What is the “seal” in today’s reading? While we don’t know exactly what, we do know why. In John’s day, a seal represented authority, protection, and ownership. Someone who carried a seal acted with the authority and under the protection of someone greater. The seal was a guarantee that the “someone greater” stood behind the person with the seal.

At this point in the narrative, the opening of the seven seals on the scroll of judgment is paused. Four angels, standing at the four corners of the earth, who have been given power to harm land and sea and nature (represented by trees), are told to stop temporarily (vv. 1–3).

The purpose of the pause is to “seal” or choose and commission 144,000 evangelists from Israel, including 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes (vv. 4–8). These numbers might be symbolic, but the reference is to ethnic Israel. This is one reason why the restoration of Israel as a nation in 1948 was so significant.

Next, John sees “a great multitude… wearing white robes” and holding palm branches. They lead heaven in praise, proclaiming, “Salvation belongs to our God.” The angels, 24 elders, and four living creatures join in, falling on their faces to worship (vv. 9–12).

But who are they? An elder explains, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation” (vv. 13–14). Some see them as believers who trusted Christ during the Tribulation and were martyred. Given the vast size of the multitude, though, they might be the church, raptured out before the Tribulation began. Either way, everything that is said about them is true of redeemed people in general, including the beautiful blessings of verses 15–17 (see also Isa. 25:8; 49:10). These believers contrast vividly with the sinners fleeing God’s wrath in the previous chapter (Rev. 6:15–17).