October 28, 2014
AN OASIS IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS
Revelation 7:1–8
Leah McGaughy
Central Truth
In the midst of our chaos, God reminds us that we are under His protection. We, in fact, belong to Him, the King of the universe!
Key Verse | Revelation 7:3
"Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." (Revelation 7:3)
Revelation 7:1–8
The 144,000 of Israel Sealed
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5
12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
6
12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
7
12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
8
12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
Dive Deeper | Revelation 7:1–8
Last year for me was a doozy. My parent's home caught fire, I lost my job, and my dad passed away all within a month. To say it was difficult is a gross understatement. As the chaos of a new life without Daddy became my reality, I was desperately looking for an oasis. So when I first read this passage, I was immediately struck by the contrast of chapter seven with the passages before and after. Sandwiched in between the sixth and seventh seals, these verses are like an oasis in the middle of a horrifying desert. In chapter 6, the six seals have been broken, bringing war, famine, death, and terror. The seventh seal brings silence in heaven, punctuated by further destruction on earth with lightning and an earthquake. But in between, a delay occurs.
Four angels are "holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree" (verse 1). These angels have a very specific job -- to bring destruction to the earth. However, another angel cries out in a loud voice, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." (verse 3) Who are these servants, and why has God intervened so that they may be sealed?
What is a bond-servant? One commentary defines a bond-servant as a slave or servant fully devoted to another without regard to their own will or desire. This seems to be the definition used in this passage, and God is sealing them on the forehead as a way of saying that they belong to Him and are under His protection. What a beautiful picture of what it means for God to intervene in our chaotic lives, pick us out, and seal us as His own people. Imagine the King of the universe showing the world that we belong to Him! Praise God that He has done just that for us! He is our oasis! It inspires me to be more fully devoted to such a loving God!
Discussion Questions
1. Are you in the midst of chaos? Do you know God as your oasis?
2. What does it mean to be sealed or marked? How are we sealed today if we have put our trust in Jesus Christ? Read Ephesians 1:13-14.
3. If God is your oasis, how does your heart respond?