Rev.#23~7:1-8 THE 144000 JEWISH MISSIONARIES 9-26-09
Last time we talked and read about seal # 5, verses 12-17 in chapter 6:, and in these verses we have an over view of the “great tribulation”, the last 3 ½ years of the 7 are called “the great tribulation”. –Listen as I read verses 12-17 again to get out thought line back on the right track.
12And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
The True Church was raptured back in chapter 4:
The 7 year tribulation begins in chapter 6 with the rider on the white horse in verse 2 bringing a false peace, this is the antichrist, he signs an agreement with Israel that he will guarantee peace for 7 years, but then at the mid point of the 7 years, Russia and her coalition is brought into the mountains of Israel, as God puts hooks into their jaws and pulls them into the mountains of Israel for their destruction, EZK.38-39 we can read about the massacre, 5/6th will be slaughtered and its all Gods doing, no human army is involved.
Ø The Jew haters of the day will finally meet their waterloo.
With Russia and her coalition coming to Israel to attack Israel, or so they think, this brings war, famine and then death and hell on the “red, black and pale horses” that are revealed as seals 2-3-4 are opened.
And then the 5th seal here chapter 6: is talking about the Tribulation Martyrs that are crying out from under the Altar for vengeance.
Let me say once again that verses 12-17 is a Minnie picture of the “great tribulation” in a nutshell we could say.
Ø Let me say in case some might be listening that might not understand, that there are, 7 seal judgments, 7 trumpet judgments and 7 vial judgments and they increase in their destructiveness as each new one is being opened.
REV. 6 : closes with the sixth seal, the seventh is not opened until CHAPTER 8:1
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Let us think on chapters 6-19 as arranged much like a phone conversation that we might have with some one, and in the conversation we’re telling the person on the other end about a particular incident, and then suddenly we stop telling about the actual happening and began explaining in detail all the other little things that is involved for a better understanding, of what our subject might be.
This is the way chapter 7 is; chapter 7 is as though it’s in parentheses, to fill in some information.---and let me say that chapters 10-15 are also.
Chapter seven is in a parentheses, it does not carry the chronological sequence forward, but adds some important details regarding the saved of the Tribulation, many of whom are martyred.
The seventh seal introduces the trumpet judgments (8:1).
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Listen; in chapter 6, John starts telling an orderly story. But in chapter 7, his chronological order is interrupted, as other important matters are revealed, primarily, the 144000 Jewish Missionary’s and the great multitude from all over the world that are saved because of their preaching.
Ø If chapter 7 had been left out and the story continued on in Chapter 8: we would have a complete narrative in order up to now, it would go from the 6th seal directly to the 7th seal in chapter 8:, but God has His reasons for His book to be in the fashion that it is.
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In chapter 8:1-6 we’ll read about the opening of the 7th seal, and the 7th seal contains the rest of the judgments, that is, the 7 trumpet judgments and the 7 vial judgments, all under the 7th seal.
In chapters 8-9, the order of events is resumed. Then John provides some more fill-in information in chapters 10-15.
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In chapter 16, there is a return to the progressive order of events and finally, in chapters 17-19, there are more details.
Sometimes the fill-in runs ahead of the story and at other times it backs up to add or emphasize important information.
The seventh seal is separated from the previous six by the parenthetical events of rev. 7:
---------------Listen as I read from Rev.7:1-3
1And 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.
2And 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, 3Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
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Here we are told about four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, N.S.E.W.-the entire earth.
And then we read about another angel in verse 2, apparently he has more authority than the four angels that are holding the four winds of judgment, these four are commanded to hold back the four winds of the earth, or to halt the process of judgment until God has accomplished some definite purpose.
The phrase “the” four corners of the earth,” are the four main points of the compass: north, south, east, and west.
The wind as an instrument of judgment in the temporal affairs of man and is seen frequently in the Old Testament.
Jeremiah 4:11-12 11At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse, 12Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them
Isaiah 41:15-16 15Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. 16Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The Great Tribulation is about to break upon the earth with the opening of the seventh seal, but the fifth angel, ascending from the east in verse 2 restrains the other four angels from proceeding, and judgment is suspended, but only until the 144000 receive Gods seal.
The judgments, which come forth from the first six seals are only “the beginning of sorrows” that Jesus talks about in Matthew 24-8
The “great tribulation” referred to by the Lord Jesus (Matthew 24:21), and by Daniel the prophet, begins with the sounding of the trumpets, which sounding issues forth from the seventh seal.
The angels are told to Revelation 7:3 -hurt not the earth, neither the sea nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads-
The tribulation days are days of much pain and horror, but the sealing angel from the EAST preserves certain ones from the “hurt.”
The “great tribulation” is held back “till” the sealing angel seals certain ones. The word “till” is to do with a certain amount of time, indicating that the restraint is only temporary.
Ø The time we’re talking about here is that period of time within the parenthesis, of chapter 7:
God acts in sovereign grace in a special way for Israel before the Great Tribulation begins.
In her dispersion Israel has gone to the four corners of the earth, a despised and persecuted people, but God will restrain all opposition against her for a season.
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Ø Judgment will be suspended “till” THE SEALING OF 144000 JEWS (7:4-8)
4-8 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.
5Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. -Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. -Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. -6Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.- 7Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. -Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. -Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.- 8Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
Judgment is held back till 144,000 Jews are sealed. These that are sealed are all Jews, literal Israelites, not one Gentile in the crowd.
This group cannot be the Church because the Church is in Heaven with our Lord. Also the Church is neither Jewish nor Gentile.
The Church is made up of both believing Jews and believing Gentiles. Therefore those who have been baptized into Christ are neither Jews nor Gentiles.
Galatians 3:26- 28 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
We plainly read here of the twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes, not present-day sects or cults.
If a Seventh Day Adventist, or the cult known as “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” should claim to be a member of the 144,000, let him prove to which tribe he belongs, also in chapter 14: we’re told about this assembly again and there we’re told that their all male, no females are among the 144000.-14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.
The 144,000 are all Israelites; not one Gentile is among them.
Those who spiritualize the Scriptures, making Israel and the Church one and confusing law and grace, rob the nation of Israel of her promised blessings. Israel has earthly promises, the church has heavenly promises.
Ø These sealed 144000 are one company complete in itself.”
This sealed remnant of Jews, had never had the gospel explained to them before the rapture, so they will turn to Christ after the rapture of the Church.
They will inherit the kingdom under the rule of the Son of Man shortly after they have been sealed.
The beast and the Antichrist will not be able to destroy them, or harm them in any way, because they will have the Seal of God in their foreheads.
We notice that the tribe of Dan is not mentioned among these 12 tribes, and it is because of their worshipping idols.
1 Kings 12: 26-30 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 27If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
28Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 29And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 30And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
The descendants of Dan are not permitted representation, In the tribulation there will not be room for idolaters, or Moral weaklings who could not stand in Old Testament times under much less severe opposition, so DAN is not included among the chosen and sealed ones.
In the place of Dan we have Manasseh, a son of Joseph.
Notice, this is the seal of “the living God”
This is a phrase in which the followers of Jehovah have always delighted in. It is used in contradiction to the dead gods of the heathen.
The gods which are the figment of the imagination of men, and which are made by hands of men, are all dead.
Our God is not a created thing, but the eternal living Creator of all things. Man could not fashion Him; He fashioned man.
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The 144,000 are sealed with “the seal of the living God”
The seal is the mark of divine possession, protection, and preservation.
The seal of Eastern kings was stamped in a signet ring and worn to show authority. It was used
to identify personal property, as well as to preserve and protect it.
Paul speaks about the Holy Spirit as the Seal in the believer today, marking him out as God’s property; Ephesians 1:13 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,- this assures us of God’s protection and preservation until the redemption of the whole man.-the whole complete Church.
Believers in this dispensation are sealed immediately upon being born again, and they are sealed until the day of their resurrection and translation to Heaven, where they shall evermore be with the Lord.
The 144,000 of this chapter are sealed with the seal of the living God for protection and preservation through the Great Tribulation that is to come upon all the world.
