Jesus Christ Spiritual Food: 6-19-2013 Vol. 7 Part 19 Book of Revelation (Revelation 7:1-8)

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6-19-2013 Vol. 7 Part 19 Book of Revelation

Psalms 103:1-12 A Psalm Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

In the name of Jesus we pray to you Father God. You are Holy and the creator and ruler of all things. Open our minds and hearts to fully understand this lesson with our hearts. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory forever, Amen!

Revelation 7:1-8 NKJV

This lesson is about things that transpire in Heaven. It is a behind the scene of what we know and see here on earth in a physical world compared to what takes place in the spiritual world, which in turn triggers events that affect us here on earth. These things that John describes to us in the book of Revelation, boggles our minds and is hard for us to understand. These events are in Heaven which is a whole different dimension than what we live in. We can’t comprehend these spiritual things at times. All we can do is believe. Just like the wind blowing, we can feel the wind, but we can’t physically see it, we can’t see where it is coming from or where it is going, and we can’t see what is causing it. We just know it is there from time to time and we accept it for what it is and that it is a product of God’s will. The gift of grace from God, a product of Salvation is the same way. We can’t see, touch, or hold faith in our hands, but we know it is real and all we have to do is believe in what Jesus did for us on the Cross and place our faith in the finished works of the Cross.

This little side track that John is taking us on describes some events that will take place after the sixth seal. These are events that are outside of the realm of the judgments (Seals, Trumpets, and Vials). They are events that God orchestrates to take care of His children.

We will also see another duty of angels and what they do that we cannot see, but it affects us here on earth. So let’s get started.

1 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.

After these things; This is referring to the judgments that would be poured out with the opening of six seals. To refresh your memory they were the four horsemen (antichrist, war, famine, death), the martyred souls under the altar, and the great earthquake.

I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth; Angels come and go from the Throne of God. They are messengers, warriors, and servants of God. The Bible is chucked full of events that Angels have done through the will of God. They also have a free will, because the fall of Lucifer attests to that. Isaiah 14:11-14 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, And the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, And worms cover you.' 12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Here is just a few other things mentioned in the Bible that angels do; messengers to Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph, and Sampson’s mother and father. Judges 13:6-7 So the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. 7 And He said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.' ", Judges 6:11-23; assistants, I Kings 19:5–7; II Kings 19:35; Genesis 32:1; Joshua 5:13–15; they are associated with the giving of the Law, Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2; with final judgment Matthew 16:27; Mark 8:38; 13:27; Luke 12:8; II Thessalonians 1:7; carrying the righteous dead into Heaven, Luke 16:22; Jesus received the help of angelic ministry on several occasions, Matthew 4:11; Luke 22:43, and many more.

Holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree; This represents the judgments of God. The judgments are to be held back for a period of time until God’s servants are sealed in His Grace.

These four angels must be anxious to bring an end to evil that plagues this earth. They want to see judgment and evil wiped off the face of the earth just like the souls under the altar want to see their death avenged, but Jesus says hold on for a bit longer, there are some on earth that still need to be saved.

2 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,

Then I saw another angel ascending from the east; Appearing here is another angel carrying out a task for God. He is a messenger and also the bearer of God’s seal of salvation. Why does this angel appear coming out of the east? Why not the west, north, or south? We don’t really know, but could it be because the sun rises in the east and brings us a new day? Just as a new day is born with the rising of the sun, a person that receives the gift of grace from God by placing their faith in the Cross of Christ, will have a new life, a new spiritual life.

Having the seal of the living God; This angel is carrying a seal. It is a seal that is place upon an individual when they give their heart to Jesus. It is the seal of salvation that they are a child of God. This is not a seal that can be seen by humans, but one that can be seen by the spiritual world. This seals ones heart, with the Holy Spirit taking up residence within our body, which becomes a temple for God the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are? If we claim to be Saved, and our body becomes a temple, they is it right to pollute our temple with sin like drinking, smoking, drugs, foul language, idolatry, sexual sensuality, etc.?

So what seal do we have if we have one before a spiritual birth? I’m glad you asked this question. We are sealed with the seal of the, “sin nature”. Every human being is born with the sin nature because of the fall of Adam and Eve. The only way this can be washed away is with the blood of Jesus. If we believe with our hearts in why and what Jesus did on the Cross for us and keep our eyes fixed on the works of the Cross, our sins will be covered with the shed blood of Jesus and God our Father will no longer be able to see our sin nature. Without repentance and asking Jesus to come into our hearts, a person cannot experience a Born Again life. Salvation cannot be obtained any other way. Many believe baptism does this but scripture stated otherwise. When one has a spiritual birth at some point in time they will or should have a desire to be baptized by immersion. Baptism is an outward sign to others, meaning your Christian family, immediate family, friends, and others around them that they have died to their old way of life and starting a new Christ like life. Baptism is like wedding vows (repentance of sinful lifestyle) and rings (baptism) to a couple, it is a commitment and sign of a relationship with Jesus. Baptism represents Jesus death and resurrection in a Born Again Christian’s life by being submersed in water (Jesus burial) and raised (Jesus resurrection) up out of the water. This signifies the person’s desire to die to the carnal flesh and to strive to live a new life. Baptism will not save anyone, and you don’t have to be baptized to be saved, only a Spiritual Birth (faith in Jesus and what he did) will save a person. One must be born of the flesh (human birth) and of the spirit (spiritual birth) to inherit the Kingdom of God, otherwise we are enemies of God. Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. James 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea; This angel is crying out with a loud voice to the other four angels that have the assignment to pour out God’s judgment upon the earth, to hold off for a little while longer. The next verse tells us why.

3 saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."

The one thing that stands out here is the word, “we” that the angel used. This tells us that this angel with this seal will be assisted in some way in the task of placing God’s mark on the forehead of His children.

4 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:

So who are these 144,000? One thing we know for sure is, they are Jewish people of the tribes of Israel. They are on earth and judgment is being held off till they receive the seal of God. In Revelation chapter 14 we learn a little bit more about them. Revelation 14:1-5 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God. Verses 4 does not refer to moral adultery, but rather spiritual adultery. They are true to Jesus and the way of the Cross.

144,000 is the square root of 12. Twelve is mentioned many times in the Bible, which in general, is regarded as suggestive of divine administration. In the Gospels for the twelve apostles, and in Act_6:2; 1 Corinthians_15:5; Revelation_21:14; of the tribes of Israel, Matthew_19:28; Luke_22:30; James_1:1; Revelation_21:12; in various details relating to the heavenly Jerusalem, Revelation_21:12-21; 22:2.

This list of the 12 tribes is a different list that is in the Old Testament, because it is a symbolic list of God's true followers. Judah is mentioned first because Judah is both the tribe of David and of Jesus the Messiah Genesis_49:8-12; Matthew_1:1; Levi had no tribal allotment because of the Levites' work for God in the Temple Deuteronomy_18:1, but here the tribe is given a place as a reward for faithfulness; Dan is not mentioned because of rebellion and idolatry, traits unacceptable for God's followers (Genesis_49:17); The two tribes representing Joseph (usually called Ephraim and Manasseh, after Joseph's sons) are here called Joseph and Manasseh because of Ephraim's rebellion. See Genesis 49 for the story of the beginning of these 12 tribes.

5 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.

The 144,000 Sealed