the Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Sixteen - Q Aug 11, 2019 by: John Herbert | Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T002_20190811.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Rev 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. We shall begin to look at the 'male child' to see how 'he' relates to the type of Rahab the harlot at Jericho. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday August 11th 2019 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 16Q ‘Let Us Go On’ 1). Rev 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. We had seen last time how the ‘birth’ of the ‘male child’ will take place at the mid-point in the Tribulation. This is something clearly seen in the verses themselves, as following the birth of the child and his being caught up to God and His throne the woman is seen to flee into the wilderness where she will remain for 1260 days – 3 ½ years – the time of the Great Tribulation – Mt 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. In Matthew’s Gospel the flight of Israel into the surrounding Gentile nations is seen in v16 - 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. In both Revelation 12 and Matthew 24 metaphors are used to describe the Gentile lands into which Israel is to flee. The metaphor of ‘the wilderness’ is used in one and the metaphor of ‘the mountains’ is used in the other. And in v21 we find the words ‘great tribulation’ which are used to describe the unprecedented horror of these 3 ½ years – Mt 24:22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. Additional detail on this momentous time is given in Luke’s Gospel – Lk 21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. In Matthews Gospel the mid-point in the Tribulation is marked by ‘the abomination of desolation [Lit. the abomination that makes desolate], spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place’. a). We will remember that along with the peace treaty that the Antichrist will make ‘with many’ in Israel will come the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem with the reinstatement of the practices of the Levitical priesthood. b). And it will be at the mid-point of the Tribulation that Antichrist will enter the temple proclaiming that he is God – 2 Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. The very thing told to Daniel in the prophecy of the 70 weeks – Da 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.” The Antichrist entering the Temple and proclaiming that he is God marks the achievement of his worldwide dominion that will be his aim from the outset – Rev 6:1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. And in Luke’s Gospel, the abomination of desolation from Matthew is seen in conjunction with Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, the prelude to its desolation as the full force of the Beast and the Dragon are brought against the Jewish people. c). And that which will immediately precipitate the Antichrist’s worldwide dominion and his assault against Jerusalem and its people is seen in – Rev 13:1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And Satan will take the step of giving his power, throne and great authority to his son, the Antichrist, at this time because he and his angels will have been cast out of their place of rulership in the heavens and will no longer have access there – Rev 12:7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him………………12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” And it is the shortness of Satan’s time that accounts for the extraordinary events that surround the mid-point in the Tribulation and the unprecedented horrors that follow. d). And as we have already seen this morning, the focus for what comes at this time is the complete annihilation of the Jewish people and those who would be associated with them – Rev 12:13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the remnant of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The nation of Israel, as we have seen, will flee into the Gentile nations, will be taken captive and sold into slavery, or will die by the edge of the sword. But, for the remnant of the nation, those who comprise the ‘male child’ ‘who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ’, there is a different outcome – they are caught up to God and His throne. e). And these are the individuals that we see first introduced in Revelation Chapter 7. 2). Rev 6:12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” 7:1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: We might remember that the opening of the first 4 seals on the 7 sealed-scroll give a complete overview of the 7 years of the Tribulation and the events following the Lord’s return, with the opening of the remaining seals giving more detail and commentary on that seen with the first 4 seals. a). This means that we should not view the opening of each seal as part of a chronological sequence, but rather as a progressive revelation concerning the events that begin with the opening of the first seal and it is within the context of the utter devastation of Antichrist’s kingdom, progressively brought about through that pictured through the opening of the seals on the 7 sealed-scroll that we first encounter the 144000 ‘of all the tribes of the children of Israel’. a). And these individuals are sealed with the seal of the living God amidst a flurry of angelic activity – Rev 7:5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed………………… We will remember that at Kadesh Barnea one individual was appointed from each tribe to spy out the land which the Lord God was giving to them and then at Jericho 2 spies were selected to do the same and both these events parallel that now seen in Revelation Chapter 7. b). Instead of one person from each tribe we now have 12000 from each tribe – a number comprising 12 X 10 X10 X 10. c). These 144000 make up the ‘male child’, they are the remnant of Israel’s offspring. And we will now realize that the birth of the male child has nothing to do with an individual or natural childbirth, but figuratively represents those who come forth out of Israel, who are the first fruit of the nation as a whole. d). And what distinguishes these 144000 from the rest of the nation at this time is the fact that they ‘keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ’ – something that cannot be said of the entire nation until a time following the Lord’s return at the end of the Tribulation. e). And we will remember that the 144000 are those who will have come to eternal salvation through the ministry of the 2 witnesses during the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation – Rev 11:3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”………………….. 11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven. The death and resurrection of the 2 witnesses take us to the mid-point in the Tribulation once more, to the time when the 144000 are sealed and caught up to God and His throne. f). The great shaking that we see in Revelation 11:13 is the same great shaking seen at the end of Revelation Chapter 6. Such is the way that the Book of the Revelation has been constructed, with chapters dropping back to give more detail on events previously presented through the opening of the first 4 seals on the 7 sealed-scroll. g). And this is what we find following the introduction of the 144000 in Revelation Chapter 7 v4-8 – Rev 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” We see then that there is ‘a great multitude which no one could number’ and this great multitude has come from ‘all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues’. h). And we are left in no doubt as to the identity of this great multitude – Rev 7:13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and 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 dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” The great multitude seen here are the completed number of the martyrs introduced through the opening of the 5th seal on the 7 sealed-scroll seen in – Rev 6:9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. We see here in v9 that these martyrs ‘had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held’. And in Revelation Chapter 7 this completed group is seen immediately following the introduction of the 144000, the remnant that had the testimony of Jesus Christ – the same testimony for which the martyrs were slain. i). Simply then, the completed great multitude of martyrs are seen in conjunction with the 144000 following the time when they are sealed and caught up to God and His throne at the mid-point in the Tribulation. 3). To add the last piece to the picture we now need to go to Revelation Chapter 14. And as we do so let’s please keep in mind that we are not dealing with chronology, but with a progressive revealing of that which has already been introduced – Rev 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits [Lit. the first fruit] to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God. Here in Chapter 14 then we drop back to see additional information on the 144000 first introduced in Chapter 7 – ‘having His Father’s name written on their foreheads’ is the same as the seal of the living God with which they were sealed. a). The 144000 being redeemed from the earth is the same as them being caught up to God and His throne. And that which is then said about them, ‘the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins’, should not be taken literally, but figuratively, as a representation of their faithfulness having separated themselves from Antichrist’s kingdom and is the same as them keeping the commandments of God – hence no deceit was found in their mouths and ‘they are without fault before the throne of God’. b). Now, if we go to the verses at the end of Chapter 13 we can see the time period to be associated with the 144000 once again – Rev 13:15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. This is the time when ‘no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast’. We are again looking at the final 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation. a). So, the timeframe to be seen in conjunction with the 144000 has been set – the final 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation and then what follows in the verses concerning the 144000 now brings their ministry into view – Rev 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” There are 2 things we must keep in mind as we look at these verses. The Book of the Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ, the revealing of the Son who is heir of all things, who has been given the nations as His inheritance, who will rule over them with a rod of iron – everything is focused on the 7th Day, the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, the Age to come. b). That said it should be obvious to us that the word translated ‘everlasting’ in v6 should be ‘age lasting’ – the gospel concerning the Age – the gospel of the Kingdom. c). And secondly, angels are not the ones to whom this gospel has been given. It has been given to the Jews the nation called to be God’s witness to the Gentile world. And I wonder if the new song that only the 144000 can learn is a reference to the gospel of the Kingdom. d). The gospel seen in v6 that is to be preached ‘to those who dwell on the earth – to every nation, tribe, tongue and people’, is the gospel to be taken by the 144000 to be preached during the final 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation – Mt 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. And as a result of the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom by the 144000 an innumerable multitude will hear and believe and a great multitude of those who hear and believe will be killed for those beliefs forming the Tribulation martyrs of Revelation 6 and 7. e). And the 144000 are the first fruit to God and to the Lamb because they are the beginning of the main harvest, which will comprise the whole nation following repentance and resurrection, who during the Millennial Kingdom will take the gospel out to all the world in the antitype of that seen through Jonah – Jon 3:1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. And in the antitype of that seen through Joseph’s brothers in – Ge 45:25 Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And in the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom to every nation prior to the end of the age and prior to the complete destruction of Gentile world power we find the antitype of the mission of the 2 spies sent into Jericho and their encounter with Rahab the harlot – Jos 2:8 Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token, 13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.” Just as Rahab believed so will an innumerable number of Gentiles believe, also looking for the same promise. f). Clearly Rahab and her household were not ‘martyred’ but ‘endured to the end’ and were delivered from the destruction of Jericho. Therefore, to follow the type, there will be a great many Gentiles who will have received and believed the gospel of the Kingdom preached by the 144000 who will endure to the end and will come alive out of the Great Tribulation. And these eternally saved Gentiles who come alive out of the Tribulation we will have to deal with next time – if the Lord is willing. the Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Sixteen - Q Aug 11, 2019 Speaker: John Herbert Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T002_20190811.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Rev 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. We shall begin to look at the 'male child' to see how 'he' relates to the type of Rahab the harlot at Jericho. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday August 11th 2019 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 16Q ‘Let Us Go On’ 1). Rev 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. We had seen last time how the ‘birth’ of the ‘male child’ will take place at the mid-point in the Tribulation. This is something clearly seen in the verses themselves, as following the birth of the child and his being caught up to God and His throne the woman is seen to flee into the wilderness where she will remain for 1260 days – 3 ½ years – the time of the Great Tribulation – Mt 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. In Matthew’s Gospel the flight of Israel into the surrounding Gentile nations is seen in v16 - 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. In both Revelation 12 and Matthew 24 metaphors are used to describe the Gentile lands into which Israel is to flee. The metaphor of ‘the wilderness’ is used in one and the metaphor of ‘the mountains’ is used in the other. And in v21 we find the words ‘great tribulation’ which are used to describe the unprecedented horror of these 3 ½ years – Mt 24:22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. Additional detail on this momentous time is given in Luke’s Gospel – Lk 21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. In Matthews Gospel the mid-point in the Tribulation is marked by ‘the abomination of desolation [Lit. the abomination that makes desolate], spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place’. a). We will remember that along with the peace treaty that the Antichrist will make ‘with many’ in Israel will come the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem with the reinstatement of the practices of the Levitical priesthood. b). And it will be at the mid-point of the Tribulation that Antichrist will enter the temple proclaiming that he is God – 2 Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. The very thing told to Daniel in the prophecy of the 70 weeks – Da 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.” The Antichrist entering the Temple and proclaiming that he is God marks the achievement of his worldwide dominion that will be his aim from the outset – Rev 6:1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. And in Luke’s Gospel, the abomination of desolation from Matthew is seen in conjunction with Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, the prelude to its desolation as the full force of the Beast and the Dragon are brought against the Jewish people. c). And that which will immediately precipitate the Antichrist’s worldwide dominion and his assault against Jerusalem and its people is seen in – Rev 13:1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And Satan will take the step of giving his power, throne and great authority to his son, the Antichrist, at this time because he and his angels will have been cast out of their place of rulership in the heavens and will no longer have access there – Rev 12:7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him………………12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” And it is the shortness of Satan’s time that accounts for the extraordinary events that surround the mid-point in the Tribulation and the unprecedented horrors that follow. d). And as we have already seen this morning, the focus for what comes at this time is the complete annihilation of the Jewish people and those who would be associated with them – Rev 12:13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the remnant of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The nation of Israel, as we have seen, will flee into the Gentile nations, will be taken captive and sold into slavery, or will die by the edge of the sword. But, for the remnant of the nation, those who comprise the ‘male child’ ‘who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ’, there is a different outcome – they are caught up to God and His throne. e). And these are the individuals that we see first introduced in Revelation Chapter 7. 2). Rev 6:12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” 7:1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: We might remember that the opening of the first 4 seals on the 7 sealed-scroll give a complete overview of the 7 years of the Tribulation and the events following the Lord’s return, with the opening of the remaining seals giving more detail and commentary on that seen with the first 4 seals. a). This means that we should not view the opening of each seal as part of a chronological sequence, but rather as a progressive revelation concerning the events that begin with the opening of the first seal and it is within the context of the utter devastation of Antichrist’s kingdom, progressively brought about through that pictured through the opening of the seals on the 7 sealed-scroll that we first encounter the 144000 ‘of all the tribes of the children of Israel’. a). And these individuals are sealed with the seal of the living God amidst a flurry of angelic activity – Rev 7:5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed………………… We will remember that at Kadesh Barnea one individual was appointed from each tribe to spy out the land which the Lord God was giving to them and then at Jericho 2 spies were selected to do the same and both these events parallel that now seen in Revelation Chapter 7. b). Instead of one person from each tribe we now have 12000 from each tribe – a number comprising 12 X 10 X10 X 10. c). These 144000 make up the ‘male child’, they are the remnant of Israel’s offspring. And we will now realize that the birth of the male child has nothing to do with an individual or natural childbirth, but figuratively represents those who come forth out of Israel, who are the first fruit of the nation as a whole. d). And what distinguishes these 144000 from the rest of the nation at this time is the fact that they ‘keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ’ – something that cannot be said of the entire nation until a time following the Lord’s return at the end of the Tribulation. e). And we will remember that the 144000 are those who will have come to eternal salvation through the ministry of the 2 witnesses during the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation – Rev 11:3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”………………….. 11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven. The death and resurrection of the 2 witnesses take us to the mid-point in the Tribulation once more, to the time when the 144000 are sealed and caught up to God and His throne. f). The great shaking that we see in Revelation 11:13 is the same great shaking seen at the end of Revelation Chapter 6. Such is the way that the Book of the Revelation has been constructed, with chapters dropping back to give more detail on events previously presented through the opening of the first 4 seals on the 7 sealed-scroll. g). And this is what we find following the introduction of the 144000 in Revelation Chapter 7 v4-8 – Rev 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” We see then that there is ‘a great multitude which no one could number’ and this great multitude has come from ‘all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues’. h). And we are left in no doubt as to the identity of this great multitude – Rev 7:13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and 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 dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” The great multitude seen here are the completed number of the martyrs introduced through the opening of the 5th seal on the 7 sealed-scroll seen in – Rev 6:9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. We see here in v9 that these martyrs ‘had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held’. And in Revelation Chapter 7 this completed group is seen immediately following the introduction of the 144000, the remnant that had the testimony of Jesus Christ – the same testimony for which the martyrs were slain. i). Simply then, the completed great multitude of martyrs are seen in conjunction with the 144000 following the time when they are sealed and caught up to God and His throne at the mid-point in the Tribulation. 3). To add the last piece to the picture we now need to go to Revelation Chapter 14. And as we do so let’s please keep in mind that we are not dealing with chronology, but with a progressive revealing of that which has already been introduced – Rev 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits [Lit. the first fruit] to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God. Here in Chapter 14 then we drop back to see additional information on the 144000 first introduced in Chapter 7 – ‘having His Father’s name written on their foreheads’ is the same as the seal of the living God with which they were sealed. a). The 144000 being redeemed from the earth is the same as them being caught up to God and His throne. And that which is then said about them, ‘the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins’, should not be taken literally, but figuratively, as a representation of their faithfulness having separated themselves from Antichrist’s kingdom and is the same as them keeping the commandments of God – hence no deceit was found in their mouths and ‘they are without fault before the throne of God’. b). Now, if we go to the verses at the end of Chapter 13 we can see the time period to be associated with the 144000 once again – Rev 13:15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. This is the time when ‘no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast’. We are again looking at the final 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation. a). So, the timeframe to be seen in conjunction with the 144000 has been set – the final 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation and then what follows in the verses concerning the 144000 now brings their ministry into view – Rev 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” There are 2 things we must keep in mind as we look at these verses. The Book of the Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ, the revealing of the Son who is heir of all things, who has been given the nations as His inheritance, who will rule over them with a rod of iron – everything is focused on the 7th Day, the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, the Age to come. b). That said it should be obvious to us that the word translated ‘everlasting’ in v6 should be ‘age lasting’ – the gospel concerning the Age – the gospel of the Kingdom. c). And secondly, angels are not the ones to whom this gospel has been given. It has been given to the Jews the nation called to be God’s witness to the Gentile world. And I wonder if the new song that only the 144000 can learn is a reference to the gospel of the Kingdom. d). The gospel seen in v6 that is to be preached ‘to those who dwell on the earth – to every nation, tribe, tongue and people’, is the gospel to be taken by the 144000 to be preached during the final 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation – Mt 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. And as a result of the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom by the 144000 an innumerable multitude will hear and believe and a great multitude of those who hear and believe will be killed for those beliefs forming the Tribulation martyrs of Revelation 6 and 7. e). And the 144000 are the first fruit to God and to the Lamb because they are the beginning of the main harvest, which will comprise the whole nation following repentance and resurrection, who during the Millennial Kingdom will take the gospel out to all the world in the antitype of that seen through Jonah – Jon 3:1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. And in the antitype of that seen through Joseph’s brothers in – Ge 45:25 Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And in the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom to every nation prior to the end of the age and prior to the complete destruction of Gentile world power we find the antitype of the mission of the 2 spies sent into Jericho and their encounter with Rahab the harlot – Jos 2:8 Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token, 13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.” Just as Rahab believed so will an innumerable number of Gentiles believe, also looking for the same promise. f). Clearly Rahab and her household were not ‘martyred’ but ‘endured to the end’ and were delivered from the destruction of Jericho. Therefore, to follow the type, there will be a great many Gentiles who will have received and believed the gospel of the Kingdom preached by the 144000 who will endure to the end and will come alive out of the Great Tribulation. And these eternally saved Gentiles who come alive out of the Tribulation we will have to deal with next time – if the Lord is willing.