God's Children Protected
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“These winds were held back from blowing these seven trumpets until the sealing of the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude that came out of the GREAT TRIBULATION from all nationalities and peoples. They who repent and turn to GOD for protection are first brought under the divine protection, so that just as God protected the children of ISRAEL when He poured out the plagues on ancient Egypt, so shall He protect ALL His children who rely on Him from these plagues now about to come on the modern BABYLON! [Author’s note: Take special note of Mr. Armstrong’s next sentences. You will see that they have a direct connection to thespecific identity of the Great Multitude.] And, incidentally, the plagues God sent on Egypt in the days of Moses were a direct type of these plagues that shall now be poured out on BABYLON. Those protected from those ancient plagues were taken under Moses to the promised land, the Holy Land. Those saved from these plagues will be taken by CHRIST into the KINGDOM OF GOD—to be set up on earth with headquarters in Jerusalem.”
pp. 35-38
There are many elements of crucial knowledge contained in this powerful and graphic statement. Do not miss them, including the very last sentence, which introduces the fact that the Great Multitude will eventually receive salvation in God’s kingdom. The process of how and when this occurs will be explained later.
The 144,000
Mr. Armstrong touched upon the sealing of the 144,000, the subject of the first half of Revelation 7 ALL and of the first five verses of Revelation 14 ALL. Take note that a special and very inspiring four-part sermon series about the identity of the 144,000 has been prepared. It is most conclusive, leaving no doubt whatsoever who these people are—and the answer is not what you expect. The identity of the 144,000 is something that has not been truly understood, and certainly never as this series fully explains the subject.
The series is filled with facts, evidence and scriptural proof. It is not one you should even think about letting yourself miss! Once begun, you will be unable to stop listening until finished. Also note that Part Four of the series takes a longer look at the identity of the Great Multitude.
Powerful Advance Warning
Finally, recall Mr. Armstrong’s mentioning that the nations will be left without excuse because a POWERFUL WARNING will have occurred—that this is what God always does before punishment. It must be mentioned—and plainly understood—that God will also leave those who have His Spirit with no excuse—those who should know better!—for having not participated in the warning message thundered by His Church in the last years while there is still opportunity. We will look more closely at this later.
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Examining the Description
Understand that this prophecy is infinitely more important than meets the eye. Also, many have misunderstood it, reducing it to a relatively small number of people linked to the 144,000 because they do not understand the Greek words translated “Great Multitude.”
The term Great Multitude derives from the Greek words polus ochlos, and translators have given the most accurate rendering for these words. But this same phrase is found in a number of other New Testament passages, in which the size of the group being referenced can be anywhere from a small gathering or mob to great numbers. Therefore, it is important to look at the key verses within the prophecy, beginning with God’s own description of the group’s size.
Let’s start with Revelation 7:9, which begins the prophecy and records what John next observed after seeing the 144,000 sealed: “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.”
This describes what will be seen later to be a vast and diverse wave of human beings literally from every corner of the world. Careful reading reveals that five key words can be examined to help demonstrate this.
Let’s examine each of the italicized words in the verse. These definitions will prove important when we revisit some of them in the Chapter Thirteen discussion of Revelation 10:11.
The word “all” is translated from the Greek word pas, and this word means what it says: “every, all, thoroughly.” Obviously, people fromevery nation of the world are involved in this event. This means that the Great Multitude is anything but a small number, as some have suggested.
Next is the word “nations.” The Greek word here is ethnos, pronounced eth’-nos, and the modern word ethnic derives from it. It means “a race, that is, a tribe; specifically a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually by implication pagan).” It is interesting that ethnos also means “Gentile, heathen or nation.” This is obviously talking about the non-Israelite nations of the world—the other six and a half billion people of the earth’s population. So this is referencing a people quite different from those of the Israelite Remnant.
Then comes the word “kindreds,” and this comes from the Greek wordphule, which carries this meaning: “offshoot, race, clan, tribe.” This is a key word in the prophecy. When understood, it is the term that God uses to be sure the reader does not miss the fact that every kind of ethnic group within the nations of the world is included—has representation within—the Great Multitude.
The word “people” in the Greek is laos, pronounced lah-os’, and is the root from which Laodicean derives. First, realize the meaning here must be at least somewhat different from nations and kindreds. In fact, it carries a more narrow definition and usually means “a people, but involves one’s own populace.” Chapter Thirteen will also reveal that this describes one element of people to whom the final watchman of Ezekiel was to be sent—to his own people, or what would be either Israel, generally, or the tribe of Judah, specifically. Why this word is included is fascinating and will be revisited later.
Next is the word “tongues.” This comes from the Greek word glossa, pronounced gloce’-sah. The English word glossary derives from it, and it simply means “the tongue; by implication a language.” This is almost certainly another way of saying that virtually every possible kind of racial, ethnic and cultural background that a human being could possess, defined to some degree by the world’s many different languages and dialects, will be included among those who repent at the end of the Tribulation.
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