7:1-3 – “And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”

“… these symbolic winds represent strife, anarchy, the great time of trouble which is held in check by divine power until the completion of the harvest work – the sealing of the living members of the elect class with present truth. We long ago pointed out that these four winds, let loose, coming together, will constitute a whirlwind, which is the symbolical figure used in the Bible to represent the great time of trouble approaching …

“The additional thought is that these winds or powers of the air, held in restraint, represent the fallen angels, whose prince is Satan, ‘the prince of the power of the air.’ Our thought is that the evil angels would long ago have done injury to the symbolical earth, sea and trees, had it not been for the restraint of divine power. Symbolically, the earth represents organized society; the sea represents the disorga- nized masses, and the trees represent the household of faith. The letting loose suddenly of the fallen angels will account well for the suddenness of the

coming trouble, which everywhere in the Scriptures is one of its particular features ‘in one hour’; ‘suddenly as travail upon a woman’; ‘as it was in the days of Noah,’ and ‘as it was in the days of Lot’.” (R4822:6)

Loosing The Four Winds

“God is now letting loose the winds of strife. He is letting the nations take their own course, in order to prove to themselves and others that they are not what they claim to be, and to humble them into the dust. Thus they will be brought to realize their own helplessness and their dire need of God. (Rev. 7:1-3)

“As we look back over the past thousand years, we can see that God has been holding the peoples of the earth more or less under restraint, permitting them to go only so far at any time. Otherwise they would have destroyed themselves long ago. The hearts of fallen humanity are so selfish that, had mankind been permitted to go their full length, the race would have been annihilated long before now. But God’s due time has come to let loose the winds of strife, with the result that the long-expected storm has burst in fury upon the world. The trouble is spreading from nation to nation; and it looks as if ultimately every nation will become involved – surely every one which formed part of the old Roman Empire. (Dan. 2:44) Whether the strife will extend beyond the boundaries of the Roman rule we do not know – nor whether it will involve America.

“There is much of Christian profession here, an outward form of godliness devoid of its power. Consequently it seems hardly possible that America will fail to escape full share in the judgment of the nations.” (OV433)

“This symbolical passage speaks of the four angels which stand at the four corners of the earth and hold the four winds that they should not blow upon the earth or upon the sea ‘until we shall have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.’ To our understanding we are in that very time when the servants of God are being sealed in their foreheads. The forehead represents the intellect; and to be ‘sealed in the forehead’ is to be intellectually marked.

“The intimation is that at this time, in the conclusion of this Gospel age, God will grant some intellectual mark upon his servants that no others will have; that there will be a great work of sealing; and those in perfect harmony with God are to be his servants in the work of sealing. The seal is the truth. ‘Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:32) The truth will mark in their foreheads those who receive it, branding them in a way that others of mankind are not marked or branded.” (R4880:5)

Anent This “Sealing”

“While the glorified members of the Kingdom beyond the vail are doing a work in shaping the current of present events and preparing for the glorious reign, those on this side the vail have also an important work. It is their mission to gather together the elect and to seal them in the forehead (intellectually) with the knowledge of the truth (Rev. 7:3); to separate the wheat from the tares with the sickle of present truth; and to proclaim unto Zion this important message – ‘Thy God reigneth!’ This work too, is going rapidly forward, and all the faithful, sealed ones are in turn busily engaged in sealing others; and soon the great work will be accomplished – the elect all gathered and glorified.” (C303)

The “Sealing” Who are the “Angels” or “Messengers?”

“… the sealing progresses. Daily and hourly the saints of God are being searched out and sealed ‘in their foreheads’ (intellectually) with a clear appreciation of the ‘mystery of God’ which has been kept secret in part hitherto, but is now made manifest unto the saints, according to the will of God – the mystery of God being about finished. (Rev. 10:7; Rom. 16:25, 26) The ‘angels’ or messengers doing this sealing (Rev. 7:1) are the same messengers referred to by our Lord when he declared that in the harvest or end of this age he would send forth his messengers with the sound of a great trumpet (the seventh trumpet), to gather together his elect from one end of heaven to the other. Every consecrated child of God who receives the truth realizes at once his duty and privilege of imparting it to others. He hears the commission, ‘Go ye into the vineyard’; and ‘He that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto eternal life.’ These are the Lord’s ‘angels’ – messengers or servants. The sealing and the gathering we understand to refer to the same thing. And the heavens through which these messengers go sealing and gathering is not the heaven of God’s throne, but the symbolic heavens so often referred to in the book of Revelation, namely, the nominal church.” (R1279:2)

“Sealing” – (of the Holy Spirit) All Down through the Gospel Age!

“The sealing of the elect has been in progress for nearly nineteen centuries. Altogether, gathered from Jews and Gentiles, there will be 144,000 kings and priests unto God, followers of the Lamb, and his joint-heirs in the kingdom.” (R5232:1)

Sealing in Heart and Forehead

“The Scriptures refer to the sealing of the holy Spirit as necessarily essential to membership in the Lord’s family at all. Whoever does not receive the seal, the impress of the holy Spirit, will not be a copy of God’s dear Son in heart, in character, and cannot be associated with him in the kingdom. The sealing is a gradual one, the impression becoming more permanent daily. We are not to understand sealing in the forehead to be identical with this sealing in the heart, although the two are closely related. Many of the Lord’s dear people throughout the past have had the seal of the Lord upon their hearts and characters but not upon their foreheads – they did not have that intellectual knowledge of God and his glorious plan which he has provided for all of his faithful of the present time, and which now becomes a test, a proof, an evidence to us that we are in the Lord’s favor and that he is showing us his deep things.” (R3991:6)

A Special Note on The Sealing in the Forehead

From R5231:5 it will have been noted that Bro. Russell applied this “sealing in the forehead” to all of the 144,000 – not merely to those who would be living in the end of the Gospel Age. He said:

“… we are given the picture of 144,000 sealed in the forehead. These are the same that are elsewhere represented as standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion.”

However, in R3991:6 he applied it to merely those living in the end of the Gospel age. Thus:

“… We are not to understand sealing in the forehead to be identical with this sealing in the heart, although the two are closely related. Many of the Lord’s people throughout the past have had the seal of the Lord upon their hearts and characters, but not upon their foreheads.”

This is not necessarily a contradiction, but rather the identical matter viewed from two different standpoints. (Similar to the matter of Nadab and Abihu, as suggested in the T40 footnote)

The 144,000, who will make their “calling and election sure,” will all, in one sense of the word, have been sealed with a knowledge of the deeper elements of the Truth – as may have been “present truth” at any time during the Gospel age. On the other hand, as suggested in the earlier Article (1907), only such of the 144,000, as lived in the end of the Age will have had –

“… that intellectual knowledge of God and his glorious plan – which he has provided for all the faithful of the present time, and which now becomes a test, a proof, an evidence to us that we are in the Lord’s favor and that he is showing us his deep things.” (R3991:6)

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 Judah 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.”

“… we are given the picture of 144,000, sealed in their foreheads. These are the same that are elsewhere represented as standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, and singing the song which none but themselves could learn to sing. (Rev. 14:1-3) Again, these are represented as being with the Lamb, standing upon the sea of glass. (Rev. 15:2, 3) Thus in various ways this group seems to represent the very elect, the saintly few, the little flock, to whom it will be the Father’s good pleasure to give the Millennial Kingdom, as joint-heirs with their Lord and Redeemer.

“In Rev. 7:4, we read that these are from the twelve tribes of Israel – 12,000 from each tribe. This is understood by Bible students to signify that God originally arranged for the full number of the elect to be taken from natural Israel, as though he did not know that natural Israel would reject the Lord and crucify him. The plan was laid out on the Israelitish basis, even though God knew in advance that Israel would not obtain that which he sought (the chief blessing), but that the election would obtain it, and the remainder of that nation would be temporarily blinded, until the completion of the gathering of the elect. (Rom. 11:7, 25-33)” (R5231:6)

“The Seed” = The 12,000 of each of the Twelve Tribes!

Jehovah-God foreknew that fleshly Israel would prove itself unworthy of becoming that “seed” of Abraham, which was in due time to bless all the nations (families) of the earth. (Gen. 22:18)

Nevertheless, Jehovah-God loved Abraham, and promised him that his seed would be that blesser! But how, under these circumstances? Here, again, is Jehovah’s foreknowledge reflected, for did he not also tell Abraham, that his seed was to be as the “sands” of the sea shore, and also as the “stars” of heaven? Perhaps to Abraham this promise (Gen. 22:17) would have reference to his fleshly descendants only. How could he have known of any other? Yet Abraham was also to be the “father” of the “spiritual seed!” In fact, the natural seed, because of its lack of the faith of Abraham, was really unworthy of being called the children of Abraham, (John 8:39) at all!

It is true, Abraham’s progeny – the nation of Israel, were the first to be honored with the privilege of becoming identified with the “seed” of promise. It is this that is implied by Jehovah’s words to them at Mt. Sinai:

Exod. 19:5, 6 – “… if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: … and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.”

To this, they, of course, agreed. (Exod. 19:8) However, little by little, they drifted further and further away from this ideal! And, so that there might be at least some of Abraham’s fleshly descendants ready for identification with this “seed,” God gave them the Law at Mt. Sinai; which Law, together with its covenant, was to afford them added inspiration unto worthiness. Paul put it this way:

Gal. 3:19 – “… it was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise was made.”

And so it was that when Jesus came, there were a few of Abraham’s natural seed – the disciples, etc., – who responded; but so few that the record declares:

John 1:11 – “He came to his own, and his own received him not.”

It will be recalled that originally, there were to be 144,000 – 12,000 of each of the 12 tribes of Israel as stated in Rev. 7:4-8 to make up this so-called ‘seed’ of Abraham. And since but a very few of the natural seed of Abraham proved to be worthy, the Gentiles were called upon to make up the deficiency.

“But there were not enough of the saintly ones to complete the election. Hence by divine favor the message was carried to the Gentiles … During the intervening centuries the Gentiles who had responded to God’s call have been accepted and begotten of the holy Spirit, have been reckoned in as Israelites indeed, as spiritual members of the seed of Abraham, as heirs, together with the elect Jews, to the first resurrection, according to God’s promise made to Abraham – natural Israel being still heir to God’s secondary promises.” (R5231:6)

That natural Israel – the Jewish nation would fail to attain membership in “the seed” which was to be as the “stars” of heaven, was already indicated, when the Prophet Hosea declared unto them:

Hosea 4:6 – “My people [Israel] are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

But it was not until Jesus himself declared unto them that their “house” was left unto them desolate

(Matt. 23:38) that they were finally cut off! Here it was that the ancient Israel was replaced by another Israel – a nation, as it were, that God raised up to provoke natural Israel to jealousy (Deut. 32:21); a nation that had not previously been called by His name. (Isa. 65:1) This is the nation addressed by Peter when he wrote:

1 Pet. 2:5, 9 – “Ye … are … an holy priesthood … a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people …”

And these are also those who are referred to in Rev. 5:10, as having been made “unto our God, kings and priests” to reign on the earth.

Thus it is clear that the 144,000 of Rev. 7:4-8 are “the seed” of Abraham, who will eventually bless all the nations (families) of the earth, and of whom the Apostle Paul says:

Gal. 3:29 – “… If ye be Christ’s [members of his body] then are ye [together with Jesus, the Head] Abraham’s seed and Theirs according to the promise.” (Gen. 22:18)

“Although many of the Israelites were dispersed amongst the surrounding nations, it is evident from the Scriptural records that the entire nation – every tribe – was represented in Palestine after the return from Babylonian captivity. Thus, Jesus referred to his work as being for the twelve tribes of Israel, and the apostles did so also. As a matter of fact, the saintly ones of the Jews who heard the call, and who responded, and who were begotten of the holy Spirit, and who thus became spiritual Israelites and sons of God – were from all the various tribes, of some more and of some less. These constituted so many of the foreordained 144,000.

“But there were not enough of the saintly ones to complete the election. Hence by divine favor the message was carried to the Gentiles.” (R5231:6)

The 144,000 (12,000 of each Tribe)

“The little flock in this symbolization of Revelation are pictured as 144,000, 12,000 out of each tribe of Israel. Natural Israel … was a typical people. The real Israel of God is Spiritual Israel. The promises and opportunities, however, went first to Natural Israel; and as many out of all the tribes who were of right condition of heart and received the Master were granted the liberty to become members of the House of Sons. (John 1:12) The remainder of that nation were cast off from participation in the chiefest blessing – to subsequently have an opportunity in the Millennial Age of attaining to an inferior blessing. Their casting off left vacancies in the appointed numbers of the twelve tribes; and it is those vacancies that the Lord during this Gospel Age has been inviting those who have an ear to hear the Truth and who have earnest desires of accepting it. Many more will be called than will be chosen to this place. The world in general is not called, but only those who have an ear to hear.” (SM727)

“Now when he came to Israel to select there were not enough, and they were mostly out of one tribe. They nearly all came out of Judah. Our Lord sprang from Judah, and most of the others also, so far as we know. Paul was of the tribe of Benjamin, and we do not know what the others were of; there were a certain number there received, but not enough to fill up the one hundred and forty-four thousand. We might suppose there were not more than ten or twelve thousand of those Israelites who ever became members of the Body of Christ. Would the Lord break up that arrangement? No; the Lord says, These are the Spiritual Israelites I had in mind, these natural tribes were merely the outward shell, as it were, and the real kernel of the matter from my standpoint was Spiritual Israel. I will still preserve this method of speaking of them as the twelve tribes. Now we have some from each of these tribes, and I will fill them up from all nations, kindreds, and peoples, and tongues; and it has taken all of this Gospel Age to do this. I do not know to which tribe I am assigned, and I do not care; it is merely an outward figure, and what difference does it make? It is all one company …” (Q606)

“We understand the Scriptures to teach that this elect number is 144,000.” (R3834:2)

The Twelve Tribes – Jews and Gentiles “This adoption, as the apostle informs us, primarily was the inheritance of Israel, but since there was not sufficient number in Israel ready to complete the predestinated number to be adopted, therefore, after accepting Israel’s remnant, ‘God did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name,’ to be the sons of God, joint-heirs with Christ, and this was foreknown and foretold through the prophets. (Rom. 9:4, 29-33; Acts 15:14)” (E177)

More Anent the 144,000 12,000 of Each Tribe

“Christian baptism to the Gentiles was a new thing. It symbolized the grafting of wild olive branches into the Israelitish olive tree. It was an immersion of aliens into the body of Messiah making them fellow members with the Jews of the twelve tribes of spiri- tual Israel, whose entire number was to be 144,000 – twelve thousand from each tribe. (Rev. 2:9; 3:9; 7:1-8; 14:1-5) Those taken from among the Gentiles were the wild olive branches grafted into the good olive tree, making up the number which lacked to complete this body of Christ.” (R5964:6)

Ephraim & Dan!

Antitypically, at least, Dan has lost his place among the 12 tribes! But “Why?” Jacob’s deathbed prophecy, and the subsequent history of the ancient tribe, are quite revealing.

“Jacob prophesied that it would be Dan ‘that biteth the horses heels, so that the rider shall fall backward.’ (Gen. 49:17) Horses are symbols of doctrines.1 Dan evidently represents a class tampering with doctrines, resulting in the overthrow of the New Creature. A study of the history of the tribe of Dan confirms this. Originally Dan was given one of the choicest parts of Palestine, one of the most fertile and the most secure. It was completely embraced by its two brother tribes, Ephraim and Benjamin, while on the southeast and south it joined Judah, and was thus surrounded by the three most powerful states of the whole confederacy. The Danites, however, failed to conquer the land originally assigned them (representing the failure of the New Creature to gain the victory over the mind of the flesh) and chose another inheritance to the far north (Judges 18:1-31). This selection of the farthest north resembles Satan’s similar choice (Isa. 14:13), and suggests that the Danite New Creatures are led away from their original inheritance by ambition. The context shows an unreasonably high valuation of their own judgment and a wilful interference with the priestly office, and this we may judge has been a frequent offence of those who commit the great sin that lies just beyond the sin of presumption. (Psa. 19:13; 2 Sam. 6:6, 7)” (The Finished Mystery, p. 133)

Ephraim is frequently a type of nominal Christendom; but we believe here he may be a type of the Great Company, who though “called” in the one hope of their calling (Eph. 4:4), and having been “accepted” in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6), fail to make their “election” sure. (1 Thes. 1:4; 2 Pet. 1:10) Because in many respects they are like the worldly church with whom they are frequently identified – they “mix” with the people of the land (Hosea 7:8a) and imbibe of a spirit which soon intoxicates them. (Isa. 28:1) The result is that even though they love righteousness, they do not hate iniquity sufficiently, to separate themselves completely unto the Lord. Their “vision” is soon blurred, and they stumble because of errors in judgement (Isa. 28:7) … What good is a cake that is only half-baked? Well, the Prophet likens Ephraim unto a cake that is not turned. (Hosea 7:8b)

² Thus Dan represents those of the consecrated who sin the “sin unto death” – the Second Death Class; and Ephraim those who will be called upon to go through the great tribulation (Rev. 7:14), for the destruction of the flesh, so that their spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Cor. 5:5) Both classes lose their place amongst the very elect (tribes) – engraved “stones” on the shoulder pieces and in the breastplate of the great World’s High Priest.

1 See C316
2 See T40; also footnote on T119

“A lion’s whelp”

The TRUE – JudaTh (Gen. 49:8) The COUNTERFEIT – Dan (Deut. 33:22; Gen. 49:17)

7:9,10 – “After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.”

“After telling of the sealing of the elect class, the spiritual Israel, the peculiar people, zealous of good works, the little flock, the bride, the overcomers, a definite number, ‘a hundred and forty and four thousand,’ gathered out of Babylon before the winds of the great tribulation are let loose upon the world, all of them bearing the seal or mark of God’s favor in their foreheads – a noticeable intellectual evidence of divine favor, the impress of the spirit of the truth as well as the word of truth, our Lord shows us the ‘great multitude’ of his followers, ‘whose number no man is able to tell’ (that is, it is not a fore-ordained or fixed number – none were called to be of this company), who will eventually stand before the Lord ‘clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands,’ crying, ‘Salvation to our God which sitteth on the throne and unto the Lamb.’ Who are these who are not the bride, the elect class, the overcomers, is the question? The answer is ‘These are they which come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple.’ (Rev. 7:9, 10, 13-15)

“The marks of distinction between this ‘great company’ and the ‘little flock’ are very pronounced, both as respects their present course and their future blessing. The faithful overcomers watch and keep their garments unspotted from the world. And this is given as one of the special conditions of acceptance as ‘overcomers’ to joint-heirship with the Lord – ‘they have not defiled their garments.’ (Rev. 3:4) They have kept ‘their garments unspotted from the world.’ They have not been willing to permit sin to contaminate them and to separate them from the Lord, but have quickly applied for and obtained the precious blood to remove every stain. They are so heartily opposed to sin and so earnest about keeping of this garment unspotted that the adversary gets no hold upon them – ‘the wicked one catcheth them not.’ (1 John 5:18) All of this indicates a full submission of their wills to the will of Christ – they are ‘dead with him,’ and hence could not willingly practice sin. Their reward is the crown of life, immortality, to be seated in the throne, and to constitute the temple of which our Lord is the capstone, the chief cornerstone. Now contrast with these the ‘great company:’ lacking the intense love and zeal of the overcomers, they do not keep their garment with sufficient care, and as a result they lose all the rewards promised the overcomers; and, having failed in the race, they would get nothing, if it were not for our Lord’s grace.” (R2160:6-2161:2)

The Great Company (Unfaithful Servants)!

“We refer to Rev. 7:9-17. There we see the unfaithful servants after they have passed with weeping and gnashing of teeth through the great tribulation which marks the full end of the Age. We see that their severe experiences will work with many of them such a change that they will gladly acclaim their Lord, and rejoice to be servants in His Temple and before His throne.

“Faithfulness in the use of their talents would have given this class a place with their Lord in His Throne, even as He promised. (Rev. 3:21) But in His great mercy, while rejecting them from association in the Throne, and while causing them to pass through merited tribulation for their unfaithfulness, He will nevertheless permit them to come up through that tribulation, washing their robes in the merit of His sacrifice. To those who are rightly exercised by these experiences He will give the palm of victory, but not the crown; for this is reserved for the faithful servants alone.” (SM514)

The “Great Company”

“The … class who allow spots to accumulate upon their robes, is the ‘great multitude, whose number no man knoweth.’ (Rev. 7:9) that is, they are not an ordained or fixed number as is the bride class. These must go through great tribulation, wash their robes, all spotted and soiled, in the blood of the Lamb. These will then stand before the throne, will serve God day and night in his temple. The bride class will be The Temple: or, in another figure, they will be seated upon the Messianic Throne with their Lord and Bridegroom. These different figures give different phases of the honored position and work of the Body of Christ in glory. These are spoken of as wearing crowns, the others as merely carrying palm branches, indicating final victory.

“How glad we are that our dear heavenly Father has mercifully provided for those who through lack of sufficient zeal and faithfulness lose the ‘Prize of the high calling’! We rejoice that even the ‘foolish virgins’ do not lose all, but will through tears and travail of soul yet come wholly back to the Lord. They will finish their course in death. Theirs is an enforced destruction of the flesh. Although they covenanted to sacrifice it willingly, yet they failed to do so. They love the Lord and love righteousness, but not sufficiently to be thoroughly loyal and faithful; and so they must be severely scourged, that their spirits may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (R5924:5)

“They let slip their opportunity for becoming members of the Bride; but they are, nevertheless, virgins, pure in their heart-intentions. They miss the prize, but gain, later, through severe testings, a share at the nuptial feast with the Bridegroom and Bride as ‘the virgins her companions that follow her’; they also shall be brought near before the King.” (F127)

It is interesting to note that Weymouth renders Rev. 7:12, as follows: “To our God seated on the throne, and the Lamb, we owe our salvation!”

7:11, 12 – “And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God. Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.”

The Angels “Sons of God”

“The angelic sons of God ‘shouted for joy’ (Job. 38:7) in the dawn of earth’s creative week, and after witnessing step after step in the development, finally saw man, its king, made in the divine image. Then came the fall by disobedience into sin and death, and the frightful experiences of fallen angels who kept not their primary estate, and man’s selfish and bloody history under the reign of Sin and Death. Then successively follow the redemption, the selection of the Anointed One (head and body) through sacrifice, and the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom with its wonderful restitution of all things spoken by God through the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. No wonder indeed that there should be a Jubilation in heaven and in earth when all of Jehovah’s intelligent creatures shall thus behold the lengths, heights and breadths and depths, not only of God’s Love, but also of his Justice and Wisdom and Power.” (F51)

Perhaps the angels here referred to – who would now honor and glorify God – are the same “sons of God” that shouted for joy, at the dawn of earth’s great creative week. (Job. 38:7; See also F51) First they stood round about the throne; then they fell on their faces before the throne, to pay homage to our God.

They were now able to take in, as it were, the full scope of God’s plan, and the revelation of his character. This is implied by the fact that the throne scene – representing the authority and sovereignty of God, before which they fell – here included the “elders” and the “four living ones.”

It is no wonder then, that these angels cried out: “Amen” – so be it; and
“The blessing and the glory, And the wisdom and the thanks, And the honor and the power, and the might, Be ascribed to our God, For ever and ever!” (Rev. 7:12 – Weymouth)

7:13-17 – “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

Perhaps the “elder” who now speaks, is the Mosaic testimony, with regard to the “great company,” given us prophetically, in connection with the birth of Benjamin, the brother of Joseph. This reads:

Gen. 35:16-19 – “… and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor. And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. And it came to pass, as her soul was departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni; but his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.”

“Bible students, realizing that Joseph was a type of The Messiah, are of the opinion that Benjamin, Joseph’s younger brother by the same mother, was also a type. As Abraham’s wives were typical of different covenants, so Bible students seem to see that Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, typified a special covenant – the covenant of sacrifice, which has operated during this Gospel age, and which brings two distinctly separate classes of saints. These two classes of saints seem to be typified by Joseph and Benjamin.

“The highest class is represented in Joseph – The Messiah – the class that includes the specially faithful people during this Gospel age – Jesus and all of his footstep followers. This class, eventually, as typified by Joseph, will reach the throne of empire, becom- ing the King or Ruler of the universe, next to the

Almighty Creator, typified by Pharaoh, who took Joseph out of the prison-house of death and highly exalted him to be next to himself in power and great glory.

“It has evidently escaped the attention of many Bible students, until recently, that two classes of saintly Christians are being developed during this Gospel age – a superior class, represented by Joseph, and an inferior class, represented by Benjamin. The word Benjamin signifies ‘son of my right hand.’ The name Benoni ‘son of my pain’ – was given to him by This mother, who died in giving him birth.

“The antitypical lesson here would be that this special covenant, typified by Rachel, gives birth to the elect church, The Messiah, of which Jesus is the Head, and will also give birth to another class, and then cease – expire – giving birth to no more. The secondary class are Scripturally designated as tribulation saints, the declaration being made that they shall ‘come up out of great tribulation’ to the blessing which they will inherit. Moreover, this class is represented as being much more numerous than the still more honored class, typified by Joseph.” (R5231:3, 5)

“There is … reason for considering Benjamin a prefigure of the ‘great company.’ It is this: his name, Benjamin signifies ‘son of my pain.’¹ He was born in sorrow and travail, even as the ‘great company’ will ‘come up out of great tribulation.’ His mother died in giving him birth – as we expect the spiritual feature of the Abrahamic Covenant to pass away entirely with the change of those who will constitute the ‘great company’.” (R4437:1)

The Great Company – its Tribulation

“This little flock by no means constitutes the whole house of God. No, the house of God – the household of faith – is a large class, the majority of whom are still in the nominal Church, fettered by its creeds and dwarfed by its worldly conformity. For their sake that they may be brought into the liberty of the sons of God, even through great tribulation (Rev. 7:14) – we are told that ‘judgment must begin at the house of God.’ They must be liberated first, and the overcoming class shall be instruments in striking off the shackles of error.” (R498:3)

The Great Company –They Might Have Been

“… these of this second company have no separate and distinct call. They might as easily, and with much more satisfaction, have attained to the glories of the divine nature had they rendered prompt and hearty obedience. They do come off victors in the end, as is shown by the fact that to them are granted the palm branches; but their lack of zeal hindered them from being accepted as of the overcoming class, thus preventing their eternal joint- heirship and glory as participants in the New Creation, as well as depriving them of much of the joy and peace and satisfaction which belongs to the overcomers and is enjoyed by them even in this present life. The place to which they will attain … will apparently be one similar in many respects to the state or plane of the angels.” (F93)

¹ See Gen. 35:18 – margin; evidently, this is lapsus linguae, for it is “Benoni” and not “Benjamin” that means, son of my pain.

The Great Company = Tribulation Saints

Isa. 34:6 – “The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea (Edom).”

“As all the land of Edom symbolizes all of ‘Christendom,’ so its capital city, Bozra, represented Ecclesiasticism, the chief citadel of Christendom. The prophet represents the Lord as a victorious warrior who makes a great slaughter in Edom, and especially in Bozra. The name Bozra signifies ‘sheepfold.’ Bozrah is even yet noted for its goats, and the slaughter of this day of vengeance is said to be of the ‘lambs and goats.’ (Isa. 34:6) The goats would correspond to the ‘tares,’ while the lambs would represent the tribulation saints (Rev. 7:14; 1 Cor. 3:1) who neglected to use the opportunities granted them, and did not so run as to obtain the prize of their high calling; and who therefore, although not rejected of the Lord, were not accounted worthy to escape the trouble as matured ‘sheep’ – called, chosen and faithful.” (D17)

(See also Rev. 19:11-16)

The Washing – NOT The Suffering

“Not that their sufferings will wash their robes, but that in their sufferings they will learn to appreciate as never before their relationship to the Lamb of God and to his atoning merit, and by faith will be permitted to apply the same to their cleansing.” (R4036:6)

Thus do we find that the “great multitude” of Rev. 7:9, is identified for us, with those of Rev. 7:14, who must of necessity be brought “out of great tribulation,” washing their bespotted robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

“God’s grace cannot admit to heavenly perfection those who have not robes of spotless righteousness; and hence we are shown that these who have not cared for their garment and kept them white must be put through a severe experience before they can in any sense of the word be sharers of heavenly favors. These severe experiences are shown in symbol as washing their robes in a great tribulation. But to show that not the penances or sufferings would cleanse the robes, that these might be necessary as proper punishments and disciplines, it is particularly stated that the efficacy for the cleansing is the ‘blood of the Lamb.’ Many will thus be purged, purified, and their garment, now sullied by contact with the world, often in the garb of nominal Christianity, will be cleansed of every guilty stain, when they, realizing the folly of their course shall repentantly appeal to the Lord and use his help.” (R2161:2)

“The Great Company … will be overcomers; else they would never get any part in the everlasting blessings which the Lord is about to dispense now, at his second advent, when all of his faithful will be received to the heavenly home, the Father’s House. They will be overcomers, or conquerors, in the end, because the Lord will help them through by forcing those of this class who will be living in the end of the present age to come to a positive decision – to banish their fears and courageously count not their lives dear unto them in the great tribulation with which this age will end. The fact that when the test does come, when the crisis is reached, these will die rather than deny the Lord will constitute them overcomers and secure for them the blessing described in our text. (R5865:1)

“… rightly exercised by the discipline, they will finally be received into the spiritual condition. They will have everlasting, spiritual life as angels have it, but will lose the prize of immortality. They will serve God in This temple, and stand before the throne, having palms in their hands (Rev. 7:9-17); but though that will be glorious, it will not be so glorious as the position of the ‘little flock’ of overcomers, who will be kings and priests unto God, seated with Jesus in the throne as his bride and joint-heir and with him crowned with immortality.”(A214)

“Shall dwell among them”

“They shall hunger no more …”

Isa. 49:10 – “They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he shall lead them, even by springs of water shall he guide them.”

As the Great Company, in their “scapegoat” experiences are –
“sent into the Wilderness condition of separation from the world, forced thither by the ‘man of opportunity’ – unfavorable circumstances – there to be buffeted by adversity until they learn the vanity, deceitfulness and utter worthlessness of the world’s approval, and until all human hopes and ambitions die, and they are ready to say, God’s will, not mine be done!” (T70)

They will undoubtedly often have felt a hunger and thirst in their souls for both the fellowship of true saints, and the pure and unadulterated truth itself. Not only this, but the heat and severity of their tribulations, like the light and heat of the noonday sun, will also have made their lot a most unpleasant one. Yet all of this will have ceased, when cleansed, purged and purified, “‘he that sitteth in the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them’ (shall associate them with himself and This glorified Bride in the spiritual condition and its ser- vices).” (F127) “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them into living fountains of water.” (Rev. 7:16, 17)

Evidently, for this Great Company, there will be a moment for reflection upon that which was, and that which is. In this reflection on the past, they will recall those opportunities which had been afforded them, in which they might have striven more faithfully, but didn’t; then, on reflecting on the immediate present, they will realize what they have missed – joint-heirship in the glorified Body of the Christ. Figuratively, this will cause their eyes to fill with “tears.” However, in the contemplation of the future, they will be enabled to forget that which is in the past, and to think upon that which is being made theirs by the grace of the Lord! Thus will their “tears” (the momentary reflection on past unfaithfulness and the failure to attain the highest honor) be wiped away from their eyes. Thus will God “wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:17)