Sealed or Marked.

Sealed.

 

We will be sealed. We will not know when we are sealed. We will be sealed BEFORE the plagues are loosed.

 

The plagues are real. And the plagues will not be something people will be healed from. The world will not recover from the plagues. If you are touched by the plagues then you are not sealed. What are the plagues? We will study them soon. Let's back up to Revelation 7.

 

Rev 7:1  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 

Rev 7:2  And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 

Rev 7:3  Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 

Rev 7:4  And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 

 

Don't hurt the earth!

Don't hurt the sea!

Don't hurt the trees!

Wait!

Don't hurt them until the SERVANTS of GOD are sealed in their foreheads.

 

There is a number of those sealed. Is it figurative or literal- there are many suppositions. What we do know is the number is 144,000. We also know that the 144,000 are made up from all the tribes of the children of Israel, an equal number from each of the 12 tribes. Again, are the tribe figurative or literal? Are they spiritual Israel or Israel of old?  Let's go to a Biblical scholar for some thoughts on this.

 

******* (D&R)

 

VERSE 4. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. 7. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 8. Of the tribe of Zebulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

 

The number sealed is here stated to be one hundred and forty-four thousand; and from the fact that twelve thousand are sealed from each of the twelve tribes, many suppose that this work must have been accomplished as far back at least as about the beginning of the Christian era, when these tribes were literally in existence. They do not see how it can apply to our own time, when every trace of distinction between these tribes has been so long and so completely obliterated. We refer such persons to the opening language of the Epistle of James: "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations," etc. Those whom James here addresses are

(1) Christians; for they are his brethren;

(2) They are not the converts to Christianity from the Jews, the twelve tribes of his own day; for he addresses them in view of the coming of the Lord.

He is thus addressing the last generation of Christians, the Christians of our own day,

p 470 -- and he calls them the twelve tribes scattered abroad.

How can this be? Paul explains in Rom. 11:17-24. In the striking figure of grafting which he there introduces, the tame olive tree represents Israel. Some of the branches, the natural descendants of Abraham, were broken off because of unbelief (in Christ). Through faith in Christ the wild olive scions, the Gentiles, are grafted into the tame olive stock, and thus the twelve tribes are perpetuated.

And here we find an explanation of the language of the same apostle: "They are not all Israel which are of Israel," and "he is not a Jew which is one outwardly,... but he is a Jew which is one inwardly." Rom. 9:6-8; 2:28, 29.

 

So we find on the gates of the New Jerusalem - which is a New Testament or Christian, not a Jewish, city - the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the foundations of this city are inscribed the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Rev. 21:12-14. If the twelve tribes belong exclusively to the former dispensation, the more natural order would have been to have their names on the foundations, and those of the twelve apostles on the gates; but no, the names of the twelve tribes are on the gates. And as through these gates, so inscribed, all the redeemed hosts will go in and out, so, as belonging to these twelve tribes, will all the redeemed be reckoned, whether on earth they were Jews or Gentiles.

 

Of course we look in vain for any marks of distinction between the tribes here on earth; and since Christ has appeared in the flesh, the preservation of the genealogy of the tribes is not necessary.

 

But in heaven, where the names of the church of the firstborn are being enrolled, we may be sure there is order, and that each name is enrolled in its own tribe. Heb. 12:23.

 

It will be observed that the enumeration of the tribes here differs from that given in other places. The twelve sons of Jacob, who became the heads of great families, called tribes, were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, and Joseph. But Jacob, on his dying bed, adopted the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh to constitute two of the tribes of Israel. Gen. 48:5.

 

p 471 -- This divided the tribe of Joseph, making thirteen tribes in all. Yet in the distribution of the land of Canaan by lot, they numbered but twelve tribes, and made but twelve lots; for the tribe of Levi was left out, being appointed to the service of the tabernacle, and having no inheritance. But in the passage before us, Ephraim and Dan are omitted, and Levi and Joseph put in their places. The omission of Dan is accounted for by commentators on the ground that that tribe was the one chiefly addicted to idolatry. (See Judges 18, etc.)

 

The tribe of Levi here takes its place with the rest, as in the heavenly Canaan the reasons for their not having an inheritance will not exist, as in the earthly; and Joseph is probably put for Ephraim, it being a name which appears to have been applied to either the tribe of Ephraim or Manasseh. Num. 13:11.

 

Twelve thousand were sealed "out of " each of the twelve tribes, showing that not all who in the records of heaven had a place among these tribes when this sealing work commenced, stood the test, and were overcomers at last; for the names of those already in the book of life will be blotted out, unless they overcome. Rev. 3:5.

 

VERSE 9. After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10. And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God,12. Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God forever and ever. Amen.

 

The sealing having been accomplished, John beholds a countless multitude worshiping God in rapture before his throne. This vast throng are undoubtedly the saved out of every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue, raised from the dead at the second coming of Christ, showing that the sealing is the last work accomplished for the people of God prior to translation.

*******

 

Those who are God's, and are going to be alive when Jesus Christ returns when that last trumpet sounds - MUST be sealed by an angel of God prior to Christ returning.

 

Two options for all those alive when Christ returns- the sealed and the marked.

 

Sealed by angels, or marked with the mark of the beast, his name, his number. No one sealed by God will receive the mark.  No one who has the mark will be sealed.  Neither mark nor seal are visible to us in such a way we know beyond doubt what is what.

 

Our lives will dictate which we receive, our choices, our beliefs.

 

We know from the old testament times there was much written about the worshiping of God or the worshiping of idols/false gods. You were one or the other- no in between. You worshiped - it was just a matter of what you worshiped.

 

It is no different for any of us today. We all either worship God in truth, or a false god. Even if you say you worship nothing, then truthfully you are worshiping self- a false god.

 

Who do you worship. 

 

Do you worship God in truth?

 

I pray I am God's now and always, God's in truth, sealed as God's and ready for Christ when He returns.