144,000 Sealed
Notes
Transcript
Handout
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea,
3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
7 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”
14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have 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 shelter them with his presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Last week, we covered the first six of the seven seals that were to be opened. During this time the four horsemen of the apocalypse representing the wars and killing, famine and pestilence, hunger and starvation, death and hell that the antichrist will release on the earth. Now we are looking at a brief break between the sixth and the seventh (or last) seal. A slight pause, or prelude, before the great tribulation that will occur on the opening of the seventh seal. Up until this time, John had remained on track with his main focus being on the events. Now, he points us to the followers of Jesus that will be alive and on earth during the tribulation - including the 144,000 Jews and a “great multitude” of Jews and Gentiles. We see the picture of God still being in control, and ensuring His followers would be protected.
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
Four angels hold back the corners of the wind. No destruction or judgment is to take place until God’s chosen people - the servants of God - were sealed - God was stamping them, ensuring they were secured as His, signed by His authentication of ownership. Isn’t it comforting to know that judgment is in the hands of God alone? Every person has the opportunity to escape judgment, and there is no person who has to stand before God at the great throne of judgment. Every person can escape by simply being saved!
The four angels are holding back what?
Judgment
2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea,
3 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 four angels allowed to harm the earth may reference their purpose later in the book, but until that time another angel, the fifth angel came from the east with the seal fo the living God. He comes with a simple, but urgent message. Do not harm anything until we have secured God’s servants on their foreheads with a seal. In the time of King’s his ring as his seal, used to mark official documents showing who the originator was and giving them authority and power. This is what is now occurring - the 144,000 would be sealed - protected and preserved - by King Jesus during the time of tribulation.
What is different about the fifth angel?
An angel of mercy and grace -
In the New Testament, we as believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing that we as believers belong to God.
Now I find this interesting though - in contrast Revelation 13:16 shows another depiction of a sign, a mark, that will be give to those who do NOT follow God on their right hand or their forehead - the mark of the beast. This marks those who rebel against God and follow the beast (antichrist) and bear HIS seal
16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,
Judgment will come to the unbelievers who follow the antichrist. The judgments that come may be like the plagues on Egypt, those who were believers were spared “sealed” from the plagues.
God will not judge His people! However, we also should remember that these believers will be persecuted and killed by the antichrist during the last 3 1/2 year reign - during the great tribulation. So, BELIEVERS, sealed by God will not suffer the judgments of God, but they will suffer the persecution of the antichrist.
4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
7 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
God seals 144,000 Jewish believers - 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes. This should be looked at literally, and it does indicate that Israel will be saved in the end time. These chosen Jews apparently has a specific purpose dedicated to serving Jesus totally and wholly during the last days of the great tribulation.
Who are the 144,000?
Jews converted after the rapture.
How can we support this view?
Abrahamic Covenant
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Davidic Covenant
12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,
15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.
16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”
New Covenant
31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,
32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.
33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Christs promise to the apostles
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Jesus’ answer to the kingdom question
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Prophecy and promise of Paul
25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
27 “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
New Jerusalem picture
12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—
13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
John sees a second vision. A great multitude from ever nation - there will be others who will be saved during the great tribulations from ALL nations, from ALL tribes, from ALL people, and from ALL tongues - God will reach people and they will in turn follow Christ by the millions. As bad as the circumstances are, with the horrible conditions surrounding them, there will be one of the GREATEST REVIVALS in the history of the world. Can you imagine looking a the throne of God and seeing MILLIONS who have been saved during these awful last days? It just proves to us, no matter how bad life gets, no matter how bad this old world gets, no matter how corrupt our politicians get, no matter how little regard for human life there is, God does not shut the door of salvation for ANYONE until they meet the end - either the end of their earthly life or the end of the world as a whole.
How do we know salvation is not only for the Jews?
Great multitude from every nation.
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
These millions will be standing before the throne of God, and before Jesus clothed in white robes, with palm branches crying out. Remember when we looked at the last chapter how those who were slain as a result of following Christ asked how long it would be until He would avenge them? Remember what they were given? White Robes! Now they have palm branches, a sign of celebration, victory and deliverance! All those who are dead in Christ stand before Him shouting “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” They praise God because He has saved and delivered them through the greatest trials on earth. They praise God because He gave them power to endure to the end. They praise God because He has completed their salvation, and they are now with Him in paradise for eternity!
11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Notice the other companions there with the numberless multitudes - all the angels, the elders, and the four living creatures. Again, they are praising God for His blessings, for His wisdom, for His glory, for His power - they praise Him for all He is, all He did, and all He ever will be to them.
What theme do we see with the 4 living creatures, the 24 elders, and now the angels around the throne?
WORSHIP, PRAISE, HONOR
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”
14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Here is the identity of the numberless multitude. Note that the numberless multitude has not yet been identified. Now they are. John is stunned by the sight and praise of the heavenly scene. He just stands there in stark amazement and stone silence, unable to think. To stir him, one of the elders walks over and asks John who the numberless multitude is - those who came from the great tribulation.
What is the image given of these in white robes?
Martyrs during the great tribulation.
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 shelter them with his presence.
They have met their Savior!
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Oh look at what God promises - those faithful to serve Him will have all their needs met, physical and spiritual, will be protected, and will be directed by the Lord. But notice the last promise - they will have every tear wiped away from their eyes. God HIMSELF will wipe away their tears - never to have a single pain, hurt, or suffering ever again. They are prefect, for eternity.
What is the promise God gives to those martyred?
All their needs will be met, they will be protected eternally, he will continue to guide and direct them, and they will have no more need for crying.