Who Can Stand?
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Who Can Stand?
1. The Power of the Divine Seal
Revelation 7 opens with a pause in the judgment narrative from chapter 6. Before further calamities unfold, four angels hold back the winds of destruction until the servants of God are sealed. This seal is not one of visibility but of identity—a spiritual mark that signifies God’s ownership and protection over His people.
The seal signifies:
Protection through trials
Endurance in faith
Spiritual security, not necessarily physical safety
This sealing is echoed in the New Testament:
"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13).
"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30).
This seal is what enables believers to stand in the midst of tribulation. It's the mark of belonging to God and the empowerment to remain faithful despite opposition.
2. The Identity of the Sealed Servants
John hears the number of the sealed: 144,000 from every tribe of Israel. Who are they? Interpretations vary:
Some view them as literal ethnic Jews who come to faith during the tribulation.
Others view them symbolically as the complete people of God—Jews and Gentiles alike.
Several observations support the symbolic view:
Consider the Number
12 (tribes or apostles) × 12 × 1,000 = 144,000. This is a symbolic number representing completeness.
Consider the List
Judah is listed first, not Reuben, emphasizing the Messiah’s tribe.
Dan and Ephraim are missing, possibly due to historical associations with idolatry.
The uniqueness of this list suggests it has theological, not genealogical, purpose.
Consider What's Heard and Seen
John hears about the 144,000, but then sees a great multitude that no one can count from every nation, tribe, people, and language. This mirrors a previous pattern in Revelation (e.g., hearing about the Lion but seeing the Lamb).
Consider the "Israel of God"
Paul redefines true Israel in Romans 2 and Galatians:
True Israel = all who belong to Christ
Believers are Abraham’s offspring by faith
The church is referred to as the "Israel of God" in Galatians 6
3. The Blessing of the Design of God
Celebrate the Expansive Family of God
Verse 9 reveals a breathtaking image: a multitude no one can count, worshiping before the throne. This diverse and united gathering from every nation speaks to the global reach of the gospel and the unity found in Christ.
Their praise includes seven attributes: blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might—a perfect act of worship.
Embrace the Victory of the Lamb
The elder asks, "Who are these in white robes?" They are those who have come out of the great tribulation, who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.
Their defining characteristic isn’t earthly power or prestige. It's that they have been cleansed by Christ. This is a humbling and liberating truth. Our witness doesn't come from strength but from redemption.
The blood of the Lamb makes the unclean clean, the broken whole, the excluded included. If you think your past disqualifies you, know that Christ is eager to make you new.
Rejoice in God's Eternal Provision
The chapter closes with a vision of ultimate comfort:
Serving God day and night
Sheltered by His presence
Free from hunger, thirst, scorching heat
Shepherded by the Lamb
Guided to springs of living water
Every tear wiped away
This is not just the absence of pain—it is the fullness of joy. The promise is not merely endurance through judgment, but delight in God’s presence forever.
Conclusion
So who can stand?
Those who have been sealed by God. Those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. Those who trust in Christ and walk in His ways.
This chapter is both warning and assurance. God’s judgment is real, but so is His mercy and provision for His people. We do not stand in our strength but in the grace of Jesus, the Lamb who was slain and now reigns.
SERMON DETAILS
Speaker: Jeff McNicol
Series: Revelation
Sermon Title: Who Can Stand?
Date: Apr 21, 2024
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Revelation 6
Revelation 7
Ephesians 1:13–14
Ephesians 4:30
Galatians 3:29
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