Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)

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R E V E L A T I O N.

CHAP. VII.

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The things contained in this chapter came in after the opening of the

six seals, which foretold great calamities in the world; and before the

sound of the seven trumpets, which gave notice of great corruptions

arising in the church: between these comes in this comfortable chapter,

which secures the graces and comforts of the people of God in times of

common calamity. We have,

I. An account of the restraint laid upon the winds,

ver. 1-3.

II. The sealing of the servants of God,

ver. 4-8.

III. The songs of angels and saints on this occasion,

ver. 9-12.

IV. A description of the honour and happiness of those who had

faithfully served Christ, and suffered for him,

ver. 13,

&c.

The Vision of Heaven.	A. D. 95.

     

1 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.

  2 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,

  3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees,

till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

  4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there

were sealed a hundred and forty and four thousand of all

the tribes of the children of Israel.

  5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the

tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of

Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

  6 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.

  7 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.

  8 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.

  9 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;

  10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God

which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

  11 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,

  12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and

thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God

for ever and ever. Amen.

     

Here we have, I. An account of the restraint laid upon the winds. By

these winds we suppose are meant those errors and corruptions in

religion which would occasion a great deal of trouble and mischief to

the church of God. Sometimes the Holy Spirit is compared to the wind:

here the spirits of error are compared to the four winds,

contrary one to another, but doing much hurt to the church, the garden

and vineyard of God, breaking the branches and blasting the fruits of

his plantation. The devil is called the prince of the power of the

air; he, by a great wind, overthrew the house of Job’s eldest son.

Errors are as wind, by which those who are unstable are shaken, and

carried to and fro,
Eph. iv. 14.

Observe,

1. These are called the winds of the earth, because they blow

only in these lower regions near the earth; heaven is always clear and

free from them.

2. They are restrained by the ministry of angels, standing on the

four corners of the earth, intimating that the spirit of error

cannot go forth till God permits it, and that the angels minister to

the good of the church by restraining its enemies.

3. Their restraint was only for a season, and that was till the

servants of God were sealed in their foreheads. God has a

particular care and concern for his own servants in times of temptation

and corruption, and he has a way to secure them from the common

infection; he first establishes them, and then he tries them; he has

the timing of their trials in his own hand.

     

II. An account of the sealing of the servants of God, where observe,

1. To whom this work was committed–to an angel, another angel.

While some of the angels were employed to restrain Satan and his

agents, another angel was employed to mark out and distinguish the

faithful servants of God.

2. How they were distinguished–the seal of God was set upon their

foreheads, a seal known to him, and as plain as if it appeared in their

foreheads; by this mark they were set apart for mercy and safety in the

worst of times.

3. The number of those that were sealed, where observe,

(1.) A particular account of those that were sealed of the twelve

tribes of Israel–twelve thousand out of every tribe, the whole sum

amounting to a hundred and forty-four thousand. In this list the

tribe of Dan is omitted, perhaps because they were greatly addicted to

idolatry; and the order of the tribes is altered, perhaps according as

they had been more or less faithful to God. Some take these to be a

select number of the Jews who were reserved for mercy at the

destruction of Jerusalem; others think that time was past, and

therefore it is to be more generally applied to God’s chosen remnant in

the world; but, if the destruction of Jerusalem was not yet over (and I

think it is hard to prove that it was), it seems more proper to

understand this of the remnant of that people which God had reserved

according to the election of grace, only here we have a definite number

for an indefinite.

(2.) A general account of those who were saved out of other nations

(v. 9):

A great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and

kindreds, and people, and tongues. Though these are not said to be

sealed, yet they were selected by God out of all nations, and brought

into his church, and there stood before the throne. Observe,

[1.] God will have a greater harvest of souls among the Gentiles than

he had among the Jews. More are the children of the desolate than of

the married woman.

[2.] The Lord knows who are his, and he will keep them safe in times of

dangerous temptation.

[3.] Though the church of God is but a little flock, in comparison of

the wicked world, yet it is no contemptible society, but really large

and to be still more enlarged.

     

III. We have the songs of saints and angels on this occasion,

v. 9-12,

where observe,

     

1. The praises offered up by the saints (and, as it seems to me, by the

Gentile believers) for the care of God in reserving so large a remnant

of the Jews, and saving them from infidelity and destruction. The

Jewish church prayed for the Gentiles before their conversion, and the

Gentile churches have reason to bless God for his distinguishing mercy

to so many of the Jews, when the rest were cut off. Here observe,

(1.) The posture of these praising saints: they stood before the

throne, and before the Lamb, before the Creator and the Mediator.

In acts of religious worship we come nigh to God, and are to conceive

ourselves as in his special presence; and we must come to God by

Christ. The throne of God would be inaccessible to sinners were it not

for a Mediator.

(2.) Their habit: they were clothed with white robes, and had palms

in their hands; they were invested with the robes of justification,

holiness, and victory, and had palms in their hands, as conquerors used

to appear in their triumphs: such a glorious appearance will the

faithful servants of God make at last, when they have fought the

good fight of faith and finished their course.

(3.) Their employment: they cried with a loud voice, saying,

Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb.

This may be understood either as a hosannah, wishing well to the

interest of God and Christ in the church and in the world, or as a

hallelujah, giving to God and the Lamb the praise of the great

salvation; both the Father and the Son are joined together in these

praises; the Father contrived this salvation, the Son purchased it, and

those who enjoy it must and will bless the Lord and the Lamb, and they

will do it publicly, and with becoming fervour.

     

2. Here is the song of the angels

(v. 11, 12),

where observe,

(1.) Their station–before the throne of God, attending on him,

and about the saints, ready to serve them.

(2.) Their posture, which is very humble, and expressive of the

greatest reverence: They fell before the throne on their faces, and

worshipped God. Behold the most excellent of all the creatures, who

never sinned, who are before him continually, not only covering their

faces, but falling down on their faces before the Lord! What humility

then, and what profound reverence, become us vile frail creatures, when

we come into the presence of God! We should fall down before him; there

should be both a reverential frame of spirit and a humble behaviour in

all our addresses to God

(3.) Their praises. They consented to the praises of the saints, said

their Amen thereto; there is in heaven a perfect harmony between

the angels and saints; and then they added more of their own,

saying, Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and

honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever.

Amen. Here,

[1.] They acknowledge the glorious attributes of God–his wisdom, his

power, and his might.

[2.] They declare that for these his divine perfections he ought to be

blessed, and praised, and glorified, to all eternity; and they confirm

it by their Amen. We see what is the work of heaven, and we

ought to begin it now, to get our hearts tuned for it, to be much in

it, and to long for that world where our praises, as well as happiness,

will be perfected.

Honour and Happiness of the Saints.	A. D. 95.

     

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are

these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

  14 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.

  15 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.

  16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither

shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

  17 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.

     

Here we have a description of the honour and happiness of those who

have faithfully served the Lord Jesus Christ, and suffered for him.

Observe,

     

I. A question asked by one of the elders, not for his own information,

but for John’s instruction: ministers may learn from the people,

especially from aged and experienced Christians; the lowest saint in

heaven knows more than the greatest apostle in the world. Now the

question has two parts:–

1. What are these that are arrayed in white robes?

2. Whence came they? It seems to be spoken by way of admiration,

as

Cant. iii. 6,

Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness! Faithful

Christians deserve our notice and respect; we should mark the

upright.

     

II. The answer returned by the apostle, in which he tacitly

acknowledges his own ignorance, and sues to this elder for information:

Thou knowest. Those who would gain knowledge must not be ashamed

to own their ignorance, nor to desire instruction from any that are

able to give it.

     

III. The account given to the apostle concerning that noble army of

martyrs who stood before the throne of God in white robes, with

palms of victory in their hands: and notice is taken here of,

1. The low and desolate state they had formerly been in; they had been

in great tribulation, persecuted by men, tempted by Satan, sometimes

troubled in their own spirits; they had suffered the spoiling of their

goods, the imprisonment of their persons, yea, the loss of life itself.

The way to heaven lies through many tribulations; but tribulation, how

great soever, shall not separate us from the love of God.

Tribulation, when gone through well, will make heaven more welcome and

more glorious.

2. The means by which they had been prepared for the great honour and

happiness they now enjoyed: they had washed their robes, and made

them white in the blood of the Lamb,
v. 14.

It is not the blood of the martyrs themselves, but the blood of the

Lamb, that can wash away sin, and make the soul pure and clean in the

sight of God. Other blood stains; this is the only blood that makes the

robes of the saints white and clean.

3. The blessedness to which they are now advanced, being thus prepared

for it.

(1.) They are happy in their station, for they are before the throne

of God night and day; and he dwells among them; they are in

that presence where there is fulness of joy.

(2.) They are happy in their employment, for they serve God

continually, and that without weakness, drowsiness, or weariness.

Heaven is a state of service, though not of suffering; it is a state of

rest, but not of sloth; it is a praising delightful rest.

(3.) They are happy in their freedom from all the inconveniences of

this present life.

[1.] From all want and sense of want: They hunger and thirst no

more; all their wants are supplied, and all the uneasiness caused

thereby is removed.

[2.] From all sickness and pain: they shall never be scorched by the

heat of the sun any more.

(4.) They are happy in the love and guidance of the Lord Jesus: He

shall feed them, he shall lead them to living fountains of waters,

he shall put them into the possession of every thing that is pleasant

and refreshing to their souls, and therefore they shall hunger and

thirst no more.

(5.) They are happy in being delivered from all sorrow or occasion of

it: God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. They have

formerly had their sorrows, and shed many tears, both upon the account

of sin and affliction; but God himself, with his own gentle and

gracious hand, will wipe those tears away, and they shall return no

more for ever; and they would not have been without those tears, when

God comes to wipe them away. In this he deals with them as a tender

father who finds his beloved child in tears, he comforts him, he wipes

his eyes, and turns his sorrow into rejoicing. This should moderate

the Christian’s sorrow in his present state, and support him under all

the troubles of it; for those that sow in tears shall reap in joy;

and those that now go forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall

doubtless come again rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with

them.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)

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