Sermon Tone Analysis

*God’s People and Purposes Will Survice*

*Revelation 7*

*November 2, 2008*

 

Who remembers Carnack?

He was the character Johnny Carson used to play.

Carnack would first hear an answer, then he would make up the question.

For instance:

 

A: Kitchy-kitchy-koo.

\\ Q: What do you call a military coup led by General Kitchy Kitchy?

 

A.

"Catch-22."

Q.

What do the Los Angeles Dodgers do with 100 pop flies."

And on it would go.

Today we’ll take a look into one of the chapters of Revelation – a book I’d love to preach through when I get up enough courage.

However, we’ll do a one-off look at this wonderful and puzzling letter.

To help us think about Revelation 7, I’d like to suggest that apostle John is given answers to which we will need to supply the questions.

Revelation is addressed to 1st century churches in 7 cities of the Roman province of Asia (now Western Turkey) as representative of all Christi’s churches.

These churches were threatened by false teaching, by persecution, and by spiritual complacency.

Jesus sent his revelation to John to fortify his churches to resist the wiles of the devil, whether in the form of intimidating violence (the beast), deceptive heresy (the false prophet) or beguiling affluence (the prostitute).

Revelation unveils the unseen spiritual war in which the church is engaged; the cosmic conflict between God and his Christ on the one hand, and Satan and his evil allies (both human and demonic) on the other.

However, we learn early on that the lamb of God has already triumphed by his victorious death on the cross.

but his church continues to be assailed by the dragon until that day when the Lord returns.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there was an incredible sense that humanity was improving, that wars would cease, that every one would increasingly get along with one another.

One reason for this naïve (as it now seems) optimism was the presence of Darwinian influence on social thought in our country and in Europe.

Then came WWI – then Nazi Germany – and so on.

The 20th century proved to be the bloodiest on record – and I might add, there were more Christian martyrs in the 20th century than ever before, and there seems to be no end in sight in the 21st century.

What does this have to do with Revelation?

Just this: There are 3 sets of 7 judgments in the book of Revelation.

The first set of 7 comes in chapter 6 when the Lamb opens the Scrolls 7 seals.

Each of them reveals that this world will have conflict, war, famine, tumult and decay to the very end.

And in each set of 7, there is an interlude between the 6th and 7th calamity.

Chapter 6 tells that the church is not immune from these conflicts, and that they will continue until the return of our Lord.

In chapter 7, before the 7th seal, we have the appearance of the 144,000; also described as a *great multitude that no one could number…*

 

So, back to Carnack.

If he sealing of the 144,000 in the midst of the unfolding judgments of God is described in chapter 7, what is the question to which this is the answer.

*Point One:  The First Question is This:  Will God’s Cause Survive?*

 

Now look at */Revelation 7:1-3 (ESV) /* \\ *(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."

The emperors that the Christians knew were Nero and Domitian – Domitian is called in 1 book I have *the next persecuting emperor.*

Most believe that John wrote Revelation during his reign.

Before him was Nero who did persecute Christians.

So, in the minds of many Christians was this – will God’s cause survive?

And the answer is given in chapter 7.  Yes, it will.

Nothing can deflect or alter in any way the will of God in Christ Jesus.

Notice how the 4 angels in verse 1 are holding back the 4 winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.

Obviously we are not to read Revelation *in the flat*, but symbolically.

Numbers are obviously used symbolically as well.

12,000, 144,000, and 7 all have symbolic value.

In this section, God is restraining evil until the entire number of his people is sealed.

And what is the seal?

*/Revelation 14:1 (ESV) /** \\ (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 seal is the name of the Father and the Son which is written on their foreheads – i.e. on their hearts.

Nothing can keep God from sealing his elect with his name.

All the considerable forces of evil, from which we are not immune, cannot keep God from his calling, sealing and protecting his elect.

God never leaves those whom he has called and set his seal upon.

God never loses any of his people.

Even the weakest Christians will be preserved.

God can’t be defeated.

So, will God’s cause – the salvation of mankind – be defeated?

No.

Despite appearances to the contrary, they won’t.

*Second Question:  This arises from the v 5-8, the roll call of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Who are God’s People?*

 

*Who are God’s people?*  That’s the question to which the mention of 144,000, and the great multitude that no one could count suggests.

In verses 5-8, the 12 tribes of Jacob are listed.

The role call is given and they all answer – Aay!

A closer look at this list, however, helps us understand the symbolism.

Is this list symbolic of OT believers, or as the Jehovah’s Witnesses think – the literal number of those in heaven; or is it the full number of those whom God has sealed, who constitute the church on earth or the church militant.

I think the latter and here is why.

There are a few surprises.

I’ll name a few.

The OT list is in Genesis 35.23-26.

Abraham – Isaac – Jacob & Esau – and from Jacob comes 12 sons.

However, the list in Revelation is a bit different from Genesis 35.

Jacob had 2 wives – Leah and Rachael and two concubines; Bilhah and Zilpah.

One of the children of Bilhah, Dan is not mentioned.

But, the rest of the children of the 2 concubines are listed – Gad, Asher, Naphtali and Mannasseh (replacing Dan).

Also, Judah is first on the list when Reuben should have been.

Further, it is unusual that both Joseph and his son Manasseh (a grandson, after all) are mentioned.

So – this list is not actually a list of Jacob’s Sons for Dan is omitted and Manasseh (grandson) is included.

Further they are not the tribes that inherit5ed land in Canaan, for Dan is omitted, and Levi is (they received no land) and Joseph is listed instead of his son Ephraim.

What’s the point?

This list shows that God’s people, known to the Lord, includes both Jew and Gentile, slave and free, and that this list is symbolic of the Church, which is called in Galatians the *Israel** of God.*

Further the order of tribes symbolizes the reign of Jesus (from Judah); the incorporation of outcasts and the exclusion of idolaters from the covenant community (Dan).

Further, God shields his people.

The church is described in Philippians as those –

 

*who glory in Christ and put no confidence in the flesh* – not even religious flesh.

And in Revelation 7

 

 

The church consists of those who in */Revelation 7:14 (ESV) /* \\ *(14) *I said to him, "Sir, you know."

And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.

They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

The way you know you are part of this number is that you do glory in Christ – and that you have been forgiven by the blood of the lamb.

Is that true of you today?

If it isn’t, why not make it so?

So, question 2 – who are God’s people – answer v 5-8.

But there is another answer to this question.

Verses 9-13

 

*/Revelation 7:9 (ESV) /* \\ *(9) *After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one 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,

 

They are crying out - *Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb.*