Jesus opens six of the seven seals on that scroll, one at a time. Now, in chapter 7, an interlude occurs between the opening of the sixth seal and the seventh seal. In the interlude an angel seals 144,000 saved Jews as God's servants. Chapter 8 will describe the seventh seal, and the beginning of the ''trumpet'' judgments.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''