The Seals and the Sealed - Revelation 6:12-7:8
Posted by Calvary Chapel Fremont at 11/21/2010 1:14 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Seals Revelation
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Seals Revelation
Pastor Tim Brown, Calvary Chapel Fremont, Sunday November 21, 2010
The Seals and the Sealed
Revelation 6:12 – 7:8
THE WRATH OF THE LAMB 12-17 6th Seal
The Bible employs figurative language to describe actual events; so do we. All hell broke loose/Climbing ladder of success/Running rat race/Fell off wagon
Figurative language describes real events – these are either real astronomical events or sun/moon/stars point to earthly authorities.
Men acknowledge God but won’t repent – why is this? Pride? Hopelessness – took mark of the beast? this isn’t just true of men in GT, it’s true today. Romans 1:18-23. God is making Himself known (conscience/creation) and He is being rejected for the same two reasons.
Pride: “If I acknowledge the reality of God, I will be accountable and the last thing I want 2b is accountable. I haven’t acknowledged Him yet and I won’t now.” Christopher Hitchens is dying of cancer and he said that if we ever hear him cry out to God it’s because the cancer has gone to his brain and has made him mad.
Hopelessness: “I want to acknowledge God, but you don’t know what I’ve done.”
Sincere doubt – should result in a sincere search
God’s wrath is mentioned in Romans 1:18/released in full force in Rev. 6 /for the same reason: men are hiding from God in creation. People turn from their Creator to the creation. In Rev. 6 they’re praying to creation. Today, many hide from God in creation – evolution: science has determined that creation doesn’t need a Creator/ philosophy: reason has determined that man doesn’t need a God. Many use creation as a cover to hide under. We’ve seen this b4 -
They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Gen. 3:8
In the 1st/last books of Bible, people are hiding from God. In Gen. - “He’s coming – hide!” In Rev. - “He’s here – hide!”
Men acknowledge God but won’t repent - “Hide us from his face.”
* Kings w/ authority - great men w/ reputation - commanders w/ power - rich w/ money - strong w/ personal resourcefulness - slave w/ master - free w/ liberty
o Money, power, possessions, position won’t protect you in the final days.
Can‘t hide - pile up your money/multiply philosophical reasonings/ sit on your thrones/march your armies – won’t deliver you.
These are your neighbors and nephews nieces – pray for them
The Bible indicates that you cannot hide from God, but you can hide in Him. Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings Ps. 17:8
RU hiding from God/repressing knowledge of God? Follow the testimony of your conscience/creation/Spirit – come to Christ/hide.
Last verse of C6 asks: Who is able to stand? C7 answers this/brings to our attention two groups of people who are able to stand: the 144,000 Jews sealed in the GT/the innumerable company saved out of the GT. 1st, we see the 144,000 Jews that are sealed – 7:1-8
You will not understand the book of Revelation until you understand God’s promises to Israel. Jeremiah 31:35-37; 33:19-26 Prophecies of the continuance of the nation of Israel through time/failure/defeat.
Sylvester Stallone had five ROCKY movies - Apollo Creed/Clubber Lange/Russian/young upstart. All were disposed of and Rocky is still standing. After 10,000 better equipped opponents/horrific defeats/national sin, Israel is still standing in the ring of history. Why? Because of the faithfulness of God to His covenant in spite of failure of Israel.
I have often been comforted by the failure of Israel! I have a pastor friend who has been discouraged because there are some who are falling asleep during his sermons. He went to a pastor’s conference and there were pastors falling asleep while some of the best known names in the movement were preaching. He felt better after that!
And here, in 95 AD, John takes up the same theme: God will fulfill His Word to the Jewish people. This is a common theme running the length/breadth of Scripture from Genesis 2 Revelation. The Jewish people are the showcase for the faithfulness of God. The Jews were not chosen because they were special, but to show that God is special!! Why has God saved you – ru special? No, He is!
This is literal Israel - NATURALLY BORN JEWS
144,000 are not:
* JWs – they take the #144,000 literally/dismiss tribes as figurative
* Worldwide Church of God - Herbert Armstrong was declaring that they were building up to 144,000 and that they were preparing a place in the wilderness for these people to flee and he would send them a telegram when that time came if they were faithful supporters in double/triple tithing to his ministry.
* Church – church is not spiritual Israel/not divided into tribes/we are not promised the land of Israel – these pertain to nat’l Israel.
This is spiritual Israel – SPIRITUALLY BORN JEWS
* Rev. 14:1-4 Born-again and then marked. We’ve seen this b4 -
* The LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst. Eze. 9:4
* The mark in Eze. 9 is literally TAV – last letter of Hebrew alphabet. Ancient form of TAV was x - used as a signature/thought of as cross in early church (twot 2496). Contrast to mark of the beast/ sign of the lamb. Mark of beast/mark of Best.
* Could it be that God is preparing these men even now?
According to Paul, you’ve been sealed, too.
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30
The Lord has left His signature on your soul – this one is Mine!
Why sealed?
* To protect them – from wrath of God
* Rev. 9:1-4
* No doubt, many will try to reproduce on themselves the mark identifying the 144,000, hoping to find protection from the wrath of God. But it will as futile then to fool God as it is now. God knows if the mark is genuine as he knows now the posture of your heart., Marking your forehead then won’t keep you safe, but yielding your life to Christ now will.
* Why take mark of the beast when you can have the mark of the Best? Why take the mark of the beast who would quickly shed your blood when you can have the mark of the Lamb who shed His blood for you?
* To guide them - 14:4 Follow the Lamb
You can’t be part of the 144,000, but you can be part of the Body of Christ – which has much in common w/ the 144,000.
* Like the 144,00 you were born dead in your sins
* Like the 144,000 you’ve been born again/sealed – Eph. 4:30
You can try and hide in the creation (C6) or you can hide in your Creator (c7).
Dan is omitted (Ephraim is included in Joseph)
* Dan was the first tribe to go into idolatry. In Jacob's dying speech to his sons, it is said: Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward. Gen 49:17
* Ezekiel – Dan is 1st tribe to receive inheritance though not sealed in Revelation. They will survive but not without suffering from many of the afflictions that will come upon the world during this period of great tribulation.
* Judgment & mercy. Some of you are suffering for your sins.
* You have deliberately/stubbornly sinned against the will of God – and you are paying the price for rebellion. Is. 64:7 – delivered into the power of your iniquities. Lay hold of God!
* But another price has been paid for you. If you repent, you will find your name on God’s list as Dan found his name on God’s list.
Dr. C. Fred Lincoln has written this concise summary: “All of Israel’s covenants are called eternal except the Mosaic covenant which is declared to be temporal, i.e., it was to continue only until the coming of the Promised Seed. For this detail see as follows: (1) The Abrahamic Covenant is called ‘eternal’ in Genesis 17:7, 13, 19; 1 Chronicles 16:17; Psalm 105:10; (2) The Palestinian Covenant is called ‘eternal’ in Ezekiel 16:60; (3) The Davidic Covenant is called ‘eternal’ in 2 Samuel 23:5; Isaiah 55:3; and Ezekiel 37:25; and (4) The New Covenant is called ‘eternal’ in Isaiah 24:5; 61:8; Jeremiah 32:40; 50:5 and Hebrews 13:20.” 1
Paul Bunyan's Winter Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before.
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The Seals and the Sealed
Revelation 6:12 – 7:8
THE WRATH OF THE LAMB 12-17 6th Seal
The Bible employs figurative language to describe actual events; so do we. All hell broke loose/Climbing ladder of success/Running rat race/Fell off wagon
Figurative language describes real events – these are either real astronomical events or sun/moon/stars point to earthly authorities.
Men acknowledge God but won’t repent – why is this? Pride? Hopelessness – took mark of the beast? this isn’t just true of men in GT, it’s true today. Romans 1:18-23. God is making Himself known (conscience/creation) and He is being rejected for the same two reasons.
Pride: “If I acknowledge the reality of God, I will be accountable and the last thing I want 2b is accountable. I haven’t acknowledged Him yet and I won’t now.” Christopher Hitchens is dying of cancer and he said that if we ever hear him cry out to God it’s because the cancer has gone to his brain and has made him mad.
Hopelessness: “I want to acknowledge God, but you don’t know what I’ve done.”
Sincere doubt – should result in a sincere search
God’s wrath is mentioned in Romans 1:18/released in full force in Rev. 6 /for the same reason: men are hiding from God in creation. People turn from their Creator to the creation. In Rev. 6 they’re praying to creation. Today, many hide from God in creation – evolution: science has determined that creation doesn’t need a Creator/ philosophy: reason has determined that man doesn’t need a God. Many use creation as a cover to hide under. We’ve seen this b4 -
They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Gen. 3:8
In the 1st/last books of Bible, people are hiding from God. In Gen. - “He’s coming – hide!” In Rev. - “He’s here – hide!”
Men acknowledge God but won’t repent - “Hide us from his face.”
* Kings w/ authority - great men w/ reputation - commanders w/ power - rich w/ money - strong w/ personal resourcefulness - slave w/ master - free w/ liberty
o Money, power, possessions, position won’t protect you in the final days.
Can‘t hide - pile up your money/multiply philosophical reasonings/ sit on your thrones/march your armies – won’t deliver you.
These are your neighbors and nephews nieces – pray for them
The Bible indicates that you cannot hide from God, but you can hide in Him. Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings Ps. 17:8
RU hiding from God/repressing knowledge of God? Follow the testimony of your conscience/creation/Spirit – come to Christ/hide.
Last verse of C6 asks: Who is able to stand? C7 answers this/brings to our attention two groups of people who are able to stand: the 144,000 Jews sealed in the GT/the innumerable company saved out of the GT. 1st, we see the 144,000 Jews that are sealed – 7:1-8
You will not understand the book of Revelation until you understand God’s promises to Israel. Jeremiah 31:35-37; 33:19-26 Prophecies of the continuance of the nation of Israel through time/failure/defeat.
Sylvester Stallone had five ROCKY movies - Apollo Creed/Clubber Lange/Russian/young upstart. All were disposed of and Rocky is still standing. After 10,000 better equipped opponents/horrific defeats/national sin, Israel is still standing in the ring of history. Why? Because of the faithfulness of God to His covenant in spite of failure of Israel.
I have often been comforted by the failure of Israel! I have a pastor friend who has been discouraged because there are some who are falling asleep during his sermons. He went to a pastor’s conference and there were pastors falling asleep while some of the best known names in the movement were preaching. He felt better after that!
And here, in 95 AD, John takes up the same theme: God will fulfill His Word to the Jewish people. This is a common theme running the length/breadth of Scripture from Genesis 2 Revelation. The Jewish people are the showcase for the faithfulness of God. The Jews were not chosen because they were special, but to show that God is special!! Why has God saved you – ru special? No, He is!
This is literal Israel - NATURALLY BORN JEWS
144,000 are not:
* JWs – they take the #144,000 literally/dismiss tribes as figurative
* Worldwide Church of God - Herbert Armstrong was declaring that they were building up to 144,000 and that they were preparing a place in the wilderness for these people to flee and he would send them a telegram when that time came if they were faithful supporters in double/triple tithing to his ministry.
* Church – church is not spiritual Israel/not divided into tribes/we are not promised the land of Israel – these pertain to nat’l Israel.
This is spiritual Israel – SPIRITUALLY BORN JEWS
* Rev. 14:1-4 Born-again and then marked. We’ve seen this b4 -
* The LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst. Eze. 9:4
* The mark in Eze. 9 is literally TAV – last letter of Hebrew alphabet. Ancient form of TAV was x - used as a signature/thought of as cross in early church (twot 2496). Contrast to mark of the beast/ sign of the lamb. Mark of beast/mark of Best.
* Could it be that God is preparing these men even now?
According to Paul, you’ve been sealed, too.
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30
The Lord has left His signature on your soul – this one is Mine!
Why sealed?
* To protect them – from wrath of God
* Rev. 9:1-4
* No doubt, many will try to reproduce on themselves the mark identifying the 144,000, hoping to find protection from the wrath of God. But it will as futile then to fool God as it is now. God knows if the mark is genuine as he knows now the posture of your heart., Marking your forehead then won’t keep you safe, but yielding your life to Christ now will.
* Why take mark of the beast when you can have the mark of the Best? Why take the mark of the beast who would quickly shed your blood when you can have the mark of the Lamb who shed His blood for you?
* To guide them - 14:4 Follow the Lamb
You can’t be part of the 144,000, but you can be part of the Body of Christ – which has much in common w/ the 144,000.
* Like the 144,00 you were born dead in your sins
* Like the 144,000 you’ve been born again/sealed – Eph. 4:30
You can try and hide in the creation (C6) or you can hide in your Creator (c7).
Dan is omitted (Ephraim is included in Joseph)
* Dan was the first tribe to go into idolatry. In Jacob's dying speech to his sons, it is said: Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward. Gen 49:17
* Ezekiel – Dan is 1st tribe to receive inheritance though not sealed in Revelation. They will survive but not without suffering from many of the afflictions that will come upon the world during this period of great tribulation.
* Judgment & mercy. Some of you are suffering for your sins.
* You have deliberately/stubbornly sinned against the will of God – and you are paying the price for rebellion. Is. 64:7 – delivered into the power of your iniquities. Lay hold of God!
* But another price has been paid for you. If you repent, you will find your name on God’s list as Dan found his name on God’s list.
Dr. C. Fred Lincoln has written this concise summary: “All of Israel’s covenants are called eternal except the Mosaic covenant which is declared to be temporal, i.e., it was to continue only until the coming of the Promised Seed. For this detail see as follows: (1) The Abrahamic Covenant is called ‘eternal’ in Genesis 17:7, 13, 19; 1 Chronicles 16:17; Psalm 105:10; (2) The Palestinian Covenant is called ‘eternal’ in Ezekiel 16:60; (3) The Davidic Covenant is called ‘eternal’ in 2 Samuel 23:5; Isaiah 55:3; and Ezekiel 37:25; and (4) The New Covenant is called ‘eternal’ in Isaiah 24:5; 61:8; Jeremiah 32:40; 50:5 and Hebrews 13:20.” 1
Paul Bunyan's Winter Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before.
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