Revelation 6-18
This is our fifth week in this series and third week covering the middle chapters of Revelation where the conflict is at its height. This week we will see that God will protect His people from His wrath.
Before God unleashes His wrath He sends an angel to put a seal on the foreheads of those who are His servants (Revelation 7:1-4, 9-10, 13-14). … The angels are about to release more of God’s wrath but they pause for a moment so that the servants of God may receive a mark, separating them from the followers of the Antichrist. … Let’s look back to Exodus for a moment. When God sent the plagues, the people of Israel were unaffected, then on the last plague, they were required to put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts for protection. This appears to be a similar thing.
This is a seal of ownership and protection like that in Ezekiel 9:4 and like the sealing of all believers with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14). … We don’t know what the seal will be or even if it will be visible.
The 144,000 mentioned in chapter seven has many interpretations. It might be literal. It may represent all believers. It may be just a group of believers from Israel, 12,000 from each tribe. … Regardless, it appears there will be a group of believers who will receive a special mark.
Three audiences:
First Century Christians: The people who were reading this when it was written would be warned that they would have to suffer persecution, and they did suffer bad persecution.
Christians of all Ages: Even today Christians face some persecution. Depending on where you live in the world, it will be to different extents.
The Last Generation: Christians in the end times will face great persecution.
This seal is related to the name of God, and it contrasts to those who are marked with the name of the beast (Revelation 14:1, 9-11). … God will essentially put His name on those who are sealed. It is a mark of ownership and protection.
Those Who Worship the Beast | Those Who Follow Jesus |
Marked with the Name of the Beast | Sealed with the Name of the Father |
Protected from Persecution | Exposed to Persecution |
Exposed to God’s Wrath | Protected form God’s Wrath |
Exposed to Suffering from the Curse of Sin | |
Christians and non-Christians alike get the flu. We all suffer due to the curse of sin in this fallen world.
Without the mark of the beast, we will be persecuted on Earth, but with the seal of God, we will be protected from God’s wrath, which is a better deal.