The people sealed as God’s own
Revelation 7:1-8
7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2 I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.”
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel:
5 From the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,
6 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,
7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed.
The destruction of the previous passage seemed total and inescapable, that those who survived the death connected with the first 4 seals (Rev. 6:1-8) would face destruction with the opening of the 5th seal. But the passage we have just read invites us to not be so quick to make that assumption.
The four angels who hold the power of bring damage to earth and sea and trees, to the creation, are told to hold back the winds of destruction until the servants of God have been sealed, marked, as belonging to God. The destruction of the earth will not take place until God’s own have been marked, sealed, as belonging to God, the One who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, Jesus Christ. In the ancient world, people in positions of power used their seals in wax or other material to mark that something belonged to them. Even in the midst of destruction God’s people will be known and acknowledged by God as belonging to God.
144,000 people are sealed – 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. And we are now into one of the much-debated texts from Revelation. Twelve is a number that represents all of something. Twelve tribes of Israel, twelve disciples, twelve baskets of food left over after feeding the 5,000, heaven is built on a foundation of 12 precious stones and has 12 gates (Rev. 21:17-21). Therefore the 12,000 (I believe) is a symbolic number – representing the full number of those who are part of God’s people within a nation, or tribe, or people group. The 12 tribes of Israel (I think) stand in here for all nations of the world (especially when we see what takes place next in chapter 7). Twelve times twelve – the complete number times the complete number. The full number of God’s people will be marked as belonging to God, no one will be left out, no one overlooked, no one missed. (I know there are other interpretations of the 144,000, but this is the one that sits well in my heart.)
PRAYER:
O Lord, we rejoice that you will not abandon your people. In all the fears and conflicts of our time you remain faithful in your care for your children. In Jesus’ name. Amen.