from WL Worcester (H Blackmer, ed.), 
The Sower.  Helps to the Study of the Bible in Home and Sunday School
 (Boston: Massachusetts New-Church Union, n.d.)

Forward/Introduction
Contents
Genesis
Exodus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
The Prophets
The Major Prophets
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Ezra (Historical)
Nehemiah
The Minor Prophets
Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habbakuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Maccabees (Historical)

Psalms

Matthew
Mark

Luke 

John

The Acts of the Apostles

Revelation

 

Lesson 47

Revelation 7   Foregleams of Blessing

The Story

Primary

John was in the island of Patmos, but he says that he was "in the spirit" on the Lord's day. His eyes and ears were opened to see and hear things of the spiritual world, as was the case with Abraham, when heavenly visitors came to his tent door (Genesis 18:1, 2) ; with the parents of Samson, when an angel told them how to do for the child (Judges 13:15-23); with Elisha's servant, when his eyes were opened and he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17); and you will think of others. Do you remember some in the Gospel who saw angels of heaven, especially near the beginning and near the end of the story? It was also with their spiritual eyes that the women and the disciples saw the Lord after His resurrection. (T. 793)

In the same way John's eyes and ears were opened, and the things that he saw and heard were in the spiritual world. In that world people are taught in wonderful ways; a scene is presented before their eyes, all of which represents important things. The things that John saw were of this kind; they were not the usual happenings of the spiritual world; but things were shown to him which "signified" important lessons which the Lord wished to teach.

Some things that John saw in the visions were not beautiful. There were pictures of bad things which must be overcome. But the Lord did not wish John or the churches to whom John was writing to be discouraged by these things, and every now and then there was a beautiful vision of people who were saved from evil and were prepared for heaven; and every now and then John heard songs of angels and the rejoicing of great multitudes. The 7th chapter and 14:1-3, 13 are such bright places in the vision. These chapters must have helped John and the churches, and they help us, not to be discouraged by the dark chapters, but to look forward to the blessing coming when evil is overcome and people live in the sunshine of the Lord. In reading Revelation, you will watch for the bright chapters. Today it is chapter 7.

Junior

The 7th chapter is one of the most lovely in Revelation, almost a glimpse of the sunshine and blessing which fill the vision of the Holy City. Notice points of likeness, in places even the same words, in our present chapter and in chapters 21 and 22. Our chapter describes the gathering of a heavenly multitude. First we read of a gathering from the tribes of Israel, twelve thousand from each tribe. In the Old Testament also the tribes of Israel were a type of the heavenly people. The Lord's care for them in their journey to the promised land pictures His care for those whom He is leading on the heavenly journey. And the tribes as they camped in order about the tabernacle and as they took the places given to them in the Holy Land were a picture of the societies of heaven. Remember how Balaam looking from the hills of Moab "saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes," and how the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he blessed them with a beautiful blessing. "How goodly are thy tents, 0 Jacob, and thy tabernacles, 0 Israel." (Numbers 24:2-6) "Inasmuch as the encampments of the children of Israel represented the arrangements of the angelic societies of heaven, therefore Balaam, when in vision he saw their encampments, saw as it were heaven, and prophesied and blessed them." (E. 431) The tribes have the same meaning in this chapter of the Revelation, and the twelve thousand of each tribe mean all of each heavenly kind.

Besides the tribes, we read of a great multitude, which no man could number. From their own words, and from what is said about them, we learn that they too are people who have repented of wrong with the Lord's help, and can come into heaven. When have we heard before of a multitude who waved palms, and cried, Hosanna! to the Lord? Have you ever thought how many people there must be in heaven? All the good people who have ever gone from this earth; and not only from this earth, but from all the countless earths! We cannot think of so many. Still less can we know the quality of each one and all. Only the Lord knows every one, and loves and cares for every one. Wonderful things about the immensity of heaven, and the multitude of angels, are told in H. 415-420.

And in heaven all is safe and peaceful. They have food and all things that they need. Their hearts are satisfied. The hard and painful things are over and are remembered only by the greater trustfulness or gratefulness which they have added to the character. "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." The Lamb is the Lord so Divinely innocent and kind. Remember when John first heard Him called by this name, when John the Baptist pointed Him out at the Jordan, and said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" (John 1:29, 36) Teachers should read about the state of peace in heaven (H. 284-290) ; and about heavenly joy and happiness (H. 395-414). Compare Revelation 21:3, 4. The same sunshine fills the 7th chapter.


1. How did John see the things that are described in the Revelation?

2. What names are missing in this list, which you usually find among the tribes?

3. What scene in the Gospels do you think of when you read of the multitude with palms in their hands?

4. What are our spiritual robes? and how are they made white?

5. What makes the lives of angels happy? Are there temptations there?

Spiritual Study

Intermediate

The things which John saw were not in themselves important events, but they represented events of great importance that were afterwards to take place in the spiritual world and in the spiritual states of men on earth. Many chapters of the Revelation describe as in a parable a judgment that would take place in the spiritual world in the year 1757. Then with a new opening of the Lord's Word there would come new light and power. The evil character of many persons in the spiritual world would be revealed and innocent persons would be freed from their power and find their home in heaven. In the chapter which we are reading, who represent the good who were set free and taken into heaven? See the summary of the spiritual sense, at the beginning of chapter 7, Apocalypse Revealed.

The account of the tribes and the multitude is introduced by three verses about the winds, the four angels holding them, and the angel ascending from the east who charged them to hurt nothing. We have often found the wind used as a type of the unseen but powerful influence of the other world, and especially of the Divine influence of the Lord. Remember how the Lord breathed on the disciples, and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (John 20:22); and how on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came with a sound as of "a rushing mighty wind." (Acts 1:2) Here the winds are the influence from the Lord by which evil would be exposed and condemned, and the good would be saved. The holding of the winds by the four angels, represents the care of the whole heaven lest harm might be done by the coming of influx too soon or in too great strength. The angel ascending from the east represents the Lord Himself, and the angel's words represent the Lord's care that the Divine influence should be restrained and regulated so as to do only good. A similar restraint was exercised by the Lord in His coming into the world, or needless suffering would have been caused to the evil, and the good also would have been overpowered and destroyed. (R. 342-347; E. 415-427)

The tribes and the great multitude both represent the good who could come into heaven; the tribes represent those of an interior, spiritual kind, the multitude those of an external, natural kind. Twelve thousand, like twelve, means all of each kind, and the twelve times twelve thousand has the same meaning made more strong. If we should study the several tribes, we should find that they are here arranged in groups of three, the first in each group having reference to some kind of heavenly love, the second to corresponding heavenly wisdom, and the third to heavenly use. (R. 348-362; E. 430, 431)

To number or to weigh spiritually is to know the state or quality of a thing. The Lord numbers the multitude; He knows each one, what his difficulties are of heredity and circumstance; and He provides for even the man of the most limited and troubled life, that he may come, if he will, by repentance and experience of His saving power into the happiness and peace of heaven.

Think more carefully of the meaning of the palms, grateful acknowledgments of the Lord's power to save; of the white robes, the pure, true thought and life of angels; of the blood of the Lamb, the Divine truth from the Lord, by which they are made pure; great tribulations, the temptations in which they have been faithful, and have learned to know the Lord's saving power. Think also of the several things which represent the happiness of the angels' life: no hunger nor thirst, no lack of good affection or true thought; no hurt from the sun nor any heat, no disturbing influences of evil; food and living waters, the Lord's instruction and guidance, never failing; the wiping away of tears "signifies, that they shall no longer be in combats against evils and their falsities, and thereby in sorrow, but in goods and truths, and thence in celestial joys from the Lord." (R. 363-385; E. 484)

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