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Revelation Lecture 10

THE LAMB IS OUR SHEPHERD

Revelation 7:1-17

Key Verse 7:17

1. What might the “four corners of the earth” and the “four winds” suggest about the scope of this vision (1)? Why were the four angels holding back the four winds of the earth (1–3)? What might sealing the foreheads of God’s servants signify (3; Ezek. 9:3–6; Eph. 1:13–14)?
2. What might the number 144,000 signify, and whom might those sealed “from all the tribes of Israel” represent (4; Rev 14:4)? What might be significant about Judah appearing first, Levi being included, and Dan being omitted (5–8)? What might the equal number sealed from each tribe suggest about God’s people and his purposes for them?
3. What does John describe the great multitude, and what might their size, diversity, location, white robes, and palm branches signify (9)? What does the multitude’s proclamation reveal about the source of their salvation (10)? What does the angels’ worship reveal about God’s worthiness (11-12)?
4. How have their robes become white, and what might “the great tribulation” refer to (13–14)? What does it mean that the Lamb is their shepherd (15-17)? How can this vision encourage us to remain faithful to Jesus during suffering or opposition?

Revelation Lecture 10 October 18, 2026

THE LAMB IS OUR SHEPHERD

Revelation 7:1-17

Key Verse 7:17

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Last week, we studied the judgments of the first six seals. First came the four horsemen. They brought conquest, war, famine, and death. Then John saw the souls of the martyrs. They had been killed for their faith. They cried out to God, “How long, Sovereign Lord?” When the sixth seal opened, a great earthquake shook the earth. The sun turned black. The moon turned blood red. The stars fell from the sky. People hid in fear. Do you remember the last words of the chapter? “For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”

Chapter 7 comes between the opening of the sixth seal and the seventh seal. The seventh seal opens in chapter 8. This pause is called an “interlude.” An interlude is a break in the story. Here, our attention turns from God’s judgments to God’s people. This chapter gives us hope, comfort, and confidence. We belong to God. The Lamb is our shepherd. He cares for us. He leads us to springs of living water.

Today’s passage raises some difficult questions. Who are the 144,000 who receive God’s seal? Is this a literal number of people from Israel? Or does it symbolize all of God’s people? And what is “the great tribulation”? Does it refer to suffering in John’s time? Or does it point to a final period of suffering right before Jesus returns? Or does it describe the suffering of believers throughout history? These questions have been answered in different ways. The answers often depend on how Revelation is read as a whole.

In our first study, I introduced several approaches of interpretation. Do you remember them? Let me briefly review them. This will help us read today’s passage consistently.

First, the Preterist Approach. This approach connects much of Revelation with events in the ancient world, such as the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Second, the Historicist Approach. This approach reads Revelation as events throughout church history. For example, some historicist interpreters identified the beast with the pope or the Roman Catholic Church.

Third, the Futurist Approach. Many of us are familiar with this approach. It understands much of chapters 4-22 as describing future events. One form, called Dispensational Futurism, tends to read the visions as a sequence of future events. It often understands the 144,000 as a literal group from Israel. But this view faces some challenges. If most of the book concerns only a distant future, what did it mean to the churches that first received it? Reading its symbols too literally may also cause us to miss their meaning.

Fourth, the Idealist Approach. This approach sees Revelation as a symbolic picture of the ongoing conflict between God and the forces of evil. God’s people face pressure, deception, and suffering. Yet Christ will win the final victory. This approach helps us see how Revelation speaks to every generation.

Fifth, the Pastoral and Prophetic Approach. This is the approach we are taking. It focuses on how Revelation shapes us as God’s people. It considers the past, speaks to the present, and looks toward the future. Revelation was first sent to seven churches. Some believers faced persecution. Others were becoming comfortable with idolatry and compromise. They needed comfort and correction. They needed encouragement to endure and a call to repent. This is the pastoral purpose of Revelation. Revelation also exposes evil and challenges compromise. It announces God’s judgment and salvation. It calls his people to be faithful. This is the prophetic purpose of Revelation. So we begin with a simple question: What did this passage mean to the churches that first heard it? Then we ask: Where do we face similar challenges today? How should we respond? We also keep looking ahead. Jesus will return. Evil will not last forever. God will make all things new. Our goal is to hear God’s word and respond faithfully.

We will read today’s passage from this pastoral and prophetic perspective. We will consider who the 144,000 sealed people are. And we will explore what “the great tribulation” means. These questions matter. But the main theme is this: The Lamb is our Shepherd. He protects his people and leads them to final victory. Please keep this theme in mind as we listen to God’s word today.

The chapter begins with the words, “After this I saw.” These words mark a new vision. What did John see? Four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. This is a picture of the whole world. The number four points to every direction—north, south, east, and west. What were the angels doing? They were holding back the four winds. No wind could blow on the land, the sea, or any tree. The four winds represent destructive forces of judgment. They may be connected with the four horsemen in chapter 6. The point is clear. These destructive forces cannot act freely. God’s angels are holding them back. Verse 2 tells us that these angels had been given power to harm the land and the sea. Yet, for now, they must wait. Even in judgment, God remains in control.

John sees another angel coming from the east. This angel carries something important: the seal of the living God. He calls out to the four angels in a loud voice: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” What is his mission? To place God’s seal on the foreheads of God’s servants. The four angels must keep holding back the winds until God’s servants have been sealed.

Then what does this seal mean? We find a similar picture in Ezekiel chapter 9. Jerusalem was filled with idolatry and violence. God’s judgment was coming against the city. But first, God told a man clothed in linen to go through Jerusalem. He was to put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieved over the evil around them. Then God told those carrying out the judgment, “Do not touch anyone who has the mark.” The mark identified those who belonged to God. They were to be spared from that judgment. We also find the picture of a seal in Ephesians 1:13. Paul says, “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” The seal points to belonging and protection. Think of a school’s stamp inside a textbook. The stamp tells us the book belongs to that school. In the same way, by sealing his people, God declares, “You belong to me. You are under my care.”

Look at verse 4: “Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.” The following verses list twelve tribes. Each tribe has 12,000 sealed people. Together, they make 144,000. Now we come to a difficult question. Who are the 144,000 who receive God’s seal? Their identity has been understood in different ways. Some religious groups claim that only their members belong to the 144,000. We must be cautious about such groups. There are several questions: “Is the number literal or symbolic?” “Does Israel refer only to Jewish people?” “Are these people a special group of believers or the whole church?”

Some understand the 144,000 sealed people literally. They claim that God seals exactly 144,000 Jewish believers. There are 12,000 from each tribe. God preserves them for a special purpose. Some connect this with Romans 11:25–26. Paul says that “all Israel will be saved” after the full number of the Gentiles has come in. They see the 144,000 as part of God’s salvation work among the Jewish people. This view takes the words “tribes of Israel” seriously.

Others understand the 144,000 as a symbol of all God’s people. Throughout Revelation, numbers carry meaning. Twelve is closely connected with God’s people. Israel had twelve tribes. Jesus chose twelve apostles. We see these two groups brought together in Revelation 21. The New Jerusalem has the names of Israel’s twelve tribes on its gates. Its foundations bear the names of the Lamb’s twelve apostles. The number 144,000 is twelve times twelve times one thousand. These numbers express fullness and completeness. They picture the whole people of God. This includes Jewish believers and Gentile believers.

There is also a picture of the Lamb’s army. In Numbers, Israel’s men were counted by tribe for military service. Some interpreters understand the 144,000 as a special group within the church. They may see them as faithful witnesses or martyrs.

Revelation 14 helps us understand the 144,000 sealed people. There, the 144,000 stand with the Lamb on Mount Zion. His name and his Father’s name are written on their foreheads. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from humanity. They are offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. They speak the truth and are described as blameless. They are also described as virgins who have not defiled themselves with women. They refuse to give themselves to idolatry. They overcome through faithful witness, truth, and endurance. They remain loyal to Jesus, even when it costs them their lives.

I find the symbolic understanding most convincing. The 144,000 represent the whole people of God. The number points to their completeness. The seal shows that they belong to God. And the army picture shows their calling to follow the Lamb. So, if you trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and follow him as his disciple, I believe this vision includes you. You belong to the Lamb who redeemed you. Together, we stand with the Lamb against Satan and the forces of evil. We must resist idolatry and compromise. And we must remain faithful to Jesus.

Now the scene changes. Look at verse 9: “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” The white robes symbolize purity and victory. The palm branches are signs of joyful celebration. They have come through suffering. Now they stand before the throne and before the Lamb. Together, they cry out: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb,” which means, “Our God and the Lamb have saved us!”

Imagine this crowd. People from every nation, tribe, people and language stand together. So many faces. So many languages. Yet they all worship the same Lord. People once divided by borders stand side by side. People who spoke different languages lift their voices in one song of praise. No one is pushed aside because of their race. No one is looked down on because of their accent. No nation claims to be greater than another. All stand together before the Lamb. All have been saved by the same grace. Isn’t this beautiful? This vision shows us the kind of community we are called to become. We want to be a church where people from different nations and cultures worship God together, united in Jesus Christ. We come from different backgrounds. We speak different languages. We bring different customs and lifestyles. Yet we gather before the same Lord. We hear the same gospel. We worship the same Lamb who gave his life for us. This is the church we pray to become. God gives us this heavenly vision to shape our hopes and guide our life together.

The angels, the elders, and the four living creatures fall down before the throne. Together, they worship God: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” Then one of the elders asks John a question: “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” John answers, “Sir, you know.” The elder explains: “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” These people have come through “the great tribulation.” But when does this tribulation happen?

Some understand the great tribulation as a particular time of suffering right before Jesus returns. In Dispensational Futurism, this is usually connected with a future seven-year period. The seven years come from an interpretation of Daniel 9:24–27. Daniel 12:1 describes a time of distress. These interpreters divide the seven years into two halves. Many call the final three and a half years “the great tribulation.” But Revelation chapter 7 itself does not tell us how long the great tribulation lasts.

Others understand the great tribulation as the suffering of God’s people throughout the church age. From this perspective, it began with Jesus’ suffering and will continue until he comes again. Jesus suffered and died on the cross. He called his followers to remain faithful through their own suffering. The early Christians faced rejection, imprisonment, and death. Believers in later generations have faced similar trials. The church also shares in the pain of a broken world—war, hunger, disease, and disaster. These troubles continue as we await Jesus’ return. On this reading, they will grow more intense as his return draws near. This is the understanding I find most convincing.

Now let’s remember why Jesus gave us this vision. Think of the churches that first heard these words. Some believers faced persecution. Some had lost loved ones because of their faith. Others were tempted to compromise. They wanted to know: “Will Jesus keep us?” “Is following him worth the cost?” Jesus gave them this vision to strengthen their faith. And it strengthens our faith too.

Look at verse 15: “They are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.” What a beautiful picture! They stand in God’s presence. They worship and serve God continually. And God himself shelters them. They will never hunger again. They will never thirst again. No burning sun or scorching heat will harm them. Why? Look at verse 17: “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” The Lamb is their Shepherd. And he is our Shepherd too. The Lamb who gave his life for us now cares for us. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). He took our sins upon himself. He died in our place. Then he rose from the dead. Now he reigns with all authority. Our Shepherd loves us. Our Shepherd has the power to keep us. So we can trust him. We may face suffering. We may face loss. We may not understand why he allows us to suffer. But our Shepherd is leading us to springs of living water. He is leading us into the fullness of life with God. And then comes this tender promise: “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Think about that. God sees every tear we shed. He knows the grief we carry. He hears the prayers we offer through tears. One day, he will wipe those tears away. Sin will no longer wound us. Death will no longer separate us. We will live forever with the Lamb, our Shepherd.

Therefore, let’s remain faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ. Even when following Jesus is costly, let’s remember our Shepherd. Even when the world invites us to compromise, let’s refuse to give our hearts to the idols. Even when we are tired, let’s serve Jesus faithfully to the end. Through the power of the Lamb, our Shepherd, we will share in his final victory. Amen.