Revelation 7 is a pause between Jesus opening the sixth and seventh seals of judgment and wrath. The angels holding back the winds from the Earth is a reference to withholding the impending judgment. So, if wind is a symbol of wrath and judgment, and we live in a most windy place, then...? Never mind. Why this pause? The Lord is going to seal 144,000 Jews who will carry His message to the ends of the Earth. They will be His ambassadors. The Day of the Lord is coming soon, so He extends mercy one more time to all of mankind left in the Great Tribulation period. Friends, God is all-gracious. He doesn't give His beloved people second-rate grace. Many faithless folks commonly ask, "how can a loving God send all those different types of people to hell when they don't know any different?" Please, tell them they can trust the only, true, living God that He not only provided The Way to salvation, but He is making the way for all people to hear the gospel message. The real question is, "are you going to represent?"
Revelation is the last book in the Bible for a reason. It implies an assumption of a good grasp of the 65 books written ahead of it. The fact that we are relatively weak in Old Testament knowledge and prophesy brings its own anxiety and limitations. Not so, the Jews. A devout Jew is extremely intimate with the deep truths of the Old Testament. Further, they are a very passionate, dedicated, ad gritty culture of people. People today often err in thinking God is done with the Jews. The sentiment of Replacement Theory mindset is He has replaced their inclusion in the kingdom with us Gentiles. Not so. He brought salvation to us Gentiles to make Her jealous. They will come around. He will win Her over before this is all said and done. The covenants established in the Old Testament by God Himself are proof. God always comes true and through on His promises. The only conditional covenant was the Mosaic (law), where God promised if they would do this, He would do that. The other four covenants are absolutely unconditional, with no pre-requisites for Jews to complete: Abraham- Jewish people would be preserved; Palestinian- they would have the land of Israel; David- they would have someone on the throne as a descendant; New Covenant- they would receive a new heart and a new Israel. He's not through with the Jew. In fact, He's going to seal them on the forehead with a cross symbol and send them into the four corners of the planet to inspire the biggest revival ever known to our civilization. We have no room to brag about our ministry here today, for they are going to accomplish what we should be doing all along- sharing the gospel story and making disciples of all. His Word is going to get out to everyone and He intends to use 144,000 of the most passionate Jewish vessels to accomplish the task. How? Just look at what Paul did at the Lord's appointing. That was just one man.
Life gets hard for the new Gentile converts in the Tribulation. They will refuse the Mark of the Beast, so they won't be able to buy or sell goods. They will be starving, dying of thirst, possibly indentured as slaves. They will be hated because they are befriending the offending Jews. They will ultimately be abused and murdered, children included. In the text, we see them as a multitude, uncountable, praising their Savior eternally. Now, here's a heart check: how does that activity sound to you? Does hanging around the throne, praising Him all day, every day, for eternity sound like something you want to do? Honestly, it's not something I'm familiar with today. This is challenging me to consider heaven more and become a better worshipper, even while still on Earth. Read through Colossians 3 as a companion text to Revelation. Set your mind on things above. Live up, not down and not like you used to before you were saved. Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart and be thankful. Whatever we think, say, or do, may it be for His glory.
Applications relevant to this passage involve peace in the midst of trials. It's the eye of the storm. First, trust the Lord to do all of His part to save His people. Cooperate and participate in that modern-day miracle. Second, don't ever give up on people. There is hope for loved ones that seem too far gone. Don't ever count God out of the equation. Third, remember nothing touches you without first going through the sovereign Lord's approval. He's the One on the throne. Though we may not understand the reasoning for certain situations, we can trust Him to bring about His purpose in His perfect timing. He is working all things out for our good. He can take even the most difficult circumstance and bring good from it. This is true even for our brotherhood today, as we recognize the eleven year anniversary of Brian Hunton's passing. Our response in the midst of the storm should be one of faith, hope, trust, and belief in our Father's goodness. These responses silence the accusations of the Devil that we only serve God because of the blessings He gives us. Let us hold fast in our devotion to Christ, for He is completely good and worthy of our trust! He has sealed us with His Holy Spirit. We will stand through the trials. He owns us. Our lives are secure in His sovereign hands. Fourth, don't whine or complain in the struggles and pain. Don't turn inward and sell-out to self-pity. In fact, it's the storms and trials that draw you close to Him! This is where we experience the intimacy that we were made for. Once you experience it, you miss it when the pressure is relieved. Remember the kite analogy? It is designed to fly highest when under tension. Trust Him. Have faith. Sing to Him. Praise Him. Worship Him. Let the trial run its course. Let it drive you close to Him. Change your mind to depend on Him as your source of strength instead of your own two feet.
