Revelation 7v1-8

Jimmy Sourile

Revelation • Sermon • Submitted 3 months ago • Presented 3 months ago

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Friends Please pray with me pray

If you are able, would you please stand as we read Scripture. The passage we will be in today is Revelation 7:1-8

Revelation 7:1–8 (CSB)

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. 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, “Don’t harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed:

144,000 sealed from every tribe of the Israelites: 12,000 sealed from the tribe of Judah, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 sealed from the tribe of Benjamin.

This is the Word of the Lord. Please have a seat.

This summer as most of you know I had the opportunity to travel to Jordan with our denomination to hang out and encourage some of our Alliance international workers. It was an incredible trip, super encouraging, and one I hope and plan to get our church to go back again here many times.

But as I prepared for the trip, a big international trip to the middle east with an active war ensuing in the region - obviously there was a bit of anxiety - especially with a 12 hour plane ride which is never fun.

And so I prepared the best I could, but more then that - i wanted to make sure I had my affairs in order, as they say. I made sure Ariana knew all my passwords for everything, I made sure we had our will all good to go. And I spent some time with the kids, giving them presents, and praying for them. I was giving them myself and my best, so if the worst should come - they would be promised to be taken care of. The will was signed as sealed with my signature and looked over by a lawyer. Everything was secure for them.

Thankfully I was able to do the whole trip without any complications, but when we go into to the unknown, or a dangerous space, it’s right to look for assurance and security.

Today we wade into Revelation 7, and into one of the more controversial sections of the book, believe it or not. This section has had an incredible amount of ink spent writing different perspectives on it with scholars and pastors and theologians coming at it from different sides and seeing so much in these few short verses.

And while they have proven to be a difficult section, if we continue with a good interpretive structure, i believe this passage is not only understandable and consistent with the rest of the book, but also incredibly hope filled.

All said, know that this section has a myriad of different interpretations and I won’t be able to interact with all of the different views.

Let’s look at the first four words here of verse 1,

Revelation 7:1a (CSB)

After this I saw. . .

If you remember, two week ago when we left of in Revelation we had just finished the 6 of the seven seals. What would would be expecting is for the 7th seal to come next. Instead we see these words: “After this I saw” which John has used already in Revelation to indicate a new vision.

This indicates that John ad a vision subsequent to his vision of the sixth seal, but that does not necessitate that the events this new vision describes take place subsequently to the sixth seal - no it is a subsequent vision. But chronology in highly apocalyptic language is convoluted at best.

Interestingly enough, when we get to the trumpets, there will be a similar interlude in between the 6th and 7th trumpet, and there will be interesting parallels between those two intermissions of the seals and the trumpets.

Now remember - the first six seals - the first 4 were the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse. The fifth was the martyrs crying out for God to intervene. The sixth was the wrath of God and the Lamb pouring out on the people of the earth.

Now John sees this vision. Let’s look at the first three verses now.

Revelation 7:1–3 CSB

John gets a vision of four angles - standing at the four corners of the earth.

No, this isn’t saying that the earth is a flat sheet with corners - but is referring to the cardinal directions, north south east and west.

And they were restraining the four winds so that it wouldn’t affect the earth or sea or any tree.

Notice that it’s the angels of the Lord who are exercising this authority. Roman and most pagan religions, have little gods who oversea different aspects of nature - the sun god, the wind god, the god of the storm, the god of the sea, the god of the trees, etc, and they would war against each other which is where the natural disasters came from in a pagan world view.

But the Christian perspective is that God is over it all. He’s sovereign over all things, the wind blows, or doesn’t, by his will.

And the first verse is saying that things are being restrained. This seems out of sorts if it were to come chronologically following the sixth seal - where literally the cosmos seemed to melt. Therefore Beale and many other scholars conclude that perhaps this vision is in a different chronological scheme, likely taking place before the seals.

Why was the wind being held back? So that there could be a seal. An angel from the east had the seal of the living God. And he told the other angels who were to harm the earth and sea to not do anything until the servants of God have been sealed on their foreheads.

The seal will correlate in the coming chapters when we talk about the mark of the beast. But sticking here - it’s interesting that these servants are to be sealed, then the harm is to come on the earth and sea and trees.

The idea of what this seal mean is actively and seriously debated. Some say it’s protection from any type of physical harm, some protection from demons, and others say it’s protection from losing ones faith and salvation.

It does seem to have a pretty clear allusion back in the Old Testament, namely in Ezekiel 9, where the Lord is about to send judgment on the city of Jerusalem, and before the judgement comes, God says this, look at Ezekiel 9:4-6

Ezekiel 9:4–6 (CSB)

“Pass throughout the city of Jerusalem,” the Lord said to him, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the detestable practices committed in it.” He spoke to the others in my hearing: “Pass through the city after him and start killing; do not show pity or spare them! Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, as well as the children and older women, but do not come near anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple.

The mark in Ezekiel would have protected those who morn over the sin going on in Jerusalem from physical harm, but it seems reasonable to indicate that they were also unblemished spiritually before hand, as they hated the evil practices.

This seems to relate very well with the experience of the christians in asia minor to whom this book was written. Many so called believers were compromising their faith and committing idolatry. And Jesus through John reminds his followers to not look at earthly success, but rather to be faithful even unto death and in that they are victorious.

It seems to me that JOhn is most concerned with spiritual protection that of their faith and eternal salvation, rather than the protection of the physical.

Perhaps this seal allows or empowers the believers to walk faithfully through the difficulties that we all find ourselves in through life.

Which begs the question as to what is this seal specifically? LEt’s put Revelation 7:1-3 back on the screen.

Revelation 7:1–3 CSB

Seals on letters often were used as authenticating marks like on a letter, and even in many ways they were a brand would be today. A company puts a brand on something to designate it as their own.

Also important to look at i believe is that they are sealing the servants of God.

This word is doulos, or bondservant, slave. Beale and other scholars write that it was common practice in several ancient cultures to mark slaves on their foreheads to indicate ownership to whom they served. They are possessed, owned by the Lord - so they cannot be someone else's.

Of course, in like of 2 Corinthians 1:22, and Ephesians 1:13 & 4:30 we know that the seal is the Holy Spirit!Let’s look at Ephesians 1:13-14

Ephesians 1:13–14 CSB

In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

I can’t help but see this as related to Revelation 7.

In fact there is so much that seems to tie Paul’s theology in Ephesians 1 to Revelation 7 - so much.

I mean look at Ephesians 1:3-6

Ephesians 1:3–6 CSB

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

So there is a foreknowledge of God as it pertains to those who will follow him, and he has selected them before the foundation of all things that we would be adopted as kids of grace through JEsus. Amazing.

And the seal of that is the Holy Spirit. The down payment of the inheritance. And the Holy Spirit ministers to the believer, convinces us of sin and truth, and points us to JEsus as we minister to each other through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

So if we use the Bible to interpret the Bible - it seems that these 144000 were selected before the foundation of the world and were sealed.

This goes back to Chapter 6 of Revelation in verse 11 where John writes that

Revelation 6:11 (CSB)

So they were each given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters, who were going to be killed just as they had been.

I take heart in this friends - God knows ALL who will respond to him by grace through faith in Christ, and all of those children of God will be found. They will be sealed and protected ultimately from the second death, the wrath of God.

This conversation matters as we consider the identity of who the 144000 are and leads into the large part of the controversies and difficulties in interpreting this section.

Let’s look at verses 4 - 8

Revelation 7:4–8 (CSB)

And I heard the number of the sealed: 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the Israelites: 12,000 sealed from the tribe of Judah, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 sealed from the tribe of Benjamin.

There is a lot of interesting things we can see in this list. As to why is Dan not listed here, and why the order being a certain way, but the most contentious thing These verses have brought up is whole slew of interpretations on the identity of the 144000, and it’s been long debated.

Tim Dwyer does a good job summarizing the different interpretations of the identity and purpose of this group.

Hal Lindsey in the work The Late Great Planet Earth understands these to be Jewish Evangelists who come to faith in the tribulation and evangelize the world during a final seven year tribulation period. He would view these numbers as literal and specific, and chronologically following the sixth seal.

Another option is due to the 12 tribes multiplied by 12 thousand and how significant those numbers are - it is perhaps a symbolic number symbolizing the whole company of the redeemed.

Some view the group as believers from both old and new testament.

Those others say it would just be new testament believers, as in the next section they seem to whiten their robes in the blood of the lamb.

Others think this is a retelling of when the Jewish peoples would ready for war, and perhaps this is a call for the people of God to be ready for the spiritual war.

But we do know that they will come back and be referred to again throughout the rest of the work of Revelation.

There are many ways one can faithfully read this text in views of scripture that are for sure secondary or tertiary doctrines.

My personal view I find compelling in line with how I read the work of revelation is this likely symbolizes the full people of God, not just an ethnic resurgence of Believing Jews in the end. I think this for several reasons:

First - it seems in this whole work of Revelation so far that John has viewed the Church, those who follow the messiah JEsus to be the true israel, and they have been grafted into the vine, and are now real and authentic people of God.

Second, beyond just John, Peter and Paul also seem to indicate the same thing. In 1 Peter 2:9 Peter writes this.

1 Peter 2:9 CSB

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

These are promises made to Israel that are now fulfilled in Church through Christ.

And even last week we saw that the Church is now one in Christ with the people of God.

Look at Ephesians 2:12-20

Ephesians 2:12–20 CSB

At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death. He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

So it’s a consistent hermeneutic to see the followers of Messiah Jesus as grafted in to the true vine, and now the people of God. they now have the same foundation of the prophets and saints in Christ.

Third, John has a habit in revelation of Hearing one thing, and seeing something else that fleshes out the vision.

For example, in Revelation 5, John hears someone say to look at the Lion from the tribe of Judah, then he turns and sees one like a lamb as slain. He hears lion, and sees lamb. And together that preaches to us.

Now in Revelation 7, John HEARS the number of the sealed in verse 4, but looking ahead in Verse 9, look at this

Revelation 7:9 CSB

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.

He heard the number of Israel, and SEES every people and nation and tribe and language before the lamb, with white robes.

It seems to me that John is trying to reassure his readers who are in asia minor and enduring persecution that they have been sealed with the holy spirit, and that no matter what comes, even death itself - they have the greatest inheritance ever conceived with eternity with the Lord. They will be held secure forever. They are GODs. His people in Christ Jesus.

And really quick, one note, that is not to say that I do not have hope for a revival of jewish people finding salvation - i see that in Scripture. But I find other passages much more compelling for that, such as Romans 11:25-27, Matt 23:39, Isaiah 61:1-9, Jeremiah 31:15-40, Ezekiel 36:8-38, and many more. I see a great biblical precedent for that - I just don’t think this passage in Revelation 7 is describing that.

So I view the 144000 as the multitude of believers around the throne, and we should remember then that in Christ we have a heritage of God’s people that we are grafted into. The Church has a jewish heritage! And it’s important to state clearly - Gentile Christians have not replaced ISrael nor made ISrael obsolete - instead we have been GRAFTED into that vine alongside JEwish Christians.

Stepping back from the debates though and the little details - the point of this is to strengthen and encourage those who are Gods but living in the world that God has got us. We are his. He has sealed us. SO whatever befalls us, we are safe and secure. He will hold us fast.

This brings us to our question:

So What?

What does this passage have to do with us? What encourage can we find in it as we seek to live with the Lord Today.

First, It should bring us confidence, that God has called his people together like an army, for a mission to work with him to see his Kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven. We are called on mission with Christ. But remember HOW Christ conquered, and remember that’s the goal.

Christ came as a person of love and truth, and gave his life as a sacrfice for many. You too, in Christ, are called to be transformed into a person of love and truth, and to serve others!

Second, If it’s true that we are sealed by God, then we don’t have to fear anything. And instead we ought to walk with confidence with God, and proclaim Jesus and his Kingdom, knowing that even if the end should come, we who are redeemed by the Lord are sealed and guaranteed to be with Christ. And that is VERY good news.

But I know that by saying that, there can arise the question of: “but how can I know that I’m in that number? How can I have assurance of my sealing?”

What a good question - and a real question we all ought to grapple with.

As a shepherd, I want to give you the tools you need to help with that. GK Beal does a grea job, and offers the following Questions, based on the content in Revelation which can help us gain a sense of assurance.

Have I truly believed that the Lamb purchased me by the price of His blood? (Rev 5:8, 12:11)

Do I desire to keep God’s commandments? (Rev 2:26, 12:17, 14:12, 22:3)

Am I so convinced of my sin that it leads me to confession, repentance, and a renewal of my relationship with King Jesus? (Rev 2:4-5, 3:17-19)

Am I willing to be a witness for Jesus in the midst of pressures to compromise faith? (Rev 6:9, 12:11, 12:17, 19:10)

When we are struggling with assurance, we can turn to these questions, and our responses can give us a great effect on our assurance.

And in the hubub of life and the turmoil and craziness - it can be disorienting. And Satan is trying to convince you that you are his - but when we quiet ourselves, and ask these questions in the Lord - we can remind ourselves:

Yes I do have faith the JEsus has purchased me. Yes I DEEEPLY desire to follow his commands, and I hate when I fail. And I am convinced that I need to repent and follow him. And I am willing to tell others about the gospel of Jesus.

Friend if that’s you - I believe you can have great assurance of your Salvation and sealing by the holy spirit.

And friends - if you are struggling in your faith, and maybe as you read over those questions, you aren’t so sure how’d you answer - then let this be an invitation to have more conversation. Grab one of our elders, myself, or a dear friend, and confess how you are feeling. And friend - hear the invitation of God - follow Jesus.

Friend - nothing will give you more confidence then obeying God. Are you a follower of JEsus but never been baptized? Then let’s baptize you! Especially before it get’s cold outside.

Confess sin, lean into community, and obey God. In Faith - nothing will give you more confidence of your sealing.

And when you really need to - I encourage, ask the Holy Spirit to speak confidence to you. confess your feelings of insecurity and let the Lord minister to you.

Let’s have confidence that all the redeemed will be saved and we will all be with God forever.