Revelation 7:1-8 “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. 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, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed a hundred and forty and four thousand (144,000) of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben 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 Zebulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand"
Who are the 144, 000, the bible suggest that before the world is plunged into the plagues and disasters ushered in by the sixth seal judgment at the end of the first quarter of the Tribulation, God will raise up an army of 144,000 Jewish evangelists to spread across the globe and bring in a soul harvest of unimaginable proportions. Each of these “servants” of God will receive a “seal” on his forehead. While we don’t know exactly what this seal will be, the text seems to suggest it will be visible, (at least to Christians). Whatever the seal is, it affords these 144,000 Jewish witnesses “of all the tribes of the children of Israel”, some kind of supernatural protection. At least until the great soul harvest (of Rev. 7:9), can be accomplished. Revelation, Chapter 7, is a parenthesis in the chronology of the book of Revelation, which shows God’s program of grace and salvation during the period of judgment. Understand this my friends, first and foremost, the 144,000 that are sealed are not part of any denomination or sect in existence today.
The winds depict God’s judgment of the earth, and the four angels are restraining agents who hold back the judgment until God’s special servants can be sealed. This answers the question posed at the end of chapter 6. Two distinct groups will survive the divine fury:
(1) 144,000 Jewish evangelists on earth (verses 1-8); and
(2) Their converts in heaven (verses 9-17).
Revelation 7:2 “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, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."
The angel sent from God will probably be an archangel (Michael or Gabriel or some other). This angel is entrusted with the job of taking a signet and putting God’s mark upon the group that God will protect in the midst of the coming wrath of God. Even though this group will be on the earth during this terrible wrath that shall fall on the inhabitants of the earth, they will be protected, for they are sealed with God’s name on their forehead in full view. God has said over and over throughout the Bible that there has been a remnant of Jews who have not bowed their knee to false gods. At one point in the Old Testament, He said that the number then was 7000. We read (in the 11th chapter of Romans), that God told Elijah that there were 7000 who had not bowed (worshipped a falsely) the knee to Baal.
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