Bible End Times Prophecy – The Seal of God
Revelation, Chapter 7
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| Apocalypse image by Shutterstock. |
2 Timothy 2:19 (NIV)
– “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this
inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who
confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
Chapter 7 of Revelation (the
Apocalypse) refers three times to the “seal of God:”
Rev. 7:2 (NLT) – “And I saw another
angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And
he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea,
Rev. 7:3 (NLT) - “Wait!
Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of
God on the foreheads of his servants.”
Rev. 7:4 (NLT) – “ And
I heard how many were marked with the seal of God—144,000 were sealed
from all the tribes of Israel:”
We can find other such references in the New Testament:
“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food
that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him
God the Father has set his seal.” - John 6:27 (ESV). [Jesus has
the Father’s seal.]
13 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the
message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were
marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who
is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are
God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” – Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV).
“They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any
plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their
foreheads.” – Rev. 9:4 (NIV).
The Lord will save those who are His; they are
marked for Him
Comment: These passages inform us that God’s children bear a supernatural
mark or seal that sets them apart from those who reject the salvation that
Jesus Christ obtained for anyone who comes to Him with His suffering, crucifixion,
death, burial and resurrection. Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us that God’s own
Spirit marks us at the moment of salvation.
In Acts, Chapter 2 – The apostle Peter tells a crowd gathered at Jerusalem that
“Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Acts 2:38 (NLT)
Chapter 7:4-8 appears to highlight
the role of the Jewish nation in the End Times. Some Christian scholars believe
that the 144,000 believers mentioned here come from the Christian Church.
However, the passage clearly refers to Jewish people who accepted Jesus Christ
as the promised Messiah and who are to play a pivotal role during the Tribulation.
In fact, John the apostle and author of Revelation, lists the 12 tribes of
Israel that the 144,000 will come from and represent. Their role coincides with
the arrival of the two witnesses (Rev. 11:3-4) that the Lord will send
during the Tribulation, and who some believe could be Elijah and Enoch or
Elijah and Moses.
This strongly suggests that Christians may be absent from the earth by
then, raptured if you will, which explains the new emphasis in Revelation on
Israel and the Jewish people during the End Times.
The Christian Church as such is not mentioned again, not specifically, after Revelation Chapter 6. The “saints” (the generally non-Jewish or Gentile believers) reappear in Revelation, Chapter 19, with Jesus to defeat the armies of antichrist that will assemble to fight against the Lord.
The Christian Church as such is not mentioned again, not specifically, after Revelation Chapter 6. The “saints” (the generally non-Jewish or Gentile believers) reappear in Revelation, Chapter 19, with Jesus to defeat the armies of antichrist that will assemble to fight against the Lord.
Next: Another mark that we are warned to avoid,
the mark of the beast
Salvation and living as an overcomer
If you do not know Jesus Christ, the
Savior, then you must be born again
The sinless Jesus Christ took on the
sins of the world AND the punishment for those sins so that we could be saved.
Today, if you do not know Jesus,
receive His free offer of salvation and put all your trust in Him.
John 1:29 (NLT) – “The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus
coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin
of the world!”
2 Corinthians 6:2 –
“ For God says,
“At just the right time, I heard
you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”
Indeed, the “right time” is now.
Today is the day of salvation.”
Acts 2:38 (NLT) – “Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your
sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
Today, if you know Jesus, then you
too can lead a victorious life
John 15:4 “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch
cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful
unless you remain in me.”
1 John 2:16 (NIV) – “For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the
world.
1 John 2:16 (NLT) – “For the world offers only a craving for physical
pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and
possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”
Comment: A 2006 survey by the Pew Research Center indicated that 79
percent of Christians in the United States believed in the Second Coming of
Jesus Christ. That sounds like good news, but we must keep in mind the warning
in 2 Timothy 2:19 for those who profess to be Christian to “turn away
from wickedness.”
Link to Upper Room spontaneous worship music
video inspired by Revelation, Chapter 7 Open the Scroll
Shalom!
Diana Washington-Valdez
Faith Today Christian Ministries
Exalting the name of Jesus!
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