Chapter 7 is an interlude inserted parenthetically between the sixth and seventh seals. The sixth seal brings us to the second coming of Christ. As the wicked face judgment, Revelation 7 answers their question about who will stand on the day of Christ’s coming: those who have been sealed, the 144,000.
“Now there is a pause in the opening of the seals, for a question must be answered. Thus far in the portrayal of the terrible events that preceded the second advent, no indication has been given that anyone survives them. Hence the dramatic question, ‘Who shall be able to stand?’ Chapter 7 breaks the sequence of the seals in order to present (the) answer.” SDA Bible Commentary Vol.7 page 780 (bracket with “the” supplied because “an,” in the original quote, suggest the answer [at least to my mind] is only one of four possibilities)
Consequently, John takes us back retrospectively to time between verses 13 and 14 of the last chapter after “the stars of heaven fell unto the earth” in 1833 and when “the heaven departed as a scroll.”
Several events took place during that intervening period, the most important, which is also history, is the inauguration of the Investigative Judgment when “one like the Son of man came . . . to the Ancient of days” “and he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne” at the end of the 2300 days (see Daniel 7:13; Revelation 5:7 and Daniel 8:14) October 22, 1844 some ten years after “the stars of heaven fell unto the earth” (Revelation 6:13).
Then, those “who shall be able to stand” will be chosen after the judgment has passed from the dead to the living. We will know that important moment has arrived when the events connected with the opening of the “fifth seal” (Revelation 6:9-11) begin to transpire because it is the “test that the people of God must have before they are sealed.”Manuscript Releases, Vol. 15, page 15
The time of the work here introduced is established beyond mistake. The sixth chapter closed with the events of the sixth seal, and the seventh seal is not mentioned until we reach the beginning of Revelation 8. The whole of Revelation 7 is therefore thrown in here parenthetically. Why is it thus introduced at this point? Evidently it is given for the purpose of stating additional particulars concerning
the sixth seal. The expression, "after these things," does not mean after the fulfillment of all the events previously described, but after the prophets had been carried in vision to the close of the sixth seal, that the consecutive order of events as given in Revelation 6 might not be broken, his mind is called to what is mentioned in Revelation 7, as further particulars in regard to the seal. We inquire, Between what events in that seal is this work done? It must be accomplished before the departing of the heavens as a scroll, for after that event there is no place for such a work as this. It must take place after the signs in the sun, moon,and stars, for these signs have already been fulfilled, and such a sealing work has not yet been accomplished. It comes in therefore between the 13th and 14th verses of Revelation 6. There, as already shown, is just where we now stand. Hence the first part of Revelation 7 relates to a work the accomplishment of which may be looked for now.
-Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith
