Revelation 7:1-8

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: 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,

12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

God is on mission to redeem mankind from slavery to sin and restore us to our position as His worshipers.  The tribulation is certainly a time of severe judgment on the earth but will also be a time to great advance in the mission of God.  There is also an escalation in the prominence of the nation of Israel in this effort.  The wrath of God towards sin and the grace of God towards sinners are evident throughout history.

REPRIEVES IN JUDGMENT: There are parallel purposes that appear to be taking place during the time of tribulation. There is the judgment of God on the earth due to sinful rebellion and simultaneously there is the gracious salvation of people who turn from sin to place their faith in Christ.  Suffering has always been a fertile ground for the salvation of men, and the tribulation will be no exception.  John sees the angels being restrained from inflicting judgment until the work of the Lord in salvation is put into place.  There is an angel with the seal of the living God who is sent to seal those who have been commissioned to spread the Gospel during this massive time of judgment.

REPRESENTATIVES OF ISRAEL: Those who are seal are called the servants of God.  This is the same designation that the apostle Paul used to refer to himself.  It is what all of us are called to be today.  There are 144,000 servants of God who will be sealed with this special seal on their forehead.  They are God’s representatives on the earth and are fully engaged in God’s mission to redeem for Himself people from all nations.  There are 12,000 people sealed from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.  Each tribe is listed including Levi who did not originally receive land because their inheritance was to serve the Lord and so Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph were given his double inheritance.  However, Joseph is mentioned in this text and not his sons.  Israel clearly has a prominent role in this outworking of God’s grace.  When the prophecies of the New Testament begin to occur, the nation of Israel will finally recognize that Jesus is their promised Messiah and will repent of their rejection of Christ and turn to him in faith.  This spiritual revival in Israel will have great ramification on the advancement of the mission of God on the earth.

APPLICATION: We can rest and trust in God’s sovereign control over the earth.  Suffering and even His own judgments are always for the purpose of His glory and the advancement of His mission on the earth.  Israel has been blinded and deceived into rejecting Jesus as their Messiah, but that is a temporary reality that God will one day change.  We must faithfully proclaim Jesus as Messiah to all people everywhere.