Lesson 19: Sealed Witnesses

Revelation 7:1-8
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea,
3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
7 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

God’s incredible mercy and grace does not stop even as His wrath begins. He still offers redemption and forgiveness to all who will accept Him.

First, God stops the winds on the face of the earth. This would have the effect of altering all weather patterns on the earth. Rain and snow would cease, the planet would truly become warmer as all winds stop. We are reminded of Jeremiah 49:36 where God used the four winds to scatter people. In Deuteronomy 4:27 and 28:64 God warned the people of Israel that they would be scattered to the ends of the earth if they chose to walk away from Him. The stilling of the winds then appear to be an invitation for the people of Israel to return to Him.


Second, God shows His true purpose for Israel is again His primary focus by calling twelve thousand people from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to become His witnesses. God declared in Exodus 19 that He considered all the people of the earth to be His, but Israel was to be a treasure among the nations because they were to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. When Israel turned their backs on Him to follow other gods, God gave that temporary responsibility to the Church (1 Peter 1:9-10) until He would restore Israel to their rightful place. When the church’s temporary role as a “royal priesthood” is complete, we will become co-rulers with Jesus as His bride.

These witnesses for Jesus will be sealed so they will not be able to be killed as they tell people from all over the world about Jesus. Many people will accept Jesus as their Savior through these witnesses but a great many of them will be killed for their faith.

*Whom is Jesus asking you to witness to today? Do you see the wisdom and protection He has for you in the Spirit of God?