Words and Phrases

PEOPLES AND MULTITUDES AND NATIONS AND TONGUES

This four-part phrase is the antithesis (opposite) of THOSE WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH. Peoples, Multitudes, Nations, and Tongues seems to refer to the masses of humanity which do not have roots in the order of things. They are not necessarily uncomfortable; nor are they necessarily rebellious. They do not, however, have a vested interest in the way things are though they may rely on the way things are for their continuance in their lifestyle. Somehow, however, this is not of great concern for them. They are that great body of humanity which is subject to changes in the status quo without having a great deal to lose or without too much care about whether they have a great deal to lose. These may, in a few instances, be wealthy or powerful people; but their power or wealth is not their major mental concern. These are, for all practical purposes, the sea class, although there might be a slight difference in the symbology.

Revelation uses this four-part name in the following contexts:

THE PRIMARY DEFINITION TEXT is found in Rev. 17:16.

Verse 1 of Chapter 17 shows the woman (the apostate church) sitting on many waters. Verse 15 interprets this by saying that the waters ARE peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. This helps to clarify the connection between this group and the sea class. As we examine other texts containing the phrase, we will see it CONTRASTED with those WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH.

Rev. 5:9 – This verse is crucial. It shows that the Church COMES FROM THIS CLASS. This is only natural. The class which DWELLS ON THE EARTH is not interested in the things of the Lord because their roots are established in the earth.

Rev. 7:9 – This verse shows that the Great Multitude also comes from this class — a natural deduction even if it were not stated since the Great Multitude begins by being prospective members of the body.

Rev. 10:11 – HERE THE PHRASE IS DIFFERENT! It is Peoples and Nations and Tongues and KINGS. The context here shows the John class (the Church) after the 1260 days, eating the little book (digesting the book of Daniel which is now OPEN because it is now the time of the end — Matt. 24:14, 15; Dan. 12:4).

As the resulting disappointments of the Miller movement gave the Church a bitter stomach (Verse 10), the Church is promised that it will yet, in the time future from this point, prophesy again. Recall Rev. 14:6 from the consideration of THOSE WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH. Rev. 14:6 is a Harvest prophecy. The general proclamation of the gospel in the Harvest was to be from one end of heaven to the other — to THOSE WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH as well as to others.

The “others” are specified in Rev. 14:6 as being every nation, tongue, tribe and people. Here in Rev. 10:11 we have a summary of that Harvest prophesying: it will not only be to the waters class, but also to KINGS — people who DO dwell on the earth. This accounts for the variant of this expression in this location.

Rev. 11:9 – This context also came up in the study of those who DWELL ON THE EARTH. When religion and Scripture were proscribed in the French reorganizations, the earth-dwelling class was pleased. But Verse 9 shows that the peoples-tribes-tongues-nations class will NOT PERMIT the extinction of the Scriptures. To them, the ideas and ideals of the Bible are appealing.

Rev. 13:7 – In Rev. 13:8 we learned that the earth-dwelling class WORSHIP the apostasy; Verse 7, however, informs us that the CONTROL over the waters class is also in the hands of this beast. Remember that one major reason the earth-dwelling class LIKES the false church and its secular confederates is that THEY CAN KEEP ORDER. This verse shows that the beast had this authority and power at his disposal — the masses were under his control because (as Chapter 12 showed) the dragon was forced to co-operate or his time would be short.

Rev. 14:6 – This has already been examined above under Rev. 10:11.

Rev. 17:15 – This was our defining verse. (As noted above) Note also in it the parallel to Rev. 13:7: the harlot SITS on this class, i.e., controls them.

The PERSONAL LESSON from these texts is important. Because we are called from the waters class and not from those who dwell on the earth, we might find our natural tendencies favoring the sea class in the conflict now at the end of the age. It is important to remember, however, that we were called FROM (out of) this class. We are not to remain a part of it. To the contrary, we are to grow new roots in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.

We were never earth dwellers; we WERE sea, but are no longer such. While the Lord will replace the earth, he will DO AWAY with the sea (Rev. 21:1). He doesn’t like restlessness.

In our next post we take a look at “The Sea” class.