This transcript was generated by whisper.ai.

Welcome to Day 3 of our look together through Revelation, Chapter 7. We're going
to look at verses 4 to 8 today. These are verses that talk about a second group
in this chapter that teach you and I something about how we can trust in God,
how we can have a depth of security in God.

The first group we looked at yesterday were the angels, and they taught us that
God is in control, reminded us of that powerful truth. The second group are
these 144,000 saints on the earth. Now before I even read these verses, let me
ask you a question that many people have asked.

Who are these 144,000? You hear a lot of things out there about who these
144,000 are. There's some false teaching out there about this verse.

It's become fairly popular today that it's the total number of people who get
into heaven. That's all that get in. You've got to be one of these special
people.

Is that who it is? There's a lot of biblical speculation about this number. Who
is it that these 144,000 people are?

When I read the verses, Revelation, Chapter 7, verses 4 to 8, I think it will be
pretty clear to you who these 144,000 are. The only way you could confuse this
is by wanting to confuse it. Let me read for you what these verses say.

"Then I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 from all the tribes
of Israel. " From the tribe of Judah, 12,000 were sealed. From the tribe of
Reuben, 12,000 were sealed.

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. Tribe of Simeon, 12,000. From the tribe of
Levi, 12,000.

Through 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. It is like God is focusing us in this
Revelation. He wants to pound something into our hearts about who these 144,000
are.

They are Jewish believers in Jesus Christ. And he not only says there are
144,000 from the tribes of Israel, but just in case we didn't get it, he goes
through each of the tribes of Israel and says, "From this tribe, 12,000. From
this tribe, 12,000.

From this tribe, 12,000. " Now many have noticed that Dan is missing here, and
suppose that's possibly because of some sins that were committed by that tribe,
and Joseph and Manasseh are both here. Whatever reason God decided to list these
specific tribes, the most important thing is that he listed all of these tribes.

He wants us to get it. These are Jewish believers. And that reminds us of an
incredibly powerful second security building trust in this chapter.

And that is the trust that God is at work throughout history. God's in control,
and God is at work throughout history. It's one thing to believe he's in control
at the end.

It's one thing to believe he's going to make it all right in heaven, but it's
another thing to believe he is at work even in human history, even with our
sins, even with our choices not to follow him. God is able, in his power, to be
at work. And God is able to accomplish his plan.

God's plan is going to work. God's plan is working. And part of God's plan is to
bring his people, the Old Testament people of God, the Jewish people, is to
bring to them the light of the gospel of God and the glory of Jesus Christ.

Now, you don't have to just read the book of Revelation to read about this. In
Romans chapter 11, Paul very clearly, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
describes the fact that in the end there's going to be a great ingathering, a
great swelling of faith from those who are from the Jewish nation. God has
always said that he wants to bless the world through the Jewish nation, the
nation of Israel, and here he is blessing the world through the Jewish nation,
the nation of Israel.

Now, these believers that come to Christ at the end of time, towards the end of
time that Paul talks about in Romans 11, he's not necessarily talking about
these specific believers. This is a very specific group of believers. It's not
that only 144,000 who are from the Jewish culture or from the Jewish faith are
going to come to Christ.

That's not what this is saying at all. This is a very specific group who are
sealed as servants of God. Many people have pointed out, and I think there's
much, much to be said for this point, that these are those who are sealed during
this time of tribulation, this time of trouble, and possibly even during that
time they come to know Christ.

Revelation chapter 14, verse 4, calls them the first fruits of God's harvest.
There's an indication in the word first fruits, not only that 144,000 are saved,
but also 144,000 are chosen out, in this case, to be witnesses during this time,
this tribulation time that we're talking about. We've talked together about the
fact that I believe God's going to rapture his church before this time.

He may choose not to. He may choose to do it in a different way than I
understand. He is in control, and I'm glad for that.

But whenever God chooses to rapture the church during this time, there are going
to be people who are coming to know Jesus Christ. And these 144,000, these are
witnesses for God during this time. You sort of have a 144,000 group of
spiritual Navy Seals who are sent into this tribulation time to be witnesses for
Christ, specifically sealed for God, spelled it a little bit different way or
see it a little bit different way.

Can you imagine 144,000 Apostle Pauls set loose on this world? That's the idea
that's here. That's the kind of picture that's possible in what he's talking
about here.

And it all comes because they're sealed. Many times when we read these verses,
we get so caught up in the number, which is a number that symbolizes in a very
powerful way this group of Jewish believers, this large group of Jewish
believers, that we miss the main point. The main point is that they are sealed.

Then I heard the number of those who were sealed. That's what this is all
leading up to. This is why God stopped everything.

Had the angels stop things so he could seal this group. Being sealed by God's
Spirit is a sign of ownership and protection. In fact, in the book of
Revelation, we're going to see in chapter 9 verse 4 that only those without the
seal of God are allowed to be destroyed.

It's a parallel in some ways to what happened in the Old Testament. You remember
at the Passover where there was blood that was placed over the doorpost? And
when blood was placed over the doorpost of that house, the angel of death passed
over that house.

It was a sealing, in a sense. This is going to happen to these believers. God's
going to protect them for His purposes.

And when you think about your life, not just about eternity and what God's going
to do then, remember the fact that you are sealed by God's Spirit. That means
that your salvation is guaranteed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Not by your
actions, not by your work, but by the blood of Jesus Christ.

That means that God says you are not only loved by me, but you are adopted by
me. You are in my family. It's settled.

It's delivered. It's done. You are sealed in me.

I'm not saying that you are one of these 144,000, but I am saying that you enjoy
the fact of a sealing with God, of a security with God. Now as I look at these
144,000, as I look at this sealing that He does and God's plan working through
human history, I see in incredible ways that I can trust that God is at work
through history. If someone were to look at history today, they would say, well,
the multitude of Jewish cultural descendants have no relationship with God at
all.

There's just a very, very few, a remnant of people who even follow the Jewish
faith within those who would call themselves Jews. But God says, I've got
another plan. I've got a greater plan.

I'm going to bring many, many people to me that you don't know about. I am at
work in ways that you do not see, you do not understand. When I look at the
world today and I see the troubles in this nation or I see the evil leader
that's over here or I see the person who's taking advantage of people over here,
I know that God's going to bring justice one day.

He is at work throughout history, but I also know that God is not going to allow
that person, any person to prevent his ultimate plan from happening, from
occurring. That is a truth that I can hold on to. You and I, as mankind, we are
not in control of human history.

We influence it. We act within it, but God is in control, not only of how things
end, he's in control of human history. Now, as we pray for a moment today, let's
just pray for a sense of security out of who God is.

As you pray and talk to him, just say, "Father, help me to be secure in your
love. " There are things that happen in this world that I know you're going to
change one day when there's a new heaven and a new earth. I know that you weep
tears over those things more than I ever would.

I know that you grieve over what we do to each other more than I ever could. I
know that you sorrow over those things, and I thank you that you're patiently
waiting for more to come to you, but please, Lord, never let me mistake your
patience for apathy or for lack of power. Help me to know, to always know that
you are at work through history, that everything is in your hand, and that I can
trust everything in your hand.

Jesus Christ, today, I pray I'd see that in my life, that you're at work in the
circumstances of my life, and I pray this in your name, amen. Join us tomorrow.
We're going to see together a third group of multitude of believers wearing
white robes.