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Well, once again, good morning. Good morning. Please turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 7. I'll be looking at verses 1 through 8. Revelation chapter 7, verses 1 through 8. Let me read those. After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.

And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God. And he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads.

And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. From the tribe of Judah, 12,000 were sealed. From the tribe of Reuben, 12,000. From the tribe of Gad, 12,000. From the tribe of Asher, 12,000. From the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000.

From the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000. From the tribe of Simeon, 12,000. From the tribe of Levi, 12,000. From the twelve. Tribe of Issachar, 12,000. From the tribe of Zebulon, 12,000. From the tribe of Joseph, 12,000. And from the tribe of Benjamin, 12,000 were sealed. Well, it's very clear as you're working your way through Revelation that God wants people to worship Him.

There's a battle between worship. There's a worship disorder among humanity. And it is God's desire to be worshipped, not because He needs our worship, not because He's some egocentric maniac that has to stroke Himself. No, He is good. He is the perfection of good, and He knows that we need to worship Him for our good and for His glory.

The Christian life is about getting your worship in order. The worship disorder elevates our desires above His. And when you've got an earth filled with a bunch of people, each seeking His own way above God's, ultimately, that it leads to conflict, it leads to Coveting, it leads to war, conflict, wronging others, it leads to civil chaos.

And so, what God is going to do and is doing in the earth is he's bringing about true worship. That's what he's after, that's what he's seeking. And he has appointed a time for planet earth, for the inhabitants of planet earth, to confess, to bow, to confess, and to worship him as creator, the one who sits upon the throne, to worship him as redeemer, the lamb who was slain.

And this worship isn't just some external activity, it's something that is to be deeply within the hearts of every living creature. That is what he is doing. And the book of Revelation is telling us about these final chapters in human history where God brings this about. But know this morning, if you are here, what God wants from you: He wants your worship, not because He needs it, but because You need it.

That's what he's doing. He's drawing near through the preaching of his word and the proclamation and the singing of his word and the fellowship among his people. He is drawing near because he wants you to worship him. He wants to be supreme in your heart because it is the perfection of good for it to be that way.

So, know whoever you are here, that's what he's doing. And may today be the day that you open your hearts to him in a grand way like you never have before. He is seeking true worshipers. And our text this morning, remember, in response to the cosmic signs in chapter six, with the sixth seal, the sun becomes dark, black as sackcloth, the moon, like blood, stars begin to fall earthward, sky rolled up, and there is a cosmic sign.

There is an earthly terror among the great men, among the whole planet earth, people running. For cover. They're terrified because they know the day of God's wrath has come. Look at verse 16. And they said, they are hiding among the rocks and the caves. And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the presence of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.

For the great day of their wrath has come. And who is able to stand? It's a rhetorical question in their mind. Who is able to stand? They know that the day of the Lord, the great day of his wrath, has come. And they're asking the question, who is able to stand?

And the answer is, no one is able to stand. Rocks, please fall on us. But it is the question that leads us into chapter 7. Who can endure the day of the Lord? Well, the answer comes in our passage. There are those who are going to endure, who are sealed.

Let's just walk through this for a moment. Look at verse 1. After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.

So John sees these four angels. Let me just quickly reiterate where we've been. With the first seal, there's this white horse, dominion, global dominion, a red horse, then the second seal representing a global conflict or discord, discord on a very personal, profound, and vicious level. Then there is a global worldwide international depression depicted in the black horse, and then followed by that is the fourth seal, worldwide death on a scale never seen before, a quarter of the Earth's population.

And the fifth seal, you see this cry of the martyrs. And so it gives an indication that what's been happening in the second, third, and fourth seal, much of that is involving Christians suffering, suffering and being despised. And so part of that world conflict inevitably turns itself Christian word.

And so there are many martyrs. And they cry out, Lord, when? How much longer are you going to let this go on? They're told until a few more martyrs come in, or the complete number come in. And then when you open the sixth seal, or when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, we see these cosmic signs.

And it Is an indication that the day of the Lord has come and the world knows it. And then, so the next thing is to open the seventh seal. But instead of just opening the seventh seal, we'll get there in chapter eight. There is this interlude. And we're going to see two people groups in chapter seven before we open the seventh seal.

And they are preparing us for what's ahead. And so as John begins to look after this seal, the sixth seal is open and waiting for the seventh seal, he sees four angels. They're at the four corners or at the four points, the extremities of the four points on a compass.

They are there holding back. They have taken their stand holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow or would be blowing upon the earth, the sea, or any tree. Some see this as metaphor, the idea that they're holding back the winds, that it's a metaphor for destruction, may very well be.

I think it's simple just to take it as literal. They're holding back the winds of the earth. All of a sudden, there is, after this great event, this cosmic disturbance, there is a stillness that comes upon the earth, an eerie calm, kind of like the calm before a storm.

So the earth during this time will experience a strange and eerie calm right before the wrath starts to come forth as the seventh seal is opened. But right after seeing the four angels, John looks and he sees another angel of the same kind. So we're introduced to a whole other class of angels here, powerful angels, angels who can harm the earth, angels with great power who are part of God's judgment upon the earth.

He sees this other angel. Look at verse 2. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God. And he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their forehead.

So, notice where this angel comes from, or where he is. He is rising, or he is ascending with the rising of the sun. So, as the sun is coming up on this great, terrible day that is going to begin the wrath of God, you see this other angel.

John sees this other angel ascending, crying out to the other angels who are holding back the winds, about to unleash judgment upon the earth in the trumpets that will come. Notice he is ascending. He is crying out to them. But notice what he has in his possession: he has the seal of the living God.

He has the seal of the living God. He is holding something, an instrument that embosses that imprints, that marks. He has this instrument that is able to leave the impression, the identification, the signet of God upon the foreheads of the slaves of God. And he's saying, hold back.

Hold back until. Do not harm the earth. Do not harm anything until we have clearly marked the slaves of, notice, our God. Do you see a camaraderie there with these angels? They are the slaves of God. They are the slaves of our God. These angels have something in common with these bondservants.

They both are servants of Yahweh. And so, at the very outset, you see these mighty angels with all this destructive power. And yet, you also see them using it for redemptive purposes. They're using it. They're using their great power, their great restraint to benefit God's people. And so this morning, I want you to see who is sealed and why, so that we'll learn from them.

I want you to see who is sealed and why. First, we're going to look at those who are sealed, and then we'll look at why they. Are sealed. So, first, I just want to look at those who are sealed. Look back at verse 4. Evidently, the angels have proceeded with sealing the slaves of God.

And then, John hears something, verse 4. And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. They were sealed. I heard the number of the ones who were certified, who were marked, who were identified, who were provided with the seal, embossed, imprinted with the signet of the living God.

In this first verse, it tells us who they are. We can see it goes first, it tells us generally who they are, and then it tells us specifically who they are. Generally speaking, it tells us the number. The number of them are precisely given as 144,000. Now, that shouldn't be too hard for us to imagine since we have a Kyle Field.

How many does it seat exactly? Does anybody know? 100 and nobody knows. Come on, we got a bunch of aggression. You ought to know this, right? You don't know how many seats there are in Kyle Fields? Somebody ought to know. Know this? 144,000? No, 144,000! Let's get on with the sermon.

Well, yeah, 108, I don't know what the number is, but it's somewhere. I don't know either, so I. But it's a lot. It's over 100,000. Now, think for a moment: if every seat is filled, and now picture the infilled, and you can do the math, and you give a person about 18 inches each.

So that's not very much, but to stand about 18 inches and then just have everybody stand in the infill, you'll get about 40,000. So if you think about 144,000, think of Kyle Field, completely filled, complete, infill, and everything, and that's about the number. That's going to give you in the ballpark of how many is sealed.

And notice, but also that there is that their ethnic background is precisely given. Notice 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. These are offspring of Israel. Physical descendants. Physical descendants. Of one particular tribe of earth, Israel. And so, and just in case you missed it, then their ethnic ethnicity, their ethnic background is going to be given with even more precision.

Specifically speaking, generally, they're 144,000. Their ethnic background is from the tribes of Israel. And then, specifically, it gets very specific about which tribes. Look at verse 5: From the tribe of Judah, 12,000 were sealed. From the tribe of Reuben, 12,000. From the tribe of Gad, 12,000. From the tribe of Asher, 12,000.

From the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000. From the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000. From the tribe of Simeon, 12,000. From the tribe of Levi, 12,000. From the tribe of Issachar, 12,000. From the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000. From the tribe of Joseph, 12,000. From the tribe of Benjamin, 12,000 were sealed.

12,000 from each tribe within the tribe of Israel. Now, this has caused a number of people to question. Is this 144,000 pointing to somebody else? In other words, the thought is: well, the twelve, many of the tribes of Israel cannot be identified with such precision. Well, even if Israel has lost track of their tribes, God hasn't.

God hasn't forgotten any of the tribes, nor has God forgotten any of his promises to any of the tribes or to anybody else. Even if we cannot remember, he remembers. He remembers all of his promises. God is active to bring about his blessing upon all the tribes of the earth, including the tribes of Israel.

These 144,000 are individuals who will be sealed at this particular time in the future. Now, this doesn't mean that others are not protected or others are not sealed. It does not mean that others are not marked. It doesn't mean that others will not be marked in the future after this.

The prophecy is simply speaking about those who will be sealed at this juncture in time because God has a specific purpose for these 144,000. Slaves of God. I think it's important to understand who these sealed are not. First of all, this is not the church. This is not the church.

This is not a metaphor way of speaking about the church. The church is certainly far more than 144,000. Some might, some do, many do, say, well, 12 is the number of complete. 12 times 12. At 1,000, you've got a statement of completeness. No. There is a distinction in chapter 7 between two groups.

One is 144,000, the other is innumerable, the great multitude which no one can count. And these are two different groups in chapter 7. Another reason why it's clearly not the church is the church does not have 12 divisions. That would be a whole new concept introduced into the canon of Scripture about the church that hasn't been identified.

Plus, the church has already been described by lampstands in the earlier chapters. The church has already been identified. Seven churches have been mentioned by name. It's very unlikely that now this vision of 144,000 is to be the church, and Jesus doesn't give us any indication in the text that we're now to change our thinking about the church.

No, this is very simply who it says it is: tribes of Israel, offspring of Israel, slaves of God, specifically from each tribe. But there's another thing to important out, important to point out is who these sealed are not. Notice that they are not. Notice who's not included. The tribes of Dan and Ephraim are not mentioned.

The tribes of Dan and Ephraim are not mentioned. Dan is completely excluded. Ephraim is Joseph's son, so you might think, well, maybe he's included by proxy. But these two are specifically not mentioned and left to conjecture why. But I think you can piece together a valid reason. If you'll remember, Ephraim and Dan.

Were the first and foremost tribes that led the nation of Israel into idolatry and worshiping the graven image. It was Micah in Judges 17, who is the Ephraimite, who made a graven image, who then hired this Levite to come and be his priest. And then this tribe of Dan decided they didn't want the inheritance that God gave them.

So they migrated and they came across this Levite and this molten image and this graven image, and they set it up and they began to worship it in Judges 18. And if you'll remember further history of Israel, it was Jeroboam, who was an Ephraimite, who made two golden calves in 1 Kings 11 and 12 and sets them up and says, Here, O Israel, are your gods.

So why would God exclude these two tribes? Again, speculate. But it seems to be they left their priestly function behind. They left their inheritance. They were the first leading into idolatry. And this book is going to be about two sets of people. People, those who worship the beast and those who do not.

But the good news is for these tribes is that in Ezekiel's list in chapter 48, these tribes are mentioned and they do get a tribal allotment. They do get the real estate as if God is giving it to them for his own namesake, but God's grace extends even to Dan and Ephraim.

But don't fail to see that they lost something. God's grace is going to extend, and yet they lost a privilege. These tribes, and certainly Dan, lost the privilege of being among this distinguished class of slaves that God will use in a mighty way to bless his people and to bless the world.

There's a lesson for us there, isn't there? Yeah, we cannot walk away from grace. If you're in Christ, His grace is going to win the day. But you can walk away from useful service. You can forfeit the inheritance and the usefulness. The priestly ministry that God has given you by going your own way.

This is what happened to Dan. Do not forfeit the station that God has placed you in. Serve him there. Serve him well. Don't abandon. Engage. Well, we've looked at those who are sealed. Next, I want you to see why they are sealed. And part of the answer to this question comes from the immediate context of chapter 7 and then the greater context of Revelation.

We'll see this group again. It'll inform us a little bit more about who they are. But in the immediate context, it's clear. They are sealed to protect them from the day of the Lord. The day, the great day, the day of wrath, is coming, and these individuals would not be able to stand unless the Lord sealed them.

He's going to protect them through it. How? I don't know. But he does. He knows his own. He protects his own. As the judgments start to come, It's clear that they are in need of protection. In fact, if you look at chapter 9 and verse 4, when the fifth trumpet blows, there's these horrific locusts that come up from the bottomless pit.

And this is what it says: they, these locusts, they were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. So they are protected from the judgments of God.

You see, God knows his own, he protects his own. These are going to go through the wrath of God. They're going to experience it, at least much of it. But God is with them through it. He protects his own. We also know from the immediate context that they are slaves of God, bondservants.

They are willfully belonging, indentured themselves. They love Him. They are purchased. Get to that in a moment. But they belong to God. They are slaves of God, and as such, they have a purpose. So they are. Protected through the day of the Lord because God has a purpose for them during the day of the Lord.

What are these purposes? Well, it's clear to distinguish them from those who worship the beast and to witness to those who are tempted to worship the beast. Revelation is about two castes of worshipers: those who worship Satan and those who worship God. Those who worship the beast are ultimately worshiping Satan.

But that's what this book is about. And so God is going to believe those who are clearly identified who have a purpose of witnessing to those who are tempted to worship the beast. They're going to be living proof that you don't have to worship the beast. So there are these two people groups in Revelation, two worship groups.

There are those who worship God, and that is these 144 people. Thousand. We'll get a little bit more information about them in chapter 14, verses 1 through 5. And let me just read those to you. Chapter 14, verse 1. Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000, having his name and the name of his father written on their foreheads.

So somehow that seal bears the name of the Father, bears the name of the Lamb. And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of thunder. And the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.

And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been purchased from the earth. These are ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste.

These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth. They are blameless. So who are these? Well, it's clear they bear the name of God, bear the name of the Lamb.

They worship him. They're redeemed. They're bought. Perhaps this caste, this group of 144, Came to Christ through the Gentile testimonies of the martyrs that were depicted in seal number five. It's clear they are followers of the Lamb. But what else is very clear is that they are first fruits.

Text calls them the firstfruits to God and the Lamb. You know what the idea behind firstfruits is? There's more to come. That's the whole idea of the Levitical holiday, the feast of first fruits. More is to come. Wave it. Bring the wave offering because more of the harvest is going to come.

So when you put it all together, these are ethnic Jews who have turned to Jesus Christ and who are just the firstfruits of a great awakening among the Jewish people. And at this point in Revelation, when the nations begin to experience the day of the Lord, the Jewish nation begins to experience a national awakening.

And with the sealing of the 144,000, God's witnesses to the Jewish nation and the rest of the world for that matter. Matter are identified and they are protected. You see, two things that are happening as you work your way through the prophetic books, especially you see it in the Old Testament, you see it in the New.

God deals with humanity on two levels. First, there's the Gentiles, what's going on in the nations, and then there's how that specifically impacts Israel. And so there are passages that speak about the nations, and then there are passages that speak about Israel. In fact, the book of Daniel is written in two languages: one Aramaic, speaking to the Gentile nations of the day, and then much of it is written in Hebrew.

Some prophecies are in the language that the whole world can read. Some of the prophecies are written in the Hebrew language, which only gives more detailed information about what's going to happen in Israel. Let me ask you: how many people this morning woke up with an intense desire to read the headlines in Sydney, Australia?

No one. About Tokyo? No. Maybe some national news, then that gets a little. See, we're not really too interested in what's happening around the world unless it somehow involves us. Correct? So, We're a little more inclined to see that national news that impacts us. We're more inclined to even see local news, which impacts us, because that's where we are.

The Bible does the same thing. It speaks a lot about what's happening in the Gentile world. But then it gets very specific to the nation of Israel, to whom the Old Testament was originally given. Let me tell you what's happening. So, what happens in the world? And so, when you get to the Revelation, there are events that involve the whole nation, and they are described, I mean, the whole world, and they are described in the book of Revelation.

But then there are places when it gets very specific. Okay, now, that's what's going on in the nation. Now, let me take you into Israel and let me show you what's happening. And that's what it does with these 144,000 ethnic Jews, sealed, slaves of God, followers of the Lamb.

And God's going to use them. And what a people they are. Listen to what John Phillips says about this unique group of individuals. No other age has produced a company like this. An army of militant believers marching unscathed. Through every form of danger. It has been theirs to defy the dragon, to bait the beast, to expose the lie of the false prophet.

Their calling has been to preach the gospel from the housetops when even the name of Christ, even to name the name of Christ, called for the most dreadful penalties. They have been surrounded, these latter-day Jobs, with impenetrable hedges, able to laugh to scorn all the grand inquisitors of hell.

They have walked the streets in broad daylight, careless of the teeth-gnashing rage of their would-be tormentors and assassins, true witnesses of God in the most terrible era in the history of mankind. The devil knows about this coming band of conquerors and writhes already in agony of anticipation. These are the ones who will overcome the beast.

You see, worship is ultimately about two people groups. There are those who worship God, and then there are those who worship Satan. Those who worship Satan. And those who ultimately worship Satan are going to be marked. They're going to be. Also marked. You know, but there's a difference between the marking by the beast and the sealed.

Two different words. The idea behind those who are marked, or those who worship Satan ultimately, they will be marked. They will be more, the word for marked there is more like the word branded, tattooed, like a slave owner upon his slave who has conquered them, dominates them. It's a branding.

They are the ones who serve Satan's agenda in the world. That's who they are. They do not serve God's. In fact, I'll read you a little bit in Revelation 13, 16. And he, beast, false prophet, causes all the small and the great and the rich and the poor and the free men and the slaves to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead.

And he provides that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. And in Revelation 14, 9, an angel goes out following the inhabitants of the earth. Don't worry, they're not going to accidentally get the mark because an angel goes forth and.

With a loud voice, he says this: if anyone worships the beast and his image and receives the mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of his anger.

Any questions? No. They're not going to be innocent. But this is the nature of this. Satan deceives. He is not like God at all. God comes in truth. Satan deceives. Satan tempts. He lures. He hooks. He brands. He enslaves. He uses. Puts you on a guilt trip. And then casts aside and moves on to the next.

He is cruel. And it is not good for you to worship him. You say, well, how do I worship him? I don't have this little shrine where I go and worship Satan. No, let me tell you the paradigm of Satan. It's when you go your own way. When you elevate your throne above God's throne and say, God, I'll take a little bit of what you say and I'll do what you say.

As long as it pleases me, then yeah, I'll go with you. But the moment push comes to shove, and it's your will or my will, I'm taking my way, that's the paradigm of Satan. And also, Ultimately, the one who worships himself, the one who goes their own way, is ultimately in league, lock and step, in worship of God's adversary.

That is the way of evil. It's a worship disorder. Well, you elevate your throne. Listen, some of you today are being deceived, tempted, lured, hooked, and massacred, branded, enslaved, to a cruel taskmaster. And you can be saved today. Who do you worship? God wants your worship. Not because He needs it, but because you need it.

And He delights in a relationship with you, but you've got to get that right. You've got to let Him be God. That is the way of blessing. You know, today there's not the clarity between those who ultimately worship Satan and those who worship God like there will be in that day.

It'll be clearly marked. That's the hour of testing. There'll be great pressure to take on the mark, to visibly show your allegiance. We don't have that clarity today, but it still exists. Maybe not an outward mark, but an inward disposition that results in sinful deeds. Who do you worship?

Are you branded and enslaved? Or are you free in Christ, forgiven and new? Forsake the paradigm of your own way. Cry out to God today, God, you want a true worshiper. Write your law on my heart. I want to be yours. Deeply, in spirit and in truth, where you want to take up residence, that's where I want you.

God, please come in. Let us serve Him with everything. Let His law, let His righteousness be upon our hearts. Well, we've looked at those who are sealed. We looked at why they are sealed. God has a purpose for them, and that's why He sealed them, and that's why He protected them, and they're going to minister in their generation.

He has a purpose for us being here as well. Same as they. To witness. We can learn from them. We too have been redeemed. We too can sing the song of the redeemed. We too can sing and tell others what it's like to be forgiven, what it's like to be cleansed, what it's like to be given a real purpose that's worth living for in life.

We can go about that just like they did. We can go through the streets like they will, not ashamed, bearing the marks of our Lord. We too can bear his name, we too can worship him, we too can follow the Lamb wherever he leads. And we can be encouraged, even as we read these words, that God is going to protect his people, no matter what happens, no matter what turmoil, he's put you in a place and nothing can touch you apart from his will.

So go. You're free to minister, you're free to witness. Learn from this great generation of sealed slaves of God. You see, God protects those who belong to him, he protected Noah. You see the pattern in Scripture. Protected Noah through the flood. He protected Lot from the destruction of Sodom.

He protected the children of Israel. Plagues were on Egypt. He protected Rahab. He protected Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and you just go on. He protected his faithful when Jerusalem was destroyed. In Ezekiel 9, he marks them. He protects. He protects. He will protect us. He will protect our times and ministry.

Our times and ministry are in his hands. So let's worship him. Totally. Let's embrace him at the deepest level of our hearts. Let the internal dialoguings of our mind constantly be bringing ourselves before him. taking every thought captive and worshiping him. That's a true worshiper. And that's who he's looking for.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, forgive us of our misguided worship. Forgive us where we have elevated ourselves above your throne. Father, please establish your throne in our hearts completely, fully. Write your name. Write your words on our hearts. And may we walk in your ways. Thank you, Father, that you seek true worshipers.

And now, even now, you're calling us to be more engaged in worshiping you, for you deserve worship. In Christ's name, amen.