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The Two Multitudes
Good afternoon.
I hope that everyone is having a great weekend.
Today we are going to be looking at Revelation chapter seven.
But before we get there I want to give us a kind of recap so that we can begin to see why so many in the persecuted church actually find comfort in this book.
In first chapter we had this vision of Jesus and that Jesus is the one who is in control of all things and that the safety of His people, His church, rests fully within His hands.
Then in chapters two and three we see Jesus call to His church throughout time in these seven letters to the seven churches of Asia.
And the call was a consistent one.
That if we turn to Jesus we will be rewarded as conquerors.
Then in chapters four and five we are given this magnificent look into the throne room of God.
And again we are shown a picture of God’s sovereign majestic will at play over all of creation.
And that that naturally leads to worship of the greatness of his glory.
Up to this point there may have been some stern warning for His church but we have had no judgment upon the world.
The first five chapters nearly a quarter of the book is initially written to encourage the church so that when the end comes we might be found faithfully worshipping our one true king.
Then and not until chapter six do we begin to actually see God pour out his wrath against the sin of this World.
And in chapter six we saw the breaking of the first six seals and even in the midst of the six seals we see hope in the angel of the first horseman.
We see hope for those who have been and will be martyred in the name of Jesus.
Today in chapter seven we are going to read what I like to call an interlude within the story.
There will be others as we go along.
In chapter seven Jesus is going to remind us yet again who it is that is in charge and that no matter what happens our hope must rest in him.
So, throughout the book we have seen up to this point a consistent pointing to Jesus as our source of Hope for what is to come.
And yet in the church today we tend to turn first to our own abilities and the abilities of others when things go what appear to be wrong in our lives.
Rather than first and foremost leaning on Christ Jesus.
My hope today is that we can continue to see that all of our hope for a better future is found in and only in the depth of our relationship with Christ Jesus.
And listen very carefully there is a difference between knowing a lot about someone and having a relational knowledge about someone.
We all whether we wish to or not know a lot about the lives of both Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
However none of us, I don’t believe, at least have any relational knowledge of either.
This is a trap that we must avoid in our relationship with Jesus.
We must not simply “study” the scriptures.
But rather when we read the scriptures, or pray, or worship, or whatever spiritual discipline you may be engaged in we must turnt that into time with Jesus.
Here’s the hard part you need to figure out what that really means for you.
As we look at todays passage we need to remember that Jesus has already set a future in place for each of us that is more glorious than what we could ever imagine.
So let’s look at chapter seven.
Revelation chapter seven as a said is kind of an aside in the midst of the story.
In chapter six we had the opening of the first six seals and then in chapter eight we will get the seventh seal opened and the six trumpets will be introduced to us.
But right here in the midst of this is chapter seven.
And like I said we will see this idea of an interlude in the story again later in the book.
I believe that this interludes are given so as to provide hope to the people of God.
Today we are going to be introduced to two groups and many state that the two groups are separate groups from one another.
I actually disagree with this position and believe that the two groups are actually one and the same and there are significant hints within the text, I believe that point to this reality.
I believe that what we see in the chapter is actually the same group represented at two different points in time.
The first group is representative of a group of people that now find themselves at a point historically after the first six seals and at the beginning of the tribulation.
And we will see the beginning of the tribulation next week in the opening of the seventh seal.
The second discussion of the group is actually the same group however it is them present in time at the end of the tribulation.
Is this obvious?
Absolutely not.
Nothing in this book is obvious.
That is why there is so much disagreement about the book.
So let’s look closer at chapter seven.
The first group is find in verses one through eight and we read in verse one.
So in John’s vision he is shown all of creation as we experience it here on earth and he sees four angels that are holding back the four winds of the earth.
These winds have the ability to be destructive forces of judgment by God.
But, that he is holding back that judgment so that this group that we will find in this first section might come into being.
In verses two and three we read.
So, we have already discussed why these angels are being held back from releasing the four winds.
We need to now discuss what is this seal.
And here’s the key to this it is never called a “mark”.
It is always called a seal.
Through all of the scriptures we are told that believers are sealed by God.
We are never told that we bear the mark of God.
One of the difficulties that we must struggle with, and it is a struggle, and that is that apocalyptic language does not convey its message in precise specific language.
Instead it tends to to use much more surreal imagery with a fluidity to the imagery that makes understanding the imagery at times difficult.
That said I do not believe, I did at one time.
But I do not now believe that believers receive a mark that they can see upon their forehead.
Is there something present that the angels may be able to see.
This is possible.
But this language that believers are sealed is found throughout the scriptures and plays a very significant role in our understand of Gods protection over our lives.
Not only in the midst of the tribulation but in the midst of whatever trials we find ourselves in today as well.
I will get into this more as we sort out who this group is later.
In verses four through eight we read.
So what we all want to know is who are the 144,000 because this is perhaps one of the greatest points of debate within the book.
And I know that today is probably going to be the first time that you have ever heard the position that I am going to put forth.
At least it may be the first time you have ever heard it fully explained.
And I believe it is so important that I am going to slow down and take my time on this point.
Which means we will have to get to the second group next week.
But, look that’s ok.
We should never feel rushed in coming to a better understanding of God’s plan for his people.
I do often times though.
But I need to resist that slow down and ensure that you have a fuller understand to lean upon in difficult times.
So the first question that I believe needs to be addressed isn’t who are these individuals.
But rather why are they sealed?
This will help us in identifying who they are meant to represent.
Unfortunately to fully understanding the why we need to jump forward in the book to the sounding of what we will find is the fifth trumpet.
And in chapter nine verse four we read.
At the time in the Revelation that we find ourselves in chapter seven God is about to pour out his wrath upon sin here on earth.
But the affliction of His wrath is not to be universal.
It is not going to affect everyone.
In the midst of this rebellious world we find the people of God.
And we need to remember the object of Gods wrath is not specifically humanity, but rather the sin that humanity harbors within.
The sin that they so desperately cling to and in the end worship.
But this wrath will not fall upon Gods chosen people.
They are sealed and therefore delivered out from the midst of His wrath.
This revelation that John receives is very similar to Israel in Egypt.
God sent a series of ten plagues upon Egypt in order to bend the will of Pharaoh so to speak to the will of God.
Israel was right there in the midst of Egypt, in the midst of each and every plague.
But God delivered His people through that time.
The tenth plague brought death to every first born male in Egypt.
However the Israelites were told to sacrifice a lamb and sprinkle its blood upon the door of their homes.
And when judgment came it would pass over every home whose door had been sealed by the blood of the lamb.
Wow.
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