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. 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: “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.” Then I heard the number of those who were sealed:
144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. Revelations 7:1-4
It is easy to get caught up in the cataclysms
described in the book of Revelations. I
am reading the text wondering about what would happen if all wind stopped. I am thinking about Revelations 6:14 that
says, “The heavens (or
the sky) receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was
removed from its place.” Having an atmosphere and having wind are
directly related. The cataclysms of
Revelations are terrible but the Gospel is good news. In the midst of judgment God seals 144,000
Jewish evangelists to His work. How wonderful is our God!!! He demonstrates his faithfulness to his
people and to his promises by bringing them back to himself. Then he releases
them into the earth to win souls. Twelve
thousand from each tribe! Jesus turned
the world upside down with 12 men, what will He do with 12 times 12,000?
My heart breaks for my unbelieving friends. Many of them church members and a number of
them clergy. Don’t be deceived friend your
greatest opportunity for evangelism is when you are at church. Unbelievers fill the church pews! When I
meditate on this thought I feel like Solomon, “vanity of vanities all is vanity.” Our generation is so cold to the Gospel. Who can be saved? Then, like John, I look up and see what he
saw. He said "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 before the Lamb. They were wearing
white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out
in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and
to the Lamb.” Revelations 7: 9-10
The news gets better and the
choruses fill heaven and earth. “All 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, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and
wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and
ever. Amen!” Revelations 7:11-12
What is remembered, what is celebrated? Those
who repented of their sins and rejoiced in the blood of Jesus Christ that cleansed
them from all sin! John is teased by
one of the elders in heaven. I suspect with a nod and a wink, he this asked
this question, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come
from?” John answers, “Sir, you know.”
Some questions are asked because the answer is so good to hear! What day
were you saved? How long have you been clean?
How much money did you get on that promotion? What a joy to say, “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.” Yes! Yes! Yes! God is so good that he is saving folk during
the tribulation, and he is doing with Jewish evangelist whose eyes have been
opened to their messiah!
I will ask you another question, what is the condition of
those saved in the tribulation? “They are before
the throne of God and serve him day and night in his
temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his
presence. ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they
thirst. The sun will not beat down on 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.’
Revelations 7:15-17Amen and Alleluia!
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