OK, let me see if I can take another stab at it here…. (I would post a graphic representation, except that I’m ignorant about creating computer graphics, sorry.)Let’s try it this way:1. The seals encompass the entire Tribulation, with Seal # 1 being equal to approximately the start of the seven year period, and the seventh seal being the end of the seven-year period.
a. The Sixth Seal is the appearance of Jesus in the sky and is also the pronouncement of the Day of the Lord’s beginning.b. The sealing of the 144,000 in Chapter 7 is a continuation of the sequence that started in Chapter 6. (It’s actually a bad place for a chapter division, if you ask me.) The 144,000 are the Remnant of Israel being saved, in fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10-14 – “
And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the rest of the clans and their wives. ”Notice that it says “They will look on me”. This means that Jesus is there for them to see with their eyes! When they realize that the last 2000+ years of persecution, scattering etc. could have been avoided, they will certainly have cause to “mourn”.This is also the fulfillment of Paul’s discussion in Romans 9-11 about the Israeli remnant being saved – “All Israel will be saved.” Whether or not the 144,000 is a literal number, I don’t know. There is a precedent in the Bible for round numbers like this to not be taken literally, so we’ll just have to wait and see about that. The main point about the number 144,000 and there being 12,000 from 12 tribes would seem to be that not a single person who is supposed to be included in this event will be missed by the Lord. c. The “great multitude” of Revelation 7 is NOT a scene in heaven of believers coming up from earth during the Tribulation as is commonly believed. There are clues here that tell us what this actually is. There are several allusions to Old Testament passages which are "Millennial" in nature:
i. The saints are holding "palm branches." This is a reference to the "Feast of Tabernacles." Throughout this feast, which occurs from the fifteenth to the twenty-first of the seventh month, God's people were commanded to cut off palm branches and celebrate before the Lord, [Lev. 23:34,40]. The Feast of Tabernacles will also be celebrated every year during the Millennium as a memorial to God's bringing us through our "wilderness" into the promised land, His Kingdom, [Zech. 14:16-19].ii. They are wearing their white robes, [Rev. 7:9]. According to Rev. 19:7,8 the Bride is granted permission to wear white robes immediately before the second coming. Therefore this scene takes place some time after the scene in Rev. 19.iii. They are worshipping before the Throne in the Temple, [Rev. 7:15]. This is the Millennial Temple described by Ezekiel in chapters 40-44. Ezekiel specifically states that God's Throne, (which is portable, complete with living creatures, with wings and retractable landing gear, who carry the Throne, [Ezek. 1:1-28] ) will be moved to the Millennial Temple, [Ezek. 43:1-9]. Daniel also describes the Throne of the "Ancient of Days" moving to earth at the time when the "Son of man came with the clouds of heaven," [Dan. 7:9,13,14,21,22, see also Jer. 3:16,17]. This appearance of Jehovah coming on His Throne, (as in Ezekiel's vision of chapter 1, [cf. Ezek. 43:3 & Ezek. 1:1] ) and the appearance of Christ on the white horse beside Him, is what strikes fear in the hearts of men at the sixth seal. "...hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His [Their] wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" [Rev. 6:16,17]. Jesus said to those who were about to crucify Him; "ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." [Mark 14:62]. No doubt He was referring to the Day of the Lord. The armies gathered around Jerusalem to wipe out the Jewish remnant, and defeat the "Messiah," will suddenly find their arrogance turned to terror when the sun turns black, the moon turns blood red, meteors begin raining down, the earth begins to quake violently, and they see a brilliant light engulfing the clouds over the Mount of Olives, [Matt. 24:29-31]. As the clouds roll back like a scroll, and they see Jehovah sitting on the Throne, and the Warrior on the white horse at His side, with millions of saints and angels in their wake, no wonder they call for the rocks to fall on them to hide from the face of the Almighty. [Read: Psalm 2:1-12, Isaiah 13:3-13, Isaiah 26:21, Joel 2:1-11, Micah 1:3.]iv. God has come to dwell among His people, not the other way around, [Rev. 7:15]. Compare this to: Ezek. 43:7,9, Joel 3:17, Zech. 2:10-13, all Millennial settings.v. Rev. 7:16,17 is a direct quote from Isa. 49:10 and Isa. 25:8 which are describing the Millennium. Revelation 7 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. Isaiah 49 10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; ... When Revelation quotes Millennial passages from Isaiah and applies them to the scene following the cosmic signs, we can be certain that Revelation is describing the Millennium in chapter seven.vi. Rev. 7:17- "Living waters" come from Millennial passages. David, Ezekiel, and Zechariah, all describe a river of living water flowing from the Millennial Temple, [Psalm 46:6, Ezek. 47:1-10, Zech. 14:8].vii. Rev. 7:17- "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." This is a very important quote from Isaiah 25:8 "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces;" Not only is this promise in a Millennial setting, but Paul quoted the first sentence, claiming its fulfillment at the 2nd Coming/Rapture, when the "last trumpet" sounds. "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory" [1 Cor. 15:54]. The fact that Paul quoted Isaiah 25:8, and said that it would be fulfilled at the rapture, and John also quoted from the same verse, placing its fulfillment immediately after the sun and moon signs, is powerful evidence that these events are the same.viii. The Seventh Seal, in Rev. 8:1, brings total silence in heaven. Based on what we have learned so far, heaven is empty during the entire Millennium. Before heaven moves to earth on the Day of the Lord, heaven has experienced the sounds of continuous praise. Revelation 4:8 – “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.[.i]” The fact that there is silence in heaven indicates the perpetual praise of Jehovah no longer rings out there. The thirty minutes of silence represents the fact that all worship of Jehovah has transferred to earth for the Millennial Kingdom, just as Revelation 7:9-12 indicates.