God's Great Grace

Revelation 7 NKJV

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. 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.” 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. 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.” 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.”

This chapter does not follow the narrative in chronology, but rather gives us a glimpse of God’s magnificent grace and mercy during the tribulation time.

The opening scene is incredible, and I think almost indescribable.

Four Angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds.

But they are prevented from their task temporarily until God’s servants are sealed.

The 144,000, 12000 from each of the twelve tribes mentioned.

These four angels will bring destruction and judgment upon the earth which will be revealed when the seventh trumpet sounds.

The next scene describes an innumerable number of people of every race, and tribe, which obviously means Jews and gentiles; who will be redeemed and martyred during “The Tribulation Period”.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ The Martyred Dead Identified as Tribulation Saints (7:13-14)

One of the twenty-four elders is quoted in verse 13 as asking the questions “What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?” It is clear from these questions that the twenty-four elders are representative of a group different from those who are here pictured as the great multitude in white robes. If the elders represent the church, the multitude represents a different body of saints. In answer to the elder, John confesses that he does not know; whereupon John is informed, “These are they which came out of great tribulation.” In the Greek the expression is far more specific. Literally it could be translated, “These are those who came out of the tribulation, the great one.” It is undoubtedly a reference to the specific period of the great tribulation of which Christ spoke (Matt. 24:21).

The common tendency to ignore the definite terminology of the prophecies in the book of Revelation is illustrated in the interpretation which would make this throng refer to all the elect of all ages and the great tribulation as “the whole sum of the trials of the saints of God, viewed by the Elder as now complete.”8 One must not read into a passage something that is foreign to its express statement. The group here described is a particular group coming from a particular time.

The chapter presents itself as a synopsis of the details that follow in the following chapters.

And so what we find here is hope and assurance in our current time.

I. No event can prevent the grace of God.

A. Not natural disasters

B. Not man made.

II. No demonic force can stop faith.

Matthew 10:28 NKJV

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

A. Not the barbarous roman persecution.

B. Not the Nazi Concentration camps.

C. Not communism.

D. Not radical Islam.

III. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Romans 8:37–39 NKJV

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

No financial position.

No health crisis.

No relationship problems.

No government mandate or law.

No persecution.

No physical or mental weakness.

No doubt.

No helplessness.

No struggle.

No sin.

You know these things are true!

So then, if the grace of God is paramount in the judgment time of the Tribulation, How much more should we recognize and embrace it now?

This is why we praise Him.