Revelation #15 Revelation 7 1-17 (MSG) End Time Warning, Assurance, Promise

Revelation #15   Revelation 7 1-17 (MSG) End Time Warning, Assurance, Promise

 

The 6^th seal of the Scroll of Destiny had been opened.  The world is in trauma.  With each seal being opened things have gone from bad to worse.  Now between the 6^th and 7^th seal, we are going to get a glimpse of what is happening within the Church.

 

In Chapter 7 there is a message of warning, assurance, and promise.

 

Recall the last thing we read in chapter 6.  There are martyrs under the altar calling out to God:  How Long? This is part of the Church in glory, those waiting in the throne room of God.  Chapter 7 reveals what is occurring within the Church on Earth.

 

Revelation 7:1-12 (MSG)

1 Immediately I saw Four Angels standing at the four corners of earth, standing steady with a firm grip on the four winds so no wind would blow on earth or sea, not even rustle a tree. Then I saw another Angel rising from where the sun rose, carrying the seal of the Living God. He thundered to the Four Angels assigned the task of hurting earth and sea, "Don't hurt the earth! Don't hurt the sea! Don't so much as hurt a tree until I've sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads!"

 

4 I heard the count of those who were sealed: 144,000!
[12,000 sealed from each of the 12 tribes of Israel]

9 I looked again. I saw a huge crowd, too huge to count. Everyone was there—all nations and tribes, all races and languages. And they were standing, dressed in white robes and waving palm branches, standing before the Throne and the Lamb and heartily singing:

Salvation to our God on his Throne! Salvation to the Lamb!

11 All who were standing around the Throne—Angels, Elders, [Cheribim]—fell on their faces before the Throne and worshiped God, 1 singing:

Oh, Yes! The blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, The honor and power and strength, To our God forever and ever and ever! Oh, Yes!

 

The first thing I notice is that the world must be flat because we’ve got angels standing at the 4 corners.  Can you see why you must be wise when it comes to interpreting the scripture, discerning what is metaphorical language and what is to be understood literally?  The 4 corners represent the entirety of the Earth.  It is part of the ancient cosmology we read of in Job and Isaiah (Job 373, Isaiah 11:12).  Recall John has ascended into the heavens so his view of the Earth is all-encompassing.

 

The angels are holding back the wind.  Wind in the Old Testament represents divine judgment (Psalm 18:10, 104:3-4, Isaiah 40:7 &21, Jeremiah 23:19, Ezekiel 5:12).  The Angels are directed to hold the wind.  That the winds are coming serves as a warning for we who have bent the knee to the Lordship of Christ.  Rough times are coming, times of tribulation are coming, prepare.  Prepare now, get ready in the calm before the storm.

 

John sees another angel coming out from the sun carrying the seal of God.  Now, we don’t know if it’s a harbor seal, lion seal, or elephant seal but…. OK, bad joke.  The seal of God is a sign of ownership. In Ezekiel chapter 9, a seal is placed on all genuine believers.  The seal is God’s empowerment and protection of those who belong to Him (Rotz, p 123).

 

144,000 is a symbolic number.  Twelve and its multiples often represent the people of God, not the amount.  You can think of it as 12 times 12 and that a thousand times over (Eller, p. 102).  As such 144.000 represents the expansiveness of God’s salvation.  A multitude upon the Earth that are sealed. The sealed have acknowledged their sin, that their relationship with God is not right.  The sealed have believed that Jesus is the forgiver of sin and the reconciler of relationships, with God, Others, the Earth, and even their very selves. The sealed have committed themselves to be Christ followers, loyal, true, staying the course, and keeping the faith no matter what.  The sealed have asked God to accept their faith.  And God has sealed them with His mark.  Are you sealed?  Is the mark of God on your heart and soul?  The winds are coming, the winds are here, be prepared. Being sealed is your assurance that you will endure and overcome the tribulations that will come upon the entire world.

 

Revelation 7:9-10 (MSG)

 I looked again. I saw a huge crowd, too huge to count. Everyone was there—all nations and tribes, all races and languages. And they were standing, dressed in white robes and waving palm branches, standing before the Throne and the Lamb and heartily singing: Salvation to our God on his Throne! Salvation to the Lamb!

 

The redeemed throughout time, every nation and tribe, every race and language Stand before the throne symbol of intimacy with God, dressed in white the symbol of righteousness, waving palm branches the symbol of victory and rejoicing (Leviticus 23:40, John 12:13), and they worship singing “Salvation.” It is a song of Praise (Ladd, p 119), the song of the redeemed.  Look what God has accomplished! Look at the gift He has given us through the Lamb! This scene is prophetic, it reveals an event that has yet to take place (Ladd, p 119).

 

To stand before the throne is to be in close physical proximity to God, a picture of intimacy.  To be permitted to stand is a sign of recognition and acceptance, you have been made worthy.  To be upright before God is because you have been victorious and have overcome the challenges of the faith meeting with His approval.  To stand with all the believers is to be on an equal footing in unity.  Together with all the white-robed saints you are privileged to worship.

 

You stand by having bent your knee to the Lordship of Jesus, you remained faithful.  You obeyed.  You did the work assigned as an ambassador by using your spiritual gifts to lavish God's love for others.  You did not recant when faced with persecution.  You’ve kept the faith, and that’s why you stand. Having bent the knee, stand. This is your promise, be a conqueror and you will stand.

 

As the redeemed praise all in the throne room join in.

 

Revelation 7:11-12 (MSG)

All who were standing around the Throne—Angels, Elders, [Cheribim]—fell on their faces before the Throne and worshiped God, singing:  Oh, Yes! The blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, The honor and power and strength, To our God forever and ever and ever! Oh, Yes!

 

Did you catch that there are 7 praises? Blessings, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power and strength.  7 is the number for completion.  This is a song of complete adoration to God.  It is His due.

 

Revelation 7:13-14 (MSG)

 Just then one of the Elders addressed me: "Who are these dressed in white robes, and where did they come from?" Taken aback, I said, "O Sir, I have no idea—but you must know."

 

And so the Elder tells John:

 

Revelation 7:14-17 (MSG)      

"These are those who come from the great tribulation, and they've washed their robes, scrubbed them clean in the blood of the Lamb. That's why they're standing before God's Throne. They serve him day and night in his Temple. The One on the Throne will pitch his tent there for them: no more hunger, no more thirst, no more scorching heat. The Lamb on the Throne will shepherd them, will lead them to spring waters of Life. And God will wipe every last tear from their eyes."

 

It's up to you to decide if the white-robed saints are the redeemed from all of time or just those who endured the great tribulation.  Having made the observation that we have been in the end times since the resurrection of Christ, I tend to lean toward the idea that the uncountable multitude are all those who have put their faith in Christ and stayed true. 

 

Throughout scripture, we see this illustration of dirty garments and clean garments.  Dirty garments are acts of unrighteousness, clean garments are just the opposite.

Moses commands the people to wash their garments in preparation for God's visitation (Exodus 19:10, 14). The Psalmist asks to be washed until he is whiter than snow (Psalms 51:1-7). Isaiah tells us to come to God and our scarlet sins will be made white as wool ( Isaiah 1:18). In Zechariah’s vision we read "Look, I've stripped you of your sin and dressed you up in clean clothes" (Zechariah 3:4 (MSG).  Paul writing to the congregation in Corinthin reminds them that they have been washed and sanctified (1 Corinthians 6:11). Not only are sins forgiven, but so great a salvation we have been given, that those who have bent their knee to Jesus, those who have let Jesus in, those who stand, have been cleansed from within, they have been changed.

 

At first, it may seem odd that you are washing your garments in blood.  In Judaism, the blood stood for life.  The blood is the life and the life belongs to God.  In the New Testament, the blood symbolically purges our conscience from the dead

works to serve the living God (Heb 9:14,  Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT).  Atonement, justification, and redemption are all possible due to Jesus' sacrifice.   You scrub your garments clean through your fidelity to Christ. Have you washed your garments in the blood?  Fidelity: all wrapped up in that word is your loyalty, faithfulness, reliability, dependability, and trustworthiness, to Jesus.

 

In Chapter 7 we have the warning of the coming winds, the last efforts of God to redeem humanity from its folly.  We have the assurance that in the coming tribulations, God will not let go of us, for we have been sealed with His seal of ownership.  We have a promise of being a conqueror.   We have a great promise:

 

“The One on the Throne will pitch his tent there for [you]: no more hunger, no more thirst, no more scorching heat. The Lamb on the Throne will shepherd [you]  will lead [you] to spring waters of Life. And God will wipe every last tear from [your] eyes."

 

Chapter 7 contains a warning, an assurance, and a promise.

 

The warning is the wind is about to blow.  The winds of the hurricane, the winds of the tornado, and destructive winds are going to blow, for people do not change when they see the light, only when they feel the heat.

 

An assurance is given to those who have bent their knee to Jesus.  They bear the seal of God and therefore will have everything they need to endure the tribulations that are going to be visited upon the world.

 

 A promise of endurance,  perseverance, and participation in the Triumph of the Lamb is given.  To participate in the Triumph of the Lamb means salvation.

 

From chapter 7 know that God is in control, He reigns and His plans will prevail.

We know that right now God is restraining the winds.  If the winds are being restrained now, can you imagine what things will be like when they are let fully loose?  We know God’s love and salvation are universally extended to every human being on earth, the throne room worship foretells the unity and diversity of the Christian community.  We know that worship is the only response to what God is accomplishing.  Worship Him now with gratitude and devotion. 

 

The times are going to be full of trauma.  You will endure and persevere, and having maintained your fidelity to Christ, become part of the white-robed victors in glory.