Study of End Times - Week 18
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Praise and Prayer
Praise and Prayer
Revelation 7 reminds us one more time that we may be the rapture generation - that last generation of the church age caught up into glory to meet the Lord in the air. What a day that will be!
I want us to be ready. But not so ready that our head is in the clouds of prophecy and not on the pavement of serving and soul winning. The blessed hope for which we await is not an incentive to rest but to work.
Jesus said, in Luke 19:13
13 He called ten of his servants, gave them ten minas, and told them, ‘Engage in business until I come back.’
He didn’t mean for us to tale up space; He meant for us to get to work because we know the future. Our occupation is our job, and we need to stay at it. And because your future is secure, your present is something into which you can put all of your heart, soul, and energy.
As I read Revelation 7 over and over, one phrase keeps echoing in my mind. It is a chorus entitled What a Mighty God We Serve!
What a Might God We Serve!
What a Might God We Serve!
Chorus slide -
How do we know we serve a mighty God? Because God made everything. He created the universe. He made the galaxies, the sun, the moon, and the stars. He spoke the world into space. Nothing is too difficult for Him.
The angel said to Abraham, in Genesis 18:14
14 Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.”
And then Jeremiah said,
17 Oh, Lord God! You yourself made the heavens and earth by your great power and with your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for you!
In Revelation 7 we learn more about what this great God can do. Here we will learn about the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever known. During the great tribulation God will save great multitudes - so many that we cannot count them all. What a mighty God we serve!
There is no Promise too Hard for God to Keep!
There is no Promise too Hard for God to Keep!
There are thirty thousand promises in the Word of God.
20 For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.
Jesus told us in Matthew 5:18
18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished.
There is no promise too hard for God to keep.
Let’s look at our main text tonight Revelation 7:1-8
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, restraining the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel rising up from the east, who had the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were allowed to harm the earth and the sea, 3 “Don’t harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we seal 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 Israelites:
5 12,000 sealed from the tribe of Judah,
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 sealed from the tribe of Benjamin.
Many years ago, God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3
1 The Lord said to Abram:
Go from your land,
your relatives,
and your father’s house
to the land that I will show you.
2 I will make you into a great nation,
I will bless you,
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt,
and all the peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.
God made this promise to Abraham two thousand years before John wrote the book of Revelation (and two thousand years have passed since then!). Has God kept that promise? Yes!
19 God is not a man, that he might lie,
or a son of man, that he might change his mind.
Does he speak and not act,
or promise and not fulfill?
What does that mean? It means that if God says it, you can bank on it. Every family has been and will be blessed through Abraham. They may have refused the blessing, but it has come.
In Revelation 7 we learn that God’s promise to Abraham will be consummated with a unique group of 144,000. Various groups have claimed to be the 144,00 - the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, Sabbath Keepers, and one even called the Flying Roll. Some others say this group is the New Testament church, which is spiritual Israel.
God has not cast away His chosen people - the Israelites. The Bible teaches that this race of people will not pass away. The Jew will be here until Jesus comes. The nation of Israel cannot be obliterated. God’s promise will stand. You can bank on it.
So who are these 144,000? They are a select group of actual Jews - God’s chosen people.
The Bible is clear that these are the tribes of Israel. It is black print of white paper.
4 And I heard the number of the sealed:
144,000 sealed from every tribe of the Israelites:
Let’s look at the 144,000.
They are Selected
They are Selected
Why does God select 144,00 out of the Jewish people? To answer that question, let’s review what we learned back in week 3 of the study when we looked at the symbolic use of numbers in the book of Revelation.
Three numbers make up the figure 144,000. they are three, four, and ten. Four is the earth number, three is the divine number, and ten speaks of completeness.
Three times four is twelve.
Twelve times twelve gives us 144.
Ten times ten gives us 1,000.
Then 144 times 1,000 gives us 144,000.
God has taken His governmental number and intensified it. He has said in essence, These are My chosen ones to do My will and to fulfill My purpose.
Many have asked if 144,000 is a literal number. I see no reason it should not be a literal number. But let’s focus on the main interpretation of this passage in God’s Word. God has a plan with Israel, and He is going to complete that plan.
They are sealed
They are sealed
2 Then I saw another angel rising up from the east, who had the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were allowed to harm the earth and the sea,
The angel is carrying a seal of the living God for these 144,000 souls. This seal signifies a mark of ownership. In the days when the Bible was written, a seal basically stood for three things: possession, protection, and preservation. In the same way God has put a seal of possession, protection, and preservation upon these 144,000 souls.
Why? Because God has a special job for them, and they must be kept safe. Otherwise, the Antichrist would obliterate these people.
Did you know that we also are sealed?
30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.
Some people think the devil can take born-again believers out of the hand of God. If you think that, it’s time you changed your view.
Thank God for His provision, protection, and preservation of His people. The Holy Spirit seals every person who has placed his or her trust in the almighty power of God for salvation. The reason we are kept saved is that we are sealed from the beginning. This is a wonderful truth.
3 “Don’t harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
Will this seal be a literal mark on the foreheads of the saved? Maybe and maybe not. It could be an impression of truth in their minds that God is their Father.
1 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
I don’t know whether this means the name of the Father is in their mind, or whether it is a literal mark, but I do know the 144,000 are sealed.
They are Servants
They are Servants
Revelation 7:3 says that those who are sealed are the slaves of our God. And they will serve the Lord by preaching the gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Can you imagine what will happen during the great tribulation when God turns loose 144,000 evangelists? It seems to me that Paul must have had these 144,000 in mind when he spoke of himself as an example to those who would later believe.
16 But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life.
God made a promise to Abraham that all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you. And you will never see that promise more greatly fulfilled than during the great tribulation, when the 144,000 preach the everlasting gospel to all the peoples on the face of this earth and there is a great harvest of souls.
Not one promise of God will fail. And not only the promises of what God has said to Israel but what God has said to you.
20 For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.
There is No Person too Hard for God to Save
There is No Person too Hard for God to Save
9 After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
Salvation belongs to our God,
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!
11 All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these people in white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
As a result of the great witness of the 144,000, there is a great harvest of souls. Thousands and thousands have been saved and dressed in white robes signifying the righteousness of Christ. And in their hands are palm branches, which are used to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
Why are so many going to be saved during the great tribulation and not before? Because of the climate of the tribulation.Can you imagine the confusion and conviction that will come to this world when the church is raptured? People’s sense of false security will be taken away.
Do you remember what we learned last week in Revelation 6 about war, famine, calamities, and disasters? Imagine living in a world that chaotic. People will be asking: What is happening? Where are the answers? What must we do? compound their uncertainties by 144,000 flaming evangelists who have been sealed.
The Antichrist cannot kill them, and they will be preaching the glorious gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Many will not believe the lie of the Antichrist. They will be listening.
Do people truly listen to the flight attendant when they explain the safety procedures on the airplane, or do people truly read the owners manual to familiarizes themselves with the safety equipment in their vehicles? No
But I guarantee you if the pilot announces the plan is going down and is going to make impact in five minutes , they will want to know how to use the safety equipment, if you are faced with an accident or a disaster in your vehicle you will want to know the ins and outs of your safety equipment of your vehicle.
This gives you an idea of what will happen during the great tribulation. People will not be casual about God as some are today. And God will save a great, great multitude.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.
A lot of people will be inclined to call on the name of the Lord in that day, and they will be saved.
God can save anyone. There is no one too hard for God to save. It doesn’t matter how good you think you are; you need to be saved. God will not save someone who refuses o believe, but it is not because He could not. It is just that He will not because of their unbelief.
No one is so bad that they cannot be saved, and no is so good that they need not be saved.
All who are saved will be saved by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a mighty God we serve! There is no promise too hard for God to keep. There is no person too hard for God to save.
These saved ones, according to Scripture we have read, will be praising God. The Bible says they are waving palm branches. Palm branches were used in the Feast of Tabernacles as a symbol of Joy. All heaven breaks loose with praise.
11 All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
Those are the angels praising Him. Why are they praising Him? The angels are praising Him when they see what God has done by His grace for us and for these tribulation saints.
Indeed the angels may be praising the Lord. Yet saints have eve more reason to praise than angels do.
These tribulation saints will be martyred. Millions and millions will go to heaven through the gates of torture. When they get saved, they will refuse the mark of the beast. They will disavow their allegiance to the Antichrist. Most of them will be put to death by beheading. What a terrible, horrible thing it will be. But then they will awaken in glory.
There is No Problem too Hard for God to Solve
There is No Problem too Hard for God to Solve
No one is immune to problems.
1 Anyone born of woman is short of days and full of trouble.
But we must remember that there is no problem God cannot solve. Just read the glorious finale in
15 For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and they serve him day and night in his temple.
The one seated on the throne will shelter them:
16 They will no longer hunger;
they will no longer thirst;
the sun will no longer strike them,
nor will any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb who is at the center of the throne
will shepherd them;
he will guide them to springs of the waters of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Jesus didn’t say you will get out of this world unscathed with no problems. He said just the opposite. There is no fine print in the contract. Jesus said, John 16:33
33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
Perhaps God is not working in a timely fashion or in the way you prefer. Remember what the prophet Isaiah said, Isaiah 55:8-9
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
9 “For as heaven is higher than earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
None of us will ever understand why God does what He does every time He does something.
What doe you say to a couple at the graveside of their little child? What do you say to a man who loses his lifelong companion just day away from celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary? What do you say to a man who has lost his job, has no savings, and feels embarrassed that he cannot take car of his family? What do you say to a person who is being tortured for his faith?
I’ll tell you what to say: This is not God’s final plan!
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.
A day will come when our Lord will wipe away all tears. He will take every hurt and transform it into a hallelujah. He will arch the rainbow of His glory over the storms of your life.
Many people will say, If there is no promise God can’t keep, no person God cannot save, and no problem God cannot solve, why are there so many unsaved people?
Because of their unbelief. It is not God’s problem; it is theirs.
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
A little girl put her hand down in an expensive vase and could not get it out. The family did everything they knew to do, but they couldn’t get her hand out. Finally, they had to break the vase. When they broke the vase, they saw that her little fist was clenched. They opened it up and found a penny in her hand. He father asked her, Honey, why didn’t you open your hand? She said, I’d lose my penny.
This is a timeless illustration of how many of us are clinging to the most foolish things in life rather than setting our old lives down and giving our hearts to Jesus. Maybe we have given our hearts to Jesus but we are still clinging on to some old habits, or old ways in life that need to be let go of.
May we never forget that there is no promise too hard for God to keep, no person too hard for God to save, and no problem too hard for God to solve.
What a Mighty God we Serve!