{"id":30198,"date":"2024-03-01T22:00:57","date_gmt":"2024-03-02T05:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/revelation-6_1-17-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-02-20T22:50:16","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T05:50:16","slug":"revelation-7_1-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/revelation-7_1-17\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Jesus\u2019 Blood"},"content":{"rendered":"

Revelation\u00a0 7:1-17\u00a0 \u00a0 (CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today’s passage is\u00a0Revelation 7:1-17.\u00a0 As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Revelation<\/em><\/strong>\u00a07<\/em><\/strong>:<\/em><\/strong>1<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n1<\/sup>\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0After 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.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse\u00a01:\u00a0 After the sixth seal is broken, John sees four angels holding back \u201cthe four winds of the earth\u201d (v1), effectively stopping any wind from blowing on the earth.\u00a0 According to some scientists, if there was no more wind on the earth, much of the earth would become uninhabitable, temperatures on the earth would become either extremely hot or extremely cold, mass migration would lead to coastal regions being heavily populated, marine life would die, widespread famine would occur and many people would not be able to survive.<\/p>\n

Similarly,\u00a0we need the wind of the Holy Spirit in our lives.\u00a0 Without the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus likens to a wind (see John 3:8), our spiritual lives would dry out.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Revelation<\/em><\/strong>\u00a07<\/em><\/strong>:2-3 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n2\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0Then 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:\u00a0<\/em>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0“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.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 2-3:\u00a0 Before the four angels are allowed to continue holding back the wind and in so doing damage the earth, another angel bearing the seal of God calls out to them and tells them not to harm the earth this way until the foreheads of God\u2019s servants have been sealed.\u00a0 The seal, which might look like a stamp or an embossing, served as a symbol of God\u2019s ownership and approval, giving the sealed person access to God\u2019s special blessing and protection.<\/p>\n

Similarly, do you know that\u00a0when you place your faith in Jesus Christ, the Bible says that you are marked in Him with a seal<\/strong>, that is, the Holy Spirit?\u00a0 See Ephesians\u00a01:13.\u00a0\u00a0The Holy Spirit in your life is the seal of God\u2019s ownership and approval over your life, giving you access to God\u2019s special blessing and protection.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Revelation<\/em><\/strong>\u00a07<\/em><\/strong>:4-8 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n4\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.\u00a0<\/em>
\n5\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000,\u00a0<\/em>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,\u00a0<\/em>
\n7<\/sup>\u00a0\u00a0from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,\u00a0<\/em>
\n8\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 4-8:\u00a0 Here it is announced that 144,000 people have been sealed and who presumably gain access to some special blessing or protection from God.\u00a0 \u00a0Despite verse 4 saying that the 144,000 are \u201cfrom all the tribes of Israel\u201d, this list of tribes is peculiar in that it omits the tribe of Dan, includes the tribe of Joseph and his son Manasseh while omitting Joseph\u2019s other son Ephraim.\u00a0 Various scholars have speculated as to why, with some thinking that Dan was omitted because Dan was the first tribe to commit idolatry.\u00a0 Still, all of this is speculation.<\/p>\n

More importantly, who are the 144,000 listed here?\u00a0 Is the 144,000 number meant to be literal or symbolic?\u00a0 Are the 144,000 different from the \u201cgreat multitude that no one can count\u201d in verse 9?\u00a0 There are many interpretations out there.\u00a0 Some interpreters believe that the 144,000 is a figurative symbol for the Christian church (which in reality has many more than 144,000 people such that 144,000 is symbolic of perfection).<\/p>\n

Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses use this passage to teach that literally only 144,000 humans will go to heaven and rule with Christ, while all other human beings will go neither to heaven nor to hell but remain on earth.\u00a0 This teaching, I would submit, is a misunderstanding of Scripture.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the best interpretation is that the 144,000 refers to Jewish Christians (\u201cfrom all the tribes of Israel\u201d) while the great multitude in verse 9 refers to Gentile Christians \u201cfrom every nation, tribe, people and language\u201d (v9).\u00a0 This interpretation is supported by the fact that John seems to distinguish the 144,000 in verse 4 from the great multitude in verse 9 both in terms of ethnic background and sheer number.\u00a0 This latter interpretation also brings to life for us a little more what Paul writes when he says, \u201cI am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:\u00a0first for the Jew<\/em>,\u00a0then for the Gentile<\/em>\u201d (Romans\u00a01:16), since the Jewish believers are counted first, and then the Gentile multitude appears in the verses that follow.<\/p>\n

Revelation<\/em><\/strong>\u00a07<\/em><\/strong>:9-17 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n9\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0After 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 in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.\u00a0<\/em>
\n10\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”\u00a0<\/em>
\n11\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,\u00a0<\/em>
\n12\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”\u00a0<\/em>
\n13\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes–who are they, and where did they come from?”\u00a0<\/em>
\n14\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0I 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.\u00a0<\/em>
\n15\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.\u00a0<\/em>
\n16\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.\u00a0<\/em>
\n17\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0For the Lamb at the center 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.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 9-17:\u00a0 Here we see a beautiful picture of \u201ca great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb\u201d (v9).\u00a0 Robed in white and holding palm branches (v9b), they worship God the Father and Jesus the Son in a loud voice (v10), with the angels, elders and four living creatures saying \u201cAmen!\u201d and giving God their praise as well (v11-12).<\/p>\n

Who is this great multitude?\u00a0 This great multitude most likely represents Gentile believers \u201cwho have come out of the great tribulation\u201d (v14a).\u00a0 What great tribulation is verse 14 referring to?\u00a0 It is the formidable period of suffering and judgment that\u00a0Revelation\u00a06 and the beginning of\u00a0Revelation\u00a07\u00a0describe.<\/p>\n

The elder also explains to John that the people in this great multitude \u201chave washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb\u201d (v14b).\u00a0 Because their robes have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, they now get to enjoy the following:<\/p>\n

–\u00a0They are before God\u2019s throne (v15), that is, they are always living in the presence of the King;
\n–\u00a0They serve day and night in God\u2019s temple (v15). In other words, there isn\u2019t a day or night when they don\u2019t have a purpose to live for;
\n–\u00a0The One on the throne will spread His tent over them (v15).\u00a0 In other words, the King will cover them in His presence and protection;
\n–\u00a0They will never hunger, thirst or suffer again (v16);
\n–\u00a0Jesus the Lamb will be their shepherd, leading them to springs of living water (v17).\u00a0 Springs of living water are a symbol for the joy of the Holy Spirit;
\n–\u00a0God the Father will wipe away every tear from their eyes (v17).\u00a0 In other words, they will experience heaven\u2019s comfort and healing for their pain.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0It is only through the blood of Jesus that we can be washed and purified of sin and become acceptable before God (v14b).\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>When you wash in the blood of the Lamb, that is,\u00a0when you trust in Jesus\u2019 shed blood to forgive you of your sins, you get to experience blessings that you could never earn yourself<\/strong>.\u00a0 Some of these blessings Christians get to experience in part on earth and even more so in heaven, while others will be realized only in heaven:<\/p>\n

–\u00a0Eternal life with God the King;
\n–\u00a0A purpose for living every day;
\n–\u00a0God\u2019s presence and protection;
\n–\u00a0Freedom from any more suffering in heaven;
\n–\u00a0The care, protection and leadership of Jesus the Lamb who leads us to experience joy in the Holy Spirit;
\n–\u00a0Total healing and comfort for your pain in heaven.<\/p>\n

Father, thank You for the wind of Your Holy Spirit who breathes new life in me.\u00a0 Jesus, thank You so much for Your blood that cleanses me of all unrighteousness.\u00a0 Holy Spirit, come and fill me today that I would live for Your glory.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2021 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today’s passage is\u00a0Revelation 7:1-17.\u00a0 As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Revelation\u00a07:1\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0
\n1\u00a0\u00a0After 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.<\/p>\n

On verse\u00a01:\u00a0 After the sixth seal is broken, John sees four angels holding back \u201cthe four winds of the earth\u201d (v1), effectively stopping any wind from blowing on the earth.\u00a0 According to some scientists, if there was no more wind on the earth, much of the earth would become uninhabitable, temperatures on the earth would become either extremely hot or extremely cold, mass migration would lead to coastal regions being heavily populated, marine life would die, widespread famine would occur and many people would not be able to survive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30200,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30198"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30198\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30201,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30198\/revisions\/30201"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}