Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand,.... The name of this tribe signifies "hearing", Genesis 29:33; and such an hearing as is attended with obedience; and denotes the spiritual and practical hearing of the Gospel by those who hear, and understand, and believe, and practise what they hear, and yield the obedience of faith unto it.

Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand; this name signifies "joined", Genesis 29:34; and denotes, that these sealed ones were not only joined one to another in love and holy fellowship, but to Christ, and were one spirit with him, and were members of his body, flesh, and bones, and cleaved to him with full purpose of heart.

Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand; the interpretation of this name is "hire" or "reward", Genesis 30:18; and may design those rewards of grace which God bestows upon his faithful servants, in times of tribulation.

Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. {6} Of the tribe of {b} Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

(6) Here the tribe of Levi is listed with the rest, because all the Israelites were equally made priests with them in Christ by his priesthood Ro 12:1 1Pe 2:9 Re 1:6, 5:10. Dan is not mentioned, because the Danites long before forsaking the worship of God, were fallen away from the fellowship of God's people, to the part of the Gentiles: which evil many ages before Jacob foresaw Ge 49:17 see Geneva Ge 49:18, and because of which no mention is made of this tribe in the book of Chronicles.

(b) He skipped Dan, and reckons Levi.

7:4-8 And I heard the number of them who were sealed. The number first named is 144,000, twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. These numbers are not to be taken literally, but only signify that a great number, not a countless, but a part of each tribe of Israel, accepted the gospel. Of the tribes Ephraim appears under the name of Joseph (Re 7:8), and Dan is entirely omitted, a fact possibly due to the early falling away of Dan into idolatry (1Ki 12:26-30). The number twelve is preserved by counting Levi (Re 7:7). For another appearance of the 144,000, see Re 14:1.

7:7 After the Levitical ceremonies were abolished, Levi was again on a level with his brethren.

7:1-8 In the figurative language of Scripture, the blowing of the four winds together, means a dreadful and general destruction. But the destruction is delayed. Seals were used to mark for each person his own possessions. This mark is the witness of the Holy Ghost, printed in the hearts of believers. And the Lord would not suffer his people to be afflicted before they were marked, that they might be prepared against all conflicts. And, observe, of those who are thus sealed by the Spirit, the seal must be on the forehead, plainly to be seen alike by friends and foes, but not by the believer himself, except as he looks stedfastly in the glass of God's word. The number of those who were sealed, may be understood to stand for the remnant of people which God reserved. Though the church of God is but a little flock, in comparison with the wicked world, yet it is a society really large, and to be still more enlarged. Here the universal church is figured under the type of Israel.