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Revelation 7:9-17
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of The Text This Week

• Reading the Text:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
  • The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible -  KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary & sermons.
• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • Chapter LVIII, On the Resurrection of the Flesh,  Tertullian (c. 211)
  • Chapter XII, Scorpiace,  Tertullian (c. 213)
  • From the Geneva Notes.
    • "The explanation of the vision, in which the angel tells first the acts of the saints, that is, their sufferings and work of faith in Christ Jesus, in this verse. Secondly their glory: both present, which consists in two things, that they minister to God, and that God protects them Re 7:15 and to come, in their perfect deliverance from all annoyances Re 7:16 and in participation of all good things which the memory of past hurts shall never be able to diminish Re 7:17."
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
    • "Faithful Christians deserve our notice and respect; we should mark the upright."
  • From Wesley's Notes.
    • "Let not any slothful one say, 'If I get to heaven at all, I will be content:' such an one may let heaven go altogether. In worldly things, men are ambitious to get as high as they can. Christians have a far more noble ambition."
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
    • "Twelve is the number of the tribes, and appropriate to the Church: three by four: three, the divine number, multiplied by four, the number for world-wide extension. Twelve by twelve implies fixity and completeness, which is taken a thousandfold in 144,000. A thousand implies the world perfectly pervaded by the divine; for it is ten, the world number, raised to the power of three, the number of God."
  • From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
    • "These numbers are not to be taken literally, but only signify that a great number, not a countless number, but a part of each tribe of Israel, accepted the gospel."
• Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
  • Commentary, Revelation 7:9-17 (Easter 4C), Israel Kamaudzandu, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2013.
    • "God help us not to settle into the values of our global contemporary empire and focus our eyes on the heavenly joys."
  • Pulpit Fiction, podcast. Reflections of lectionary text, pop culture, current events, etc. Robb Mc Coy and Eric Fistler, 2016.
  • "Not Just about the Future," Eric Barreto, ON Scripture, includes discussion & video.
  • The Center for Excellence in Preaching, resources from Calvin Theological Seminary: Comments & Observations, Textual Points, Illustration Ideas, 2016.
  • Commentary, Revelation 7:9-17, Danny Quanstrom, A Plain Account, 2016
    • "One great lamentation of North American Christianity through the 20th century was the misappropriation or sheer avoidance of this rich text. Our sisters and brothers in underdeveloped or oppressive nations haven't ignored this great text, and it's high time we in North America reclaim this great text."
  • Commentary, Revelation 7:9-17 (All Saints A), Eric Mathis, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2014.
    • "...this passage reminds us that the vision for sainthood is all encompassing."
  • "The Sermon I Need to Hear," David Lose, ...in the meantime... 2014.
  • "No, It's Not 'Revelations,' and It's Not about That!" John C. Holbert, Opening the Old Testament, 2014.
    • "Do not allow anyone to make the book of Revelation into a thing of scary fear, of partisan choice, of believing rightly lest you end in fire. No!"
  • "It Is Hard Being Wedded to the Dead," Jan Richardson, The Painted Prayerbook, 2014. Use of images.
    • "May our love be more fierce than our grief, more enduring than our tears."
  • Commentary, Revelation 7:9-17 (Easter 4C), Barbara Rossing, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2013.
    • "Led by their Shepherd-Lamb, God’s redeemed people will come through the tribulation into God’s new Promised Land."
  • "No Dry Eyes," Rick Morley, 2013.
  • "The Real Palm Sunday," Danielle Shroyer, The Hardest Question, 2013.
    • "If you're going to wave palm branches, this is a much better day."
  • Commentary, Revelation 7:9-17 (Easter 4C), Walter F. Taylor, Jr., Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2010.
    • "When Revelation 7:9-17 is read as an isolated unit, much of its meaning is lost."
  • Commentary, Revelation 7:13-17, Lewis Brogdon, Jr., PhD., The African American Lectionary, 2009.
    • "A central part of the mystery and genius of black spirituality is the ability to use celebration in a way that imparts strength for the journey ahead."
  • "First Thoughts on Epistle Passages in the Lectionary," Easter 4, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
    • "So much of the imagery is strange if not, perhaps, even estranging. Yet it is a way of asserting hope for people who faced hopelessness. It is a way of making God central and keeping the vulnerability of God in our vision."
  • "Not Mending Fences," Alan Brehm The Waking Dreamer.
    • "The vision of the “great multitudeâ€� cuts across all of the ways in which we like to divide humanity and segregate others who are different from us. It is a vision of the Kingdom of God that includes all humankind."
  • Commentary, Revelation 7:9-17 (All Saints A), Micah D. Kiel, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2011.
    • "The first challenge has to do with inclusivity/exclusivity. The second has to do with the social setting of the Apocalypse and how that translates to today."
  • "The Song of Victory," God's Song of Revelation: From Easter to Pentecost in the Apocalypse, Wendell W. Frerichs , Word & World Texts in Context, Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary, 1986.
  • "'The Lamb Who Was Slain Has Begun His Reign. Amen!' Texts from the Revelation to John for the Sundays of Easter," James H. Burtness, Word & World, 1992.
  • "The Lamb Is the Shepherd," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources. Includes detailed textual notes.
  • Kairos CoMotion Lectionary Discussion, Revelation 7:9-17, Wesley White. "A place of conversation regarding Progressive Christianity."
    • "If this apocalyptic literature is to mobilize us into action in this world, it is important to return to a question of who now is later going to celebrate. May it be the one's we love. And so we expand our love base."
  • "The Redeemed of the Tribulation (Revelation 7:1-17)," by J. Hampton Keathley III at the Biblical Studies Foundation.
    • "The verb ?to seal? is sfragizw. It means ?to make an imprint in wax? and it was often done with a signet ring. This was done in ancient times in various kinds of business transactions. It could signify a number of ideas: (a) It often showed a completed transaction had occurred. For the 144,000 it was their personal redemption. (b) It was often a mark of identification and ownership. These became the servants of God and God?s people. (c) Finally, it was often a mark of protection or security. This is clearly the emphasis here."
  • "The End-Time as Seven Seals," from The Most Revealing Book of the Bible, Vernard Eller.
  • "Blood and Purity in Leviticus and Revelation," by K.C. Hanson, in Listening: Journal of Religion and Culture 28 (1993).
    • "Purity derives from what the Lamb has done, not what the community has done (see Lev 20:7-8). It also does not derive from membership in a politically defined cultic-group of Israelites, but is composed of people from all groups. The "in-group" is thus diverse and scattered; and one of the implications of this is that there is no central control mechanism. And since all are "priests," no clear social hierarchy is in place within the group; no select group of official cultic personnel is required to perform the rituals."
• Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
  • Bauckham, Richard, "The List of the Tribes in Revelation 7 Again," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1991.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Burtness, James H., "'The Lamb Who Was Slain Has Begun His Reign. Amen!' Texts from the Revelation to John for the Sundays of Easter," Word & World, 1992.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Charles, Gary W., "Diving into Wonderland: Preaching Revelation in the Mainline Pulpit," Journal for Preachers, 2006.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Cook, W. Robert, "The 'Glory' Motif in the Johannine Corpus," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 1984.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Draper, J.A., "The Heavenly Feast of Tabernacles: Revelation 7:1-17," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1983.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Frerichs, Wendell W., "God's Song of Revelation: From Easter to Pentecost in the Apocalypse," Word & World, 1986.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Greene, Martha, "Whitewash," The Christian Century, 2002.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • "Homiletical Helps," Concordia Journal, 2010. (Section on this text begins on page 298)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Kelly, Balmer H., "Expository Article: Revelation 7:9-17," Interpretation, 1986.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Long, Kimberly Bracken, "'Who Are These People?' Revelation 7:9-17," Journal for Preachers, 2005.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Neyrey, Jerome H., S.J., "Lost in Translation: Did It Matter IF Christians 'Thanked' God or 'Gave God Glory'?" Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2009.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Read, David H.C., "Communicating Joy," The Living Pulpit, 1996.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Smith, Christopher R., "The Tribes of Revelation 7 and the Literary Competence of John the Seer," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 1995.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Warneck, Richard H., "Homiletical Helps on the LSB Series C - Old Testament / A - Epistles," Concordia Journal, 2007.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Yates, Richard Shalom, "The Function of the Tribulation Saints," Bibliotheca Sacra, 2006.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Yates, Richard Shalom, "The Identity of the Tribulation Saints," Bibliotheca Sacra, 2006.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Yates, Richard Shalom, "The Resurrection of the Tribulation Saints," Bibliotheca Sacra, 2006.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Yates, Richard Shalom, "The Rewards of the Tribulation Saints," Bibliotheca Sacra, 2006.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
• Sermons:
  • "Coram Deo," Rev. Dr. William Flippin, Jr., Day 1, 2014.
  • "Glimpsing Heaven in Thin Places," the Rev. Nora Tubbs Tisdale, Day 1, 2008.
  • "Heaven," funeral homily by Sigurd Grindheim, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
  • "Living in the Middle of Time," the Rev. Dr. Ted Wardlaw, Day 1, 1997.
• With Children:
  • Worshiping with Children, Easter 4C, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2013.
  • "Who Are These People Dressed in White," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
• Drama:
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
  • Clip Art, Revelation 7:14, Fr. Richard Lonsdale, Resources for Catholic Educators.
• Hymns and Music:
  • Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
  • Hymns with Scripture Allusions: Revelation 7:9, 11, 13, 14, 17. The Cyber Hymnal.
  • Hymnal Scripture References, The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship.
  • At Digital Hymnal (midi files, guitar chords, karaoke files, projection text):
    • Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
    • Ye Servants of God
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
• Study Links and Resources for the Book of Revelation

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