Sealed by God

Important documents such as marriage licenses or certain contracts often have a seal on them. Some are fancy; others are plain. The important thing is not what the seal looks like but what it does. A seal is an authenticating mark that validates the document.

At the end of Revelation 6, those who realized that the time of God’s wrath had begun asked, “Who can withstand it?” Today’s chapter provides the answer: only those marked by God as His. This section is a pause or interlude that focuses on two important groups. One group is made up of 144,000 people drawn from the twelve tribes of Israel (see Rom. 11:25–26).

Another larger multitude is “from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (v. 9). While the 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel are on earth, this much larger multitude appears in heaven. “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (v. 14). This is the group of Gentiles who will be saved during the pouring out of God’s wrath described in the chapters that follow.

The promises of verses 16 and 17 probably allude to some of the sufferings they experienced during this period of tribulation, including hunger, thirst, and scorching heat. The text does not say why they suddenly appear in heaven at this point, but the fact that they came “out of” tribulation seems to imply that they are another company of martyrs.

Pray with Us

Janet Stiven, VP and general counsel, requests your prayers for her team in Legal department: Ryan June, Emmy Koh, Cassandrea Blakely, and Amber Adames. We ask for God’s guidance in their service dealing with legal matters.

BY Dr. John Koessler

John Koessler is Professor Emeritus of Applied Theology and Church Ministries at Moody Bible Institute. John authors the “Practical Theology” column for Today in the Word of which he is also a contributing writer and theological editor. An award-winning author, John’s newest title is When God is Silent: Let the Bible Teach You to Pray (Kirkdale). Prior to joining the Moody faculty, he served as a pastor of Valley Chapel in Green Valley, Illinois, for nine years. He and his wife, Jane, now enjoy living in a lakeside town in Michigan.