Revelation Part 14

Message #14

Rabbi Vowell

Good morning, my name is Rabbi Vowell, and I’m the Rabbi here at Beth El Shalom .I’d like to welcome all of our guests here today! And I’d like to say hello to everyone watching this online.…we know most people will check us out online before they ever visit…so, we really look forward to seeing you soon…I want to start today by…”

Homiletical Idea: Be confident that God will keep his promises to His people.

INTRODUCTION (10 minutes)

Jab 1 (74 Words, 33 Seconds): When I started preparing to preach this message this week, I felt like I had won the lottery. Here it is just another ordinary Shabbat in November and yet I feel like someone just called out my numbers: 281491587: the verses from , could not be happier, just 13 verses from the book of Revelation. Thirteen verses that have driven me along for over 20 years now. God is good isn’t he.

Jab 2 (303 Words, 2 Minutes): These verses are startling in all kinds of ways, at least they are for people who are convinced they know how God keeps His promises to His people. In the first place, it is startling because it appears John has changed his attitude about Jewish people. Remember that John the Seer chastises two different Jewish communities (Smyrna, Philadelphia) but now all of the sudden he has changed direction and seems to praise a highly selective group of 144,000 Jewish people. Wait? What! That is almost as big an attitude adjustment as the one I had when I finally liked eating spinach, of course, I really only like in the dip form.

That is what makes our passage startling, in the second place, because Jewish people now become the co-hero’s in God’s story about the Messiah?!

This has sent many a Christian commenters to medical school to learn how to perform the theological equivalent of a sex change or less pejoratively a blood transfusion. They say you see the word “Israel” it now means “Christian” do you see the number 144,000 it means “the highest number possible” do you see the names of the twelve tribes they mean or either nothing or the “church.”

And the commentators on this passage are all like Humpty Dumpty. You remember when he was talking to Alice about the number of un-birthdays she would have? 365 days – 1 = 364 said Alice. That would make 364 days of presents Alice exclaims, to which Humpty says, “There’s glory for you.” Alice says, “I don’t know what you mean by glory.” And Humpty says, “Of course you don’t – you don’t know what it means until I tell you what it means. Humpty says, “glory means a a nice knock-down argument.” But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument",' Alice objected. 'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'

That is what makes this passage startling in the last place, the number of Humpty Dumpty Theologians that sit on its wall and whenever they fall down and break the seminaries come and put them back together again.

Jab 3 (584 Words, 4:00 Minutes): Commercial break: since some of you may be concerned that I read the Bible to literally, let me pave the way ahead by saying that I do believe all the Word of God is true—true to life, true to human experience, true to the flawed but irrepressible human wish to get God down on paper, and true to the word-shattering reality of God that punches holes in all our best stories. Does the Bible use metaphor, simile, figures of speech, parables, hyperboles to tell the truth? I could not possibly say no. Do all the biblical authors share our modern scientific understanding of the universe and the way it works? I could not possibly say yes. Do words somehow mystically and secretively change their meaning after so long a use in just one way? I could not possibly say yes. That would be akin to saying that after 4000 years of calling the sweet, edible fruit produced by a Malus domestica (apple tree) the apple we have now decided this is an orange but we still want to call it an apple. When the Bible gives me a figure of speech I work with its wonder and awe and when it gives me proper nouns like “Israel” I treat them literally, “Israel.” Here ends the commercial.

Psalm 135:4 KJV 1900

For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, And Israel for his peculiar treasure.

I understand why Humpty Dumpty Theologians want to be Israel. After all, they are God’s “peculiar treasure.” That is how the old KJV worded it (cf. ). They were peculiar because of how quickly God could re-direct and re-purpose their lives. Moses goes out of Egypt a liberator comes down Mt. Sinai a law-giver. Israel goes into the land as monotheistic liberators but lives as idolatrous farmers (not a good change).

Psalm 135:4 TLV

For Adonai has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel as His treasured possession.

They were also God’s “treasure. The original word is segulla—a king’s treasure—some of it acquired by conquest and some of it given in friendship, all of it together the sign of the king’s sovereignty, the adornment of the royal throne. You and I have a treasure in 401K or maybe some savings or investments, but Israel was a segulla more like the Prince of Saudia Arabia gave you all his wealth in oil.

I will be honest, I am a bit afraid to be peculiar myself and I am even more afraid to be a treasure. After all, the one who adores the peculiar object will want its affection and the one who hunts for the King’s Treasure will not give up until I be found and taken. Wars will be fought over me and treaties made about me and compromises made by me to try to find the right protector of this treasure. This is Israel’s shaky history in the pages of the TaNaK.

The storied past and future of Israel is not for entertaining value though it has been used to make entertainment. It is not just for renewed tribal patriotism or Christian Zionism. The relationship of God to his “peculiar treasure”, the King’s Treasure, gives hope to weak hands that are groping in darkness looking for hope. It lifts souls that have been stomped in the mud and left for dead. As you see there broken hearts and broken lives desperately seeking for a ray of light, a beacon on the storm-tossed horizon, you can hold out your broken heart, hold out the pieces of your broken heart and say with Israel, “Here—do absolutely anything with this that you want, just keep your promises to this peculiar, treasured people.”

Right Hook (15 Seconds): And if I have done my job at the end of this sermon then you will know that we don’t need to decode the 144,000 chosen from Israel but we need to learn from them that God will keep His promises to His people.

Grab your copy of the Scriptures and say it with me like you mean it.

Ha-Foke-Bah, Ha-Foke-Bah, De-Colah-bah

Ha-Foke-Bah, Ha-Foke-Bah, Mashiach-bah

Turn-it, and turn-it, everything you need is in it.

Turn-it, and turn-it, the Messiah is in it!

Revelation 6:12–7:8 TLV

I saw when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as black as sackcloth made of goat’s hair, and the full moon became like blood. The stars of heaven fell to the earth like a fig tree drops unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The heaven ripped apart like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the military commanders and the rich and the mighty and everyone—slave and free—hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they tell the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” 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 against any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He cried out with a loud voice to the four angels who were permitted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do no harm to the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” Now I heard the number of those marked with the seal: 144,000 from every tribe of Bnei-Yisrael— 12,000 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 from the tribe of Benjamin.

EXPLANATION (10 minutes)

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 against any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He cried out with a loud voice to the four angels who were permitted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do no harm to the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” Now I heard the number of those marked with the seal: 144,000 from every tribe of Bnei-Yisrael— 12,000 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 from the tribe of Benjamin.” (, TLV)

EXPLANATION (10 minutes)

An Angry People with a Big Question (946 Words, 5.30 Minutes)

Last week, we were in heaven listening in as it were to the cries of the victims of evil. Those people under the protection of the altar praying for God’s judgment on moral evil in this world.

This week we are yanked back down to earth to see an ancient warning has been fulfilled and a big question being asked. The opening of the sixth seal results in a cosmic shakedown ().

Revelation 6:12–14 TLV

I saw when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as black as sackcloth made of goat’s hair, and the full moon became like blood. The stars of heaven fell to the earth like a fig tree drops unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The heaven ripped apart like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from their places.

Revelation 6:13–14 TLV

The stars of heaven fell to the earth like a fig tree drops unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The heaven ripped apart like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from their places.

Revelation 6:12–14 TLV

I saw when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as black as sackcloth made of goat’s hair, and the full moon became like blood. The stars of heaven fell to the earth like a fig tree drops unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The heaven ripped apart like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from their places.

The earthquakes, the sun is darkened, the moon goes red, stars fall from the sky and the atmosphere is scorched. I think it best to not try to identify the “means” by which these cosmic events happen. People are always trying to point at this and say it is that. That misses the point.

The point of the cosmic shakedown is to show that the warnings about the end of time Hebrew prophets predicted has come. Since the earliest of days, Moses warned that creation would turn against humans in honor of it’s true Creator. Isaiah predicted this, Jeremiah, Joel, Amos, even the Messiah himself all said it was coming. If mankind remained in its state of rebellion, then wrath, and punishment was coming.

The punishment is egalitarian in nature. What I mean is that it affects everyone left on earth after the four riders of the Sky are sent out (). There is no escaping the wrath of God because it is no discriminator of persons.

The imagery here could not be harder to swallow.

Revelation 6:15 TLV

Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the military commanders and the rich and the mighty and everyone—slave and free—hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.

Why do slaves have to face this wrath? Why do the poor have to face this wrath? Haven’t they experienced enough pain and hardship already? Haven’t those who have become military leaders earned their stars and stripes, haven’t the kings of the earth born up under immense pressure to lead sovereign nations?

The wrath of God and the Lamb feels disproportionate, indiscriminate, non-personal, and like an excessive abuse of power. But what’s worse is it feels like a friend has turned foe, like the One who loves us, now hates us. And hates with a dreadful retribution.

On the one hand, it makes sense. Mankind has been warned. For thousands of years through Prophets in Israel, and I would even say through many other natural channels, God has been warning mankind to start living in a different direction. To cast away their idols or his wrath would come as a cosmic shakedown.

On the other hand, what a crushing disappointment that God’s love should be offered the same way as most human love: perform well, love you well, perform poorly, I withdraw or punish you; do good, loved more; do bad, feel the sting of my wrath. This started, for all of us, very young. Being nice to your brother made your mom’s face light up but when you made him cry her countenance changed and the warning came and discipline followed. Being a good student made your teacher adore you but when you made that joke about her to the other students the warming came and when you did it again to detention you would go. Even in relationships, you smiled and cried when you exchanged vows with your spouse, warnings came, promises were made, but now there are tears and threats of divorce because some behaviors are harder to change than others.

In all these situations, the space between the warning and the consequence is crucial. The loving mother, the bright eyed teacher, the devoted spouse all know they must put their hand into the dough to help to shape it, to give it a fighting chance of becoming something better so that consequences do not ensue. Only the foolish or lazy person gives warning without tools for growth and change.

God is no fool nor lazy person. In between the warnings of the prophets and the consequences of revelation He gave His Co-Eternal-Son. Humanity wanted a way to see God, so God gave them a way to see Him, see Him in the Son. Humanity wanted the gods to walk with us, so God sent His Co-Eternal-Son in human flesh to walk with us. Humanity wanted a god, that could sympathize with their weakness, so God sent his Co-Eternal-Son to be just like us. Humanity wanted to have assurance of the depths of God’s love, so God gave his Co-Eternal-Son to die in our place. Humanity wanted real hope, God’s Co-Eternal-Son defeated death and rose from the grave.

In between the warning and the consequence God gave Humanity exactly what/who it needed to escape the coming wrath. Change was possible. And some children, some students, some beloved spouses heeded God’s sending of the Co-Eternal-Son and escaped the wrath to come.

Others, like children who learn and ignore or forget, like students who enjoy a good giggle, like a spouse that loves an inordinate pleasure more than the beloved, consequences ensued, the wrath of God and the lamb ensued. It is not like the warnings were not heard, it is not like the message of the Good News had not gone out into all of the earth.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel had this idea about the wrath of God. He said it is not arbitrary, anger for the sake of being angry. He said that God’s wrath is better called righteous indignation that calls forth God’s purposes in redemption and salvation through judgment.

Those who are left facing the consequences of rebellious idolatry as a Big Question ((, TLV).

Revelation 6:17 TLV

For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

We might be led to believe that the question assumes a negative answer, “no one can stand.” Like when my sister and I got in so much trouble one time and we looked at each other and both of us knew, “There is no talking our way out of this one.” But, and her is a big BUT, an ancient people provide an astounding answer.

An Ancient People with a Big Answer (952, 5.30 Mintues)

All good Jewish stories connect back to the Exodus. That story is the defining story, the nation and soul shaping story of the Jewish people. After the 6th seal is opened, the whole of humanity sounds like Pharaoh seeking to evade God’s wrath rather than repent of sinful idolatry. And, like Israel in Egypt was protected from the plagues of God’s wrath so the 144,000 are protected from the wrath of God and the Lamb.

This is a peculiar moment in the story of Revelation. It makes you slowwwwww, wayyyyyyyy, downnnnnnn.

Revelation 7:1 TLV

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 against any tree.

We are told that angel must take control of devastating winds that will destroy trees and send oceans into fury, we need to be thinking about an outbreak of natural phenomenon’s like Tornadoes and Hurricanes, wind based storms (). The angel that was about to release these is told to wait until another angel arising from the East, from Israel, from Jerusalem comes and seal the servants of God.

Revelation 7:2–3 TLV

Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He cried out with a loud voice to the four angels who were permitted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do no harm to the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

So far in Revelation seals have been opened to release wrath but this seal protects from the wrath (). By the 3.5 year mark in the timeline of Revelation everyone will have a seal, either sealed with the false messiah or sealed with the real Messiah. The question was asked, “Who can stand before the wrath of God and the Lamb?” After the anti-christ appears to come back from the dead, some of humanity will answer that the anti-christ can stand, line up with Him. Others will joined the sealed one of the Messiah’s folk and say only by the blood of the Lamb does anyone escape the wrath of God. That leads me to say this, the seal on the 144,000 just means protection from God’s wrath, it does not mean protection from suffering.

Revelation 7:4–8 TLV

Now I heard the number of those marked with the seal: 144,000 from every tribe of Bnei-Yisrael— 12,000 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 from the tribe of Benjamin.

Rev 7:4-

So far in Revelation seals have been opened to release wrath but this seal protects from the wrath (). By the 3.5 year mark in the timeline of Revelation everyone will have a seal, either sealed with the false messiah or sealed with the real Messiah. The question was asked, “Who can stand before the wrath of God and the Lamb?” After the anti-christ appears to come back from the dead, some of humanity will answer that the anti-christ can stand, line up with Him. Others will joined the sealed one of the Messiah’s folk and say only by the blood of the Lamb does anyone escape the wrath of God. That leads me to say this, the seal on the 144,000 just means protection from God’s wrath, it does not mean protection from suffering.

These 144,000 are a peculiar group from the tribes of Israel. Peculiar because only a 144,000 qualify for this military duty. In Jewish thinking, census, counting of tribes is done for military reasons not for taxation. This is a military census to qualify who can serve alongside of the Messiah Yeshua. What is else peculiar about this group is the missing of one tribe and the re-ordering of the tribes. There is no list in all of the Scriptures that matches this list. Dan is missing from this list. Which we all believe is because of the nature of that tribe’s idolatry shown in the book of Judges. Warnings were given, consequences came, even a whole tribe can be cut off. Manasseh is mentioned as separate from Joseph which really stands for Ephraim. This is very peculiar.

The peculiarity of this arrangements makes sense if only if we understand the ethnic geography of first century Israel. The list moves from the tribes most densely populated by non-Jews to the tribes most densely populated by Jewish people. This is peculiar in John’s world because there was definitely tribal patriotism based on purity of ethnic mixing, it had been this way since Nehemiah’s day. This census shows us that God is fulfilling a promise within a promise or a promise within a promise to raise up an elected remnant within the Jewish people. These will not be the only “saved” Jewish people, these represent a unique military class of 144,000 Israelis sent out on special assignments by Messiah. Next week in part 2 of this message I will show you their assignment and the results of it.

Rev 14:3

Revelation 14:4–5 TLV

These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been redeemed from among mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no lie—they are blameless.

This group is also segullah, treasured. They are treasured because they are (1) self-controlled (2) dedicated (3) exemplars and (4) transparent (). They are so treasured that a special song will be written that only the Messiah, heaven’s musicians and His 144,000 Jewish soldiers know (). This 144,000 they are the King’s special treasure, peculiar treasure.

This group is also segullah, treasured. They are treasured because they are (1) self-controlled (2) dedicated (3) exemplars and (4) transparent ().

Revelation 14:3 TLV

And they are singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one is able to learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

They are so treasured that a special song will be written that only the Messiah, heaven’s musicians and His 144,000 Jewish soldiers know (). This 144,000 they are the King’s special treasure, peculiar treasure.

When I read this I know why Christian theologians almost unanimously say that all this means is “A very large group of people called the church who believe in Jesus and do their best.” They do this because if you interpret this literally the divine love of God seems so selective, limited and conditioned. Good ole fashioned getting picked last for the team and not first and then after the first mistake being sat down the rest of the game.

Revelation 7:4 TLV

Now I heard the number of those marked with the seal: 144,000 from every tribe of Bnei-Yisrael—

When I read this I know why Christian theologians almost unanimously say that all this means is “A very large group of people called the church who believe in Jesus and do their best.” They do this because if you interpret this literally the divine love of God seems so selective, limited and conditioned. Good ole fashioned getting picked last for the team and not first and then after the first mistake being sat down the rest of the game.

I tend to see this differently. What I see is that there was a Big Question, “Who can stand before the wrath of God and the Lamb?” And the answer, no one saw coming was, “The Jewish followers of the Lamb of God.”

Revelation 7:4 TLV

Now I heard the number of those marked with the seal: 144,000 from every tribe of Bnei-Yisrael—

I don’t even know if John expected to hear this answer I mean he reserved his harshest rebukes to the Jewish community in Smyrna and Philadelphia. But, it should not be a surprise because God remains true to His promises. He made a covenant with Abraham, renewed it with Isaac, and Jacob made solemn oaths to David and a contract with Moses. These could not just be thrown into the eternal trash heap of history. God keeps His promise to raise up a righteous remnant. If the 144,000 symbolically point to anything they points to a covenant keeping God.

They also point to a covenant keeping people. I am sure there were many in John’s congregations who were wondering, “Is the effort worth the reward especially when the effort is so hard and the reward so far away?” The answer is “yes.” The 144,000 don’t point to a divine love turned human; do more, loved more; behave better, loved better. The 144,000 point to the reason why the effort is worth the reward. And, here is the good news, the story of the 144,000 will extend beyond themselves to the nations of the world but that is next week.

APPLICATION (10 minutes)

Based on the example of the 144,000 who entered the elite service of the Messiah and lived to sing His song, I see three benefits to understanding this literally.

The first benefit is that you have to slow way, way down once you understand this literally. All those things you pride yourself on—your charm, your influence, your ability to figure things out at a single glance—they won’t provide for you a way of escape from the wrath of God and the Lamb. You might as well crawl like a baby; at least you can’t fall down when you’re already on the ground. The good news is that slowness has a lot going for it. There’s time to use senses you don’t use when your eyes are working fine. There’s time to wonder where you think you’re going and why. There’s even time for the feelings you usually outrun to catch up with you, tenderizing you in all the ways you have worked so hard to prevent. There is time for you to see that the only one who stand are the ones who fall down and become like children crawling upon the lap of the Messiah to get just one blessing.

Another benefit is that none of your outside navigational tools can help you now. Good luck with that compass, that laminated map, that smartphone, that Degree, that Pain, that Pleasure, those Feelings. If it’s not based on God’s promises, then it’s of limited use to you now. The good news now is that God’s promises will get you to where you want to go. Once you enter into a covenant keeping relationship with God, it’s time to find out what your primary resources are—what gyroscope, what tuning fork, what insistent, sacred whisper you can learn to trust when you’re walking by faith in God’s promises and not by sight.

The third benefit (I don’t care what anyone says; I’m never giving up three point sermons) is that you begin to see how shabby a faith based on benefits really is. What I mean, is a faith based on God doing you a bunch of favors rather than you committing to the real hard work of faith. I have often heard it said, “God loves you too much for you to remain the same.” And, that is true. And it should also be true, “God loves you so much you must want to change.” Reading about the 144,000 literally makes us slooooowed waaaaay dooooown so that you are more in touch than you may want to be with whose army this is, you know them by their fruit. The good news is that you can see very clearly how much of your life strategy has been designed to get you in that army or to limit your ability to serve within it. For the 144,00 it was self-control, unswerving commitment, transparency, and being an example of a redeemed people. It is the royal-priesthood living like the royal-priesthood. They are a King’s treasure worth being fought over and fought for, worth being shown, and worth being spent. For some, this is more than embarrassing. What if you were standing a line and the King came by and said, “Yes, you will enter my kingdom but you can’t serve in my army, you know why.” This can break your heart, so that you hold out the pieces in two hands you can’t even see and say, “Here—do absolutely anything with this that you want just let me join you.” What I am proposing may never sell. I understand why. For messianic folks, the 144,000 represent the highest aspirations for the restoration and salvation of Israel but usually it is picture of them out there without any real significance to us right here. For Christian folks, the 144,000 represent that the church is God’s tool for blessing the world and not Israel. Both groups loose sight of the powerful nature of a promise keeping God and a covenant keeping people.

What I am proposing may never sell. I understand why. For messianic folks, the 144,000 represent the highest aspirations for the restoration and salvation of Israel but usually it is picture of them out there without any real significance to us right here. For Christian folks, the 144,000 represent that the church is God’s tool for blessing the world and not Israel. Both groups loose sight of the powerful nature of a promise keeping God and a covenant keeping people.

What I am proposing is that if we understand this as a literal 144,000 covenant keeping messianic Jews then what we see is a promise keeping God responding to a covenant keeping people. That is a faith I can take to the bank and be sure that the check will cash.

Here’s the thing we learn from the 144,000, which we must take on trust: the promises of God are not fleeting, like a wind or a fever. They are essential to who He is as a covenant keeping God. Though they may be delayed or delivered in a way we did not see coming, they are coming. We live in precarious times. We live after the times of the prophets warnings, after the times of the Messiah rising from the dead, and what stands before us is his Second Coming. We are the children, the students, the spouse who has been taught but now, right now, will we lived as a peculiar treasured people? Will we live this way not because we think it earns God’s favor but because we have already been highly favored.

If the answer to this is yes, then you know where you stand. You are segullah, a King’s Treasure. Not perfect but a perfect treasure.