"If we have to sum up the Book of Revelation in one phrase, it would be, 'Jesus wins."
- Jud Wilhite -
Revelation's "Hear/See" Paradigm: Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3
Thus far in this sub-series of three (please don't miss Part 1 and Part 2), we've looked at the two clearest, most unequivocal examples of the "Hear/See" pattern in the Apocalypse, or Book of Revelation. I hope those two examples have been adequate to convince you that "Hear/See" is a real, recurring pattern and that (when it occurs) what John hears and what he subsequently sees are one and the same thing.
In this final article in the sub-series (about the "Hear/See" pattern, part of a larger series on Keys to Revelation), we present our final example of the pattern.
Hear a description...
Image courtesy of Ilona and http://pixabay.com
So many expositors have gotten this wrong.
All you need do is google "who are the 144,000" in order to find a confusing mish-mash of opinions about who they may be. Populist theologians have even written entire fictional series purporting to identify this group of people.
However, if you recognize the "Hear/See" pattern,
it should now be utterly clear to you who the 144,000 are. Re-read this passage, and as you do, listen and then look.
"...saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed."After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”"
- Revelation 7:3-10
Who are these "servants of our God" who are to be sealed?
John hears that 144,000 of Israel are sealed.
If you googled this, you found that these could be everything from favored Jehovah's Witnesses to brave converted Jewish evangelists and so on and so on. From the description of what John heard, this group appears to have a fixed number of members, namely 144,000 composed of twelve groups of 12,000. However, that is just the "what he heard" portion.
Now that you have seen and understood the "Hear/See" pattern, you can apply it for yourself to reach the proper conclusion.
See what was described...
Image courtesy of Gerd Altmann and http://pixabay.com
John then looks and sees who the "servants of our God" are.
After hearing the number, John sees an innumerable number from every tribe and nation and kindred and tongue.
The truth is that "the 144,000" and the subsequently described "great multitude" are one and the same. These are two different views of the redeemed from all ages, every one from Adam down to the last stray sheep that the Good Shepherd--who is also the Lion of Judah and who is also the Lamb of God--will bring into the fold.
A great multitude that no one could number...
Image courtesy of Kipras Štreimikis and http://unsplash.com
To be sure,
there are expositors who have gotten this right without noticing the "Hear/See" pattern; however, recognizing this pattern simply adds another brick into the foundation of the evidence on which this understanding rests.
Additional support for this view includes the observation that believers are all sealed with the Spirit of God.
Keys to Understanding Revelation
Image courtesy of Arek Socha and http://pixabay.com
The "Hear/See" pattern.
I hope you'll add it to your collection of keys by which you begin to better understand the Revelation.
There are quite a few more keys.
From time to time, I hope to publish them here on Steemit.
FIN
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