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In Genesis 49, we see Jacob on his deathbed and his sons gathered around him: "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to your father Israel". One after another he calls them by name and gives each one an appropriate blessing. The twelve tribes of Israel first appear in the book of Genesis but will continue to emerge throughout the Bible – in Exodus, Joshua, Judges, Chronicles and Ezekiel, Matthew, Luke, Acts, James, and, finally, in the book of Revelation. With all its flaws and failures, the people of Israel never ceased to be a chosen people of God. From the first book of Scripture to the last, He never lost sight of them.
In Revelation 7 a mighty angel commands the other 4 angels to hold the harming winds until 144,000 servants of God from all the tribes of Israel will be sealed with a special seal on their foreheads. As we will notice further, when reading Revelation chapters 8 and 9, this seal will protect them from the wrath of God that will fall on the inhabitants of the earth. Keep watching for these servants in Revelation; they will be entrusted with a special mission at the end of times. They will also be the ones who will go through the tribulation, together with a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language.
In today's chapter, this multitude is standing before the throne and before the Lamb and proclaiming His salvation. They are in white robes, but the price they paid is a costly one – These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7: 14). But "the Lamb will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7: 17)
Father, I come before You today. Holy Spirit, cleanse me and fill me. Lead me as I read the Word. Jesus, speak to me, touch my heart, open my eyes, reveal Yourself, renew my mind, strengthen my faith. Amen.
read revelation 7
read revelation 7
144,000 sealed
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.
2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:
3 ‘Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’
4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
The great multitude in white robes
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
10 And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’
11 All the angels were standing round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshipped God,
12 saying: ‘Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!’
13 Then one of the elders asked me, ‘These in white robes – who are they, and where did they come from?’
14 I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore, ‘they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16 “Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,” nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; “he will lead them to springs of living water.” “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” ’
Take a moment to ponder on what you've read and respond to God in prayer.
INTERCESSION
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12)
PRAYER
Pray for the persecuted church. Around 365 million Christians are subject to high levels of persecution and discrimination. 1 in 7 Christians are persecuted worldwide.
Pray for the top ten most persecuted countries in the world (according to the World Watch list) – North Korea, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Yemen, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Iran, and Afghanistan.
"If we sit at home and do nothing, we would be safe. But what kind of Christians would we be if we weren't risking our lives for others to know Life?” (Saleh (name changed), a Yemeni Christian who has started a house church network in the country).
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