Remember chapter 6?
Who can forget the scene: somewhere beyond the starry
sky there stands a herald angel with a trumpet in his hand, and by the decree of
the Lord God Almighty, there is a day, there is an hour, there is a moment, there
is an elected time when the angel shall sound and the Kingdoms of this World
shall become the Kingdoms of our God and of His Christ.” Thus opens the
Tribulation, the first step in Christ’s taking back the Earth, which is rightfully His.
One by one Christ unrolls the seals. As each seal is broken, He takes further
possession and control of His inheritance. Here are only a few of the dreadful
disasters that take place during the Tribulation:
* One out of every four people will die (see Rev. 6:8) And I looked, and behold a
pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.
And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with
sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.,
some through the ravages of war, others by starvation, and amazingly many others
by the ‘beasts of the earth’. One third of all vegetation will be burned up. All grass,
every tree, everything green will be destroyed. The sun and the moon will be
darkened as nature goes into revolt. The gates of Hell will open and hordes
of locusts, the size of horses, will come upon the earth. Those locusts will be
allowed to sting men like scorpions and the pain will last for five months. The
Bible says men will beg God to let them die but they will not die (see Rev. 9:3-6).
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power,
as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither
any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be
tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire
to die, and death shall flee from them.
There will be worldwide famine unlike anything the world has ever
seen (see Rev. 18:8).Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning,
and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
So what is Jesus doing during all this? His heart of love and compassion sends
144,000 missionaries (only 35,000 today). So chapter 7 opens with the LOVE of
Jesus.
1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth,
nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And 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 given to hurt
the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed
the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred
and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
The Lamb standing in triumph on Mount Zion and with him the one
hundred and forty-four thousand. They are marked with his name and with the
name of his Father on their foreheads. We have already thought about the
meaning of the marking but we must look at it again. In the ancient world a mark
upon a person could stand for at least five different things.
1. It could stand for OWNERSHIP. Often the slave was branded with his
owner’s mark, as sheep and cattle are branded. The company with the Lamb
belongs to God.
2. It could stand for LOYALTY. The soldier would sometimes brand his hand
with the name of the general whom he loved and would follow into any battle.
The company of the Lamb are the veterans who have proved their loyalty.
3. It could stand for SECURITY. There is a curious third or fourth century
papyrus letter from a son to his father Apollo. Times are dangerous, and the
son and the father are separated. The son sends his greetings and good
wishes, and then goes on: “I have indeed told you before of my grief at your
absence from among us, and my fear that something dreadful might happen
to you, and that we may not find your body. Indeed, I often wished to tell you
that, having regard to the insecurity, I wanted to stamp a mark upon you” (P.
Oxy. 680). The son wished to put a mark upon his father’s body in order to
keep it safe. The company of the Lamb are those marked for security in life
and in death.
4. It could stand for DEPENDENCE. Robertson Smith quotes a curious
example of this. The great Arab chieftains had some humble clients who
were absolutely dependent on them. Often the sheik would brand them with
the same mark as he used to brand his camels to show that they were
dependent on him. The company of the Lamb are those who are utterly
dependent on his love and grace.
5. It could stand for SAFETY. It was common for those who were the devotees
of a god to be stamped with his sign. Sometimes that worked very cruelly.
Plutarch tells us that after the disastrous defeat of the Athenians under Nicias
in Sicily, the Sicilians took the captives and branded them on the forehead
with a galloping horse, the emblem of Sicily (Plutarch: Nicias 29). 3
Maccabees tells us that Ptolemy the Fourth of Egypt ordered that “all Jews
should be degraded to the lowest rank and to the condition of slaves; and that
those who spoke against it should be taken by force and put to death; and
that these when they were registered should be marked with a brand on their
bodies, with the ivy leaf, the emblem of Bacchus” (3 Maccabees 2: 28, 29).
The Company of the Lamb are those who rest in the absolutely secure safety of
the Love of Jesus for His servants. Let’s discover the LOVE OF JESUS as He
sends His Witnesses to Rescue lost and helpless sinners (7) “it appears to be
since there appears to be a very clear link, it is safe to assume that 144,000 are
witnesses and the multitude are the result of their ministry on earth”
SEVEN WAYS JESUS SHOWS HIS LOVE
AS HE STANDS WITH THE SLAVES OF THE LAMB
1st, Jesus shows His love as HE PREPARES HIS SERVANTS FOR BAD
TIMES v. 1-3 His servants are Protected – no harm His servants are Sealed –
forehead sealed as the Holy Spirit fills their minds, hearts, body II Cor. 1;
1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth,
nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And 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 given to hurt the
earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the
servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred
and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
Eph. 1;
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus,
and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure
which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one
all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to
the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with
that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession, unto the praise of his glory.
15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love
unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto
you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is
the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his
own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all
things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
1 We are chosen
2 We are sealed
3 We are spiritually filled
4 We are spiritually led
5 We are protected
6 We are rewarded
7 We are servants
We are owned – Rom. 8
“Only one life to live and soon is past
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
Hoping to make the time I have left count for the glory of God.
DO YOU WANT THE LOVE OF JESUS Christ REVELATION 7 Part 1 of 2