REVELATION CHAPTER 7: SEALED BY CHRIST FOR THOSE IN HIM

> Read Revelation Chapter 7 <

STUDY NOTES:

• Verses 1-2:  The mark is clearly those who are exempt from later judgements.  God is always mindful of those who are His own. 

• Verse 3:  No harm comes until the sealing of the servants of God happens.  This means either God’s people are present at the place of war and must first be removed from the land or in some way spiritually (or another way) provided for and are safe.

• Verses 4-10: ‘Sealing’ means they are the Church, and they are the first fruits of the Gospel.  Many see Jewish people as grafted into the Church which is not correct. This is the first harvest, and they are being sealed.  The language we see of Jewish Israel is the first of Christ church.

POINT OF INTEREST: The “first fruits” correspond to Jesus’ prophecy that the Gospel would go out to the nations (see Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:27, 24:31) and that He would send out His angels.  “Angels” means His “messengers of the good news” that gather His elect.  This is what is translated “angel.”  This is also referred to in Isaiah 66:18-21 and in Joel 2:30-32.  There are survivors/remnant among those who He calls.  They are depicted here symbolically as 144,000.  See also James 1:18 (and Revelation 14:4) where we see a great multitude in the Kingdom of God thereafter. Jews first… then the rest of humanity.

• Verses 11-13: Those who come out of the great tribulation seem to be those that came to salvation under the Name of the Lamb (Jesus).  There does not seem to be any reference to a particular time in history because it says, “all those.”  However, it does seem that the “first fruits” are linked to the first generation of Christians.

• Harm comes to those who are not sealed as a group…harm is now allowed.  God gives every opportunity for people to take His Name and then He brings judgement.  In these verses we should note the angel speaking and controlling it.  We also see the “morning star” (rising sun) is mentioned which here is referring to Jesus.

NOTE: Blood always stains, but not this blood, it purifies.

COMMENTS TO HELP YOU STUDY:

We are seeing God’s covenants fulfilled and the sealing and care for His own who have their faith in Him.  We also see the sealing of the tribes of Israel before judgement comes.  The whole picture is at the same time immediate and far reaching (which is the nature of the whole book).  It starts with 4 winds and the effect on the earth.  We see a completion of the Church as Jews are brought into the Kingdom because of their faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

The multitude… where do they come from?  The Angel states they come out of the Great Tribulation and are all those with faith in the God of Israel.  The multitude is also from all peoples.  Salvation is extended to all who have faith in Jesus Christ which in this vision is the extension of salvation to the 144,000 (primarily Jewish believers). Salvation comes to Israel (through Christ) and also to others (through Christ).  The harvest is extremely important. 

The sealing by God shows that there are limits for destruction.  God is in complete control and there is nothing that happens outside His vision or outside His hand.  The ‘Name’ is very important.  The 144,000 and the multitude are sealed by the Name of God because the Gospel is still going out. 

TMB & BMD