HEAVEN’S SEAL OF APPROVAL
Rev. 7:1-17
Sermon Objective: God’s seal (the Holy Spirit) has radical and practical implications for His people.
Supporting Scripture: John 10:14; 1 Corinthians 8:3; 2 Corinthians 1:22-23; Ephesians 1:12-14; Ephesians 4:30; 2 Timothy 2:19
REV. 7:1-17
1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3"Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." 4Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, 6from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, 7from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, 8from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
9After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." 11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?"
14I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
INTRO
The Roman signet ring gets a lot of ink in the New Testament. Not only in John’s Apocalypse (where it is in widespread use) but by the other writers as well. In fact, 1st century propriety demanded that adult male citizens of nobility wear only one item of jewelry; this personalized ring used to make impressions in sealing wax in order to authorize documents.
The ones on the screen have a carnelian seal-stone. The stone’s lettering or images are reversed so the insignia can be read properly in the wax and they are designed to tell who the owner is or where the owner lives. Originally, they were made of iron; these signet rings later came to be made of gold.
In this sense it served much the same purpose as a brand does on cattle ranches throughout the American west or the family crest in Western Europe.
The ring began as a necessary tool and later morphed into an accessory (jewelry). But it never lost its utilitarian purpose. To this day, some people will use a personalized wax seal to identify and personalize their documents and nobility in at least four countries of Europe still wear actual signet rings.
The ring’s seal guarantees the authenticity of a document and is a dire warning not to alter it. Any document carrying the seal has the weight and authority of the owner who bore it. To possess the seal, or a letter with the seal, was power!
Genesis 41:41-43 illustrates this: “So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, "Make way!" Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”
Esther 8:2 also bears this out: “The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman's estate.”
It was all rather straightforward and universally understood in the first century … even as it is today.
And that is the background for the seven seals on the scroll Jesus in opening in the first half of John’s Revelation; and, on an even more personal note, for the seal that God places on the foreheads of those who serve him in chapter seven.
3"Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." 4Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
A proper reading of The Apocalypse and the New Testament informs us that it was not just this 144,000 who were sealed or stamped but all of God’s people.
It would be easy to simply read over this and move on but we would miss an opportunity to learn something about ourselves and about how God perceives us. Something that is sure to encourage (embolden) you and leave an impression (pun intended) on your self-identity.
There are numerous implications of the stamp or seal that God places upon us. Some of these are alluded to at other times when the seal (sphragis) is referred to in the New Testament. All of them have the potential to impact you spiritually.
Heaven’s S*E*A*L suggests:
S STATUS
Heaven’s S*E*A*L suggests that God has acknowledged your STATUS … that your identity and authenticity are legitimate.
The story of the prodigal son is a beautiful image of God’s restoration. It is also a beautiful image of identity. You see the son, even though far removed relationally from his father, was still a son! As the story unfolds the signet ring plays a role because one is placed (re-placed) upon the prodigal’s finger. Luke 15:22 says, “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.’” All of the items restored to the son are items that show his identity. Oh sure, they do other things too, but first and foremost they show the son to be a son … not a hired laborer as the son assumed he’d be.
Your status can be seen in this seal too. 2 Timothy 2:19 says: “Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’”
Far too many people have nagging, secret, doubts about their salvation. SOMETIMES THESE DOUBTS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR STANDING BUT EVERYTHING TO DO WITH OUR UNDERSTANDING. Through Jesus Christ you have been restored and you belong to the King. God can and will keep His own! He seals them! Thus suggesting he has taken responsibility and ownership. You are safe and saved in Jesus Christ. "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (v. 10)
E ENDORSEMENT
Heaven’s S*E*A*L not only suggests STATUS, it also implies ENDORSEMENT … Divine approval and acceptance.
The prodigal son not only helps us understand our status as it relates to identity. It also helps us get a grip on our approval … our acceptance by God. I know this is a hard one. We see our incompleteness, our failure, and our sin. God, however, sees us in Christ and knows what we are becoming and will become.
From the prodigal’s vantage point he was unworthy of being identified with His Father. But the Father had other ideas. Love covered a multitude of sins and grace restored the son’s relationship.
You need look no further than the end of John’s apocalypse to grasp this principle for yourself. There we learn that we will be Christ’s bride … spotless and blameless! Oh we will see in a few chapters (chapter 12) that there is one who wants to accuse you and discredit your worth but he is cast out of God’s presence and the one who stands on your behalf (Jesus Christ) gives you a ringing endorsement.
When you apply for certain positions or privileges in life the proper endorsement makes all the difference. If the right person calls in a favor on your behalf or vouches for you … you’re in. Well, there is one in heaven who is giving you a ringing endorsement. Listen to what the Bible tells us about Him in John 6:27; “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
You stand before God approved and endorsed because of your relationship with Jesus Christ. Nothing else will get you in the door. Nothing else will get you into God’s presence; but with Jesus … it’s as good as done!
Rejoice! God’s seal within you (Holy Spirit) is evidence that he accepts you. That he approves.
A ASSURANCE
Heaven’s S*E*A*L informs the cosmos of your STATUS. It comforts you with God’s ENDORSEMENT. And it provides you with an unswerving guarantee of ASSURANCE … Divine protection and security.
7:3"Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."
Later, in 9:4 we read: 4They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
In Ephesians 4:30 we read, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
The Bible says elsewhere “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 1:22-23).
Do you recall the story in Nehemiah when he was granted permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls of the city? Do you recall that Nehemiah was given safe passage through the land because he travelled with letters from King Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2)?
There were many who wished to thwart Nehemiah’s mission but they were restricted because they knew to do so would be to fight against the King … a fight they were certain to lose. These letters were sealed with the King’s signet … that was their source of authority.
God’s seal on the saint gives safe passage to His people. It is so safe that all hell cannot overcome it and if John’s Apocalypse is any indication … all hell is trying! To be identified with Christ and called “servants of our God” is a powerful privilege. It is assurance of victory. It is a guarantee of protection and provision. It does not mean the enemy will not be foolish enough to attack … he will. But it means you can overcome “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony”.
Your safe passage has been secured and provided for by the King of Kings. Just as Nehemiah had a calm and quiet assurance that the Sovereign was on His side and he would accomplish his task, so you can navigate the slings and arrows of life with the same blessed assurance.
L LEGACY
Heaven’s S*E*A*L informs the cosmos of your STATUS. It comforts you with God’s ENDORSEMENT. It provides you with an unswerving guarantee of ASSURANCE. And it settles your eternal LEGACY … your inheritance and destiny are settled.
Romans 8:15-17 says: 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Ephesians 1:12-14 says “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.”
Whoa! Those are loaded words. They are powerful. They settle the question and make you a promise from on high! No wonder these heirs of Heaven are described as being:
1. Confident (7:10)
10And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
2. Joyful (7:11)
11They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
3. And Blessed! (7:16-17)
“Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."”
WRAP-UP
The prophecy pundits spend a lot of time talking about “the mark of the beast” (666) and spinning it into something other than what John’s Revelation says it is. They spin it to evoke suspense, conspiracy, and even fear. I will talk more about this later when we look Satan’s cheap counterfeit alternatives to God’s gifts and promises. BUT, UNTIL THEN, IF WE GET CAUGHT UP IN SPECULATION ABOUT THE BEAST’S MARK, ETC. … WE ARE USING OUR ENERGY ON THE WRONG THING.
Don’t you think it makes a lot more sense to make sure you have the mark of God?
It seems to be a far better use of your time to emulate those in chapter 7 and spend time celebrating and praising God’s grace and assurance than it does scaring yourself with a lot of vain conjecture.
Don’t you think it is far more effective to proclaim a Gospel that offers new life and new identity to a world that desperately needs it?
There is reason God’s seal and ownership is first and foremost in the Apocalypse. It is because it is the real deal and worth your contemplation.
John’s Apocalypse is written to encourage you to faithfulness. It is written to remind you that the lamb wins and you are on the proper side of history. It is written to give you a sense of hope and drive away despair.
And what could be more valuable in imparting these gifts to you than God letting you know that He knows you and you are sealed until the day of redemption!
Take heart Church! God is on your side and you are on the right side of history!
This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam Church of the Nazarene
Potsdam, New York
www.potsdam-naz.org
