See also sermon outline: March 16 - Dan Does Not Make It Home
The
Wind Is Restrained
Verse
1-3 – And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners
of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow
on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel
ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a
loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the
sea, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have
sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
I. Purpose of this chapter.
A.
To relate
the gracious provision of God upon his elect Jews on this earth and the elect
Gentiles in heaven.
1.
Even
though God in his wrath will soon be pouring out his vengeance upon this wicked
world, there are still his elect scattered throughout the world.
2.
God is
gracious to his children who will soon be saved, showing them kindness and mercy
while avenging the blood of those who have killed other of his children, as
related in the opening of the fifth seal.
3.
It is
fairly simple to read the first three verses of this chapter and understand that
the destruction that is coming on the earth will be delayed, or that the
destruction will not affect the elect of God, until the servants of God are
sealed.
B.
After
these things…
1.
This
statement is important because it establishes an unbroken timeline between the
opening of the sixth and seventh seal.
2.
The
preterists will state chapter seven relates to the destruction of the nation of
Rome and the subsequent salvation of many Jews and Gentiles during the times of
the Gentiles.
3.
The
futurists will understand all the events of Revelation are future, and see the
future salvation of 144,000 Jews and an innumerable company of Gentiles.
II.
Four angels, four corners and four winds:
A.
Four
angels.
1.
There are
two scriptures that speak of four angels.
a.
Zechariah
6:5 – And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits
of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
b.
Revelation
9:14-15 – Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four
angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were
loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for
to slay the third part of men.
2.
Zechariah
6:5 ties the four angels with the four horsemen of Revelation 6, while
Revelation 9:14-15 explains the judgment brought by the four angels is withheld
from the opening of the sixth seal until the sounding of the sixth trumpet.
a.
The
purpose for the withholding of judgment upon this world is given to the saints
under the altar in Revelation 6:11 – there are other elect that must be saved
and killed during the tribulation period.
b.
Zechariah
explains another purpose for the withholding of judgment is to complete the
restoration of the nation of Israel in preparation for their King: Jesus Christ,
whom they will see as the Messiah/Saviour.
3.
It is
important to understand the setting of Zechariah.
a.
Zechariah
1-6 is a vision of present and power of deliverance.
b.
Zechariah
1:1 states that Zechariah wrote in 520 BC, which is the 2nd year
Darius.
1.)
Work on
rebuilding the temple of God was started in 536 BC and continued seven years to
529 BC.
2.)
Building
ceased for nine years, but was restarted in 520 BC because of the preaching of
Zechariah and Haggai.
3.)
Just as
the work of rebuilding the temple under Zerubbabel ceased, the nation of Israel
also ceased being a world power, but will be reinstated under Christ.
c.
Zechariah
1:7-8 – Zechariah sees the four horses under the Myrtle tree, which represents
the coming restoration of Jerusalem and Israel.
1.)
According
to Zechariah 1:12-17 Jerusalem will be restored.
2.)
Zechariah
1:18-21 describe four horns which scattered Jerusalem, then four carpenters
which will fray the four horns and
cast the Gentiles out of Jerusalem.
3.)
Zechariah
2:1-5 is a man who attempts to measure Jerusalem, but is told Jerusalem will not
be measured, for it will be without walls for the multitude of people within its
protection (during the millennium).
4.)
Zechariah
2:6-13 speaks of the bringing together of Jerusalem, which had been scattered
through the entire world and how Christ will dwell among them, and all nations
shall belong to Christ.
5.)
Zechariah
3 reveals the unworthiness of Israel and the glory of Christ who redeems his
people.
6.)
Chapter 4
(especially verse 6) gives the key to Israel’s restoration – Jesus Christ.
a.)
Zerubbabel,
of verse 6, is the head of the tribe of Judah at the end of the Babylon
captivity under Cyrus.
b.)
Zerubbabel
immediately took his true position and led Israel to return to Israel, first
rebuilding the altar on its old site, and reestablishing the daily sacrifice and
correct worship of God.
c.)
This
Zerubbabel, in this position, represents Christ, who is our daily sacrifice, and
who leads us in correct worship of God Almighty.
7.)
Chapter
5:1-4 speaks of a flying roll, which is a curse upon the entire world.
8.)
Chapter
5:5-11 speaks a kingdom of lead, which will sink, of course.
This kingdom of lead is pagan Babylon revived (also spoken of as the
revived Roman Empire), which is destroyed in Revelation 18.
9.)
Chapter 6
speaks of the four horses of Revelation, and the victory of Christ over Satan
and his evil kingdom.
4.
Revelation
9:14-15 reveals the judgment of God begun in Zechariah will continue until the
opening of the first four seals, then the judgment will be put on hold again
until the opening of the 6th seal.
a.
It is
easy to see why the souls under the altar would ask, …How long, O Lord,
holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on
the earth?
b.
We often
impatiently judge God, thinking he isn’t going to do anything because we
don’t see it happening.
B.
Four
corners.
1.
Scriptures:
a.
Isaiah
11:12 – And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble
the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four
corners of the earth.
b.
Ezekiel
7:2 – Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD unto the land of
Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.
c.
Both of
the above scriptures speak of the extremity of the earth giving up the remnant
of the elect, and of the end of the age coming to the extremities of the earth.
d.
Isaiah
40:22 states, It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the
inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a
curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
1.)
God never
intended his disciples to believe the earth is flat or that he is shaped like a
box, or that it has corners like a house.
2.)
Some
people like to point out what they consider to be inconsistencies, therefore
justify themselves in not believing God’s eternal truths.
2.
There is
a difference in the corners of the earth and the corners of a house.
The corners of the earth is described as the borders, the ends or
the extremity, while the corners of a house is where two sides meet.
a.
The
corner of the house could be described as the ends or the extremities
of the house.
b.
The earth
does not have four corners as a house has four corners.
c.
The earth
is a sphere, not a flat plain, or a box.
d.
There is
no such thing as the east or west pole, but there is a north and south pole.
3.
Many
scoff at the Bible because they do not understand the principles God is teaching
by the words he uses.
a.
There are
still people who believe in a flat earth, just as there are people who believe
almost anything.
b.
Many have
accused Christianity of opposing scientific proof of a spherical earth.
1.)
Of
course, some accuse Christianity of most anything in order to discredit
Christianity.
2.)
There is
no evidence that any of the “church fathers” believed in a flat earth –
Catholics or Protestants.
3.)
The
accusation is as good as fact for some.
4.
Why would
God allow his word to be interpreted in such a manner as to cause confusion?
a.
It would
have been very easy for God to cause the KJV translators to use the word
“extremities” instead of “corners”.
b.
Matthew
13:10-17 – Christ is asked why he spoke to the multitudes in parables, and did
not speak to them plainly.
1.)
Christ
explained to the disciples that the truths of the kingdom were not meant for the
multitude, but those truths are meant for the disciples.
2.)
People
who do not want to hear the truth willingly accept the parables as the whole
truth, not knowing there is a hidden truth.
c.
People
who want to find “errors” in the Bible are given “errors” to find.
d.
True
disciples, who believe the Bible to be true, may be confused, but their
confusion causes them to study more and seek the truth from Christ, not
depending on their intellect.
5.
The
document at the end of this file (copied from Answers in Genesis web site) gives
some facts concerning the history of the flat earth controversy.
a.
The links
are “live”, and should connect to the original file if there is an active
internet connection.
b.
It may be
necessary to copy/paste the link in your web browser.
C.
Four
winds refers to God’s power to destroy or conquer.
1.
The word
“wind” speaks not only of a physical movement of air, but also the movement
of the Holy Spirit of God.
a.
John 3:8
states, The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every
one that is born of the Spirit.
b.
Exodus
14:21 speaks of a strong east wind that blew all night to part the Red Sea.
1.)
A natural
wind would have to be extremely strong to blow apart the waters of the Red Sea,
or any body of water, even a small body of water.
2.)
A natural
wind that is strong enough to blow apart the waters of the Red Sea would also
blow away the Israelites and the Egyptians.
3.)
God
worked supernaturally in this wind to cause only the Red Sea to part, and stay
apart while the Israelites crossed on dry ground.
a.)
It is
important to understand the wind continued to blow, holding the Red Sea apart
while the Israelites were crossing, and continued to blow until all the
Egyptians were in the dry sea bed.
b.)
Just as
the Egyptians magicians could for a while produce the same miracles as Christ,
so the Egyptian army for a while were safe in the bed of the Sea while God’s
power kept the waters from them.
c.)
In the
morning, when the Lord looked on them through the protection afforded only to
Israel, they began to be defeated.
2.
The wind
not blowing on the earth, or sea, or on any tree reveals that God will halt all
his coming judgments until the saints are God are safe.
a.
It seems
the saints that are sealed during the tribulation period will die during the
tribulation period but they will be safe in the arms of Christ, even as they
suffer and die.
b.
We often
think of safety in the arms of Christ as not having to endure any affliction,
but God gives his safety and peace during the terrible storms of life.
c.
Matthew
10:28 states, And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill
the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell.
3.
Scriptures
that speak of God’s judgments in the wind.
a.
Jeremiah
49:36 And upon Elam will I bring
the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward
all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall
not come.
1.)
Elam is a
son of Shem and the name of the country lying east of Babylon toward the
Mediterranean sea.
2.)
Jeremiah
49:34-38 speaks of the destruction of Elam, while verse 39 speaks of the
restoration of Elam in the last days.
3.)
The words
“four winds” speak of the conquering of Elam by the sword of the Lord.
4.)
The word
“four quarters” speak of the extremity, or the “corner” as related in
Revelation 7:1.
b.
Daniel
7:2 Daniel spake and said, I saw
in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the
great sea.
1.)
As Daniel
observed, four great beasts came up from the great sea, which represents the
multitudes of this world.
2.)
The four
great beasts represent the kingdoms of Babylon, the Medes/Persian, the Grecians
and the Romans.
3.)
The
strivings of the four winds of heaven speak of the movement of the Holy Spirit
of God as various developments are made toward the establishment of Satan’s
kingdom.
c.
Daniel
8:8 Therefore the he goat waxed
very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came
up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
1.)
The four
winds of heaven reveal the dividing of the kingdom of Alexander the Great
happens as a result of the determination of God.
2.)
In
another of Daniel’s prophecies, the he goat (which represents the king of
Grecia [Greece], Alexander the Great), is given power by God and his kingdom is
dispersed to four other kings by the will and determination of God.
3.)
The
dividing of Alexander’s kingdom leads eventually to the kingdom that destroys
Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
4.)
There is
little doubt there are ramifications of this dispersion even to the end of the
world.
5.)
Daniel
11:4 states concerning the dividing of Alexander’s kingdom, And when he
shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the
four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion
which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside
those.
4.
Scriptures
that speak of God’s blessings being in the wind.
a.
Acts
2:1-4 reveals the rushing mighty wind that came into the upper room on the Day
of Pentecost was the Holy Spirit of God, baptizing the assembled church, filling
them with God’s power, and revealing that power to unbelievers.
1.)
This
passage is a good example of the combination of physical wind reflecting the
movement of the Holy Spirit of God.
2.)
It seems
there was a physical wind that filled the house, and made a sound, but the most
important part is the movement of the Holy Spirit of God.
b.
Ezekiel
37:9 Then said he unto me,
Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith
the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain,
that they may live.
1.)
Ezekiel
prophecies to the dead, dry bones as God commanded and flesh came upon them.
2.)
The four
winds breath upon these slain and gives them life, as Ezekiel prophesies to
them.
3.)
Preaching
causes dead dry sinners to have flesh, but only the power of God represented in
the four winds gives life.
c.
Zechariah
2:6 Ho, ho, come forth, and flee
from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the
four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.
1.)
This
passage relates to Israel returning to their inheritance after being scattered
through the places of the north, and to the four winds.
2.)
Israel is
called upon to rejoice for all that God is doing to return them to their
inheritance.
d.
God’s
elect shall be gathered from the four winds.
1.)
Matthew
24:31 And he shall send his
angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect
from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
2.)
Mark
13:27 And then shall he send his
angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the
uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
5.
Revelation
7:1 speaks of God’s power to destroy, but this destroying is held back until
the elect of God are sealed.
The
Sealing of 144,000 Jews
Verse
4-8 – And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were
sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children
of Israel. 5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve
thousand. 6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed
twelve thousand. 7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the
tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed
twelve thousand. 8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the
tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were
sealed twelve thousand.
I. There has been a great deal of speculation as to who these 144,000 Jews
are.
A.
The Bible
is very clear in stating the 144,000 are Jews, 12,000 from each tribe.
B.
Any other
speculation is false speculation.
C.
Jehovah
(false) Witnesses claimed they were the 144,000 Jews when they were few in
number, then they changed their theology to fit their numbers.
II.
There is a variation between the original
tribes of Israel and the tribes mentioned in Revelation 7.
A.
Two
Children don’t make it home!
|
|
Original |
Tribe |
Final |
Tribe |
|
1 |
Genesis
49:3 |
Reuben |
Revelation 7:5 |
Judah |
|
2 |
Genesis
49:5 |
Simeon |
Revelation 7:5 |
Reuben |
|
3 |
Genesis
49:5 |
Levi |
Revelation 7:5 |
Gad |
|
4 |
Genesis
49:8 |
Judah |
Revelation 7:6 |
Asher |
|
5 |
Genesis
49:13 |
Zebulun |
Revelation 7:6 |
Nepthalim |
|
6 |
Genesis
49:14 |
Issachar |
Revelation 7:6 |
Manasseh |
|
7 |
Genesis
49:16 |
Dan |
Revelation 7:7 |
Simeon |
|
8 |
Genesis
49:19 |
Gad |
Revelation 7:7 |
Levi |
|
9 |
Genesis
49:20 |
Asher |
Revelation 7:7 |
Issachar |
|
10 |
Genesis
49:21 |
Naphtali |
Revelation 7:8 |
Zabulon |
|
11 |
Genesis
49:22 |
Joseph |
Revelation 7:8 |
Joseph |
|
12 |
Genesis
49:27 |
Benjamin |
Revelation 7:8 |
Benjamin |
B.
The
difference between Genesis 49 and Revelation 7.
1.
Genesis
49 contains the original sons, while Revelation 7 contains the tribes of Israel
whom God blessed.
2.
When Levi
does not receive an inheritance as the other tribes received, God gave Joseph a
double portion by dropping the tribe of Joseph and giving the sons of Joseph,
Manesseh and Ephraim, an inheritance.
3.
In
Revelation 7, God included Levi and Joseph, but dropped Ephraim and Dan.
C. The tribes of Dan and Ephraim are nestled together in the promised land, surrounded by other tribes who do make it home, but they do not because they do not remain in the truth of God.
1. What a lesson for us, who perhaps think we will be different from everybody else.
a. We often think we will make it “home” even though we are not as faithful as God wants us to be.
b. Even though we continue to willfully sin and neglect personal Bible study and personal prayer.
c. The long term result of our failure to adhere to the principles of God would terrify us if we could see into the future.
d. We might live differently, if we could see where our lack of faithfulness leads.
2. For the lost, you may be nestled among believers now, but think: soon those believers will be leaving for their eternal heavenly home, and you will be left behind.
a. You may presently be living in the blessed promised land of safety, in peace and contentment, surrounded by believers who are your friends and confidants.
b. But you will not enter into the promised land of eternity, because you have never really been a part of this earthly promised land.
c. Dan and Ephraim were a part of the earthly promised land, but their names are not recorded in Revelation 7, because they had vanished from the nation of Israel.
1.) They did not vanish because that was God’s plan for them.
2.) They vanished because they never really accepted the spiritual renewal offered to them.
3.) They wanted the blessings God offered in this material, earthly world, but they did not want its spiritual counterpart.
d. They entered into the earthly promised land, but not into the spiritual, eternal promised land, as none of the tribe of Dan and Ephraim were sealed by the Holy Spirit of God in Revelation 7.
3. Another joyful part of the story is Manasseh.
a. Manasseh, nor Ephraim, received a blessing from Jacob, as recorded in Genesis 49.
b. Yet Manasseh is found in Revelation 7, while Ephraim is not.
c. What is the difference?
1.) The family of Manasseh was faithful,
2.) while the family of Ephraim was not faithful.
d. You may be one of those “on the outside” looking in.
1.) But that doesn’t mean God will not give you a place of honor.
2.) There is plenty of room for the faithful, so don’t be looking at the past.
3.) Look to the future and seek to serve God with all your strength, all your heart and all your mind.
4.) Please God only, and God will fulfill all his promises for you.
4. The sad story of Dan and Ephraim is revealed in the Bible.
a. It is a powerful story.
1.) A sad story.
2.) A true story.
b. What about you?
1.) Where will you end your earthly journey?
2.) In destruction or in blessing?
D.
There is
a vast difference in what men see and how things will be in eternity.
1.
Matthew
19:30 – the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
2.
The
various stations in eternity will be given as God counts faithfulness, not as
men count faithfulness.
3.
Many who
are counted very faithful in this life will not be counted faithful by God, and
many who are not counted faithful in this life will be counted very faithful in
eternity.
4.
It is not
station of life that determines faithfulness, but adherence to God’s
commandments in individual circumstances.
E.
Note the
variation in the order: changed from birth order to God’s order.
1.
The
firstborn son, Reuben, is the second son, as God chose Judah over Reuben.
a.
Some
believe this was caused by Reuben laying with Bilhah, the concubine of Jacob,
Genesis 35:22, and 49:4.
b.
I could
not find a scripture that said God replaced Reuben with Judah, especially since
Judah also his troubles with immorality, Genesis 38.
1.)
The
difference between Reuben and Judah is that Reuben lay with his father’s
concubine, while Judah lay with Tamar, his daughter in law.
2.)
Reuben’s
wickedness caused the birthright to be lost, Jacob giving the birthright to
Joseph instead, I Chronicles 5:1-2.
c.
God chose
Judah, not for any merit of his own, as God chooses us, not based on merit.
2.
Joseph
and his son, Manasseh, are both counted as tribes in Revelation 7.
a.
Ephraim
is not counted as a tribe, even though they are counted a tribe in Numbers 1.
b.
Dan is
also not a counted as a tribe in Revelation 7.
III.
Ephraim ceases to be recognized as a tribe of
Israel in eternity.
A.
I Kings
12:28-29 states, Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of
gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold
thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 29 And he
set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 30 And this thing became a
sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
1.
Bethel
(House of God) is located in tribe of Ephraim, while the tribe of Dan (in the
northern most part of Israel) is the location of the second idol.
a.
Originally,
Bethel was a border town of Benjamin (Joshua 16:1-2), but was apparently lost to
the Canaanites.
b.
According
to I Chronicles 7:28, Bethel was a part of the Northern Kingdom for a while, and
was a part of Judah for a brief period, II Chronicles 13:19.
c.
The tribe
of Ephraim then conquered the city and retained it in their tribe.
2.
Jacob and
Bethel – the center of God’s worship.
a.
Genesis
28:19 – God appeared to Jacob at Bethel when he fled from Esau to Laban.
b.
Genesis
35:1 – Twenty years later, when Jacob leaves Laban, God instructs Jacob to
return to Bethel to worship.
3.
The
inhabitants of Ephraim made no lasting protest, the idols became a sin,
therefore God will blot out their name from under heaven.
B. Deuteronomy 29:20-21 states, The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven. 21 And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law: