The 144,000
– Parts 7-8
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With these 14
specifications in mind, there are
some “adjacent issues”
concerning the 144,000 that we need
to address today:
1. If
you have studied earlier seminar
segments, you will know why I say
“The seven angels that stand
before God (Revelation 8:2) were
given the seven trumpets in the
Spring of 1994.” During the
Spring of 1994, four of the seven
angels those having the first four
trumpets) left God’s throne room
with power to hurt the Earth, the sea
and the trees. Before they could
execute the intended harm, they were
told towait until the 144,000
were sealed. (Revelation 7:1-4)
We are
currently living in this delay.
As you might
expect, this delay will
come to an end. This is declared in
…
Revelation
10:6 “And he
(the angel) swore by him who lives
for ever and ever, who created the
heavens and all that is in them, the
earth and all that is in it, and the
sea and all that is in it, and said, “there
will be no more delay!”
Right now,
Jesus is waiting for the appointed
time to arrive to select and
seal the 144,000. When the appointed
hour arrives and the 144,000 are
sealed, Jesus will release the four
angels. God’s wrath against this
world will begin. Life as we know it
will suddenly change.
2. The
144,000 will not speak their won
words. They will be given words to
speak. This fact explains something
that bothers some people. They ask,
“How can God use people that
aren’t Christians and well
studied in the Bible to speak for Him
during the Great Tribulation?”
First, we know that there are
“sheep” and
“goats” in every religion.
In other words, there are sincere,
faithful, honest-hearted people in
every religious system.
Jesus told
His disciples in John 10:16: “I
have other sheep that are not of this
sheep pen [religious body]. I
must bring them [into my fold]also.
They will listen to my voice, and
there will be one flock and one
shepherd.”
Second, Jesus
knows everyone of us very well. When
Jesus presents Himself to those whom
He has chosen, they will become
“believers” in Jesus on
that same day! [Just like the
apostle Paul!]
Third, the
144,000 won’t be theologians.
They won’t be eloquent preachers
or savvy businessmen and women. They
will be common people, just like the
uneducated fishermen that Jesus
chose to be His apostles when He was
on Earth.
Here’s
the point: The 144,000 do not need to
be scholars or theologians. God knows
there are enough of these people
speaking their own minds already.
What Jesus needs are
“mouthpieces.” People who
will speak the words they are given to
speak without regard to the
consequences. Look at this text:
Revelation
14:5 No lie was
found in their mouths; they are
blameless.
Think about
this: The 144,000 will not deviate
from the words given them – even
though it will eventually cost them
their lives. This is a crucial point
because the 144,000 will speak the
testimony of Jesus. Those who
receive the testimony of Jesus will
also suffer persecution:
Revelation
12:17 When the dragon was
enraged at the woman and
went off to make war against
the rest [last] of her
offspring – those who obey
God’s commandments and hold to the
testimony of Jesus.”
The selection
and empowerment of the 144,000 was
presented to John as though he would
be one of them. Notice how this
prophecy unfolds in Revelation 10:
Revelation
10:1 Then I saw
another mighty angel [representing
Jesus] coming down from heaven.
He was robbed in a cloud, with a
rainbow above his head; his face was
like the sun, and his legs were like
fiery pillars.
Revelation
10:2 He was holding
a little scroll, which lay open in
his hand. He planted his
right foot on the sea and his left
foot on the land[denoting a position
of authority over land and sea],
Revelation
10:3 and he gave a loud
shout like the roar of a loin.
When he had shouted, the voices of
the seven thunders spoke.
Revelation
10:4 And when the
seven thunders spoke, I was about to
write [down the things I heard]; but
I heard a voice from heaven say,
“Seal up what the seven thunders
have said and do not write it
down.”
Note: We
know that John understood the seven
thunderous voices because He was
about to write down what he had heard
but he was told not to. What are
these seven thunderous voices?
They are
seven announcements. Jesus will
speak from Heaven seven times during
the Great tribulation. John was not
permitted to write down each
announcement because Jesus wants each
saint to hear His voice with
his or her own ears and understand
each announcement as it occurs. Can
you imagine actually hearing the
voice of Jesus??? What joy for
those who receive the testimony of
Jesus!
Think of it
this way. If you hear a thunderous
voice from Heaven and understand the
words spoken, you have been sealed!
The seven thunders are seven messages
of assurance; hope and encouragement
which sealed saints will
hear and rejoice! These seven
thunders are for the benefit of
those who have been thoroughly
tested and proven faith-full.
All who pass the test of faith will
receive the seal of God just like the
144,000 received the seal of God.
Spiritually
speaking, hearing is
man’s first obligation toward
God:
Revelation
2:7 He who has an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.
Jesus often
told His disciples “…..
‘He who has an ears to hear, let
him hear.’” (Mark 4:9)
On another
occasion, Jesus said, “The
knowledge of the secrets of the
kingdom of God has been given to you [my
disciples], but to others I speak in
parables, so that, “’though
seeing, they may not see; though
hearing, they may not
understand.’” (Luke 8:10)
So, those who
have ears to hear will hear
and understand theseven
thunders. Jesus will speak and His
children will be encouraged to
faithfully press on. Remember this
incident in the temple?
John 12:26 “whoever
serves me must follow me; and where I
am, my servant also will be. My
Father will honor the one who serves
me.
John 12:27 “Now
my heart is troubled, and what shall
I say? ‘Father, save me from
this hour’? No, it was for this
very reason I came to this hour.
John 12:28 Father,
glorify your name!” Then a
voice came from heaven, “I
have glorified it, and will glorify
it again.”
John 12:29 The
crowd that was there and heard it
said it had thundered; others
said an angel had spoken to him.
John 12:30 Jesus
said, ‘This voice was
for your benefit, not mine.”
John 10:16 “I
have other sheep that are not of this
sheep pen. I must bring them [into
my pen] also. They too will listen
to my voice, and there will be
one flock and one shepherd.”
One of
God’s purposes for the Great
Tribulation is the separation of
sheep from goats. Sheep listen. Goats
don’t. The seven thunders will
be a source of great encouragement to
the saints. The seven thunders also
reveal who has been sealed and who
has not!
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