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Screen 2 “Final Things Concerning the Seven Seals, Part 2” :1-17 March 14, 2021

Last week, we discussed the six seals of (entire chapter). WOW! What an intense chapter – the most intense chapter so far, in my opinion, that we have discussed. We discussed the four Horsemen of the in verses 1-8, (with the breaking of the first four seals), the “souls of those under the altar” (verse 9) in Heaven in verses 9-11 (breaking of the fifth seal), and finally in verses 12-17 (breaking of the sixth seal). When does all of this happen, specifically? I believe this particularly, even though most everything mentioned has already happened (past) and is currently happening (present) (minus maybe the killing of one fourth of the entire earthly population). I believe this is yet (future) to happen during the “” – i.e. the 70th 7 of Daniel 9:24-27. Arguably these events occur during all seven years of that time prophesied or during the three and a half years of that time (depending on who you read, because there is supposedly three and a half years of false peace and three and a half years of serious tribulation). This is the time period leading up to the of our Lord, . Now, read:

Revelation 6:12-17 “12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and Screen 3 behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and

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everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

Who can stand? Today we answer the question from Revelation 7.

PRAY HERE FOR UNDERSTANDING. (Get it? Stand/standing?)

*This chapter is interlude between the events of the breaking of the sixth seal and the seventh seal of :1.*

Revelation 7:1 “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the Screen 4 earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.”

We are still in the section of the breaking of the sixth seal from verses 12-17, of Chapter 6. Revelation 6:1-8 were scenes on Earth; Revelation 6:9-11 were scenes in Heaven; Revelation 6:12-17 were scenes on Earth. Here, in verses 1-8, we are still on Earth.

“I saw four angels” – they stand at the four corners of the earth. These angels hold back the four winds of the earth. In apocalyptic thought, angels are often pictured as being in charge of the forces of nature. The four winds are destructive agents of God. See Daniel 7:2 and Jeremiah 49:36 ff. (Jesus is in charge of all of these events on the earth. He is the one breaking the seals.) The winds of destruction are being held back for the moment! See:

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Hosea 13:15 Though he may flourish among his brothers, the east wind, the wind of the Lord, shall come, rising from the wilderness, and his fountain shall dry up; his spring shall be parched; it shall strip his treasury of every precious thing.

Zachariah 9:14 Then the Lord will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord God will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.

Isaiah 40:7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass.

Isaiah 40:24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

Revelation 7:2 “Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, Screen 5 with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea,”

“another angel” – This angel ascends from the east.

Ezekiel 43:4 As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east,

Some see a reference to the nativity story and the wisemen who came from the east (Mathew 2:1). (In Genesis 2:8 the Garden of Eden is planted in the east.)

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“the seal of the living God” – probably a signet ring like that used of Oriental kings to authenticate and protect official documents. We will learn from :1 that the mark it leaves on the forehead is:

Revelation 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.

The followers of have a mark (:2; 19:20). It is the beast’s Screen 6 name (14:11) or the number of his name (13:17) on their right hand or on their forehead (13:16; 14:9; 20:4). The sealing of God’s servants is based on:

Ezekiel 9:4 And the Lord said to him, “Pass through the city, through , and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”

The Hebrew letter is “tau” and it was written like a or a + or a small t. This mark in Ezekiel protected the people from the judgment coming upon the city of Jerusalem (very much like the blood of the lamb in the Passover of Exodus 12). This mark will protect those receiving it from the coming judgments. In:

2 Timothy 2:19 But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

Ownership entails protection!!! It is the seal of the living God . . . (Joshua 3:10: 2 Kings 19:4, 16). When God is about to intervene on behalf of His people, He is referred to as “the living God.”

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Revelation 7:3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we Screen 7 have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

You and I bear the mark of ownership of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “you were bought with a price. . .” Matthew 28:19 says we were baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy spirit. Galatians 3:13 says Christ redeemed us . . . His name is on us. He owns us!!! This is the “mark of the Lamb” – no one ever talks about this – everyone always talks about the “mark of the beast.” I know with absolute certainty what the mark of the Lamb is – the cross!!!

Revelation 7:4 “And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:”

Now, the million-dollar question is: Who are the 144,000?

There are five general identifications: Screen 8

1. Some view them as 144,000 literal ethnic-Israelites. This is based on the presumption that John’s language is to be understood literally except when he states explicitly otherwise. It is based on a futurist understanding (premillennial dispensationalists view), which sees :1 – 22:5 as only referring to future tribulation immediately preceding Christ’s second coming. Accordingly, the 144,000 refer to ethnic Jews who come to Christ during the Great Tribulation and will be protected from martyrdom during the time of the eschaton. 2. Some link the 144,000 to the prophesy in:

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Romans 11:24-26 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. The Mystery of Israel's Salvation 25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”

That all of ethnic Israel will be saved at the time of Christ’s second coming. The 144,000 is a symbolic number representing all of Israel.

3. Some see the 144,000 as a Christian-remnant of ethic Jews living in the First Century A.D., contrasted with the unbelieving Jews of that time. This remnant emerged as a result of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. 4. Many see the 144,000 as figurative, since nearly all numbers in the have figurative significance. Here, the group who is sealed represents the complete number of God’s people. >All the redeemed of all time.< 144,000 is the result of the square of 12 multiplied by 1,000. This number heightens the idea of completeness. The () has 12 gates, which are 12 pearls and has 12 foundation stones on which are written the 12 names of the apostles. The city represents the whole people of God (Revelation 21:9-10). If Gentile believers are clearly identified together with the 12 tribes of the Sons of

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Israel as part of the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:12, 14, 24; 22:2-5) then this is a possibility. 5. Some see the 144,000 is that it is a figurative number for the totality of the redeemed, formed as an army to conduct holy war. (I have never heard of this one before until this past Monday.) The reason for an Old Testament census was always to determine military strength of the nation (Numbers 1:3, 18, 20; 26:2, 4; 1 Chronicles 27:23; 2 Samuel 24:1-9). There is evidence that the expectation of the return of the ten tribes also included a hope that they would take part in a final war to defeat God’s enemies (Isaiah 11:14).

A sixth view is held by Jehovah Witnesses – the 144,000 are the only people going to Heaven until after the resurrection (we can throw this one out).

Ultimately, we can boil down the 144,000 to two possibilities: Screen 9

1. The number and tribes are to be taken literally and refer to 144,000 Jewish Christians who are sealed (to protect them from destruction) during the time of the Great Tribulation. 2. John is understood to use the language of the new Israel and thus is referring to the completed church composed of Jews and Gentiles. (This is extremely difficult to discuss . . .)

In support of the second view, the identifies the followers of Christ as “Abraham’s seed” (Galatians 3:9), the “true circumcision” (Philippians 5:3) and as “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16). Furthermore, John in :9 and 3:9 refer to the true and false Jew.

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Paul made a distinction between the true, spiritual Jew and the physical descendant of Abraham (Romans 2:28-29; 9:8). Only those Jews who recognized Jesus as could rightly be called “Israel” in the strictest sense (Romans 9:6). Peter likewise described the church (Jew and Gentile) in terms drawn from the Old Testament that historically described he true people of God among the Jewish descendants (“holy priesthood . . . chosen people . .. . royal priesthood . . . holy nation (1 Peter 2:4, 9). Gentiles who received Jesus as Messiah and Lord were considered “Abraham’s seed” (Galatians 3:9), and the true “circumcision” (Philippians 3:3). (See also Romans 11:17-24).

And further, other Jews of the First Century A.D. argued about who was the true Israel. E.G. Qumran. There were many other sects besides Qumran, of Jews claiming they were the only true Israel at this time.

All of this being said, I am saying it is a real possibility that the 144,000 number could be symbolic and the lens we approach to view Revelation is a different lens than we use for every other book of the (minus Daniel). Apocalyptic – very different). “Sealing” baptism and the Holy Spirit to the First Century Christians.

The 144,000 are protected and triumphant during the period of God’s wrath, meeting with Jesus at Mt. Zion at his return (Revelation 14:1). They are celibate (Revelation 14:4). They are the beginning of a greater harvest (Revelation 14:4). They are marked by integrity and faithfulness (Revelation 14:5). That makes it very difficult for me to see them as symbolic of all the redeemed of mankind, but this is a possibility.

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Revelation 7:5 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the Screen 10 tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad,

“Judah” – is mentioned first because Jesus is the “Lion of the Tribe of Judah.” (See Genesis 49:10; Hebrews 7:14). This list’s order is unique to John. The Old Testament has no fewer than 20 variant lists of tribes, and these lists include anywhere from 10 – 13 tribes, though 12 is predominant (Genesis 49; Deuteronomy 33; Ezekiel 48).

Another difficulty with the 12 tribes is that ten tribes (from north Israel) disappeared after the Babylonian captivity. (Though God certainly knows where and who they are.)

Revelation 7:6-8 6 “12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Screen 11 Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 7 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.”

Notice that the tribe of Dan is not mentioned. His tribe was connected with idolatry in Judges 18:30. Later, Dan became one of the two great shrines in the northern kingdom (1 Kings 12:29). There was an ancient tradition that the will be born from the tribe of Dan. (See Daniel 11:37; Jeremiah 8:16.) (See Irenaeus in Second Century A.D. and later, Hippolytus.)

The 144,000 are going into the Great Tribulation (seven or three and a half years) and will be sealed for the impending persecution. They are on the earth. Beginning with verse 9, we are back in Heaven.

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Revelation 7:9 “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one Screen 12 could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,”

These verses speak of the blessedness of the eternal state. Most difinnitely, while we can give grace to each other in regards to exactly who the 144,000 are in verses 1-8 we can rest assured that these verses include all believers of all times. To people who are about to enter the world’s darkest hour here we have a glimpse of Heaven!

“no one could number” – billions and billions of human souls (plus angels later in verse 11).

“nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” – these four occur together in :9; 7:9; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6.

“white robes” – from Revelation 6:11 – the under the altar.

“palm branches” – see Jesus’ triumphal entry in John 12:13.

Revelation 7:10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God Screen 13 who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

“Salvation” – God’s deliverance of the children of Israel in the Old Testament beginning with the exodus from Egypt and entry into the Holy Land (Israel).

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Revelation 7:11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

When the redeemed worship God, so all the angels follow suit!

Revelation 7:12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving Screen 14 and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Seven-fold doxology of praise –

“Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might” – if this is indeed rejoicing in the presence of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10) how unbelievably great will be the joyful adoration of the heavenly hosts when all the redeemed stand before their God!

Revelation 7:13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”

Question and answer format used in other books of the Bible (Zechariah 4:5).

Revelation 7:14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the Screen 15 ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made 18 them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

“the great tribulation” – that specific time of distress and cruel persecution which will take place prior to the return of Christ. It was prophesied by Daniel in Daniel 12:1. This prophesy was reflected on the scene of history at the fall of Jerusalem (:19) and finds its fulfillment in that final persecution which supplies the

11 full number of Christian martyrs (Revelation 6:11). (Not all of these people here are martyrs – but all are the redeemed/believers.) These redeemed are clothed in the righteousness of the Lamb – so they can stand before the throne of almighty God!

Revelation 7:15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him Screen 16 day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.”

“(God) will shelter them with his presence” - (Leviticus 26; Exodus 13:21-22; 2 Chronicles 7:1-3). God, here, is dwelling in the midst of His people. He is “making his Shekinah to dwell with them.”

Revelation 7:16 “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.”

Most of verses 16-17 come from: Screen 17

Isaiah 49:10 they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

“the sun shall not strike them” - beautiful.

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Revelation 7:17 “ For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Jesus is the good shepherd (John 10:1-30; 21:15-17; 1 John 3:16).

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Screen 18 “springs of living water” – see also John 4:14 18

“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” – see also Revelation 21:4.

These redeemed from every nation, tribe, people and language stand before God’s throne and enjoy Him forever and ever. Yet, the final end of time has not happened yet – the seventh seal is yet to be broken. That is next week’s discussion.

Where will you stand on that day? The answer to this question is determined by where you stand today! In Christ or outside of Christ?

INVITATION: Screen 19 18 • Salvation Prayer • Believer’s Prayer

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