REVELATION --
CHAPTER SEVEN
ISRAEL'S REMNANT SEALED
Rev. 7:1-8:
1. And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2. And 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 given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: [and there were] sealed an hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5. Of the tribe of Juda [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad [were] sealed twelve thousand.
6. Of the tribe of Aser [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses [were] sealed twelve thousand.
7. Of the tribe of Simeon [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar [were] sealed twelve thousand.
8. Of the tribe of Zabulon [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin [were] sealed twelve thousand.
God called and commissioned a group of believers to go into Jerusalem and tarry until the day of Pentecost, and they obeyed. They went into an upper room and with one accord waited until the day had fully come. PENTECOST means "fifty," and the day of Pentecost was fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus. He appeared to men for forty days, and when He ascended He instructed the disciples to tarry until the day of Pentecost had fully come. Ten days later, on the fiftieth day, Pentecost came.
The Holy Spirit came as promised. He (the Holy Spirit) came upon each of them, cloven tongues "like as of fire" sat upon each of them, and they were filled with
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the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues. The Bible speaks of the "unknown tongue" -- but here there were no unknown tongues. These disciples spoke with "OTHER tongues." They spoke as the Spirit gave then utterance. That day there were people in Jerusalem from every known nation on earth, and they all heard the Gospel in their own language. The multitude was amazed. They could not understand how Jews were speaking in so many languages. All the ministers on the day of Pentecost were Jews, and yet they spoke in every known language of that day. Pentecost was God's miracle. Everyone heard the Gospel in his own language, and thereby could return to his own people and tell the good news that the Lamb of God had shed His blood for the remission of sins, that He had been buried, was risen again, and had ascended back to the Father.
Some thought the disciples were full of new wine, but Peter declared unto them that they were witnessing the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32; that the disciples were not drunk as some supposed. The second chapter of Joel was only partially fulfilled at this time. The signs, the fire, and other parts of the prophecy will be fulfilled when Jesus comes in the Revelation.
# Joe 2:28-32
Peter preached unto them the Gospel of the good news -- the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. He admonished them to repent and be baptized. His sermon lasted perhaps five minutes -- certainly no more than ten. (Read his sermon . . . you can read it in five minutes.) Yet, three thousand souls were saved that day! Peter had more souls saved in five minutes than some preachers have in a life time.
Peter did not preach the message John the Baptist preached . . . "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." They had crucified the King, the Kingdom had been postponed (set aside) for a season. John the Baptist
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had preached, "The kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Jesus preached, "The kingdom of Heaven is at hand." The disciples preached, "The kingdom of Heaven is at hand." But Israel rejected the King, and therefore the kingdom was set aside until God's appointed time. On the day of Pentecost and later, Peter preached, "Repent . . . repent . . . repent!" but he did not promise the kingdom at hand. He clearly told the Jews they crucified the King of Glory.
The Apostles preached during the transition period . . . the period when Law was fading out and Grace was moving in. Their ministry was followed with many signs and wonders. Jesus came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17). Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to them that believe (Rom. 10:4). When Jesus died, was buried and rose again, that brought an end to the Dispensation of Law, but there had to be a transition period.
# Mt 5:17 Ro 10:4
Then one day, a young Jew named Saul of Tarsus, having persecuted the church in Jerusalem, was traveling to Damascus to persecute the Christians there. As he neared the city gate, God rolled back the clouds in the sky and Jesus looked down. The brightness of His face caused Saul to fall to the ground in conviction beyond the description of words. Read Acts, chapter 9.
# Ac 9:1-44
This young Jew later said, "I saw the Lord, as one born out of due time" (I Cor. 15:8). Paul saw Jesus on the Damascus road. God saved Saul of Tarsus and he became Paul the preacher, a minister to the Gentiles. God called him, ordained him, and sent him to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13). Since the day of Pentecost, God has been calling out a Gentile Bride. Jew, Gentile . . . whosoever will can be saved today. The Church is made up of all born again believers. Acts 15:13-18 is a blueprint of the present dispensation. AFTER this dispensation,
# 1Co 15:8 Ro 11:13 Ac 15:13-18
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God will set up the Kingdom and build again the temple in Jerusalem. In Galatians 1:10 through 2:14 Paul affirms that the Gospel he preached was a revelation from God and was not after the traditions of men. Paul did not go up to Jerusalem and converse with the apostles to ask them what to preach -- God revealed to him from Heaven the message he was to give to the world.
# Ga 1:10-2:14
In Ephesians 3:1-12 Paul tells us that the mystery of the Church was revealed to him through divine revelation. Paul did not preach a coming kingdom; he preached the Cross. His message was, "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross." He preached, "By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God."
# Eph 3:1-12
This is the age of the preaching of the grace of God. This is the Age of Grace. This is the Dispensation of the Holy Ghost -- the Church Age. The Holy Spirit is calling out a people for His name -- a people from all nationalities and all classes.
THERE ARE FOUR FORMS OF THE GOSPEL mentioned in the New Testament. The word "Gospel" means "good news." If we are to "rightly divide the word of truth" then we must understand and distinguish between the four forms of the Gospel.
1. THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD
The message we preach today is the message of Grace -- unmerited favor -- salvation through faith in the finished work of Jesus. The Gospel of Grace is the good news that Jesus died, was buried, rose again and conquered the world, the flesh, the devil, death, hell and the grave. In I Corinthians 15:1-4 Paul clearly outlines the
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message of Grace. He preached the grace of God to the Corinthians; they believed and were saved. Romans 1:1 announces the message of grace. In Romans 1:16 we are told that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. The Kingdom was announced to the Jews only. "Go not in the way of the Gentiles" was the message to the twelve and to the seventy. Jesus said to a Gentile woman, "I came not to give the children's bread to dogs." She replied, "I am willing to take the crumbs that fall from the master's table." When the Jews crucified Jesus, He turned to the Gentiles through the preacher Paul, and the grace of God has been preached ever since (II cor. 10:14, Acts 20:24, I Tim. 1:11, II Cor. 4:4, Eph. 2:1-15, Rom. 1:16, Rom. 10:9-10, Titus 3:5). The message we preach today is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus "ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES."
# Ro 1:1 2Co 10:14 Ac 20:24 1Ti 1:11 2Co 4:4 Eph 2:1-15 Ro 1:16 10:9-10 # Tit 3:5
Grace will be preached until the Rapture. Grace will finally complete the Bride of Christ, the true Church. Jesus is the Head of the Church (Eph. 5:23). Every born again person since Pentecost is a member of the Church (Eph. 5:30, I Cor. 12:12-15). When the Church is raptured out of this earth, every believer will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air, the saints who have died will be raised incorruptible, the spirit that went to be with the Lord at the death of the believer will reunite with the glorified body, and we will all be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air!
# Eph 5:23,28 1Co 12:12-15
One day the Dispensation of Grace will close. When the Church is complete there will be the end of preaching of "salvation by grace through faith in the shed blood of Jesus -- plus nothing!"
2. THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL
The "everlasting Gospel" is mentioned in Revelation
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14:6. It will be preached at the very close of the Great Tribulation period . . . the closing days of the seven years of the reign of the Antichrist. The message of the "everlasting Gospel" is judgment; but even the message of judgment will be good news to earth's dwellers at that time. They will have gone through almost seven years of hell on earth -- especially the last three and a half years of the reign of the Antichrist. To the nations who have rejected Antichrist and refused to receive his mark, and the people of Israel (those who have not been butchered or beheaded), the message of swift judgment and holy fury against the Antichrist and his armies will be good news indeed. The announcement of the everlasting Gospel will be to those who have been saved during the Tribulation period (Rev. 7:9-17, Luke 21:28. Psalm 96:11-13, Isaiah 35:4-10).
# Re 7:9-17 Lu 21:28 Ps 96:11-13 Isa 35:4-10
In Matthew 24:22 we read, "And except those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh saved: but for the elect's (Israel's) sake, those days shall be shortened." In my heart, I believe the message of the everlasting Gospel is the message to Israel, that final judgment is about to be meted out to the Antichrist and his henchmen, and the days will be shortened assuring them that judgment will come upon their enemies before those enemies are allowed to annihilate the elect of God.
3. PAUL REFERS TO "MY GOSPEL"
Romans 2:16: "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to MY GOSPEL." Paul was a preacher of the grace of God to the Gentiles, to be sure. He preached salvation by grace; he preached rewards according to faithful stewardship on the part of the believer. Every one of us will be judged according to our faithful stewardship . . . not as to whether we are saved or lost. Believers will not stand before the judgment to determine whether or not they
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are saved; but they will appear to receive their just rewards (I Cor. 3:11-15). Study that passage carefully.
# 1Co 3:11-15
"My Gospel" to which Paul refers is the Gospel of the grace of God in its fullest development and includes the revelation of the result of that Gospel in the out-calling of the Church, her relationships, positions, privileges and responsibilities. Paul determined not to know anything save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He begged the Galatians to reject the gospel which he called "another gospel" (and then declared it was NOT a gospel), referring to those who mixed Law and Grace . . . the legalizers. After Paul preached the grace of God for salvation, he begged the believers to present their bodies a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1, I Cor. 10:31), knowing that to receive a full reward we must be dedicated -- soul, spirit, and body -- to the Lord God.
# Ro 12:1 1Co 10:31
In Galatians 1:6 and II Corinthians 11:4 Paul mentions the "other gospel," but declared that it was not really a gospel. Paul cried out that anyone, even an angel, preaching any gospel other than the Gospel HE preached, should be accursed (Gal. 1:6-9; Gal. 5:12).
4. THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
The Gospel of the Kingdom is the good news that a kingdom of righteousness will be set up right here on this earth . . . a kingdom was promised to Abraham and David, and the promise will be kept (II Sam. 7:16, Isaiah 11:1-16, Luke 1:30-33, Isaiah 9:6,7).
# 2Sa 7:16 Isa 11:1-16 Lu 1:30-33 Isa 9:6,7
In Matthew 3:1 John preached, "THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!" His message was strictly the announcement that a kingdom was to be set up and the King was coming. He preached, "Make His path straight!" But the people said, "We will not have this man to reign over us. Let His blood be upon us and upon our children." They have had a blood-bath ever since, and they
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continue to have a bloodbath even today. They rejected the King and the message of the Kingdom . . . and God turned to a people who are not a people -- namely, the Gentiles. Read carefully Romans chapter 11. Study it. The Jews are set aside -- but only for a season. The natural branches have been cut off, the wild olive branch has been grafted in. but God has not forsaken His people, and the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached again right here upon this earth.
# Ro 11:1
After the Rapture of the Church, after the Holy Spirit is taken back to Heaven with the Church and the Gentile Bride is complete, the announcement of the Kingdom on earth will be resumed. Here in Revelation chapter 7, 144,000 missionaries out of Israel -- 12,000 from each tribe -- are sealed, commissioned, and ordained to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom.
In Matthew 24:14 we read: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Many have used this verse of Scripture to suggest that Jesus cannot come until the Gospel has been preached to every nation. This is certainly wrongly dividing the Word, because today we are NOT preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. WE are preaching the Gospel of the Grace of God. This is the Age of Grace, not the age of the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom. This is not the day of the King. This is the day of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no doubt in my mind that the 144,000 will have the same gifts received by the 120 on the day of Pentecost. I believe the 144,000 missionaries out of Israel will have the gift of tongues and will speak in every language and dialect on the earth. There are thousands of dialects and languages that have not been reduced to writing, but these missionaries, sealed
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of God and sent by God, will announce the coming Kingdom to every tribe and every kindred on the face of the earth who have never heard the Gospel of the Grace of God. Those who hear the message and receive it will make up the number in Revelation 7:9 and following . . . the great multitude that no man can number.
Those who refuse to believe the message of the 144,000 and who follow the Antichrist instead, will receive the mark of the Beast and will be damned (II Thess. 2:1-12). The unpardonable sin after the Rapture will be the mark of the Beast. (Today the unpardonable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.) The preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom will continue throughout the seven-year period . . . the reign of the Antichrist. At the close of the Tribulation, the battle of Armageddon will be fought. After the battle of Armageddon the glorious Kingdom will be ushered in, Jesus will sit on the throne in Jerusalem in the temple, and will reign for one thousand years. We, the born again, WILL REIGN WITH HIM (Rev. 20:1-6).
# Re 20:1-6
The 144,000 sealed missionaries out of Israel are special messengers of God to fulfill a mission during a specific time. They are especially called, commissioned, ordained, sent and sealed. They will be delivered from the devil and from the enemies of God. They will be protected. The devil cannot destroy them.
Chapter 7 of Revelation is parenthetical. In this chapter we look away from the breaking of the seven seals, in order that the Spirit might enlighten us concerning the sealing of a chosen group of evangelists to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to the teeming millions who never heard the Gospel of the Grace of God. After the Rapture, these 144,000 will do what the Church SHOULD have done during this Dispensation of Grace. God has never been without a witness on the earth, and He never
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will be.
During the days of Elijah, God reserved 7,000 who did not bow their knee to Baal nor to Ahab (I Kings 19:18). God reserved Daniel and the three Hebrew children in the days of Nebuchadnezzar. God has always had His faithful witness, and He always will, even during the bloody reign of the Antichrist.
# 1Ki 19:18
There will be "a remnant according to the election of grace" (Rom. 11:4-6). The 144,000 sealed ones out of Israel will be God's remnant of true ministers who will refuse to bow their knees to Antichrist. During the Dispensation of the Grace of God every born again person is sealed by the Holy Ghost (Eph. 4:30). Every born again person is baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Ghost (I Cor. 12:12-15). Every born again believer possesses the Holy Ghost and is led by the Holy Ghost (Rom. 8:9,14,16). But when the Church is Raptured, the Holy Ghost will go out with the Church.
# Ro 11:4-6 Eph 4:30 1Co 12:12-15 Ro 8:9,14,16
The 144,000 will not be sealed with the Holy Ghost as we are, but they will have a seal in their foreheads: "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matthew 24:31) The seal will be in their foreheads (Rev. 9:4, Rev. 14:1). They will be known by all and sundry with whom they come in contact, for the mark of God will be upon them, visible in their foreheads. All hell can not stop them nor destroy them.
The devil will counterfeit God's seal, and he will seal HIS followers also. He will cause all of his followers to receive a mark in their foreheads or in their hands' and if they refuse to receive this mark they will be killed. We will study the mark of the Beast when we reach chapter 13; but remember, everything God has that is good, the devil has a cheap counterfeit for it.
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