Our Promise-Keeping God!

Revelation chapter 7 on the surface may appear to be a bit confusing, and here is why...

Think of this chapter as a parenthesis, a pause or break in the chronology of Revelation.

There has been quite a bit going on since the Tribulation period began in chapter 6, the antichrist has emerged, war has erupted, there is famine and inflation, followed by death in which 1/4 of the earth’s population are killed.

We have seen that the opening months of the tribulation period will rife with persecution and there are countless souls of the martyred seen in heaven under the altar. Finally chapter 6 ends with devastation upon the earth and in the heavens as earthquakes shake the foundations of the earth, mountains and islands lose their moorings, and the earth is bombarded with debris, possibly meteors or asteroids from space. Church, I believe God inserted chapter 7 to give us a mental break from all the stress that will occur during this time period. In my mind I can see our loving God including this chapter so that we could get a clear glimpse of His goodness and mercy.

When I read chapter seven, I am reminded that we serve a God who ALWAYS keeps His promises! Not only that, but when I read chapter seven I am reminded of why there has to be a tribulation period in the first place.

Have you ever asked yourself that question? Why does there have to be a tribulation period? We could oversimplify this question by saying - Becasue judgment is necessary. That is true, but judgment on whom? There are two people this period will focus on:

Those who have rejected Jesus in the church age.

The Jews for disobeying God and rejecting their Messiah.

“Pastor, I thought you said this was good news?” It is! Guess, what God is not done with Israel! That is good news because it reminds us that He is not done with us!.

God is a promise keeping God!

a. He promised Abraham, “I’ll make of you a great nation” and He did!

b. Under the Mosaic covenant, He promised to bless Israel if they would keep His commandments - He did so as long as they would!

c. He promised David there would never cease to be an heir to sit upon his throne - I am happy to report that the ultimate heir is Jesus Christ and one day He will sit on that throne!

d. He promised in Jeremiah 31:3-33 that He would restore Israel and give them a new heart, a heart for Him....this is the ultimate purpose of the Tribulation period!

Here is the truth, Israel failed God…but so do you, and so do I. Aren’t you glad God doesn’t write us off when we fail? I don’t know about you, but I need the grace of God today.

Today we are going to compare Daniel 9 with Revelation 7 and when we do that we will see that God is a promise keeper! Part of this is keeping his promise of...

Judgment Daniel 9; Rev.7:1-8

Some would dare question God, “If God is a loving God, why would He judge His people this way?” We would do good to remind them that God is indeed loving, but that He is first and foremost holy!

If God will not keep His promise to judge us for the wrong we do when we deserve it, then we cannot trust Him to bless when do not deserve it!

Two good questions come to mind:

How do we know God is speaking to Israel here?

He tells us so in Revelation 7:4 “4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”

There are not 12 tribes concerning the church.

The church is not the same as Israel

God has a plan for the church, and God has separate plan for Israel

God has made a promise to Israel that He will not forsake them, and He will keep that promise!

Church, God is a promise keeper!

He will do what He says, and yes, that includes exact judgment where and when judgment is necessary!

The second question that I find myself asking...

Why?

To find this answer we go back to Daniel 9:24-27 .

Did you see in verse 24 the phrase, “Thy people and thy holy city?

Daniel’s people = Israel/Jews

Daniel’s holy city = Jerusalem

This prophecy is concerning the judgment on Israel, centered around Jerusalem!

Notice the why in verse 24

“To finish the transgression...

They are being judged because of their disobedience!

Every 7 years the Jews were supposed to observe a sabbatical year of in which they let the land rest, and set their servants free, forgave debts etc.

This was to be a picture or reminder of the grace of God

Well for 490 years the Jews failed to observe this required sabbatical.

If you do the math, that means they overlooked 70 sabbatical years.

In judgment God sent the Assyrians, and later the Babylonians to bring them into captivitiy.

Daniel was given this vision as an explanation of God’s judgment based on their failure.

The word “week” simply means 7

In this case it is 70 weeks of seven

In this context 70 weeks = 490 years

Daniel 9:24-25 “24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”

In this time period, we read that the command for rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra and Nehemiah) would occur

Next Messiah, Jesus, would be born and die

That is 483 years after Daniel’s prophecy.

Did you notice that 7 weeks (49) + 3 score and 2 weeks (434) = 69 weeks (483)…where does the 70th week fit in?

That final week is a seven year period of time that has yet to occur, it is known as the tribulation!

This is in perfect keeping with the holy nature of our promise keeping God. He has promised that judgment will come. Friends, I can’t speak for you, but just knowing that God will keep his promises, including judgment for the sins of Israel, is enough to make me open my eyes wider than ever before! I’m not going to end here, I want to go on. God will keep His promise concerning judgment, and He will keep His promise concerning...

Protection Rev. 7:1-3

God is not done with Israel, is a welcomed reminder that He is not done with me!

In Revelation 7 we see the promise of Judgment, but then we see two reminders of God’s grace...

The Judgment Suspended

The four angels mentioned here are, I believe, four of the seven angels who will participate in the trumpet judgments

Here they are seen standing on the four corners of the earth restraining the winds from blowing

Wind in Scripture is a picture of the wrath of God

These angels are seen withholding the winds of judgment, because it is not time yet

I’m happy to point out that the mention of the angel ascending from the east is likely a reference to Israel/Jerusalem

What we see is that God has a special plan and purpose for them and is sheltering them from the coming judgments

The next reminder of the grace of God we see are...

The Jews Sealed

There is no question that these are 144,000 from each of the 12 tribes.

Not JW’s

Not Mormon elders

Jews!

There has been some question as to the absence of the tribes of Dan and Ephraim

No one has a good answer to this question other than these two tribes were among the first to go astray into idolatrous practices and thus brought on them the judgment of God.

The good news is in Ezekiel 48, they are seen entering into the millennial kingdom!

God is good, even when we do not deserve His goodness.

If there is hope for these two wandering tribes of Israel, there is hope for us!

There has been some question about how these will be sealed, but no one has a good answer for this either!

We can rightly say they are sealed by the same means we are sealed: The Holy Spirit of God!

“I thought the Holy Spirit was removed with the church?”

His restraining ministry over evil on the earth is removed, but not The Holy Spirit

It is impossible to remove the Holy Spirit, He is God!

You may be wondering, “What is the purpose of these sealed saints?” To answer that question you’ll have to come back next week!

Conclusion:

What lesson should we leave here with today? Simple: God is a promise keeper!

Every word He says is true, and you can believe it!

Every promise He has made to you, you can consider it already fulfilled! He promised to never abandon Israel, and He will not forsake them. He’s promised never to forsake you, and He never will!

Unfortunately, He has also promised to judge our sin. This promise will be kept too. My friend if you do not know Jesus as your Savior, then you will face eternity in hell apart form God.

Do you want to know the greatest promise God ever made? The promise to save anyone who will trust in His Son for forgiveness of sin. If you don’t know Him today, you can.