Bobservations Column - "The Tribulation Saints"

The first vision includes angels being commanded to hold back the winds at every point on earth. Symbolically, this refers to God suspending His judgment on the earth. Scriptures such as Jeremiah 49:36 describe the judgment of God by referring to wind. The purpose of this delay, it seems, is to allow for a "sealing" of 144,000 servants of God. As seen later (Revelation 13:15–18), the "mark of the beast" stands in stark contrast to the sealing seen in this chapter (Revelation 7:1–3).These 144,000 are specifically named by their respective tribes of Israel. Twelve thousand from each tribe are indicated. Jacob had twelve sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel originated. In the Promised Land, each of the tribes received an inheritance except for the tribe of Levi, whose inheritance was the Lord. Joseph's tribe was split into two, one for each of his sons (Manasseh and Ephraim), and each received an inheritance. In the list of those sealed in Revelation, the tribe of Levi is listed. The tribe of Manasseh and that of Joseph (which is what the tribe of Ephraim was also referred to) are also listed. The tribe of Dan is excluded. Theories about this absence are varied. Some suggest that the false prophet of Revelation may be from the tribe of Dan. Others see Dan's role in leading Israel into idolatry as a cause for being left out of the 144,000 (Judges 18:30–31). While the tribe might not be blessed through inclusion in this particular seal, other prophetic books indicate members of the tribe of Dan will be saved and receive land in the millennial kingdom (Ezekiel 48:2). Though mankind has lost track of which people are members of which tribes, God has no such memory loss (Revelation 7:4–8).