Sealed for Salvation

Revelation 7:1–8 “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the slaves of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of those having been sealed, 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: from the tribe of Judah, 12,000 having been sealed, 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, from the tribe of Benjamin, 12,000 having been sealed.”

When Jesus open’s each of the first five seals judgment is poured out on the earth. Those who are on the earth are in rebellion against and ignore the warnings and are unfazed by the disasters of the first five seals of the Lord’s judgment

But when He opens the sixth seal (the start of the Day of the Lord) this judgment is far greater than the first five seals of judgment. And those who were once unfazed by the previous five seals are now terrified, they are horrified and they want the mountains and rocks to kill them, realizing that there is no escape from the wrath of God, and the Lamb, the people cried out, “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

The narrative in chapter 7 answers that question, and serves as a break between the sixth seal (6:12-17) and the seventh seal which isn’t open until (8:1).

The unbelievers aren’t able to stand up against God’s wrath, but there are two groups who will be spared from God’s judgment upon the earth. The first group that are spared are the Jewish evangelist described in (vv. 1-8). They are the first converts (Rev. 14:4), at the beginning of the Tribulation. This group will survive fury of God’s wrath that will continue to be unleashed by the seventh seal, the seven trumpets, and seven bowls. God will also protect them from the Antichrist and his assassins who go out seeking to kill believers who refuse the mark of the beast. Ultimately they along with other believers will survive the wars, famine, disease, earthquakes, and persecution of the Tribulation, and will enter the millennial kingdom (cf. Isa. 2:2–4; Mic. 4:1–5; Zech. 8:20–23).

The second group that are spared are those who will be martyred and will live in heaven (vv. 9-17). There will be countless believers who will die during the Tribulation because of the Antichrist’s persecution (Rev. 13:7-10; 14:12-13), as well as wars, famine, and earthquakes (Rev. 6:3-8, 12-14) because the judgment on earth.

As one writer said, The believers who will die during the Tribulation isn’t the result of wrath (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9) any more than when a believer dies today. God’s judgments on the world and Antichrist’s persecution are just the means by which God ushers them into His presence.”

Chapter seven reminds us of God’s mercy, even in the midst of his divine judgment, He is still providing an opportunity for people to be saved.

Matthew 24:14 ““And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Revelation 7:1 “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.”

After the six seal has been open and the those who fall under God wrath cry, “who is able to stand,” John sees four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. Angels play a significant role in the book of Revelation, and they are used by God both withhold judgment (Rev. 7:1-3) and to execute judgment (Rev. 8:2). There are other Scripture that show angels are the instruments of God to carry out God’s judgment:

2 Samuel 24:16–17 “Then the angel sent forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, and Yahweh relented of the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough! Now relax your hand!” And the angel of Yahweh was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Then David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, “Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done unrighteousness; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and my father’s house.””

2 Kings 19:35 “Now it happened that night, that the angel of Yahweh went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And the men arose early in the morning, and behold, all of them were dead bodies.”

Matthew 16:27 ““For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay each one according to his deeds.”

2 Thessalonians 1:7–8 “and to give rest to you who are afflicted and to us as well at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, executing vengeance on those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

These four angels “standing at the four corners of the earth.” This is not to say that the earth is flat as some suppose, but rather symbolically is referring to the totality of God’s creation and the four directions, north, east, south, and west.

The four angels are holding back krateo /krat·eh·o, means to seize, restrain, the four winds of the earth. They have been given power over the elements of nature.

Matthew 24:31 ““And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

Revelation 14:18 “Then another angel, the one who has authority over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.””

The four angels hold back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. By holding back the winds of the earth they are temporarily restraining the coming seven trumpet judgments of Tribulation (Rev.8:5ff). This suspension of judgment also points to the fact that the whole number of God’s people may be gathered (Rev. 6:11).

Revelation 7:2–3 “Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the slaves of our God on their foreheads.””

John now sees another angel who rises from the rising of the sun. The sun rises from the east this is in the direction of Palestine, the location of the temple of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 43:2 “and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory.”

John saw that the angel had the “seal of the living God.” In ancient times kings would use a their signet ring to make an imprint in wax. This was done for various types of business transactions had occurred. For the 144,000 it was their personal redemption, a mark of identification and ownership as servants of God and God’s people. Lastly, the seal was a mark of their protection and security.

To quote one commentator: The sealing guaranteed their physical and spiritual protection. This suggested by two things. First by the fact judgment is suspended until the sealing occurs which indicates the sealing was done as a means of protection. Second, as survivors of the Tribulation, the 144,000 are seen standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb in (Rev 14:1).

But those who the Antichrist will seal with the mark of the beast will face judgment (Rev. 13:6-17; 14:9-11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4).

The144,000 are servants of God whom the angel will mark with God’s seal (for they are GP-God’s property) they will be protected from and preserved through the judgments yet to come:

Revelation 9:4 “And they were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.”

We see an illustration of God marking those whom He will save in from destruction of Jerusalem in book of Ezekiel 9:3–6 “Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the house of Yahweh. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the scribe’s case. Yahweh said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being done in its midst.” But to the others He said in my hearing, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. “Kill to utter destruction old men, chosen men, virgins, little ones, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the elders who were before the house.”

The fifth angel cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” The harm or damaging devastation that will come to the earth, the sea, and the trees will occur when the four angels suddenly release the judgment (symbolized by the winds) they have been restraining. But that judgment (and the trumpet and bowl judgments to follow) had to wait until the angels had sealed the servants of God on their foreheads. That they are referred to as servants indicates they are already redeemed. They will have remained faithful to God and the Lord Jesus, and will have probably been powerfully and effectively preaching His Word in the midst of the chaos of the first six seals. At this point they are to be protected so they can continue to proclaim the Word of God and the truth about His Son Jesus Christ during the most severe times. After the sealing is complete the judgments can begin, from which those sealed will be exempt. Revelation 14:1–5 describes their morally pure, undefiled character and their devotion to Jesus Christ. They are the most faithful, loyal, diligent, holy servants of God during these dark days. They are also described as having been “purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb” (14:4). They will also be the most effective missionaries the world has ever seen, and will be instrumental in the conversion of both those of the Jewish and the Gentile nations.