Thursday, June 30, 2022

The Four Angels and the 144,000; Revelation 7:1-8

 


Revelation 7:1-8

 

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Revelation 7:1.           

We’re in a parenthesis. An interlude. Chapter seven is a parenthesis between the sixth and seventh seals. Parenthetical.                                                                                    

Four angels, four corners, four winds.

Chapter six introduced four horsemen. Seven introduces four angels. The sky has rolled back as a scroll, (Revelation 6:14). The mask is down, the gloves are off the battle of Good versus evil is revealed.

Angels are covering the globe, corner to corner, all directions, north, south, east and west. The earth is surrounded. Shut up tighter than Joshua around Jericho, not even the wind, goes out or in.

The four angels are standing, at attention, holding their position. Ready. A reflection on earth of what takes place in heaven, upon the opening of the seventh seal; exactly one chapter from here (Revelation 8:1; we’ll get to that later).


This is the calm before the storm; or more appropriately, this is the eye of the storm, between the seals and the blowing trumpets.

Sidenote: AS I WAS highlighting, winds and wind in verse one, on my BibleGateway app. a wind warning popped up on my screen:



Warnings aren’t for scaring; but for preparing.

Are you ready?

 

Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” Revelation 7:2-3.

 

This angel is “another angel” thus, similar to the other four.

He tells them not to harm the earth, the sea, or the trees. Did you notice the repetition? The four angels were holding wind, from blowing on, earth, sea and trees. Now we learn they have power to harm the earth, sea and trees.   

Thus, it appears, wind may represent, the soon to come, blowing, seven trumpet judgements; not necessarily, actual wind.

The angel says, our God, indicating these are good angels.  

sealed the Servants of God on their foreheads.

Those getting sealed, are servants of God.

This isn’t the first time God placed a seal of protection. He put a seal (a mark) on Cain, proclaiming if anyone kills Cain, he will be avenged sevenfold. (Genesis 4:15).

 In Ezekiel’s vision a seal of protection was placed on the foreheads of those who were grieved over the evil in the land—all the rest were killed. (Ezekiel 9:4-6). 

The blood of the Passover lamb was a seal over the doorpost so the death angel would see and pass over. Exodus 12:23.

This seal, will be a sign to the locust released from the abyss, to pass over, and not harm, those who are sealed.

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. Revelation 9:4.

It will be imitated by the imposter, the antichrist, with the mark of the beast.

And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads. Revelation 13:16.

 

And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed. Revelation 7:4.

So, now we know, 144,000, servants of God, from the tribes of Israel, are the ones who are sealed.

Now, God articulates exactly who they are. (So that we don’t get confused when the doorbell rings, and two really nice people with white shirt and tie, want to talk about being one of the 144,000).  

Revelation 7:5-8

of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;

6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;

7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;

8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

 

You Bible scholars, may have noticed, Dan is not in the list. Evidently, there were not 12,000 servants of our God in the tribe of Dan. Some say because of sin. Others say because antichrist will come from him. We don’t know. It doesn’t say. It could be that all (or many) of the Danites were saved and taken in the rapture. We know they’re not all lost, because they are included, actually listed first, in the land allotment to the twelve tribes of Israel during the millennial reign. Ezekiel 48.

If you’re curious what the seal may look like; check out, Revelation 14:1:

Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.

So, with that, some are saying, “See, God likes tattoos.”

Bottom line is, those sealed are, 144,000 Jewish servants of God. Period.

Obviously, they missed the rapture, but then, connected the dots, and realized, Jesus is Messiah, and Lord. God in His awesome, tender mercy and loving kindness, grants them the extraordinary honor of being His, fire-proof, bullet-proof, locust repelling, servants of our God, end time evangelists for the greatest harvest of souls, the world has ever known. 

The rest of the chapter paints a beautiful picture of what that looks like. Which we’ll take a look at next time.

Let’s pray.

Thank You Lord, for Your Words and warnings. Not to scare us, but prepare us. We pray You find us, serving You and ready.

CQLJ.

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