The Sealing of the 144,000

Temple Baptist Church - 11-29-2020

Revelation 7:1-8

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Chapter 7 begins with a parenthetical or interlude.  It is the first of several found in the Book of the Revelation.

 

B.  In Chapter 6, we saw the opening of seals 1-6.  Seals 1-4 were the introduction of the Antichrist and setting up of his government of socialism.

 

C.  The Fifth Seal was the martyrdom of those Tribulation Saints who stood for the Word of God and held to the Testimony of Christ.

 

D.  The Sixth Seal was a display of God’s power over heaven and earth.  Antichrist can only rule as God gives him liberty.  God still controls both the heavens and the earth and places the fear of God in all mankind.  Instead of repenting and turning to the Lord, they pray to the mountains and rocks to fall on them and hide them from “the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the Wrath of the Lamb.”

 

E.  Amid the destruction and a never seen display of the glory of God’s power, Chapter 7 puts everything on hold for a while.  The Sixth Seal has been opened but the Seventh Seal will not be opened until we get to Chapter 8:1.

 

F.  The Seals Stayed – Chapter 7:1-3.  The Constraint of the Seals.

 

1.  Verse 1 – Four angels holding the winds of the earth.  A great silence on earth. The calm before the storm!  Not a breath of air stirs and, after the great earthquake and the shaking of the heavens, the silence is deafening.  Wind in the Bible often refers to the judgment of God.

 

Hosea 13:15-16  Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.  (16)  Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

 

(Here, the angels hold still the judgment of God upon this world until His servants are sealed.)

 

2.  The world receives a reprieve. 

 

Habakkuk 3:2  O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.

 

 

3.  The world continues to refuse to repent.  How many times have sinful people cried out in fear but, during a reprieve, continued down the same path?  My mind goes back to 9-11-2001.  People across our land flocked into churches because of fear but, when nothing else happened, the churches saw them stop coming to services.  I think of Agag in the Old Testament:

 

1 Samuel 15:32-33  Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.  (33)  And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

 

G.  The Servants Sealed – Chapter 7:4-8.

 

1.  Who are the 144,000?  No, they are not Jehovah’s Witnesses.  The Jehovah’s Witnesses are a cult that claims that the 144,000 are “spiritual Jehovah’s Witnesses” and will be the only ones in heaven while the remainder of Jehovah’s Witnesses will inherit the earth.

 

2.  These are 12,000 from each of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

 

a)  The Gospel to the Jew First. 

 

Romans 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

 

b)  Tribulation is to the Jew First.

 

Romans 2:8-9  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,  (9)  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

 

c)  Glory, Honor, and Peace to the Jew First.

 

Romans 2:10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

 

3.  The names of the Twelve Tribes are not given in birth order. 

 

a)  Judah is mentioned first because it is out of this tribe that the Christ was born.

 

b)  Dan is not mentioned, and I believe that it is clear why.  It is probable that Antichrist will be of the Tribe of Dan and will judge Israel in the Tribulation Period or Jacob’s Trouble.

 

Genesis 49:16-17  Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.  (17)  Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

 

c)  Manasseh is mentioned but not Ephraim.  In Judges, Chapter 18, 1 Kings 11:26, Ephraim went into idolatry.  Jacob placed the blessing upon Ephraim, but Joseph took his place of blessing in the Book of Revelation.  Ephraim and Manasseh were adopted by Jacob, giving Joseph a double portion.

 

Genesis 48:5  And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

 

d)  Ephraim’s sin came through Jeroboam, an Ephrathite.

 

1 Kings 11:26  And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.

 

1 Kings 12:25-31  Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.  (26)  And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:  (27)  If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.  (28)  Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  (29)  And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.  (30)  And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.  (31)  And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

 

1 Kings 14:16  And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.

 

Hosea 4:17  Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

 

e)  There is no reason given for their sealing in Chapter 7 but a further description of the 144,000 who were sealed will be given when we get to Revelation, Chapter 14.

 

f)  What we do know is that they will be servants of God who will receive a seal in their foreheads. 

 

1)  These are sealed for Purpose.

 

Revelation 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

 

Revelation 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

 

2)  These are sealed for Protection.

The Eternality of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Temple Baptist Church - 11-29-2020

John 1:1-3

A.  As we approach Christmas this year again, our thoughts need to turn to the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.  In the four gospels, we find the fullness of the God-Man, Jesus Christ.  The perfection of the Bible shows in these four gospels the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

a.  Matthew portrays Christ as the King of Israel and its genealogy is reckoned from Abraham.

 

b.  Mark portrays Christ as the Servant of Man and has no recorded genealogy as servants birth was not recorded.

 

c.  Luke portrays Christ as the Son of Man and its genealogy is reckoned from Joseph back to Adam who was the son of God.

 

d.  John portrays Christ as the Word and speaks of His divinity.  John has no genealogy because God has none.  It is in John that we see the Person and eternality of Christ.

 

B.  All cults believe something wrong concerning the person of Christ, heaven, hell, and salvation.   Much of the wrong theology in so called “Christianity” about our Lord Jesus Christ has to do with who He was before the incarnation. 

 

2 Corinthians 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

1.  Islam portrays Him as merely a prophet or an ordinary but good man.

 

2.  Jehovah’s Witnesses portray Him as merely a “son of God.”

 

3.  Mormons portray Him as Satan’s brother, a created being—a mere angel who came to die for sin.

 

4.  Catholics portray Him is the “crucified” son of Mary, The Mother Of God, and continually show Him as a baby in her arms.

 

5.  Pictures portray Him as some long haired, Anglo-Saxon effeminate.

 

6.  Religionists portray Him as their “little buddy” instead of the Almighty LORD God.

 

7.  Most “isms” and “Schisms” simply ignore Him and worship idols.

 

8.  Many Baptists portray Him as a non-judgmental Savior who is not Lord and offers a salvation that does not reflect a change of lifestyle.

 

9.  Atheists and agnostics just try to ignore Him, but He will not go away!

 

10.  BUT, the Scriptures portray Him in a full and wonderful light as the God of all ages!  The Bible shows the true picture of Christ: who He was, who He became, what He did, and who He is.  John, chapter 1, does so in 14 verses. 

 

C.  Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.  (Here are a few profound verses dealing with the perpetually of our never changing Lord Jesus Christ: Almighty Jehovah God.)

 

Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  (God – Elohim – the plural name of God.  Our Lord Jesus spoke, and it was done.  Our Lord Jesus created and it was very good.  Our Lord Jesus commanded and it still stands fast.)

 

Psalms 90:1-2  Psalms 90:1  Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.  (Our Lord Jesus Christ has no time as He is the great “I AM.”  He is on both sides of eternity at the same time because He has no limitation.)

 

Psalms 93:1-2  The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.  (2)  Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.  (Our Lord Jesus Christ has reigned, is reigning, and shall forever reign.  At the name of Jesus, everyone should bow and, one day, everyone shall bow.)

 

Isaiah 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.  (Our Lord Jesus Christ “inhabiteth” eternity.  A present perfect tense!  There He lives; there He resides; there He controls.  He always has and He always will.)

 

Micah 5:2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.  (Our Lord Jesus Christ became flesh and dwelt among us: The Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  This reference can only be applied to the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ thus declaring that Christ is Jehovah God, and He is eternal.)

 

1.  Who He Was.  Verses 1-3.  Jesus Christ, as Jehovah God, has always existed!  John 1:1 corresponds with Genesis 1:1. 

 

a.  Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God!”  This is the most profound statement in theology. 

 

1)  Nowhere in the Bible is there an effort to prove the existence of God; Genesis 1:1 is a statement of fact.  God is infinite in His person! 

 

2)  Eternity or infinity is a concept impossible to grasp because, in our finite minds, everything that we see or how we perceive the things that see seemingly has both a beginning and an end. 

 

3)  God has always existed and will always exist: He is eternal.  In Isaiah 57:15, the Bible declares that God “inhabiteth eternity.”  (The word “inhabiteth” is in a continuing sense and means to perpetually reside or to abide.  God does not live in time.  In the midst of eternity, God created 7,000 years of time with eternity stretching both before and after.)

 

b.  John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word.” 

 

1)  Once again, this is a declaration of fact, not one for argument or discussion.  In this chapter, we find the Word was with God, the Word was God, the Word was Creator, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.  (Verses 1-3)

 

2)  The Word was and is Jesus Christ.  Thus eliminating the flawed theology of Christ deniers listed previously.  (Verse 14)

 

c.  John 8:57-58  Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?  (58)  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.  (Jesus used the words “I am” in many instances to reveal to Israel who He was.  He not only declared Himself to be the Son of God but also Jehovah God, the Eternal One.  The Jews fully understood the ramifications of this statement and took up stones to stone Him.)

God’s Promise To The Stranger Scattered

Temple Baptist Church - 11-25-2020

Hebrews 13:5-6

 

Introduction:

 

A.  The last part of verse five is one of the more notable and quotable phrases in the Bible.  “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”

 

Hebrews 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

 

B.  After the word “have,” we find the punctuation mark, the colon.  Colons are used to show that what follows the colon amplifies or explains what went before it.

 

C.  After the colon, we find the word “For.”  For can be used either for a preposition or a conjunction in a sentence.  Here, it is used as a conjunction which joins words or groups of words together.  It explains why we do not have to covet or be discontent with things.

 

D.  It is also used as a primary article which gives empirical evidence to a value or truth.  We have seen this evidence proven throughout the Bible.

 

1.  Genesis 12:1-2 – God told Abraham to leave the land of his nativity and God would bless him and make him a great nation.

 

2.  Genesis 28:15, God told Jacob to go down to Egypt and He would be with him and keep him.

 

3.  Deuteronomy 31:6-8, God, through Moses, told Israel that He would go before them and keep them.

 

4.  Joshua 1:5-9, God told Joshua that as He was with Moses, so He would be with him and would not fail him.

 

5.  I Chronicles 28:20 – David told Solomon to be strong and of good courage … to fear not for God would be with him, would not fail him, nor forsake him.

 

6.  Psalms 37:25-28 – David declared that God had never forsaken the righteous.

 

7.  Isaiah 41:8-14 – God told Israel that would not cast them away, he would strengthen them, He would hold their hand.

 

8.  Isaiah 41:17 – The Lord told Israel that when they were poor and needy, He would hear them and would not forsake them.

 

9.  Isaiah 43:1-2 – God told Israel that when they came through waters, rivers, and fire—He would protect them.

 

10.  In the New Testament, God delivered Peter from prison, Paul from prison and the “mouth of the lion,” John on the Ilse of Patmos, the Tribulation saints, and on and on.

 

11.  John 16:7, Our Lord promised us the Holy Ghost who would dwell within us

 

12.  Numerous times in both Old and New Testaments, we find God’s faithfulness to His people.

 

E.  This is called empirical evidence that gives credence to truth.  These strangers scattered in Asia had need of assurance of biblical promises that we know.  We have the completed canon of Scripture, but they only had parts.

 

1.  It is the Lord who meets our individual needs.

 

Matthew 6:31-33  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (32)  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  (33)  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 

Philippians 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

 

2.  It is the Lord who protects and keeps us.

 

Psalms 4:8  I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

 

Psalms 121:4-8  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  (5)  The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.  (6)  The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.  (7)  The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.  (8)  The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

 

3.  It is the Lord who fights for us. 

 

1 Samuel 17:45-47  Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.  (46)  This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.  (47)  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.

 

Romans 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

 

4.  It is the Lord who guides us through this life.

 

Ephesians 5:1  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

 

John 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

 

a.  Follow the Spirit of God.

 

b.  Follow the Bible.

 

c.  Follow the Pastor.

 

d.  Follow the Old Paths.

 

5.  It is the Lord who is always with us and for us.

 

2 Timothy 4:16-18  At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.  (17)  Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.  (18)  And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.