The Fate Of The Jews (Revelation 7)

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THE FATE OF THE JEWS (REVELATION 7)

After my clubhouse closed the indoor pool in September 2021, most swimmers came out in full force to the outdoor pool to swim in in the warm morning weather. Into the second half of October the weather dropped to the low 20s and the turnout was poor. A week before that, I met a young man with a swim short or a surf shirt, so I asked him where he bought it and I did for $150 before the weather turned cooler because I planned to swim at night to strengthen my numbed right knee after my stroke.

For the first cool night I was trembling exercising in the pool, which my neighbor noticed and remarked that I was literally bouncing around shivering. I was ready the next few nights with my new swim shirt but one night the temperature was so cold that that it left only handful of swimmers. I said to the lifeguard, “How cold is the weather today?” He said, “22 degrees.” I asked, “How cold is the pool? He replied to my surprise, “27 degrees.” I remarked, “I felt colder in the pool than before entering the pool!” He continued, “Pastor it’s just a feeling, but it’s actually not that cold in the water!” I was ready the next day when the temperature dipped to 17, but the water was 26! I even conquered night swimming which was one degrees higher than morning!

Revelation 1 is the introduction, chapters 2 and 3 are the seven churches, 4 and 5 are the worship chapters, and chapters 6 and 7 refers to the great tribulation. Chapter 7 is an interlude or a bridge after the two chapters on the great tribulation highlighted by the four horse of the apocalypse and it ends with chapter 7 question, “For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" (Rev 6:17). Surprising the great tribulation did not wipe out humankind, creation or the people of the Book – the Jews.

What is the condition of the world, the destiny of believers and the fate of the Jews after the great tribulation? Where is God in the tribulation? How do people call on Him in the great tribulation?

Seek His Protection

1 After 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. 2 Then 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." 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. 5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, 6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, 7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

The wind does not get much credit until the typhoons show up, and they did with a bang last month in Hong Kong. Within four days two typhoons made a dent in the city’s economy and labor force. The first time it arrived on a Friday and, thankfully, left before Sunday worship.

The next day, on Monday, we heard the next typhoon was coming two days later on Wednesday and could even disrupt the Chung Yeung public holiday on Thursday, the next day. A co-worker whose day off was on Wednesday remarked, “Don’t come on my holiday,” to which I and another staff immediately retorted, “Don’t come on Thursday pubic holiday!” What happened? Well, we got what we wanted because it came earlier on Tuesday land left the next day by Wednesday noon!

God’s protection on creation and His creatures is still manifest in the tribulation great or small, here “great tribulation.” The stark contrast in the tone of the four “gusty” angels in verse 1 with that of “another angel” in verse 2 is in the “hina” purpose clause in verse 1 with the four angels “to prevent” or “to blow” (on the earth). Without the wind, there would no dry clothes, rainy days or air circulation. Wind is renewable energy and without the winds weather would be bad, smog would be thick, and disease pressure would be high.