Who Can Stand in the Day of the LORD?

Review

• Ch. 4–5: The Lamb is worthy to take the scroll and fulfill God’s plan for the Day of the Lord.

• Ch. 6: The Lamb breaks 6 seals, which begins God’s judgments against the world, culminating in panic on the earth because it is clear that the Day of the Lord has come.

Background

• Salvation in the Day of the Lord: The Day of the Lord is consistently depicted as a time when God judges His enemies and saves His people (Joel 2–3; Obad 15).

• “Parenthetical” or “Interlude” Sections in the Book of Revelation: In chapters 4–16, Revelation’s story plotline is carried forward by the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments. Chapters 7 and 10–15 (except for 11:15-19) consist of “parenthetical” or “interlude” sections in the plotline. These sections pause the plotline and provide background information that helps readers understand the significance of certain elements in the plotline. The background information provided by chapter 7 answers the question asked in 6:17, “Who is able to stand” before God as He carries out His wrath against the world? Another way to ask this question is: “Is there any salvation happening in the midst of this judgment?”

Theme: The Sealed of Israel and the Redeemed of the Nations are able to stand.

1A. (7:1-8) The Sealed of Israel can stand

1B. (7:1-3) Restraint of judgment until protection applied

• See Ezek 9:1-11––protection from and preservation through God’s judgment

2B. (7:4-8) Israel’s purpose fulfilled through 144,000 sealed

• On the tribes’ arrangement––There are at least 19 different arrangements of the names in the OT that differ from one another. So, differences in listings are normal. This list in Rev 7 matches no other list.

• On the absence of Dan––Possibly due to its history of idolatry (see Deut 29:18-21)

• On the absence of Ephraim––Possibly due to history of rejecting David and Judah (2 Sam 2:9; Isa 7:2, 5, 9, 17)

• On the inclusion of Manasseh––Possibly due to faithfulness to rest of Israel during conquest of land (Josh 17:16-19)

• This listing of the tribes affirms the Jewish expectation of the regathering of the nation in the end (Deut 30:1-5; Isa 11:10-16).

2A. (7:9-17) The Redeemed of the Nations can stand

1B. (7:9-12) They are able to stand because God saves

• These redeemed stand in heaven before God and the Lamb victorious, triumphant, secure, and righteous.

• Note: these are not a replacement, reconstitution, or fulfillment of Israel (see esp. “After this” in v. 1 and “after these things” in v. 9 for rebuttal of view that compares “I heard… I saw” with 5:5-6)

• These are victorious because of God’s activities of salvation despite persecution (see 6:10). Note other places where God’s salvation is extolled: over the dragon (12:10); over Babylon (19:1).

2B. (7:13-17) They are able to stand because God does indeed save

• Question asked to say “Don’t miss the significance of this vision.”

• Where are they from? The great tribulation (see Dan 9:27; Matt 24:21; Rev 3:10; 6:17).

• Who are they? Washed robes and made white in blood of the Lamb (Exod 19:10; Psa 51:7; Isa 1:16-18; Rev 5:9), serving God as priests in His temple (Lev 8:35; 1 Pet 2:5).

• They are before God because of His faithfulness to fulfill His promises: to dwell with them (Lev 26:11; Ezk 37:27); to comfort them (Isa 49:10, see vv. 5-6, 8-13); to protect them in the midst of opposition and death (Psa 121:5-6; 23:1-2); to bless them beyond death (Isa 25:8, see vv. 6, 7) for His glory (Isa 25:8, see vv. 1-5, 9).

Applications

• God is able to save through (see 144k) and in (see the unnumbered multitude) His judgment.

• God saves because of His power to protect from His wrath (144k).

• God saves because of His power to deliver despite death (unnumbered multitude).

• God saves to fulfill promises that you remember and even the promises you don’t remember.