Day 11
Rev 7: 1-17, Seventh seal, 144.000 sealed.
VV 1-3, 1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
After these, John saw 4 angels holding back the destructive winds of adversity from the north, south, east, and west. John saw another angel with the 7th seal commanding them not to harm the earth, sea, or trees, until the servants of God had been sealed on their foreheads. God will seal those who loved Him and raised them up as evangelists of the tribulation. Those who are not sealed will be destroyed.
There is a parallel passage in Ezekiel 9:4. ‘’The Lord said to him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it“.
Christians are sealed by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13, “In Him, you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise’’. Sealing speaks of ownership signifying that we belonged to God.
VV 4-8, 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: 5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.
The 144,000 Jews were sealed with a mark on their foreheads. 12,000 Jews are chosen from 12 tribes of Israel. Jews from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Ephraim did not make it to the list. Today, many Christian groups and cults falsely claimed that they will be the 144,000, e.g. the 7th day Adventists, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others. These 144,000 are Messianic Jews, not Gentiles. So these cannot be the 7th Day Adventists or Jehovah’s witnesses. These Messianic Jews will evangelize to the Jews and the Gentiles during the 7-year tribulation. The Jews will play a significant role in the 7-year tribulation. The replacement theology is not correct.
VV 9-10, 9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
After these, an uncountable number of people from all the nations of the world stood before God and before Christ. They were clothed in white robes, holding palm branches, crying with a loud voice that salvation belonged to their God and the Lamb.
VV 11-12, 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
The angels, the 24 elders, and the 4 living creatures bowed before the throne of God and worshiped Him with prayer, doxology, and benediction.
VV 13-15, 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.
Those clothed in white robes, waving palm branches in their hands, are the tribulation martyrs who had come out of the tribulation, Revelation 6: 9-11. They heard the gospel during the tribulation, believed, and died for their faith. They worshiped God day and night in His temple and Christ will dwell among them.
VV 16-17, 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Christ will feed, protect, shepherd, lead, and wipe away every tear from their eyes. Psalm 56:8. NLT, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book”.
