Revelation 7:1-3

Chapter 7 - The sealing of the 144,000 Jews

In the last chapter, we saw that everyone was hiding in the rocks and caves because they correctly saw that wrath or judgment was coming upon the earth from the Lamb. Most may not stay hidden because after the great earthquake and the signs in the sky the other judgments will not come immediately. Before the wrath of the Lamb takes place with the seven trumpet judgments, we will see that there is a short time of calm on earth while the sealing of 144,000 Jews takes place. These Israelites are first sealed so that they will not be harmed by the coming judgments of the wrath of the Lamb.

After the religious wars, the world religious harlot that rides the world system becomes intolerant of true Christianity because she believes only she has the mandate to prepare for the Christ and the Kingdom of God. Christians that will not join with her are being killed and persecuted for their faith somewhat like in the days of inquisitions. Israel continues in harlotry by joining with this world religion and by signing a seven-year peace covenant with the world political system confirmed by the man that had been riding on the white horse. The seven-year period known in scripture as the time of  Jacob's trouble  and  Daniel's seventh week of years  has now begun.

Jesus announces to the world with a great earthquake and signs in the sun and moon at the sixth seal that the day of the wrath of the Lamb for persecuting His people is imminent. The first part of this seven-year period starts with the sealing of 144,000 Israelites. Jesus will reveal Himself to these individuals supernaturally as He did with the apostle Paul about two thousand years earlier. They will tell Israel and the world the truth that Jesus is the Messiah and that the kingdom promised to the Jews is about to come. Two prophets with supernatural powers will also come and testify this truth to the world. They will have the power to bring judgment and torment on the earth for 1260 days and anyone who tries to harm them will be killed. The details on these two men will be given in chapter 11.

1 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.

The four angels with power to hurt the earth and the sea are told to withhold their assignments until after the seal of God is placed in His servants foreheads. These servants are sealed just prior to the trumpet judgments and they are removed or martyred before the vial judgments. They will probably follow in the footsteps of Jesus and testify for 3 ½ years.

These will fulfill  the commission of Matthew Chapter 10.  The complete prophetic scripture in Matthew could not have been completely fulfilled by the twelve apostles or by the pre-rapture Church.  The commission in Matthew chapter 10 is completely fulfilled in the ministry of those that are sealed here. Like many prophecies there was a partial fulfillment in the time it was spoken but it then goes on to speak of a greater end time fulfillment. Read the entire passage in question yourself and form your own conclusion.

Matthew 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  7 And as ye go, preach, saying,  The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.  9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,  10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.  11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 12 And when ye come into an house, salute it. 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Verily I say unto you,  It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.  16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.  17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18  And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.  19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but  the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.  21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another:  for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel,  till the Son of man be come.  24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?   26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.  27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.  28 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. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.  32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.  37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.  40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

  (The wording of Matthew 25:42 strongly suggests it refers to the sheep and goat judgment of the Gentiles. This judgment is about how they treated these sealed brethren and it is given below.)

Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,  inherit the  kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the  righteous  answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,  Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren,  ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand,  Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:  42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you,  Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

This scripture does not apply to those in the New Covenant Church, as many teach from their pulpits, or salvation would come through good works  and damnation from not having good works.  This passage is really talking about how people will treat these sealed disciples in the time of their ministry on earth and certainly, not how Christians treat other Christians or even about how unbelievers treat Christians .  The whole context of this passage in Matthew is about the time after the Lord's coming to earth. Matthew chapter 25: 31-45 teaches that those who give support to the sealed Jews that preached about the coming Jewish kingdom will be allowed to live and to enter the kingdom. On the other hand, it also teaches that those who did not help them will be cut off and will not enter the Messiah's kingdom on earth.

If the passage were talking about how the unsaved treat Christians, then why would the unsaved inherit a kingdom that was not even prepared for them? Moreover, it would imply that the unsaved inherit the kingdom by just giving a glass of water to a Christian. That does not make sense!  That is salvation by works theology!

If the passage is talking about how Christians treat other Christians, as some teachers love to infer, then  why are God's people being condemned to hell for not doing a work of charity?  Those who teach such things have extremely bad theology! It contradicts the clear teaching of God's word! The passage itself implies that the people Jesus was talking to were not His brethren so then why do some say that this passage is about how Christians treat others?

I point all this out because misapplication of this scripture has been used to support all kinds of heresies. This passage really indicates that those alive on earth at the second coming will be judged by Jesus. Those who aided His brethren Israel will be allowed into their restored kingdom on earth and those who did not will be cut off from the land. The scripture in context implies nothing else. 

Much too often, bad theology is taught from pulpits by taking scripture out of the proper context or as in this case, by taking prophetic scripture out of context to prove a legalistic view of how Christians have to treat others or be in danger of damnation.

Having said all that, I believe we should now be able to see that the greater fulfillment of Matthew chapter 10 is to these 144,000 Israelites that get sealed in the future  (The number of those sealed are given in the next passage).