SEALED BEFORE THE STORM
The opening verses of Revelation 7 provide a pause between the sixth and seventh seals. The question at the end of chapter 6 is, “Who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:17).
Before the next judgments unfold, God answers that question by showing that He knows and preserves His people. Revelation 7 is not first about wrath. It is about assurance. Before the winds blow, God marks His servants as His own.
John sees four angels holding back the four winds of the earth so that no harm comes to the land, sea, or trees (Revelation 7:1).
Another angel appears with the seal of the living God and commands that the earth not be harmed until God’s servants are sealed on their foreheads (Revelation 7:2-3).
Judgment does not move ahead until God permits it. He rules over the nations (Psalm 22:28). His throne is established in heaven and His kingdom rules over all (Psalm 103:19). Nebuchadnezzar learned that no one can restrain God’s hand or question His purposes (Daniel 4:35).
Even in judgment, God remains in complete control.
The seal identifies those who belong to God. In Ezekiel’s vision, a mark was placed upon the faithful before judgment came upon Jerusalem (Ezekiel 9:4-6). During the Passover, God distinguished His people by the blood upon their houses (Exodus 12:13).
In the same way, the servants in Revelation are marked as God’s own. The Lord knows those who are His (2 Timothy 2:19). Jesus said, “I know My sheep” (John 10:14), and again, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them” (John 10:27).
Those who belong to Christ are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). God does not forget His people in times of trouble.
John then hears the number of those who are sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand from the tribes of Israel (Revelation 7:4-8). The number signifies completeness and fullness. God knows every one of His people. Not one servant is overlooked.
Jesus promised that He would lose none of those given to Him by the Father (John 6:39). Paul taught the faithful that God has always preserved a remnant according to grace (Romans 11:5). Their names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20), and they are engraved upon His hands (Isaiah 49:16).
For the first readers, this vision brought comfort. Difficult days were coming. Jesus had foretold great tribulation surrounding the fall of Jerusalem and promised deliverance for His elect (Matthew 24:21-22).
Before those events unfolded, God assured His faithful people that they belonged to Him. He would not confuse the righteous with the wicked.
The same truth comforts Christians today. Nations rise and fall. Trials come and go. Yet Christ still knows His sheep. Before the storm begins, He knows His people. While the storm rages, He remains with them. When the storm has passed, He will bring them safely home (Romans 8:38-39).
BDD
