Revelation #18 The World's Greatest Revival Part 1 Revelation 7:1-8

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1 Revelation #18 The World's Greatest Revival Part 1 Revelation 7:1-8 In this particular portion of the book of Revelation, we are looking at the opening of the seven seals. In these seven seals of judgment, we see the things that will take place during the time we call the Great Tribulation. For approximately seven years on the earth there will be great tribulation, and untold miseries and judgments will take place. In the sixth chapter we have opened up six of those seals, and we have seen the things that God says, in those seals, will take place upon this earth. As we turn to the seventh chapter we expect to find the opening of the seventh seal. But as we search through all of the verses of the chapter, there is no mention made whatsoever of the opening of the seventh seal. It is only when we come to the eighth chapter that the seventh seal is opened. What we find in the seventh chapter of Revelation is really a parenthesis. We find here a pause in the action, and God reveals something very real and very precious to us. This is really what we might call "a lull in the storm." It is as if God draws aside the veil and gives us a view into His heart. Now remember this is a time of great tribulation on this earth. It is the time of the great day of God's wrath. A time when God is going to judge a world that has rejected His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, God sent His Son into this world the first time to be the Savior. He presented Jesus as the Savior, and yet, the Scripture says, "He came to his own, and his own did not receive him." For the most part Earth rejected Jesus Christ. By in large, the people said, "We had rather live for time than for eternity," so they snubbed their noses at Jesus Christ, and turned their backs upon him. Therefore, God says to a world that rejected His Son, "If they will not receive the grace of the Lamb, they will experience instead, the wrath of the Lamb." God is going to do something very special during this period of time. God is going to extend mercy to a group of individuals during the days of great tribulation. Actually, the seventh chapter of Revelation is an answer to a prayer that was prayed in Habakkuk 3:2, "O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy. Therefore, in the very midst of the Great Tribulation God is going to extend mercy to a select group of individuals. 1

2 Now, as we study Revelation 7, you will notice that it naturally divides itself into two main divisions. Verses 1 through 8 group together, and then verses 9 through 17 are grouped together. In the first part of the chapter, He addresses himself specifically to the Jews. In the last part of the chapter, He is talking specifically to the Gentiles. In this chapter we see that during the Great Tribulation, God is going to extend His mercy to the Jews, and then, He is going to extend His mercy to the Gentiles. This chapter also portrays God as compassionate, merciful, and loving. That is right, for 1 John 4:8 says that, "God is love." In fact, John 3:16-17 says that, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. It is man's wickedness, rebellion, and sin that produce judgement, as seen in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death." And Job 4:8 says, "They that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same." The judgments already described were unleashed because of the hardness of men's hearts. They rebelled - and continue to rebel - for thousands of years. God, however, is so great that, at this point, He declares a "time out." He still loves the human race and longs to save mankind. He desires for men everywhere to open their minds and hearts and come to Him. The result is this chapter, where deals with the mercy of God in the midst of Tribulation. God, in love, creates a lull before the storm in order to call men to salvation and revival. Verse 1 says, "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." The fact that the angels are standing on the four corners of the earth does not signify that the earth is square. God knows the world He made is round, and Isaiah 40:22 says, "He sits above the circle of the earth. This statement was in the Bible when Christopher Columbus allegedly was making a fool of himself by claiming, contrary to public opinion, that the world was round. The God, who made it and sits on the circle of it, knows it is not square. Therefore, the term "the four corners of the earth" is but a biblical expression depicting north, south, east, and west - the four points of the compass. The four angels, standing at these four positions administering judgment, are commanded to relent so there might be a time of great revival as the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. Verses 2-3 say, "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 2

3 was given to hurt the earth and the sea. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." Revelation 13:17-18 gives us the details on the wicked getting their seal under the super-deceiver, the great imitator, the Antichrist. Here the genuine believers receive their seal from the angel of God. Notice carefully as we come to verse 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." Now, our assignment in this study is to locate the identity of these 144,000. Who are they? What is their message? Are they presently living on the earth? There are three basic things that I would like for us to see about the 144,000 as we move into the answering of those questions. Number one, I want you to notice how God protects them. There is a miraculous, a supernatural protection of God of these individuals. First of all, He protects them by earthly restraints, as seen in verse 1, "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." It is as if the elements of the earth are standing ready to wreck havoc on the earth at the command of God. So God basically tells these angelic beings to keep these elements restrained until these 144,000 can be sealed. Secondly, He protects them by heavenly resources, as seen in verse 2, "Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." That heavenly resource is the seal of God! The word "seal" is very important for us, because it forms the basis of our own salvation, as seen in Ephesians 1:11-14, "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ; in whom you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also after you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." In other words, there came a time in your life when you heard the Gospel. There came a time when you heard the Word of salvation. Now I don t know when that time was, you know when it was, and the Lord knows. Maybe you attended a church service, and you heard some preacher tell about how a Savior left His home in Glory; about how He came down to this world and lived a perfect 3

4 life; about how they took Him to a cross and there He shed His blood; about how the Son of God died on that cross; how they took Him down from the cross and put Him in a tomb, and for three days and three nights there was mourning in heaven, and for three days and three nights it seemed as if Satan had won the day; and about how on that third day God did a miracle in the grave yard; how on that third day God reached into death and claimed His own Son, the Lord Jesus; about how on that third day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. And upon hearing that story, God the Holy Spirit pricked your heart, and something on the inside of you said, "That is true, that is exactly what God did for me." And you asked Jesus Christ to come into your heart, and forgive you of your sins, and make you a Christian, and you received Him as your personal Savior. Glory to God! The Bible is simply telling us that on receiving Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit. That is the same word - "seal" - that we find right here in the book of Revelation. It is a marking, a permanent identification, a transaction completed; it is God supernaturally protecting His own. It was true in the days of Noah. You remember, God protected Noah during that day. The judgment of the flood was going to come upon this earth, and yet, God marked out an Ark, God said to Noah, "Go into that Ark and you will be supernaturally preserved." It was true in the days of Abraham. God gave Abraham an outward mark in the flesh (circumcision) that designated God's supernatural protection of him. So, Holy God protects these 144,000. Number two; I want you to see whom these 144,000 are. The answer is simple and biblical, as seen in verses 4 through 8, "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. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Asher were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Naphtali were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand. 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. Of the tribe of Zebulun were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand." Who are these people? This group cannot be the Church, for the Church is already in heaven. Also, the Church is not Jewish, but is composed of all races, people, and tongues. 4

5 This group does not picture the Seventh Day Adventists or the Jehovah's Witnesses. Both claim this in their theological writings. The Seventh Day Adventists say that the 144,000 are not Englishmen or Americans either, as the advocates of British Israelism (the World Wide Church of God) teach. They make the Israelites forerunners of the Anglo- Saxons. What is so sad about those unbiblical teachings is that people are foolish enough to believe such trash. These 144,000 are Jews from the twelve tribes of Israel with Jewish names. Do the names Juda, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Manasseh, Levi, Joseph and Benjamin sound British? Had they been named Heathcliff, Sir Winston, or Sherlock Holmes you might have had reason to propose such nonsense. Under the circumstances, however, you had better allow Jews with Jewish names to head up Jewish tribes in a Jewish nation - Israel. Today the Jews are not certain of their tribal heritage. However, the omniscient, all-knowing God will untangle this condition at the appointed time. Actually, no one today really knows what his stock is. As a result of migrations, most people are a hodge-podge of differing nationalities. Perhaps it is best not to know or trace one's ancestry. We might be embarrassed to discover our roots! One might learn that he is a descendant of Attila the Hun! Persons planning to study their family tree should be very careful. They might find some of their relatives hanging by the neck, while the evolutionists find theirs hanging by their tails. The 144,000 Jewish evangelists are anointed by the Holy Spirit. Joel 2:28-29 describes the situation as these Spirit-filled preachers proclaim the gospel of the kingdom, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit." Let me stop right here for just a moment, because there is a great deal of confusion concerning the presence of the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation period. This has resulted from a faulty understanding and interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 2:7 that says, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now hindereth will continue to hinder until he be taken out of the way." The picture being painted here is the rise of the Antichrist, as seen in 2 Thessalonians 2:6, "And now you know what restraineth that he might be revealed in his time." Then verse 7 makes it clear that the "hinderer" - the Holy Spirit - continues to hinder the Antichrist's rise until He - the Holy Spirit - is taken out of the way. 5

6 This is another reason millions believe in the pre-tribulation Rapture. Why? The "Hinderer" - the Holy Spirit - lives in the hearts of His people, as seen in Romans 8:9, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." 1 Corinthians 3:16 reminds us, "Know ye not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" And we have this promise in Hebrews 13:5, "For he said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Because of this truth, God's Spirit cannot be taken unless those in whom He lives are taken. Hallelujah! Now, listen carefully, the Spirit's removal here is speaking only of His restraining power. Remember, the Holy Spirit is God, the third member of the Trinity. As God, He is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere at all times). Therefore, the Holy Spirit cannot be totally removed from the earth because He is God, and is in all places at all times. David put it this way in Psalm 139:7-10, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. Since the Holy Spirit is everywhere at all times, only His restraining influence over sin is removed during the Tribulation period. The Bible tells us in Matthew 5:13-16 that Christians are "the salt of the earth" and lights in this present world. Now, get this, the evacuation of Christians (in the Rapture), in whose hearts the Holy Spirit lives, is the way - the only way - His restraining influence on sin is removed, ridding the world of salt and light. Christians are God's preservative forces, as well as the dispellers of darkness. Imagine what happens when the Spirit's restraining power (the Church) is removed via the Rapture. Quite literally, all hell will break loose upon earth. Still, even during this time, His continuing personal presence on earth produces one of the greatest revivals in the history of mankind. The message of the 144,000 centers on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the emphasis of the Old Testament preachers, as seen in Acts 10:43, "To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins. In addition to preaching the message of the shed blood of Jesus, the 144,000 proclaim the advent of the King, as seen in Matthew 24:14, "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." Remember, the message of the Jews is the "gospel of the kingdom." In order to understand the complete message of the gospel of the kingdom, one must study the life of John the Baptist. John's message was: (1) Repentance, as seen in Matthew 3:2, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at 6

7 hand;" and (2) the blood, as seen in John 1:29, "He said, behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world." The message of repentance and the blood was to prepare the hearts of the people for the third part of His message, the coming of the King. Although Christ was rejected in the days of John the Baptist, He will be accepted when the 144,000 Jews preach the identical message. So, under the preaching of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists a worldwide revival takes place. The reason for the sealing of the 144,000 is obvious. During the Tribulation period, there will be a time of terrible turmoil on this earth. Here is a world that has rejected Christ; the Church of the Lord has been raptured away. The born-again believers, who have received Christ in this age of grace, have been caught up to be with the Lord. Therefore, during the Tribulation Period on the earth there is terrible slaughter and terrible murder. There is a ruler who is occupying the throne of the dominion of the earth during this time. He is the Antichrist; he is the devil's imitation of Christ. And this ruler is going to dominate, in the world, and he is going to rule with an iron hand. Of all the vicious rulers, there has never been such murder, or such blood shed, as will take place on this earth as during this time of Great Tribulation. During that Great Tribulation when an individual commits his heart to Jesus Christ as Messiah, he immediately rejects the Antichrist. Therefore, most of the people who are saved during this time will be killed immediately. But these 144,000 will be preserved from all the forces of evil operating during this Tribulation period. I tell you, when I read and study the prophetic plan of God I get so happy, and so excited, that I am determined now more than ever to be faithful to God's calling on my life. Aren t you? 7