Rev.7:1-3 – After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
There is a lot in the book of Revelation that is impossible to comprehend until some of the prophetic events begin to unfold. Like Paul said, “now I see through a glass darkly”. In other words much of what is taking place all around us can’t quite be comprehended. Where does that leave us? It leaves us in a place of utter dependence on the Lord. We have to believe in the God of Noah and of Lot, the Lord will certainly take care of His own and it is quite impossible to figure out how. In today’s passage we see just how precarious the world will be at the opening of the seals and the preparation for the blast of the 7 trumpets. The Lord protect His own, in this instance He places a seal on His people to protect them in the devastations of the earth so that they can be used to proclaim the gospel. Again, understanding what is going on all around us requires us to look again at what matters to the Lord, redemption of fallen man is always on His mind. Here is how the ESV STUDY BIBLE describes all of this.
“The sixth seal showed an earthquake and a wind that shook the stars from the sky. God’s cringing enemies asked, “Who can stand?”. The answer is, those “sealed” with the seal of the living God. Therefore John sees four angels charged to hold back those winds of judgment until all of God’s servants have received his seal. “The seal of the living God” evokes a picture of a royal signet ring by which kings authenticated documents or marked ownership of an item. This seal is the name of the Lamb and of God, a gift promised to all who conquer by faith. It is antithetical to the mark of the beast and symbolizes God’s ownership and protection of his people. Circumcision functioned as such a seal under the old covenant, and God’s Holy Spirit seals God’s people as his property under the new. foreheads.”
These sealed in this instance are apparently 144,000 converts in Israel, this will be a great sign and wonder during the Tribulation. Certainly multitudes of Jews and Gentiles will come to the Lord, harvest will be certain even in the midst of those incredibly dark days.
