Reading: Revelation 6:9-7:17

One interesting assignment, to close out the horse and riders conversation, is sometime Google “nation’s flags with green, white, black, and red” (the colors of the horses) and notice how many of those nations torture, persecute, or otherwise speak ill of the nation of Israel, and Christianity. Point being, there’s more evidence of the riders always riding.

But. To close out chapter 6, it’s important to remember the scroll and seals are symbolic of the deed to the earth. Jesus is opening it, because it’s His. And many of the events are a both and situation. In other words, some of the events relate to what happened in 70AD when Jerusalem was essentially destroyed—while simultaneously pointing us to when God will judge the world at the end of time.

2 ways I can make this case. Number one, John hears about these 144,000 being sealed. Who are they? Well, we know they’re the Jewish people. 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes. Ok. But. Why 12,000? Well. 12 is a pretty obvious number. Right? 12 tribes of Israel, 12 Apostles. 12 months in a year. 12 hours on a clock. 12 donuts in a dozen—glory to God. Thus, the question ultimately becomes: Why is the number 1000 significant?

And when you study the Old Testament, you find that the number is often used as a way to express God’s immensity. His grandeur. Like. Back then, ironically thousands of years ago, it was the biggest number they could comprehend. So. For example, God shows His mercy to a 1000 generations (Ex 20:6) Or. The Lord promises to make Israel a 1000 times more numerous than they are in Moses’ day (Dt 1:11) The Lord even claims to own the cattle on 1000 hills (Ps 50:10) David wrote, For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere (Ps 84:10) Ok.

So what John is communicating here, to the initial Jewish readers—which that’s who the church was primarily made up of at this time—but when they heard this, they’d recognize, 144,000 isn’t literal. It’s communicating how big God is. Like. How big is God that He’d seal so many? These folks would hear that number and be thinking Isaiah 59. The arm of the Lord is not too short to save. Then, to confirm this fact, that God’s saving power is immense, John doesn’t just hear a number, he looks around, and it’s not just Jewish people. It’s all people. Too numerous to count. From every tribe, people, nation, and language. So. You can see how it’s probably both.

The second way I can make this case is through this idea of the sun becoming black and the stars fall falling out of the sky and the heavens rolling back in verses 12-17 of chapter 6. Now. Most people get hung up on that and take it literally. They say this has to be talking about the end of the world—and some meteorological catastrophe. And they get out their charts and start making predictions, and looking at global warming—and about that. However. This collapsing solar system imagery is actually somewhat common in Scripture. And it always refers to the annihilation of a nation or city. For example, Isaiah speaks in this way about the destruction Babylon (Is 13:10) Later he’ll prophesy about the destruction of Edom in the same way (Is 34:4) Ezekiel speaks of Egypt’s fall with these same terms (Ez 32:7-8). And Amos talks about the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel as well. (Am 8:9)

Point being, there’s consequences to decisions, and there’s going to be a judgement, and the good news is: God saves!

Look at Chapter 6 verse 17 again. The text says, for the great day of [God’s] wrath has come, and who can stand? Well we know who can’t stand. It’s the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free They’re all begging for mountains to be thrown on them. So. That’s terrifying. But. In short, nobody can stand, except…chapter 7…all those who have been sealed. That’s the good news. Wrath isn’t coming for those who are sealed. So. Who gets sealed? I’ll show you. Ephesians 1:13 - When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.

So. Who are sealed? Those who believe. Who can stand? Those who are sealed. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if I’m wrong about the text, and the stars falling and all that. Because I’m sealed, and you can be too!

With Gratitude,

pLJ