The Mercy and Majesty of God
Notes
Transcript
As we closed out Chapter 6, we saw that Jesus had opened the sixth seal. This seal caused great cosmic shifts to take place upon the earth: massive earthquakes, the sun becoming black, the moon became like blood, stars fell from heaven to earth, the sky rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their place.
This is the first time that we see the people acknowledging that God was behind all of these events. It would seem as if during the first five seals, the unbelievers of the world refuse to admit that God could be the cause of all of these things, but when the sixth seal is broken, things are so devastating that all doubt is erased.
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?”
“Who is able to stand?” That is the question that ends Chapter 6. Chapter 7 gives us the answer. We are going to see that even in the midst of the greatest outpouring of God’s wrath upon the earth, He is still a merciful God towards those who will believe.
2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.
Chapter 7 is going to show us two groups of people who are spared from His divine wrath. The first is the 144,000 who will be protected by God throughout the entirety of the Tribulation period and enter the millennial kingdom alive. The second group are those who are killed by those of the earth, becoming martyrs for their faith and are ushered into the presence of God.
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.
To give an idea of what the people of this time believed concerning the universe, I have this slide here to help paint the picture.
It is after the sixth seal has been broken that John sees this next vision. In between the sixth and seventh seals, he sees four angels “at the four corners of the earth”. Now this is not a literal four corners, but rather that there is an angel to the North, South, East, and West. It is no different than saying the four points on a compass when a compass is round.
These four angels have been tasked with holding back the winds. Some debate on whether they are holding back the literal winds of the earth, or if this is symbolic of something else. Either way, there is an angel stationed at each of the four corners of the earth.
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.”
It tells us here that these four angels have been given power to harm the earth and the sea and the trees. But before they do, another angel ascending from the east comes and stops them temporarily.
This could be an angel of a higher rank. Maybe this angel is superior to them and has the ability to command them. But it also says that this particular angel has the seal of the living God in his hand. Whatever this seal might be, this angel is carrying it and has been tasked with sealing the servants of our God on their foreheads.
Many have debated what this mark might be but Scripture actually tells us:
1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.
To fully appreciate what is taking place here, we need to understand a little about how seals were used. Just as God had written a scroll in heaven and then sealed it with seven seals, these 144,000 will be sealed as well.
In biblical times, seals were typically made of wax or clay. In some instances, like when a seal was placed on the stone of Jesus’ tomb, other means were used. Once the wax was placed on a document to seal it, a device (a signet ring, a precious stone, etc.) with a particular symbol on it would be pushed into the wax leaving the symbol imprinted into the wax. This would be used to indicate ownership, authority, or origin.
It was understood in this day, that no individual was able to break this seal and view the contents of what was inside. To do so was an act of war and in many situations was punishable by death. The seriousness of the seal was obviously determined by who the seal belonged to.
The seal of God is so powerful, that when it came to opening the scroll, not a single being in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth was worthy to break His seal. We see here that the angel holds the seal of the living God. This is the same seal that was used to seal the scroll. This means that once these individuals are sealed with the seal of God in their foreheads, not one single being in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth will be found worthy to break that seal. They will be forever secure under the protection of Almighty God.
We are told in the New Testament that all believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit:
21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,
22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
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,
This seal works exactly the same way. God uses this illustration to show that believers are secure in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit within us. This seal is obviously enacted upon our faith towards God and willingness to live the Christian life.
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.
Some have debated over the years whether this number of 144,000 literal or figurative. I believe that this is a literal number. I have no reason to believe otherwise, and I believe the specifics of this text point to the fact that it is a literal number. There are twelve tribes listed, and there are 12,000 from each tribe. Multiplying this out gives us the 144,000.
Dan and Ephraim are missing. Joseph is inserted. Any guesses as to why?
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!”
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.”
After seeing the first group of believers on earth, the focus now shifts back to heaven and another group of believers. This group, so large that not even a number is offered for them, is made up of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues. They are standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
The last time we saw people with palm branches in their hands was in John 12:13
13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!”
When these people in the Book of John laid down these palm branches, they were ushering in the Messiah of the world into the Kingdom of Jerusalem. These people here in heaven are awaiting to do the very same thing, but the time for that has not quiet come. While they wait, they praise His Holy name saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
It is such a surreal moment, that the angels who stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God also!
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.
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.”
As John sits there and tries to take in the beauty and vastness of this moment, one of the elders finally approach him and asks, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
I have always found John’s response to be comical, though it is probably not meant to be. He responds by saying, “Sir, you know.” When I think of that response in today’s lingo, it makes me think of someone who is supposed to know the answer to a question that they don’t know, so they respond, “Oh, well you know. I don’t have to tell you, huh?”
Finally we are given an answer. These are the people who are martyred for their faith during the great tribulation period. They are spared from the wrath of God, but they still taste death. They are killed at some point, and in some way, because of their faith in Christ. Remember that there are so many in this crowd that a number is not even offered for how many there are. This means that during the tribulation period, there will be an all-out war against all of those who name the name of Christ. Most will die. The only exception will be the 144,000 who are divinely protected by God with the seal of God upon them for His own divine purpose.
Though it seems horrible that these people are murdered for their faith, the description it gives of their inheritance seems to calm the storm, “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. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 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.”
Amen!!!
