Continuing our study of Revelation 7 and exploring the identity of the 144,000.
Revelation 7:2 ‘Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God.’
We saw yesterday that the 144,000 of all the tribes of Israel are just that: 144,000 of all the tribes of Israel!
But what is the living seal that the angel from the East is bringing?
This living seal is described in Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 9:3 ‘Now the glory of God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”
In this extreme account, God is bringing judgement upon Israel who have practiced detestable things but yet He mercifully orders a seal of protection to be placed upon the foreheads of those who are genuinely repentant and who hate these evil practices.
This has a sort-of echo of the placing of blood on the door-post of the Israelites during the Exodus. It also looks forward to the evil parody of the end-time mark of the beast in Revelation 13:16.
God is about to release the trumpet judgements upon the earth and the purpose of the seal on the forehead of the 144,000 is to protect them through this ordeal. And His faithful protection works because we read of the 144,000 in Revelation 14 doing remarkably well!
Revelation 14:1 ‘Then I looked and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.’
God is faithful to His beloved children!
The seal can also refer to the seal of Ephesians 1:13a which we will explore further tomorrow.
My previous posts:
- Revelation 22:20 Our cherished hope
There will be a unity of heart when everyone calls out for his glorious return. There will be a spirit of grace upon God’s people that will bring us all together in unity and brotherhood. - Revelation 22:16 God’s Word
No-one has a monopoly on the truths of this magnificent book, and we will all have our struggles and misunderstandings on our journey, but God is demanding that we treat Revelation with the utmost respect that it deserves. The truths that were sealed in Daniel’s time will be opened up according to God’s direction. This will need purified and refined souls to understand and teach, in the midst of immense confusion and mistruths. Please pray for those who are called to understand and teach. - Revelation 22:11 In or Out…
Even at this late stage, a reference to the polarity of mankind, between the righteous and the unrighteous. One thinks of Noah’s Ark, and the obedient who were safe inside and those who chose to ignore Noah’s call for righteousness and stayed outside. - Revelation 22:7 The time is near indeed
Having taken us to the very highest of heights, surveying the Holy City that is beautiful beyond words, John brings us back to our ordinary lives, waiting with a cherished expectation for our Lord to return and keeping the words of this prophecy, with all its encouragements, admonishments and warnings. - Revelation 22:3 No longer any curse
Peter praised his contemporaries for their faith in Christ Jesus although they had never met him in real life and had only heard of him through Peter. Imagine though, what it will feel like, approaching the throne and gazing into the eyes of the Divine, to reach out and touch the very hem of his garment. It will be beyond belief…
Revelation 34 