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“Final Things Concerning the Seven Seals, Part 2” Revelation 7:1-17 March 14, 2021

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“Final Things Concerning the Seven Seals, Part 2” Revelation 7:1-17 March 14, 2021 Screen 1 Screen 2 “Final Things Concerning the Seven Seals, Part 2” Revelation 7:1-17 March 14, 2021 Last week, we discussed the six seals of Revelation 6 (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 Apocalypse 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 “Great Tribulation” – 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 second coming of our Lord, Jesus. 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 1 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 Revelation 8:1.* 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: 2 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.) 3 “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 Revelation 14:1 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 the beast have a mark (Revelation 16:2; 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 Jerusalem, 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 X 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.” 4 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 Revelation 4:1 – 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: 5 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 book of Revelation have figurative significance.
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