Shalom and Blessings;
In light of everything that is taking place in the world today: The Coronavirus plague, which is wreaking havoc throughout the word, the instability of governments and the uncertainty of what the future might hold, I would like this week to do a teaching on Revelation chapter 7.
1) After these things (that is the complete destruction of everything on earth) I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2) Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3) saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."
According to these verses, before final cataclysmic judgments come upon the earth, God prepares a group of faithful servants who will bare His seal on their foreheads, and as we will see they are all Jews.
4) And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand, of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:
Scripture then goes on to list the tribes from which those sealed will come, but as we see the list omits one tribe, the tribe of Dan. Most likely this tribe is omitted from God's list, because it was in the territory of the tribe of Dan that King Jeroboam erected the Golden Caves for Israel (the Northern Kingdom), to worship. I say most likely because the actual reason is really not known. Twelve thousand are chosen out of twelve tribes.
9) After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10) and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
Verses 4 and 9 are joined as one in chapter 7 as cause-and-effect verses; the cause, the one hundred and forty-four thousand; the effect, multitudes of saved standing before the throne of God. These saved are people from all over the world that come to salvation because of the efforts of the one hundred and forty-four thousand Jewish Believers.
In Matthew 20:16 Yeshua said that the last will be first and the first, last. I am convinced that this passage applies to Israel. The Jews were the first (to them was given the oracles of God) and by their rejection of Yeshua they became the last; but then we are told that the last will be first. What I believe this is saying is that the Jews who became last, at the end of the age will become first as they conclude the task of world evangelism. One hundred and forty-four thousand zealous, young Jewish boys will be turned loose on the world so as to bring in God's final harvest. Now we come to Revelation 14:
1) Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads.
This is the seal that we were told about in chapter 7. The seal is the name of the Father. The anti-Christ also places a seal on the forehead of those that belong to him. So, when the end of the age comes there will be one or the other seal on every human being on earth and it may not necessarily be a visible seal.
2) And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3) They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. (They had their own song). 4) These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes (what a testimony). These were redeemed from among men, being first fruits to God and to the Lamb.
I believe that these young Jewish men are between the ages of 16-17, all boys set aside by God for this specific purpose.
5) And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.
What a glorious picture. In the midst of all the turmoil taking place on earth at the end of the age; the persecution, the suffering, the death, God has those that are His busy at work evangelizing. Brothers and sisters, if you do not have a vision of the throne room of God and its power and His complete control over the affairs of the earth, I think you will be very fearful, disheartened and discouraged by what lies ahead for the world we live in. However, the One who was in the midst of the 7 candlesticks (Yeshua), is also in the midst of heaven. He is totally faithful and when He rides out of heaven on His white horse (Rev 19), His name is Faithful and True, we can trust Him we can put our confidence in Him.
Hi Ellen here…Wow, quite the teaching written above. I am truly blessed and excited because I have a vision of the throne room of God.
My message for us in this publication is as exciting but not as deep. We need to prioritize our time so as to come closer to our Lord. Many of us work so I know it is difficult to do all we need to do and then set aside time to pray and study. I am not as successful as I would like to be, but it takes practice…we need to set aside time with God every day, Jeremiah 29.13. I have found that even when getting ready for the office or cooking a meal or doing laundry we can listen to a sermonette from a preacher or even load up on Messianic music full of Scripture. Keep Yeshua the center of your life, Hebrews 12.1-2, make a list of the things that you need to change or get rid of…you will be surprised to see some of the needless things that occupy our time, myself included. Remember Whose you are, 1Corinthians 6.19-20. Do not despise small beginnings… Luke 16.10…you do not have to do this all at once, start small! Finally, surround yourself with like-minded friends, Proverbs 27.17. We are in the world but we are not of the world…love you all!
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Yours in Messiah Yeshua; our Lord, our God, our soon coming King;
Rabbi Jack & Ellen
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