These Are the Ones … (Rev 7) In Revelation 7,13 John inquires as to the identity of the countless multitude whom he sees. An elder responds, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation”. Admittedly a first reading of Revelation 7 may lead one to the conclusion that the uncountable multitude (the Great Multitude) from “every nation, all tribes, peoples, and tongues” (7,9) (1), is in contrast with the 144,000 Jews listed in 7,4-8 (2). In this paper, however, I will examine the thematic features relating to John’s depiction of the righteous in his account of the Two Witnesses in Rev 11,3-13 (3) and how these features might affect our understanding of Revelation 7,1-17 (4). Why should the account of the Two Witnesses influence our reading of the accounts of the 144,000 and the Great Multitude? I suggest two factors strongly contend that 10,1–11,13 parallels 7,1-17. First, both sections serve functionally similar roles. That is, they are both intercalations (interludes, or parentheses) in the midst of their accompanying series of judgments (5). In fact, in both instances these intercalations occur after the disclosing of the sixth item in each series. Furthermore, each appears closely related to that sixth item. 7,1-17 relates directly to the sixth Seal by answering the question of 6,17: “who is able to stand?” (cp. 7,9; and perhaps 7,1) (6). The relationship of the intercalation of 10,1–11,13 and the sixth judgment is less clear. A good case, however, exists that it relates directly with the words in the closing of the sixth Trumpet, which reiterates the people’s failure to repent. Richard (1) All translations are the author’s. John uses this expression, though varied, seven times (5,9; 7,9; 10,11; 11,9; 13,7; 14,6; 17,15). For a defense of the view that each of these expressions, though variant, intends to refer to all the nations of the world, see: R. BAUCKHAM, Climax of Prophecy. Studies in Revelation (Edinburgh 1993) 326-337. (2) I might query “A first reading for whom?” That is, can we be certain that in the late first century early Christian interpretive milieu, the readers would have necessarily understood Israel in a woodenly literal manner? I hesitate to accept this suggestion due to the consistent practice of the NT, and especially the seven letters of Revelation 2–3 (cf., 2,9, 17; 3,9, 12), of applying OT Israelite language to the NT communities. Even in this text, those of the great multitude from every nation perform functions befitting Israelite priests (7,15; cp. Exod 19,6, 10, 14; Ezek 37,26-28). (3) The account of the Two Witnesses in 11,3-13 is part of a larger unit of 10,1–11,13. (4) In a sense, this paper builds off an assertion made by Kenneth Strand more than twenty-five years ago, when he inquired as to whether or not Revelation contained a “pattern which shows correlation(s) between sections in a first part of the book and sections in the last part” (K. STRAND, Interpreting the Book of Revelation [Worthington 1979] 44). The difference is that Strand wishes to compare a portion of Revelation with its chiastic counterpart; whereas, I am viewing the portrait of the righteous as a development within a larger setting. That is, I am analyzing John’s depiction of the righteous in terms of a thematic growth and development — though due to limited space the present work is limited to only these two sections within the first half of Apocalypse. (5) Schussler Fiorenza, comments on chapters 10–11, “they have the same structural function within Revelation as the interlude of chapter 7” (E. SCHUSSLER FIORENZA, Revelation. Vision of a Just World [Minneapolis 1981] 74). See also: P.E. HUGHES, The Book of Revelation (Pillar NT Commentaries; Grand Rapids 1990) 92. (6) SCHUSSLER FIORENZA, Revelation, 65-66. HUGHES, Revelation, 95.