6-2-2019 Fall In! Revelation 7:1-8
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Introduction:
Believers are called to a life of spiritual warfare
On Sunday, December 7, 1941, the United States naval base in Hawaii was attacked without warning. The assault was devastating, consisting of two waves and lasting nearly two hours. There were 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians killed, and 1,143 servicemen and 35 civilians were wounded. Eight battleships were sunk or damaged; many planes were lost. One day later, the United States was forced into World War II. For the Japanese forces, that war had already begun. Though we Americans had not declared war, they had.
Likewise, whether we know it or not, Christians are in a war! The enemy is not flesh and blood but spiritual in nature. This enemy is on a mission to destroy our lives. We should not be caught by surprise.
Transition:
Chapters 6 & 7 of Revelation display the future battle Christians will endure, but the war has been waged long before now. In our Expository journey, the sixth seal had been opened in chapter 6, and the people of the earth tried to hide from God, asking who would be able to survive God’s judgment (6:17). Just when destruction seemed sure, four angels held back the four winds of judgment until God’s people were sealed as His own.
Chapter 7 is were we pick up today and it forms an interlude between the openings of the sixth and the seventh seals.
This scene occurs in this apparent interlude between the sixth and seventh seals. An interlude also comes between the sixth and seventh trumpets (10:1-11:13), but not between the sixth and seventh bowls (16:12-21). God did not open the seventh seal until he had marked His people as His own (v. 3). The seventh seal becomes the seven trumpets. Some Mid-tribulation rapture pre-millennials put the rapture here midway through chapter 7.
Scripture Reading:
So let’s read Revelation 7:1–8
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, 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,
3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of 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.
This chapter answers the question in the last verse in chp 6:17, “Who is able to stand?” Those described in this chapter will stand in the sense that they will be spared to enter the Millennium with Christ. The faithful believers would be kept safe. Interludes in Revelation often shed light on the current situation of God’s people and offer insight into their present responsibilities and future hope
This 7th chapter contains two scenes: first, the sealing of the 144,000; second, the great multitude worshipping before God’s throne. These two scenes depict the same group of people, namely the people of God, but it does so from two different perspectives. First, we see the people of God on earth arrayed in battle formation and protected from divine judgments to come. Second, we see the people of God in heaven, celebrating God’s faithfulness in sustaining their victorious endurance.
Transition:
God acts in powerful, protective, assuring ways on behalf of His people. There is no distinction in Revelation between believing Jews and Gentiles. The OT’s racial distinctions have been universalized into believers and unbelievers. So He seals them; let’s look at two aspects of this sealing:
I. A Protective SEAL (vv.1-3)
I. A Protective SEAL (vv.1-3)
At this moment, there are angels waiting for the word from YHWH
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
- The four winds mentioned here refer to the whole Earth (N, S, E, and W)
no wind is allowed to blow against the land or sea or trees, and in 7:2–3 the four angels are told not to harm the land or sea or trees until the servants of God have been sealed. God’s coming judgments will certainly affect the earth (i.e., the trumpet and bowl judgments), but they are here restrained for a time.
The unearthly calming of winds on the earth and the half hour of silence in heaven (8:1) form a bookend effect around chapter 7. Special attention is focused on what the Lord is doing with the two groups in view (vv. 4–8 and v. 9) while judgment is being held back.
Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, 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,
I Believe John is getting a glimpse of a chain of command effect in place with the angels. In Heaven, God has ultimate authority
You’ll notice how another angel comes forward to hold back these first four angels?
Likely, this is one of the arch-angels – someone in greater authority than these four angels holding the winds
The angels are given specific orders here to hurt only the land and sea to unleash judgment upon this Earth - The bowl judgments (later) are the judgments specifically on mankind
Remember city of Sodom in Genesis 19? Angels were sent there to destroy the city. However, they were restrained until Lot and his family were saved and removed
These four angels are granted the authority to hurt the land and the sea, yet we see control as they are restrained until God’s servants are sealed.
“the seal of the living God”
What is this Seal?
The “seal [sphragis] of the living God” stands in stark contrast to the “mark of the beast” in Chapter 13. Both marks indicate ownership since they are placed on a person’s forehead and are linked to either YHWH and the Lamb or the beast. One group is sealed for eternal condemnation, the other for eternal salvation.
In addition to ownership, the seal indicates spiritual protection. In Ezekiel 9, God commands an angel to mark all true believers to protect them from his coming wrath aimed at the Babylonians (Ezek. 9:4, 6). The unfaithful Israelites who have not been marked suffer divine judgment. So YHWH says to this death angel: (Ezek. 9:6–9 ).
6 Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house. 7 Then he said to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out.” So they went out and struck in the city. 8 And while they were striking, and I was left alone, I fell upon my face, and cried, “Ah, Lord God! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?” 9 Then he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.’
Similarly, in Revelation only those who are marked with the seal of the living God can withstand God’s coming wrath. The seal does not exempt believers from physical persecution or suffering but does protect them from spiritual defeat and enables them to remain loyal to Christ. Those who are not sealed, on the other hand, will be deceived by evil forces and will suffer God’s wrath.
The apostle Paul equates God’s seal with the Holy Spirit in 2 Cor. 1:22; & Eph. 1:13; 4:30, and this may be what John has in mind here also. God’s seal indicates that we belong to YHWH and it brings assurance that God will protect us spiritually from evil even though we may suffer persecution.
saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
The people of God are to be sealed, indicating God’s ownership and protection, before the last seal is lifted from the scroll (in 8:1) and God’s judgments contained in it are released.
-- Once these servants are in place – once they have received the protection of God, we will see the trumpet judgments begin
- We will see in a moment that a specific number of persons will be sealed first.
What is important to note here is that God knows who is faithful to Him —yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
-- He knows who His workers are – and John is being given a confirmation --- Just as they are sealed … those who are saved are also sealed and protected from this judgment
This protecting idea really seems to strengthen the rapture of the church happening before the Tribulation begins
-- Why? God’s promise is that we shall be saved if we call upon the name of the Lord (that is Jesus) – and this sealing is sealing those following the rapture for service to Him!
Transition:
So the first aspect is protection, the second is:
II. A Personable SEAL (vv.4-8)
II. A Personable SEAL (vv.4-8)
This is not just some unnamed, unnumbered crowd—this is real people! John hears the roll call of those who are sealed.
4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
Who are these 144,000? What do they represent? What’s the significance of this number? Many people have mixed up, or tried to assume who the 144,000 are
The Jehovah’s witnesses would teach you that the 144,000 are the only people going to heaven ever. They believed when they first formed as a unified cult that they were the first 144,000 born prior to 1914 who would not see death, and that they were here to do God’s work.
-- The problem with their logic is this: most (if not all) of those who called themselves part of the 144,000 are now dead and in their grave! the result of this false thinking is that they are forced to CHANGE their beliefs and doctrine because every JW wants to be one of the 144,000 who would not see death.
Also, since there is a much larger group—a “vast multitude … which no one could number”—mentioned immediately afterward as taken from earth to heaven (v. 9), the JW view is discredited just by the close context alone.
-- It is very important to note that when you read the Bible, when it is clearly written, it’s clear! The Bible tells us EXACTLY who these people are in the next verse!
5 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of 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.
There are 12 tribes mentioned. But these aren’t the same 12 tribes that were always listed in the O.T. books of the Jewish people. There's a couple differences.
Oddly, the tribe of Judah is mentioned first. Judah wasn’t the firstborn, Reuben was. Reuben is always mentioned first in any list of the tribes of Israel. But Judah is the royal tribe. It was the tribe of David and Solomon. It is the tribe of Jesus. Another major difference between this list and others in the Bible is the omission of the tribe of Dan and the tribe of Ephraim.
So what is happening then? John is being shown the nation of Israel
-- It is important to observe that the literal application of Israel’s importance cannot be avoided.
-- Those who remove literal Israel from scripture with what is called “Replacement Theology” will never be able to understand the book of Revelation and God’s plan for the end times.
- Here, we see the role of 144,000, from 12 literal tribes of Israel
-- There are 12,000 each of the 12 tribes of Jacob (Israel)
-- They represent a real select group, descendents of Jacob
-- They fulfill the role planned for Israel, to be a light to the nations always
Out of all the nations of the Earth, God has chosen the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to be a light to the nations, to be his witnesses
-- Isaiah 43:10-12 says
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. 11 I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. 12 I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.
The 12 tribes are numbered in that order as a protective military deployment, making it very possible that our passage is implying that this sealing has to do with the new covenant entry of the Holy Spirit into the Jewish remnant returned to the promised land (Ezk 36:27),
27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
where the vision in Ezekiel 37 describes Israel as “a vast army” (Ezk 37:10).
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
So What?
So What?
1. On earth, God’s people are engaged in a spiritual battle. The 144,000 represent God’s people arrayed in battle formation. Whether we like it or not, we are in a spiritual war, engaged in combat with unseen forces of wickedness. There may be occasional ceasefires and periods of recuperation, but we will always be in a spiritual struggle this side of heaven. Just when you think life is rolling along nicely, the enemy launches another attack. For this reason, we must first recognize our war-zone situation and learn to stand strong in resisting the devil’s attacks. We must also boldly follow the lead of the Spirit in launching attacks against the forces of darkness. Above all, we must arm ourselves with the gospel of peace and the Word of God and make sure we fight like Christ. We’ll see in Revelation 12:11 that believers triumph over Satan through reliance upon Christ’s atoning sacrifice, through maintaining their witness, and through a willingness to suffer. This is part of what it means to fight like our Lord.
2. God’s people have been sealed and protected against his judgments. YHWH promises to bring judgment on a wicked world, and that includes allowing evil forces to carry out their destructive activity. But we see in the Scriptures a clear distinction between the wrath/persecution originating from evil forces and the wrath/condemnation coming from God. While believers may experience persecution, they will never experience God’s wrath because God has sealed or protected them. Sadly, some Christians become so fascinated with battling evil that they take on an unhealthy fear of evil. They give Satan too much credit and ascribe to him too much power. In this passage God assures us that he will protect us spiritually from demonic assault.
3. God’s Holy Spirit, who lives within every genuine believer, guards and protects them from spiritual harm. If a person does not have the Spirit of God living within them, they do not belong to Christ. But conversely, if a person does have the Spirit of God, they do belong to Christ, even on those days when they are plagued by doubts and fears. God has put his Holy Spirit within us to “seal” or protect us from the coming wrath (2 Cor. 1:21–22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30). The Spirit also serves as God’s guarantee that He will finish the redemptive work. During times of intense spiritual struggle, God’s people can know that they truly belong to God, and that God will protect them until the day of Christ. We are called to overcome, but our perseverance is rooted in the grace of God made real in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This interlude then pictures the people of God being sealed prior to the outpouring of God’s judgments and the same people later celebrating in heaven. God’s people are protected from God’s wrath but not from the wrath of the beast and his followers. This explains why they can be sealed and simultaneously some suffer martyrdom. We will never experience the wrath or condemning judgment of God (Rom. 8:1), but we may experience opposition, persecution, and even death at the hands of evil forces.
Conclusion:
How can anyone ever hope to stand before a holy God? How can anyone escape the winds of judgement? The only ones who can do so are those who are sealed by God. The Bible uses this type of sealing to convey three things: protection against tampering, ownership, and certification of genuineness. The Christian is one who is protected by God, owned by God and certified by God.
God will bring judgment upon a wicked world according to his sovereign timing.
The judgments of God include allowing evil forces to carry out their destructive activity.
God’s people are marked with the seal of the living God, assuring them that they belong to God and will be protected spiritually from divine judgments.