The Last Seal

 

    At this point in John's story, Jesus has opened the first six seals that closed the scroll.  This is a special scroll because Jesus is the only one that was able to open it.  We are now on the seventh seal.  However some things happen between the sixth and seventh seal being opened.

    Four angels stood at the four corners of the earth (that was reshaped on by the sixth seal).  They were holding back the wind, so that no wind could blow.  It is a powerful force to be able to restrain something unseen.  They are the calm before the storm,  

    Another angel from the east came with the power of the seal to give orders to the four angels holding back the wind.  He ordered them not to harm the earth, nature, or sea until the seal of salvation was on the foreheads of God's servants.  

    This seal is set for 144,000 souls, that are still alive at this point, from Israel's 12 tribes.  It is the sign of ownership.  I say alive because the Holy Spirit is the seal of ownership in all Christians that are alive until this time of great tribulation.  The 12 tribes each get 12,000 people to have the seal. 

    Next John saw a gathering of nations that made an unnumerable multitude.  The people came from every nation to stand before Jesus in his white robes of judgment.  He was standing at his throne, so we know that it takes place in Heaven.  They cried out to Jesus about salvation belonging to him.  

    The angels, elders, and creatures worshipped Jesus saying blessings, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and strength belong to God forever.  An elder turned to John to ask who the people were in the white robes?  Where did they come from?  Heaven had been a select group for so long that anyone new would gather attention.  John told him he knew and the elder answered his own question.

    The multitudes came because of the great tribulation,  This tribulation made the people pure in their salvation and they came to obtain eternal joy.  They would serve God in his temple.  They would never experience hunger, thirst, being burned by the sun, or suffer from scorching heat.  Jesus shepherds them to the spring of life where the water takes away all their suffering and washes away their tears.

Revelations 7