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Revelation, day 11

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”.

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Revelation, Day 10

Day 10

During the tribulation there will be 7 seal judgments, 7 trumpet judgement, and 7 bowl judgments. Revelation 6 is the opening of the first 6 seals.

Rev 6: 1-17, The seal judgments.

Rev 4 to 5 corresponds to the rapture of the church. Rev 6 to 19, corresponds to the 7-year tribulation on earth, also called the times of Jacob’s trouble, Jeremiah 30:7, “Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it”. Opening the seals will release judgments.

VV 1-2, 1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

When the 1st seal was opened, the 1st horseman of the apocalypse came riding on a white horse with a bow but no arrow. This is the anti-Christ, who come conquering in the name of peace but only a pseudo peace. Seemingly a man of peace, he established a 7-year peace treaty in the Middle East between the Jews and the Arabs. After 3 1/2 years, he will show his true color and trouble will break out in the Middle East.

VV 3-4, 3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

When the 2nd seal was opened, the second horseman of the apocalypse came riding on a red horse, bringing war and bloodshed to the whole world.

VV 5-6, 5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”

When the 3rd seal was opened, the 3rd horseman of the apocalypse came riding on a black horse, bring a worldwide famine. Things will be very expensive. A day’s wage will only be sufficient to buy food for survival. He will not harm the wine and the oil, speaking of luxury goods. The wealthy and the rich will be spared.

VV 7-8, 7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.

When the 4th seal was opened, the 4th horsemen of the apocalypse came riding on a pale horse. The rider’s name was Death and Hades. He had the power to kill. One-quarter of the world’s population will be wiped out. Will beasts and savage animals will be unleashed to kill the people.

VV 9-11, 9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

When the 5th seal was opened, John saw underneath the altar, the souls of the tribulation martyrs crying out to God for vengeance. God covered them with a white robe, speaking of the robe of righteousness. God told them to be patient because more martyrs had to come before He will brings justice. God will not ignore the cries of martyrs to go unnoticed. He will bring justice and avenge them.

VV 12-14, 12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

When the 6th seal was opened, natural disasters broke out, by way of great earthquakes, cosmic blackout, cosmic phenomena cosmic trembling, and stars falling from the sky.

VV 15-16, 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave, and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

All the people whether kings or civilians, whether great or ordinary, whether rich or poor, whether slave or free, will be shaken and frightened to death. They hide themselves from God in caves and rocks of the mountains, instead of crying out to God for mercy. Today, everyone has the opportunity to believe in Jesus and be saved but many still hardened their hearts. Hebrews 3:15, “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”