An Intermission of Inspiration

Revelation chapter 7 is where we are this evening. Revelation chapter 7. We have just finished the sixth chapter and we have seen decept. With the coming in of the rider of the first horse, the white horse.

We've seen destruction because of the war. We've also seen devastation because of the famine. That, of course, is the third seal.

And then we have seen death, immeasurable death. Under the fourth seal. Then we went to the cries of the martyrs in the fifth seal. And then last week we looked at the sixth seal and the catastrophe. Upon the earth. Having gone through chapter 6, you begin to ask the question: you know, is there any hope? I mean, is there any kind of Inspiration is, I mean, John's seeing all this unfold before his eyes as he is able to see the vision of God before him. And you can begin to see how heavy this would be upon someone watching the destruction and the devastation and the death and the demolition of the world.

It's a hard thing to swallow. And the severity of the first five seals is great. Then, once the sixth seal is open, the intensity then begins to grow even more. And then, of course, with the seventh seal comes the seven trumpets and the seven bowls, which escalate the intensity upon the earth. And you begin to ask. You know, this is getting to be kind of hard to listen to, hard to follow because of the destruction upon the world. And we left off last time by asking the question in chapter 6 as it ends: who was able to stand?

Who was able to survive? The answer is in Revelation chapter 7. In fact, Revelation chapter 7 is sort of like a big parenthesis between chapter 6 and Chapter eight before the seventh seal op. And in this parenthesis, we are guaranteed something. We are guaranteed an inspiration by God. You can imagine what must have been going through the mind of John as he saw this, and God in his wonderful majesty would be able to do something for John. And then John would write it down so we then could understand it as well.

There's something significant going to happen while all this is taking place upon the earth. In the midst of all the wrath of God, in the midst of all the disaster that takes place upon the earth, there is mercy. I'm reminded of Habakkuk chapter 3 in Habakkuk's prayer in verse number 2 when it says, Lord, I have heard the report about thee and I fear. O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years, make it known. In wrath, remember mercy. That was Habakkuk's prayer. God, amidst the unfolding of your wrath, would you please remember your mercy?

And in Revelation chapter 7, we see the mercy of God. Am all the wr. And I'm sure John would be relieved to hear and to see what unfolds in chapter Seven. Three things I want to cover with you this evening. Number one is the intermission.

Number two, the inspiration. Number three, the implications. The intermission is the holding back of God's horror. The inspiration is the protective band on God's people, and the implications are the concluding benefits for the church. N one, the inter. It says, After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth. So that no wind should blow on the earth, or on the sea, or any tree. John receives a new vision. After this, after what? After the unfolding of the sixth feel, all that he has seen, he says, after that, after that.

I received a new vision. And when I see this, I see. the scene shift from God's judgment upon the ungodly to his merciful preservation of the godly. Now listen very carefully. Revelation chapter 7 does not fall chronologically after the sixth seal. I believe that Revelation chapter 7 happens sometime within the timeframe of the first five seals.

Why is that? Well, because as we read further down in verse number 9, we're going to see the tribulational martyrs. Cry how long before the throne of God. And as you recall, the fifth seal is the cries of the martyrs, people who died during the first four seals.

So, what is happening here is almost like a flashback. God takes John backwards into the tribulation for him to understand that during those first five seals, What has taken place is something magnanimous, something magnificent, something monumental because it revolves around the saving mercy of God upon his people.

And so God takes John back. And I want you to notice two things. Number one, the angels, and number two, their activity.

There are four angels. Four angels who receive a command to hold back the judgment of God. As you go through the book of Revelation, scripture frequently associates angels with God's judgment. Revelation 9-1, Revelation 11-, Revelation 14-, Revelation 15-, 16-, 18-, 19, verses 17 and 18. Even in the parables of Chr Angels play a significant role. In judgment during the tribulation. But these angels have control over nature. They're holding back something, they're holding back the winds. It says the four winds of the earth.

The four points on the earth, north, south, east, and west. Winds come from the north, they come from the south, they come from the east, they come from the west. These angels are strategically positioned to hold back the wind because once that wind is let go, Then the forces of evil begin to take place. Look over in Revelation chapter 8. Verse number seven. This is the seventh seal, and with the seventh seal comes the seven trumpets. And when the seven trumpets are blown, look what happens in verse number seven.

And the first sounded, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth.

And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

These angels are holding back the wind so that no wind should blow on the earth or on the sea or any tree, it says in verse number one of chapter seven.

But now, when the seventh seal is un and the seven trumpets now begin to blow, when the first trumpet blows, then the third of the trees are burned up.

Verse number 8: And the second angel sounded as something like a great mountain burning. With fire was thrown into the sea, and the third of the sea became blood, and the third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life died, and the third of the ships were destroyed.

Verse number 10, and the third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch.

And it fell on the third of the rivers and on the springs of waters, and the name of the star is called wormwood, and the third of the waters became wormwood, and many men.

Died from the waters because they were made bit. So these angels are involved in the judgment of God, but they're holding back God's judgment. This is the interlude. This is the break. And John needs to see this interlude because through it he gets an inspiration because God shows him his mercy and compassion during the tribulational period. With thes number two, their activity.

Their duration lasts through chapter seven. They are holding back the four winds of the earth. Kr is the word. It's a word that suggests the winds are trying to blow. They're trying to move, but they are being restrained. That's a powerful angel. These winds want to move, but they can't move. All the trees are calm. There are no waves on the ocean, on the seashore. The skies, the clouds in the sky remain stationary. They do not move. Because the winds are held back. They do not blow. Everything is stagnant.

Henry Morris, in his book on the Revelation Records, says this: The circulation of the atmosphere is a mighty engine driven by energy from the sun and from the earth's rotation. The tremendous powers involved in this operation become especially obvious when they are displayed in the form of great hurricanes and blizzards and tornadoes. These winds of the earth make life possible on earth through the hydrological cycle. trans waters inland from the ocean with which to water the earth. Yet the angels, only four of them, had turned off this gig engine.

Those are some powerful angels. But that's what they do. This is the interlude. And the angels engage in this activity. Until a hundred and forty-four thousand saints, Jewish believers are sealed. Well, this is the point number two: the inspiration.

The inspiration, if the intermission is the holding back of God's horror, the inspiration is the protective brand upon God's people. And it says this in verse number 2: And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God. And he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bonds of our God on their Foreheads. Another angel.

There are many commentators who believe this other angel is the Christ. I don't believe it is for two reasons. Number one, the word used is all, which means another of the same kind of angel.

And second of all, because it says, uses the plural pronoun we down in verse number three, when it says, do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we We angels of the same kind have sealed the bonds of our God on their foreheads.

This angel comes from the East. I wish there was four things about this inspiration that is around these 144,000. Number one, the seal.

Number two, their salvation. Number three, their service. And number four, their selection. Number one, their seal.

It says this. Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bonds. Fro is the word. It's a word that was common in John's days for for masters to seal or to brand their slaves. It often referred to a signet ring that the kings or other officials would use to stamp into wax or documents or other items. Thereby affirming their authenticity and guaranteeing their security. It signified ownership. It signified protection. They were given a seal that would protect them. They were given a seal that would signify that they were owned by someone.

Now, this is very significant because the Antichrist has his seal, doesn't he? He has his brand on his people, and that is the Mark 6:6. And he brands his people on their forehead or in the back of their hand. God has his brand for his people. And his brand is the brand, the text says, of the living God, not some false God, not some false teacher. Not some false deity, but the true and living God. He's not a dead God. He is the eternal God who grants life. And this seal is more than just an external mark.

It's a moral badge. And this seal will protect these people. It's a seal of protection. Look what it says down in Revelation 9, verse number 4. When the fifth angel sounds, a star from heaven falls, and the key to the bottom pit is given, and these demons come out of the pit. And it says down in. In verse number three, and out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth, and power was given them as the scorpions of the earth have power.

And they were told that they should not hurt the grass. Of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. For they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. These demons come out of the pit and they are used to torment man, but they cannot touch those with the seal. They're protected. They can't be stung. They can't be killed because God is going to protect them amidst the tri of the great and terrible day of the L.

Same thing happens over in Revelation 12, verse number 6, and verse number 14. They have a seal. Let me stop for a moment.

You know, we have a seal, don't we? Ephesians 1 talks about the seal that we have. That's the spirit of the living God. We even sealed into the day of redemption. We had this pledge, this guarantee, that we will one day experience the blessing of God because He promised it to us, and He promised it to us, and He gave us. He gave us the Holy Spirit. The word that's used in the Greek is the word that's used the wedding ring, an engagement ring. And the engagement ring that Christ gave to his bride is the Holy Spirit to seal us, to protect us, to preserve us.

To guarantee that we will one day be with him forever. These 144,000 Jewish believers have a seal. The second thing I want you to see is their salvation until we have sealed the bonds of our God.

Now, listen. These are bonds. These are people who are already redeemed. Their seal comes after their redemption. God brands them. You say, What is the brand? Well, Revelation 14: tells you what the seal is. It says this in Revelation 14, verse number 5. Excuse me, verse number one.

And I looked and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with him 1,000, having his name and the name of his father written on their foreheads. That's the brand. It's the name of the Lamb of God, the Son of God, and the name of God the Father is embedded on their foreheads. That's the brand upon them. They are owned by God. He owns them. Antichrist doesn't own them. God owns them. God protects them. God preserves them. And God uses them. But these are the bonds. We're going to seal the bonds.

Evidently, these people are already saved. Can you imagine? These Jewish people, they know the Old Testament. All of a sudden, the church is raptured out, the tribulation begins. There's a wake-up call to the Jewish nation. The church was right. We were wrong. Jesus Christ is the Messiah. They begin to search the New Testament, begin to realize that salvation comes by grace through faith, give their lives to God. And God chooses 144,000 of them and brands them and seals them. Can you imagine 1,000 converted Jews testifying to the gospel of grace?

God used 12 J to turn the world upside down. Can you imagine what he can do with 144,000 Jews? They're sealed, protected, unable to die? Unable to have any of the famine and any of the wrath of God affect them or touch them. Can you imagine the power of those evangelists as they share the gospel? It's amazing. They are bonds. A lot I'd like to say about that, but time is fleeing from us. The third thing I want you to see is their service.

Their service. They have a mission. You know what that mission is? It's to speak forth the truth of God. They have a mission. They are the proclaimers of the gospel. How do you think the Gentile martyrs in verses 9 and following get saved? They get saved because 144,000 Jewish evangelists proclaim Jesus Christ as the Messiah. How did those 144,000 get saved? I believe they got saved because of the witness of the two men in Revelation chapter 11. And we get to Revelation chapter 11, we'll explain that.

But I believe those two men will be instrumental in the conversion of the 144,000 J. But turn over with me, if you would, to Revelation 14 for a moment. And I want you to notice something in verse number 4 and 5.

Talking about those 144,000, these are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.

And no lie was found in their mouth. They are blameless. What a testimony. Do you want to know why 144,000 Jewish evangelists will instigate the greatest revival in the history of the world? We'll talk about that next week. The greatest revival in the history of the world happens in Revelation 7, verses 9 and following. You want to know why? There's no lie on their lips. Their lives are blameless. These men are virgins. These men are chast. Maybe there's women involved too? I would think they are.

That there is. They're clean. They're pure. They're not defiled. They're clean. They're squeaky clean. And can you imagine that to maintain that status amidst all that takes place on the earth and all the evil, they stand out like a sore thumb. I mean, they are way out there. And God brands these people because they are committed to Him. They are faithful. They are loyal. They are undef. They are completely devoted to Christ. They are His bonds. And let me just add this: that's why our mission efforts are so weak.

It's because we are not as devoted to these people. We are not undefiled. We are defiled people. We are not living as God wants us to live. We don't seek to live a blameless life. And it hinders our testimony. But these people are so loyal to God and so committed to him, they don't even tell a white lie. Because they speak truth and they are blameless. What a tremendous testimony to God. We've seen their seal, their salvation, their service, now their selection. It says this in Revelation 7. And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 1,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel, from the tribe of Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Nath, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issach, Zebulun Joseph, and Benjamin.

Just because all the records were destroyed in 70 A, God didn't forget. God knows where they're from, right? And God will be able to determine. And choose because he is omniscient. Preach. Why is the list the way it is this way? To be quite honest with you, I don't know. All I know is that God's in control. God's in charge. And God chooses 12,000 from every tribe. And they are magnificent, magnificent witnesses for God. I've only got a few minutes left, so let me give you the implications.

What are the concluding benefits? Two things. One is this: man's failure need not be forever. Listen very carefully. Man's failure need not be forever. The nation of Israel failed when they crucified their Messiah. But you know what? God's got a plan for the nation of Israel. He never gave up on them. And that's seen in the tribulational period. He's got a great place for them, He's going to use them in a mighty way. Revelation 11, Romans 11, 25 and 26 talks about the salvation of Israel, how all Israel will be saved.

Zach 12, verse number 10, speaks of the same thing. They will look upon him and whom they have mourned and whom they have pierced, and they will weep, and they will be the salvation of Israel. Man's failure. Need not last forever. If you have failed God, only know something. Didn have to last forever. It could end today. If you have failed in coming to Christ as your Lord and Savior, that can end today too. If you have failed in your walk with God, it need not be any longer. Because God's merciful, he's compassionate, he's loving, he's kind.

Proverbs 28 says, He who conceals his transgressions shall not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. Have you found compassion from our God? Second of all, God's forgiveness will last forever.

God's forgiveness will last forever. When God forgives, He remembers our sin no more. Jeremiah 31:3. Isaiah 43 says, I, even I, am he who blotteth out thy transgressions. Nehemiah 9: says, Thou art a God ready to pardon. Psalm 103, verse number 12 says, As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. When God forgives, He remembers your sin no more, He wipes slate clean. Man's failure need not be forever. But God's forgiveness that'll last forever. Have you experienced the forgiveness of God?

Have you experienced his mercy and compassion? Has he saved you? If he has saved you. He has sealed you. He has sealed you so that you might serve him with all authority. May the 14,000 And their courage and their character be a testimony to us that we might live as God wants us to live. Bringing glory to His name. Let's pray together.