Turn with me in your Bibles,
please, to the book of Revelation chapter 7. Revelation chapter 7. In the eighth chapter of the
book of Revelation, the Scripture relates that the trumpets are
going to sound, ushering in what is referred to within the Scriptures
as great judgment, great tribulation. But this judgment we are going
to find is not judgment that falls upon any that the Lord
has everlastingly loved. One thing that we must remember
as we go through this blessed book, this is the revelation
of Jesus Christ. It is the revelation of Him who
has everlastingly loved us, and there is therefore right now
No condemnation to them that be in Christ Jesus. As I said last week, ask yourself
this, how long have they been in Christ Jesus? Everlastingly. There has never been a time that
God's elect were not in Christ Jesus. The Scripture says in
Ephesians 1, in Him before the foundation of the world that
they should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Before this judgment, though,
that we shall begin looking into in chapter 8 is poured out, the
servants of God, the elect, God's people, are to be sealed and
protected from judgment. This sealing has always been
for God's people. I, Lord willing, will show you
that. And I think, as I said last week
too, we will find as we go through this book, this book that often,
I'm sure most of us would read and look and see We read that
and read a few verses and think, I don't want to read that. That's
just a little bit too scary for me. I don't know what's going
on, but maybe ignorance is bliss. Maybe if I don't read it, I won't
know. If I don't know, then I don't
have to deal with it. This blessed book right here
is the most comforting book that God's people will ever read because
they behold Him who has kept them from judgment. The Scripture says in verse 1,
2, and 3 of Revelation 7, 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. And I saw another angel ascending
from the east and 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, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither
the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of
our God in their foreheads." Now, these four angels, are not
named, they're not distinguished, but obviously they represent
the messenger, which is what angel means, the messenger of
God's purpose. His servants that illustrate
the power of God to spew out by the means that He has appointed
in the accomplishment of His eternal will and decree." Whatever
God has purposed, these angels, these messengers, God has determined
that preachers will stand and will proclaim the Word of the
living God. They are referred to in the first
chapter as angels, the angels, the messengers. of God Almighty. So whoever these angels are,
and like I said, they're not named. They just said that after
these things, I saw four angels, four messengers. And the Scripture
says that they're standing on the four corners of the earth. Now, these four corners again,
and remember, this book is a vision. So therefore, I know that the
earth is not square. But when it says the four corners
of the earth, it represents the entire earth, north, east, west,
south. And it shows that God's power
and His name, according to Romans 9, 17, is declared throughout
all of the earth. So here's four angels. And these
four angels standing on the four corners, and they're holding
the four winds of the earth. So knowing this, these four winds,
whatever they are, and I will, by the grace of God, show you
some Scripture and I'll show you what I think, and pretty
convinced that these four winds represent. The key to what these
four winds are, if you look again, it says they're holding the four
winds, now look at this, of the earth. the four winds of the
earth. Based on Scripture that I'll
look at in a moment and get you to look at it with me, these
four winds, I am truly convinced, are actually false doctrine,
lies, untruths that find their source in the world and are loved
by the world, the four winds. Ephesians 4.13, Paul says, "'Til
we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of
the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more
children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind
of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby
they lie in wait to deceive. So what's happening is these
four angels are holding back the four winds of the earth that
the wind, the Scripture says, should not blow on the earth,
nor on the sea, nor on any tree. You know, as I read that, I thought,
I can understand how that this wind can be referred to as this
false doctrine. Paul says every wind of doctrine. It's winds of the earth. And
God is restraining is what's happening. They're holding. But
what is being said that the wind should not blow on the earth
or the sea or the tree as the Scripture says in the third verse,
till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads? Number one, Why these three things? The earth, the sea, and the trees. What's being represented? Now,
you know, I read that and I thought, why the trees? Why the sea? Why was that picked? Well, first
of all, the earth was being kept back. It was kept back that this
false doctrine should not come in and just permeate without
distinction. False doctrine. The earth, number
one, because of God's promise to all that would be made meek
or submissive to His will. Now, I want you to read this.
I want you to look at these Scriptures because it's very important.
Psalm 115, verse 16. Psalm 115, verse 16. The Scripture says that the heaven,
even the heavens, are the Lord's. But the earth hath He given to
the children of men. The earth. Now, this is the place
where God Almighty, and I understand the Scripture says that the earth
is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, but He's given it unto
men. Why? This is the place where
Almighty God has been pleased to show His mercy, His grace,
and His compassion. Here is the earth in this place. Psalm 3711 says, But the meek
shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance
of peace. There's going to be a new earth.
New heaven and new earth. And peace is going to reign.
And before judgment, just unmitigated, unchecked judgment is poured
out, the earth is going to be protected. The unbeliever may
inherit some acres, but there's going to be a new earth. Peace. The meek. As I said, meekness
actually is submissiveness. A man that's made meek doesn't
mean he's weak. I know a lot of men that are
very much men. And you wouldn't cross them.
But God's made them submissive. Bow to the Word of Almighty God. These meek are going to inherit
this earth. Why? Because they're heirs of
God and joint heirs with Christ. And ultimate judgment was held. from the earth, for it was into
the earth that our Redeemer came. Secondly, he says, hold back,
not only from the earth, but hold back from the sea. Well,
what's being said here? The sea. Here again, it is representative. Just like the earth, there is
representative of God's promise to His people. The earth was
given to the sons of men. But what about the sea? What's
being said here? Here we behold the representation
of all mankind, or the order of man, the sea. The sea is representation
of all mankind. Turn with me to Matthew 13. Matthew
13. I'm talking about all mankind.
I'm talking about mankind without distinction. I'm talking about
every human being. I'm talking about everybody.
I'm talking about the folks that just drove down right there.
The sea is representative of all mankind without distinction. But let me show you where the
distinction is made. In Matthew 13, beginning in verse
47, the Lord says, Again, the kingdom of heaven.
Alright, now you know that when you read the kingdom of heaven,
just from it, you're talking about the church. You're talking
about God's people, the kingdom of heaven. Again, the kingdom
of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea and
gathered of every kind. Now just imagine, here is the
way the kingdom of heaven is, the Lord Jesus Christ says. The
kingdom of heaven. is like a net cast into the sea,
and everything is pulled out. Which, verse 48, when it was
full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good
unto vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end
of the world. The angels shall come forth,
and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them
into the furnace of fire, And there shall be wailing and gnashing
of teeth. And Jesus saith unto them, Have
you understood all these things? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. The sea is representative, is
a representation of all mankind without distinction. The sea. And the Lord says the kingdom
of God is like a net cast into the sea. Everything is pulled
out. Or let me say it like this. Everybody is going to stand before
God. Every bit of it is going to come.
All of them are going to be poor. All are going to stand before.
He says the goods are going to be put into vessels, mansions
prepared by the Lord. But those that are wicked are
going to be cast out. And there will be wailing and
gnashing of teeth. The sea. In John 3.16, when the
Lord It's talking to Nicodemus. He told Nicodemus, For God so
loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I've
related this to you before, but when it says the world, what's
it talking about? It's talking about the order
of man, the world. The order of man. As I said,
there's an order of four-footed beasts, an order of birds, an
order of fish. But the order of man. God created
the order of man. When the order of man rebelled
against Almighty God in Adam, the order of man fell. And fell
under the darkness and the deadness of sin, they died, the order
of man. God loved the order of man and
was not willing that it should perish. And if left to itself,
it would perish because every man rebelled in Adam, every one
of us, without distinction, we all fell. But God Almighty loved
the order of man and was not willing that it should perish.
Therefore, out of every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue, he
chose out of all of those tongues and nations a people elect before
the foundation of the world that they should be holy." But they
were rebels against God. Sinners. The Lord Jesus Christ
came into this world into the earth the heritage of God's people. And he lived in this earth perfectly
under the law of Almighty God and obeyed it perfectly that
the order of man would not perish. Christ was made to be sin that
they might be made the righteousness of God in Him. that He is eternally
loved. So the Scripture says, don't
put forth the judgment on the earth or on the sea, the complete
order of man. Why? Because there are some of
God's people in there. Don't send the judgment upon
the sea, the order of man, until we seal them. James 1.6 says,
He that wavereth is like a wave of the sea that's driven with
the wind of false doctrine and tossed, he that wavereth. Thirdly, he says, don't blow
on any tree. In Psalm 1 to 3, this Scripture
that I'm about to read speaks specifically, ultimately, of
the Lord Jesus Christ. But as the Scripture says, remembering 1 John 4, verse 17,
because as He is, so are we in this world, it says, Blessed
is the man, that speaks of Him, Christ, that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly. nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." No one but of Christ
could that be said. But his delight is in the law
of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. He
shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth
forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither,
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Who else could that
be said of? but the Lord Jesus Christ. Only
Him. But you remember, as I just read
in 1 John, as He is, so are we in this world. Isaiah 61.3 says,
"...to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them
beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment
of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees
of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be
glorified. In Psalm 52, verse 8, it says,
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust
in the mercy of God forever and ever. The Scripture says that
four angels were standing. John said, I saw after these
things four angels standing on the four corners of the earth.
holding the four winds of the earth that the wind should not
blow." The winds of the earth. Not blow on the earth or on the
sea or on any tree. And I saw, verse 2, 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 oh, what a hurt this earth
endures. And I'll show you that in a moment.
But he had a loud voice. Now this angel can be no other
than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is here called an angel, a
messenger of the covenant. Here he is, the angel. It is the office of Mediator
that we now see him possess. Here are four angels standing
there. are messengers over all the earth,
holding the four winds, judgment. And the messenger of the covenant
ascends from the east to intervene for His own." Here it is, judgment's
ready. John 6, 27 says, concerning the
Lord Jesus Christ, "...Him hath the Father sealed, And here the
Scripture says in verse 2, he comes forth, an angel ascending
from the east, having the seal of the living God. Now this sealing,
number one, of the Lord Jesus Christ, what does that mean? Him hath the Father sealed. I
wanted to bring this out before we look at what does it mean
for God's people to be sealed. Two thoughts. are connected with
sealing. Him, the Scripture says, He stands
there and He has the seal of the living God. Two things. Number one, in sealing, it has
to do with identification. Who are they? That's what it's
saying, a seal. Who is it? Secondly, ratification,
or that word ratification, it means to set your approval on.
Here, this Scripture sets forth that Almighty God, the Father,
has sealed Him. When it says, Him hath the Father
sealed, that is, identified and ratified. Now you think, listen
to this Scripture, Matthew 17, 5. Behold, a voice out of the
cloud which said, This is my beloved Son. There's identification. Who is that? That's my beloved
Son. And here's the second part of
sealing, the ratification or the setting the approval on.
It says, in whom I'm well pleased. Now, boy, what a seal. This is
my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. So this One that comes
forth ascending from the East, He has the seal of the living
God. Who is this coming out of the
the East, ascending out of the East. I'll tell you who that
is. That's the Beloved Son in whom God is well pleased. So He alone is the sealed messenger
of the everlasting covenant of grace, and He ascends with a
loud voice, a mighty, great, and strong voice. And He speaks
to the four angels who hold the four winds of the earth. And
this is what He says in verse 3, Hurt not the earth, neither
the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of
our God in their foreheads." Judgment's coming. Judgment's
here. Judgment is here now. But before
this judgment comes and consumes everybody, and without the sealing
of Almighty God, no man is exempt. because all men are rebels. Hurt
not, the earth see the truths." The word hurt, if we understand
what is being said here, then this makes more sense. This word
hurt is a word that means to hurt everything or all without
exception. When the atomic bomb was dropped
Two atomic bombs were dropped at the end of World War II, one
of them in Nagasaki and the other one on Hiroshima. When that atomic
bomb went off over either one of those cities, that bomb went
off and without distinction, it just wiped out for a certain
range all the way around. It just took it out without distinction. That hurt that hit that city
for that amount of time and as it went out farther, I know that
it got less and less destructive, but there was a point at which
everything was just annihilated. It was hurt. In the Gulf War, I watched as
these planes would come in. They would drop a smart bomb.
And this bomb would come in and had a radio, I mean, you saw
them, had television cameras, and it would just come in, here
it's coming, here comes this building, and all of a sudden,
it'd take that building out. Now, right over here, it didn't
hurt anything. Smart bomb. That wasn't a hurt
without distinction. It got just exactly what it wanted. Whatever it was going after.
Because of sin, Man deserved judgment. And to send judgment
in itself, God Almighty would be right. He said, I'm a just
God. But He said, I'm a Savior. And
He said, I'm going to have compassion on whom I'm going to have compassion.
All men born in Adam say this in their hearts, I don't believe
God. That's exactly what they're saying.
When the Lord told Adam, He says, In the day that you eat thereof,
you're going to surely die. Adam disbelieved God. 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 10 to
7 says, Because they receive not the love of the truth, that
they might be saved. They didn't do it because they
don't do it. For this cause, for this cause,
because a man does not believe God, because he's a rebel against
Almighty God, and every man, every woman outside of Christ
is a rebel against God, because they receive not the love of
the truth, for this cause God shall send them strong delusion
that they should believe a lie, that they might be damned who
believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
Because a man believes not God, God said, I'm going to send it. Who sends it? The Scripture says,
God Almighty, for this cause, God shall send them Strong delusion
that they should believe a lie. These four winds are being held
by the messengers of Almighty God. All power is given in heaven
and earth unto Him. And the Scripture says that these
four angels hold the four winds of the earth. But the Mediator
steps up. and says, until they are sealed,
don't send it. This, John 3.19, is the condemnation. This is the judgment that light
is coming to the world and men love darkness rather than light
because their deeds were evil. Romans 5.12 says, Wherefore,
as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin.
So death passed upon all men, for all have sinned." So in Adam,
all deserve in themselves judgment. They deserve judgment. But because
of God's mercy and grace, there is a remnant according to grace
that shall be sealed and preserved. If you believe this morning,
do you know why you believe? Because Almighty God has kept
you. Number one, from Himself. Number
two, from yourself. Sealed. Protected. Kept. What makes you think that
you believe something and had the power to believe it over
and above anybody else? Who do we think we are? strong delusion, the mercy and
grace and compassion of Almighty God toward all that He has everlastingly
loved will not permit judgment, judgment to damnation to fall
upon His people. Why? Because His judgment has
already fallen upon His blessed Son because God Almighty is just. It's the Lord Jesus Christ who
seals His people. If God would not seal them, they
would surely perish. He seals them because, number
one, He knows who they are. Their names. He told them, He
said, don't hurt, Bertha, hurt not the earth, neither the sea.
Don't hurt the earth. It's the inheritance of God's
people. and earth peace. Don't hurt it without distinction. Remember what that word means. Don't hurt it without distinction.
Don't hurt the seed, all mankind, without distinction. Why? Because
there's some of God's people there. Don't hurt the trees,
the trees of righteousness, the elect of God, till we have sealed
the servants of our God in their foreheads, their names, been
everlasting. Look at Isaiah 43. Their names
have been everlastingly known by Almighty God. Isaiah 43, 1-7,
But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, he that
formed thee, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have
called thee by thy name, thou art mine. When thou passest through
the waters, I will be with thee. Through the rivers, they shall
not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned. Neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee." I'm going to read through verse 7 here, but as
I was reading that this morning, reading over that Scripture again,
I thought to myself, oh, that Almighty God would remind me
of that every day. And in that day, in that day,
when if God is pleased to take me before the Lord Jesus Christ
comes to take all of His own, in that day, would He be pleased
to remind me? He said, when you go through
the waters, I'll be with you. The waters of trial, the waters
of this world's tribulation and testing, They won't overflow
you. When you walk through the fire,
thou shalt not be burned, neither shalt the flame kindle. For I,
verse 3, am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior.
I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my
sight, thou hast been honorable. I have loved thee. Therefore
will I give men for thee, and thy people, and people for thy
life. Fear not, for I am with thee.
I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the
west. I will say to the north, give up. To the south, keep not
back. Bring my sons from far and my
daughters from the ends of the earth, even every one that is
called by my name. For I have created him for my
glory. I have formed him. Yea, I have
made him." These are the servants of Almighty God. They were the servants of sin,
but now they have a new nature, reborn, created in Christ Jesus. And this seal that the Lord said,
this angel, he says, hold back, don't sin, don't sin, judgment,
until I've sealed my servants. This seal identifies and ratifies
or approves the elect. They are identified as partakers
of the Holy Ghost. They speak of Christ. How do
I know? Because the Spirit of God by
which they are sealed speaks of Him. That's what the Lord
said, the Comforter. And they are ratified or approved
because of the righteousness of Christ that robes them. So the angel or messenger of
the covenant, he says, hurt not the earth seed trees, till we've
sealed the servants of our God, now look at this, in their foreheads. And we'll have to stop with this,
but let me just finish this part right here, that last part, till
we've sealed them in their foreheads. Now we're going to deal with
this more and more as we get into it. I know how the Scripture
talks about the 666 Let me just shed a little light
that I think the Lord has taught me on this thing in their foreheads.
This term, in their foreheads, occurs eight times in the Bible.
All of them in this book right here, the book of Revelation.
In this forehead, in their forehead, it refers, number one, to the
father's possession of them. I'll show you that in Revelation
14. Revelation 14, verse 1, it says, And I looked, and lo, a
lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him 144,000 having his
father's name written in their foreheads. So I know that when
it says, till we've sealed them in their foreheads, it refers,
number one, to God's possession of them. Secondly, it refers
to the Father's knowledge and His love for them in 2 Timothy. Let me just read this to you.
2 Timothy 2.19, Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, that we've sealed them in their foreheads. What seal is that, Paul? What
seal are you talking about? Having this seal. This is the
seal. The Lord knoweth them that are
His. There's the seal right there
in their foreheads. In their foreheads speaks thirdly
of their attitude or their mind toward Almighty God. Or let me
say it like this, it's what they think of Christ. What think ye
of Christ? That's what the Lord asks. What
think ye of Christ? Let me show you something that
gives the opposite spectrum. Revelation 17. Revelation 17, 3. So He carried
me away in the Spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman
sit upon a scarlet-colored beast full of names of blasphemy, having
seven heads, seven horns. And the woman was arrayed in
purple, scarlet color, decked with gold and precious stones
and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations
and filthiness of her fornication. And upon her forehead was a name
written, Mystery Babylon, the great, the mother of harlots
and abominations of the earth. And I saw the woman drunken with
the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.
And when I saw her, I wondered with a great admiration. There was a name written on her
forehead. And this is what she said. This
is what it said. I'm a rebel against God. Until
these are sealed in their forehead, until they are set forth, protected,
shown to be God's and God's knowledge and love for them, judgment is
not going to be sent. Because when this judgment comes,
and I've said before, don't think that it's something that's coming
next week or next year in 50 years. This judgment's here. Right now, this judgment is already
here. This judgment has already been
sent. But the only reason that God's
people don't believe a lie is because God Almighty was pleased
to call them out of darkness, sealed them by His Spirit, taught
them who He was and who they were. He kept them. Kept them by His grace. Well,
let's just stop there. Lord willing, we'll just pick
right up tonight and start in verse 4 and we'll go from there.