In the middle of this storm something wonderful is happening. In the midst of this wrath God shows mercy. There will be revival within the Tribulation period. God is a God of everlasting mercy. He showed mercy before the Flood. He showed mercy to Lot before he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. There will be 144,000 believers who will spread the Gospel during this time of wrath.

1 – The protection of these Jews (vs. 1-2)

Notice two things:-

• They are protected by earthly restraints. (vs. 1). The angels are holding back the wind. Angels are very powerful. Angels do the bidding of God. There are two classifications of angels mentioned in the Bible. There are fallen angels. Some of these angels are already locked up and some are free to roam. They fell with Satan and do his bidding. The good angels do God’s bidding. The wind is powerful. There are hurricanes and tornadoes that can devastate large areas and yet these four angels can hold back the wind. God doesn’t have to do it Himself. Wind is a picture of the judgment of God in the Bible. These angels put on hold the judgment of God. God is in control of this universe. Nothing happens by blind chance.
• They are protected by heavenly resources (vs. 2). This angel has a seal to mark His own. The kings of the world at this time would have a ring with a seal and it meant possession, preservation and protection on anything that was sealed using it. We are sealed as believers. When you accept Jesus as your personal saviour you are sealed by the Holy Spirit. We are signed, sealed and delivered. See 2 Corinthians 1:22 & Ephesians 1:13 & 4:30. This is the key to our salvation. The devil can’t steal our salvation.

2 – The preservation of these Jews (vs. 3)

See also Revelation 14:1. There is power in the name of Jesus Christ. God wants to seal his own before he brings judgment upon the earth. The Antichrist will not be able to touch these people because God has sealed them. There is no protection like the protection of God. There is no power on earth that can stop these 144,000 witnesses. There is power in the name of the Lord!

3 – The presentation of these Jews (vs. 4-8)

Who are these 144,000? We are told in verse 4. They are 144,000 Jews. God names the tribes. Today the Jews don’t know what tribe they belong to as the nation has been dispersed throughout the earth. The nations that have blessed Israel have been blessed. Those who have cursed Israel have been cursed. Any enemy against Israel has fallen in the dust. They are God’s chosen people. Why will Israel not be destroyed?

• God has a plan for the nation of Israel.
• God promised that Israel could not be destroyed. See Jeremiah 31:35-36. To destroy Israel you would need to remove the sun, moon and stars first.

Categories: Revelation