Teks -- Revelation 7:4 (NET)

7:4 Now I heard the number of those who were marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed from all the tribes of the people of Israel:

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Rev 7:4 - The number of the sealed

The number of the sealed ( ton arithmon tōn esphragismenōn ).

Accusative case object of ēkousa and genitive of the perfect passive articular participle of sphragizō . He did not see the sealing or count them himself, but only heard.

Robertson: Rev 7:4 - A hundred and forty and four thousand

A hundred and forty and four thousand ( hekaton tesserakonta tessares chiliades ).

Symbolical, of course, and not meant to be a complete number of the sealed (or saved) even in that generation, let alone for all time. The number connotes perfection (Alford), 12x12x1000= a hundred and forty-four thousands (chiliades , Rev 5:11). Nominative absolute, not agreeing in case either with arithmon (accusative) or esphragismenōn (genitive). So as to the case of esphragismenoi .

Robertson: Rev 7:4 - Out of every tribe of the children of Israel

Out of every tribe of the children of Israel ( ek pāsēs phulēs huiōn Israēl ).

There are two opposite views here, one taking the sealed as referring only to Jews (either actual Jews as a remnant or just Jewish Christians), the other including Gentiles as well as Jewish Christians, that is the true Israel as in Rev 2:9; Rev 3:9. and like Paul in Galatians and Romans. This is the more probable view and it takes the twelve tribes in a spiritual sense. But in either view there remains the difficulty about names of the tribes. The list is not geographical, since Levi is included, but Dan is omitted and Manasseh put in his place, though he as the son of Joseph is included in Joseph. Irenaeus suggested that Antichrist was expected to come from the tribe of Dan and hence the omission here. There are various lists of the tribes in the O.T. (Gen 35:22.; Gen 46:8.; Gen 49; Exo 1:1.; Num 1:2; Num 13:4; Num 26:34; Deu 27:11.; Deu 33:6.; Josh 13-22; Judges 5; 1 Chron 2-8; 1Ch 12:24.; 1Ch 27:16.; Ezek 48) and given in various orders. In 1Ch 7:12 both Dan and Zebulon are omitted. Joseph is given here in place of Ephraim. The distribution is equal (12,000) to each tribe.

Vincent: Rev 7:4 - An hundred and forty and four thousand

An hundred and forty and four thousand

Not literally, but the number symbolical of fixedness and full completion (12 x 12). The interpretations, as usual, vary greatly, dividing generally into two great classes: one holding that only Jews are meant, the other including the whole number of the elect both Jew and Gentile. Of the former class some regard the sealed as representing Jewish believers chosen out of the literal Israel. Others add to this the idea of these as forming the nucleus of glorified humanity to which the Gentiles are joined. Others again regard them as Jews reserved by God until Antichrist comes, to maintain in the bosom of their nation a true belief in Jehovah and His law, like the seven thousand in the days of Elijah.

The interpretation of the latter class seems entitled to the greater weight. According to the Apocalyptic usage, Jewish terms are " christianized and heightened in their meaning, and the word " Israel" is to be understood of all Christians, the blessed company of all faithful people, the true Israel of God." See Rom 2:28, Rom 2:29; Rom 9:6, Rom 9:7; Gal 6:16; Phi 3:3. The city of God, which includes all believers, is designated by the Jewish name, New Jerusalem. In Rev 7:3, the sealed are designated generally as the servants of God . In chapter 14 the one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed are mentioned after the description of the enemies of Christ, who have reference to the whole Church of Christ; and the mention of the sealed is followed by the world-wide harvest and vintage of the earth. The one hundred and forty-four thousand in chapter 14, have the Father's name written in their foreheads; and in Rev 22:4, all the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem are so marked. In Rev 21:12, the twelve tribes include all believers. The mark of Satan which is in the forehead, is set upon all his servants without distinction of race. See Rev 13:16, Rev 13:17; Rev 14:9; Rev 16:2; Rev 19:20; Rev 20:4. The plagues threaten both Jews and Gentiles, as the sealing protects all.

Wesley: Rev 7:4 - Of the children of Israel

To these will afterwards be joined a multitude out of all nations. But it may be observed, this is not the number of all the Israelites who are saved from Abraham or Moses to the end of all things; but only of those who were secured from the plagues which were then ready to fall on the earth. It seems as if this book had, in many places, a special view to the people of Israel.

JFB: Rev 7:4

Twelve is the number of the tribes, and appropriate to the Church: three by four: three, the divine number, multiplied by four, the number for world-wide extension. Twelve by twelve implies fixity and completeness, which is taken a thousandfold in 144,000. A thousand implies the world perfectly pervaded by the divine; for it is ten, the world number, raised to the power of three, the number of God.

JFB: Rev 7:4 - of all the tribes

Literally, "out of every tribe"; not 144,000 of each tribe, but the aggregate of the twelve thousand from every tribe.

JFB: Rev 7:4 - children

Greek, "sons of Israel." Rev 3:12; Rev 21:12, are no objection, as ALFORD thinks, to the literal Israel being meant; for, in consummated glory, still the Church will be that "built on the foundation of the (Twelve) apostles (Israelites), Jesus Christ (an Israelite) being the chief corner-stone." Gentile believers shall have the name of Jerusalem written on them, in that they shall share the citizenship antitypical to that of the literal Jerusalem.

Clarke: Rev 7:4 - I heard the number of them which were sealed

I heard the number of them which were sealed - In the number of 144,000 are included all the Jews converted to Christianity; 12,000 out of each of the twelve tribes: but this must be only a certain for an uncertain number; for it is not to be supposed that just 12,000 were converted out of each of the twelve tribes.

Defender: Rev 7:4 - hundred and forty and four thousand

This is the only occurrence of the number 144,000 in the Bible, and no reason is given for it here. One possibility is that each Israelite will serve as one of the twelve tribal leaders for one month during the thousand-year kingdom age.

Defender: Rev 7:4 - Juda

Juda (same as "Judah") is placed first in the list by virtue of Jacob's prophecy following Reuben's failure as eldest son (Gen 49:8-12; 3-7), as well as the cruelty of Simeon and Levi."

TSK: Rev 7:4 - I heard // an // all

I heard : Rev 9:16

an : Rev 14:1, Rev 14:3; Gen 15:5; Rom 9:27, Rom 11:5, Rom 11:6

all : Eze 47:13, Eze 48:19, Eze 48:31; Zec 9:1; Mat 19:28; Luk 22:30; Act 26:7; Jam 1:1

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Rev 7:4-8 - Juda // Reuben // Gad // Aser // Nepthalim // Manasses // Simeon // Levi // Issachar // Zabulon // Joseph // Benjamin

Ver. 4-8. For the understanding of these five verses several things are to be noted.

1. That the whole number is one hundred and forty-four thousand, which is the product of twelve, as the original number, (setting aside the ciphers), for twelve times twelve make one hundred and forty-four. The number of one hundred and forty-four, Rev 21:17 , was the measure of the wall of the new Jerusalem. Twelve, which is the root of this number one hundred and forty-four, seemeth to be God’ s number, and used in Scripture about one hundred and forty-four times, and almost generally in things belonging to the church; which had twelve patriarchs, twelve tribes under the Old Testament, twelves apostles (as its head) under the New Testament: and the new Jerusalem from heaven, Rev 21:12 , is said to have twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; Rev 7:14 , the wall had twelve foundations; the length of it, Rev 7:16 , twelve thousand furlongs.

2. That we must not by one hundred and forty-four thousand understand a certain, but an uncertain number, which yet was very great.

3. That by the tribes of Israel mentioned here, are to be understood the several gospel churches of the Gentiles, who are now God’ s Israel ingrafted into the true olive.

4. That the tribe of Dan is here left out, and Ephraim is not named, though included in Joseph. Of the tribe of Dan there were none sealed. Dan was a great ringleader to idolatry, so was Ephraim; see Jud 17:1-18:31 ; and at Dan it was that Jeroboam set up his calves. Levi is put in instead of Dan, and Joseph instead of Ephraim, by which means here are yet twelve tribes; which teacheth us this: That Christians, if idolaters, must not look for any special protection or favour from God in a day of evil.

5. These tribes are not set in order, according to their birthright.

Juda was Leah’ s fourth son, Gen 29:35 , put first, because Christ descended from him.

Reuben her eldest son, is put next, giving place only to the Messiah’ s tribe.

Gad Jacob’ s son by Zilpah, Gen 30:11 , is put next.

Aser Jacob’ s son by Zilpah, in the fourth place, Gen 30:13 .

Nepthalim is put next, who was Jacob’ s son by Bilhah, Rachel’ s maid, Gen 30:8 .

Manasses is put next, who was Joseph’ s son.

Simeon Jacob’ s second son by Leah, Gen 29:33 , is put in the seventh place.

Levi Leah’ s third son, Gen 29:34 , in the eighth place.

Issachar Leah’ s fifth son, Gen 30:18 , is put in the ninth place.

Zabulon Leah’ s sixth son, is put in the tenth place, Gen 30:20 .

Joseph is put in the eleventh place, for Ephraim his son.

Benjamin Rachel’ s second son, is put in the last place.

If there be any mystery in this order, differing from all other scriptures where there is a mention made of the twelve patriarchs, it is probable that Mr. Mede hath hit upon it, in regard of the, good or ill deserts of these tribes, some of which are mentioned by him; all may be learned from the history of the Jews recorded in holy writ. Hence we may learn, that the summary sense of all these verses is this: That although within that period of time which is signified under the seventh seal, there should be great persecutions of the church, yet God would preserve unto himself a great number in all his churches, which should not apostatize, and who in the persecutions should not be hurt; so as his church should not fail, though the archers should shoot sore at it; for though men raged, yet it was by God’ s permission; and his angels overruled it, who should take notice of those numbers that he had sealed, and marked in their foreheads.

PBC: Rev 7:4

Re 7:4

144,000 sealed (Firstfruits among the Jews)

Re 14:1-4 calls these the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Re 7:4-8 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. 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. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

Tribes of Ephraim and Dan not Included in this number

The passage under consideration mentions twelve tribes. However, the tribes of Ephraim and Dan are not included. Why were they not included in this sealing? Had God cast them away forever? In my mind, this has nothing to do with God’s eternal love and election. It pertains to the standing of all the tribes at the present time of the destruction of Jerusalem. Dan and Ephraim had committed great sins and no longer existed as tribes. These sins were the worshiping of Idols which were set up in their land. God had long ago ceased to recognize them as being a part of National Israel. Let us look at these particular sins of Dan and Ephraim.

A proverb against Dan was made by his own father, Jacob: " Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward." {Ge 49:17}

The prophet Amos said of Dan: " They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again." {Am 8:14} These prophecies speak of the demise of Dan and Ephraim and their tribes being rejected by God.

How did Ephraim get involved? (Please read Jg 17:1-13 & Jg 18:1-31 for the entire account of this involvement.) There was a man named Micah who dwelt in Mount Ephraim. This man had a house of idols, called a house of gods. He had made an ephod and teraphim, and he consecrated one of his sons as priest. " In those days there was no king in Israel, and every man did that which was right in his own eyes." {Jg 17:6} This man, Micah, evidently had known something about the mode of Temple worship: he used the clothing of a priest. With no leadership, the tribe of Ephraim was already bent toward error in worship: Idols were their gods. There was no fellowship with the God who had given them this land. Yet, in their vanity, they wanted to retain something of that which He had commanded concerning worship.

There was a young Levite from the land of Judah who came to Mount Ephraim. " And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed." {Jg 17:8} Why did this Levite leave Judah? Could it have been that Judah no longer carried out God’s instruction to provide support for the livelihood of the priesthood? Levites had no inheritance among the tribes of Israel. Because Judah ceased to follow God’s plan for the livelihood of the priesthood, they evidently sought their livelihood elsewhere. This throws a reproach on Judah. She has departed from the true worship of God as given under the Law.

The Demise of the Tribe of Dan

The tribe of Dan sent out men to find new territory in which to settle.[1]  They persuaded this young Levite to go with them and be their priest. They took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, then journeyed northward to Laish, where they captured and burned the city. They built another city which they called Dan. Jg 18:30 tells us this place of worship continued until the day of the captivity of the land. Jeremiah had prophesied that God would scatter them into all winds and bring calamity from all sides. {Jer 49:32} Ezekiel had also prophesied of them, " A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them." {Eze 5:12} God had also said of these same people, " And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it." {Eze 17:21} In this account we find the tribe of Dan already steeped in idol worship long before Jeroboam set up altars, one in Dan and one in Bethel. {1Ki 12:29} Bethel had originally been allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. {Jos 18:21-22} The house of Joseph went up against the city and took it. {Jg 1:22-26} It remained on the southern border of Ephraim. Ephraim became steeped in this idol worship along with the Tribe of Dan.

Isaiah had prophesied that, because of the unholy alliance of Ephraim with Rezin, king of Syria, Ephraim would be destroyed, " For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people." {Isa 7:8} Not only would Dan be utterly destroyed, but so would Ephraim. At the time of the sealing of the twelve tribes, Dan and Ephraim had been scattered to the four winds and their calamity was complete. At the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the existence of Dan and Ephraim had long since ceased. Therefore, they could not be counted among the Jews who were the Firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. This accounts for their not being numbered with the tribes of Israel in the sealing by the angel of God. Again, we must remember this was a temporal destruction. It had nothing to do with eternity.

We find at the day of Pentecost[2] there were gathered at Jerusalem devout Jews from every nation under heaven. In Re 7:4, the number (144,000) which were sealed included only devout Jews who were obedient. This sealing is a figurative term and is representative of the Firstfruits unto God and the Lamb.[3]  —Eld. Charles Taylor  

[1] Jg 18:11

[2] Ac 2:5 " And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven."

[3] Re 14:3-5

Haydock: Rev 7:4 - I heard the number of them that were sealed

I heard the number of them that were sealed. By these determinate numbers need only be understood a great number of Jews converted and saved, though much greater was the number of the saved taken from among the Gentiles of all nations, of which it is said, I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, &c. (Witham) ---

The number of one hundred and forty-four thousand is not to be taken in a literal and strict sense, but to express in general terms the great number of the elect; for it appears that the tribe of Dan, which certainly must have produced some elect, is not mentioned, and the tribe of Joseph is put in lieu of that of Ephraim: so that if it be supposed that these numbers must be taken literally, the tribe of Joseph would have produced a double number to that of any other tribe, since Manasses was his son, and the tribe of Dan would have produced none. (Ven. Bede)

Gill: Rev 7:4 - And I heard the number of them which were sealed // and there were sealed an hundred and forty, and four thousand // of all the tribes of the children of Israel

And I heard the number of them which were sealed,.... And therefore could be sure of the exact number, which did not depend upon his sight, and telling them, in which some mistake might have been made, but he heard the number expressed:

and there were sealed an hundred and forty, and four thousand: which is a square number arising from twelve, the square root of it, being just twelve times twelve thousand; and may denote their being the true and genuine offspring of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, holding their doctrine, and being built on their foundation; see Rev 21:14; and these were

of all the tribes of the children of Israel; not that these were all Jews in a literal sense, for the time of their conversion in great numbers is not yet come. Dr. Goodwin thinks these sealed ones design the believers of the Greek and Armenian churches, and his reasons are not despicable; but this is to limit and restrain them to a particular part of the church of Christ; whereas they take in all the saints within this long tract of time, even all that are the true Israel of God, who are Jews inwardly, of what nation, kindred, tongue, and people soever; and is a certain and determinate number for an uncertain and indeterminate one; and only intends a large number of persons known to God and Christ; see the Apocrypha:

"Arise up and stand, behold the number of those that be sealed in the feast of the Lord;'' (2 Esdras 2:38)