Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great crowd that no one was able to number, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes and with palm branches in their hands. And they were crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Praise and glory, and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen!” (Revelation 7:9-12)

Chapter five and six deal with the book that has seven seals (only the first six are opened here). Who is worthy of breaking the seals and opening it and then the results of opening it. Only Jesus was worthy. The slain Lamb. When the seals are opened, various things happen on the Earth (symbolically, spiritually, or physically). All have the same result: they show where the real glory and power reside – with and in God Almighty. No one can stand against them or turn them away. Depending on whether you’re connected to God as your Source or opposing Him, depends on how you perceive them. They can be events that happen or catastrophes to hide from in terror.

Chapter seven is the sealing of the 144,000. It happens after the sixth seal and before the seventh seal. The 144,000 who are sealed are Jews, not Gentiles, and from the 12 tribes of Israel (no lost tribes). Innumerable Gentiles are shown here as servants of the Lord, and all New Covenant believers are sealed by Holy Spirit (Jew or Gentile – 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13). These appear to be non-Messianic Jews.

Chapter eight is the opening of the seventh seal and the start of the sounding of the trumpets (or shofars), which continues through chapter 11. The seventh seal gives the trumpets to specific angels to blow in order. Chapter nine starts the blowing of the trumpets. Each one heralds an event. Not a pleasant event. A catastrophe of one kind or another. They are clearly not meant as a punishment for punishment’s sake. They are not purely a judgment on past or current behaviour. They are (Revelation 9:20-21) meant to show the might of God and give opportunity for humanity to choose to side with Him and repent from their wickedness. To choose Him and to turn back to Him. It reads much like many parenting techniques where we seek to enforce positive behaviour so our children will choose that behaviour over behaviour that is wrong or destructive (especially to themselves). Here God is giving humanity another opportunity to align with His moral character. 

Summary

Key Players: God, Jesus, John

Key Verse(s): Revelation 5:6-10; 6:15-17; 7:13-17; 8:1-5; 9:17-21