Salvation in Symbols and Signs

The 144,000 part 1

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: James Rafferty (Host), Ivor Meyers (Host), Yvonne Lewis, Jason Bradley

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Series Code: SISS

Program Code: SISS000026A


00:31 So we are in Revelation chapter 7,
00:33 now Revelation chapter 7 is still part of the seven seals
00:37 there's no seal mentioned in this chapter
00:40 because in a sense it's kind of like an interlude
00:43 or an interruption in the sequence of the seven seals,
00:46 the seven seals are going to come after Revelation chapter 7
00:49 in Revelation 8 verse 1 so we have the sixth seal
00:52 then we have this interlude of hope... Revelation 7...
00:55 the entire chapter and then we have the 7th seal,
00:57 so why do we have this interruption?
00:59 Why do we have this...
01:00 this interlude right in the middle of these seals
01:04 before the 7th seal is opened, after the 6th seal is opened
01:07 why do we have this... this whole chapter put in here?
01:10 Well, the reason why is because
01:12 this chapter answers the question
01:14 that is asked in Revelation chapter 6.
01:17 When the sixth seal is opened,
01:19 there's a sequence of events that takes place,
01:20 and those events culminate in the coming of Jesus and God
01:24 and the question that's asked is,
01:26 "Who is going to be able to stand
01:28 before the throne and before the Lamb?"
01:31 And so what happens is
01:32 John is inspired by God, by the Holy Spirit
01:35 to give a whole chapter to answer that question.
01:38 And that's what we're going to do in this next study
01:40 we're going to seek to understand
01:42 Revelation chapter 7's answer to the question,
01:44 "Who is going to be able to stand?"
01:45 Yvonne: So, is this kind of a continuation of the idea of
01:48 who can open the seals?
01:50 James: No, it's not a continuation
01:52 of who's going to open the seals,
01:54 because that's already been answered,
01:55 Jesus, the Lamb is opening the seals
01:58 but this is more like a statement of,
02:01 you know, this sequence of seals
02:03 has taken us from the Apostolic Age...
02:04 all the way down through history
02:06 to the Second Coming of Jesus,
02:08 we've gone through the disappointment of 1844...
02:11 we've headed into the judgment,
02:12 we've seen the signs in the heavens that indicate
02:14 that the Millerite Movement was right on track
02:17 and now we're seeing the Second Coming of Jesus
02:19 well, who is going to be able to stand when Jesus comes?
02:23 Well, I forgot to tell you...
02:26 let me tell you about this little...
02:27 little bit right here... that judgment...
02:29 is involved... involves a sealing
02:31 a sealing work that's going to take place
02:34 and there's going to be this number that's going to be sealed
02:36 "I heard the number...
02:37 they were a hundred and forty and four thousand
02:39 and then I saw this great multitude
02:40 that no man could number... "
02:41 that's what Revelation 7 does, it's kind of like...
02:44 I call it... "an interlude of hope"
02:45 because there's this despair that comes from this question,
02:50 "Who's going to be able to stand?"
02:51 And I mean, even the righteous will kind of ask that question,
02:55 "who's going to be able to stand?"
02:56 And Revelation chapter 7 is an interlude to hope
02:59 because it gives an answer... it points to a people
03:01 who are going to be able to stand
03:03 because they have the seal of God.
03:04 Yvonne: Yeah...
03:05 James: And that people is so large
03:07 that you can't even number them
03:08 so it's... it's encouragement for us
03:09 they come from every nation, kindred, tongue and people so...
03:12 all right... Jason, let's get into this with a word of prayer
03:14 and then, Yvonne, can you read
03:16 Revelation 7 verses 1 through 4 for us? Yvonne: Sure...
03:18 James: All right, let's get started.
03:19 Jason: "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much
03:20 for blessing us with the privilege
03:22 to be able to study your Word,
03:23 we invite you to be with us and help us to understand
03:26 what we are studying, in Jesus' name we pray, amen. "
03:28 All: "Amen... "
03:29 Yvonne: Okay, Revelation 7 verses 1 through 4...
03:34 "And after these things I saw four angels
03:36 standing on the four corners of the earth,
03:38 holding the four winds of the earth,
03:40 that the wind should not blow on the earth,
03:42 nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
03:44 And I saw another angel ascending from the east,
03:47 having the seal of the living God:
03:49 and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels,
03:52 to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
03:55 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees,
03:59 till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
04:02 And I heard the number of them which were sealed:
04:05 and there were sealed
04:07 an hundred and forty and four thousand
04:09 of all the tribes of the children of Israel. "
04:11 James: Okay, these verses are the introduction to the sealing
04:17 and the introduction in verse 1 identifies four winds,
04:20 four winds that are ready to blow on the earth
04:24 now these four winds are touched on
04:27 in our previous chapter
04:29 because when we got into the opening of the sixth seal,
04:31 we saw all kinds of natural disasters,
04:35 we saw a great earthquake
04:37 and we referenced that to the Lisbon earthquake,
04:39 we saw the signs in the sky,
04:41 the sun and the moon and the stars falling to the earth,
04:46 all of these were indicating of natural disasters
04:49 that were coming... calamities that were coming upon the earth
04:52 and in Revelation chapter 7
04:54 the idea is that these calamities are being held back,
04:56 they're being restrained... they're not coming in full force
04:59 because there's a work that has to be done
05:01 in sealing God's servants and we see the same thing,
05:03 and the same idea in Ezekiel chapter 9,
05:06 this whole picture is borrowed from the Old Testament
05:10 so in Ezekiel chapter 9 God shows Ezekiel
05:14 this same
05:16 sealing work that is taking place
05:18 and the same consequence that's being held back
05:21 yeah, Ezekiel chapter 9 and Jason could you read for us,
05:24 Ezekiel 9, verses 1... all the way through
05:30 to verse 6.
05:33 Jason: Okay, "He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice,
05:39 saying, Cause them that have charge over the city
05:41 to draw near, even every man
05:43 with his destroying weapon in his hand.
05:45 And behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate,
05:49 which lieth toward the north,
05:51 and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand;
05:54 and one man among them was clothed with linen,
05:57 with a writer's inkhorn by his side:
06:00 and they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.
06:05 And the glory of the God of Israel
06:08 was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was,
06:12 to the threshold of the house.
06:14 And he called to the man clothed with linen,
06:16 which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;
06:19 And the Lord said unto him,
06:21 Go through the midst of the city,
06:22 through the midst of Jerusalem,
06:24 and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh
06:26 and that cry for all the abominations
06:29 that be done in the midst thereof.
06:31 And to the others he said in mine hearing,
06:34 Go ye after him through the city, and smite:
06:37 let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
06:40 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children,
06:46 and women: but come not near any man
06:49 upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary.
06:52 Then they began at the ancient men
06:55 which were before the house. "
06:58 Now really quickly here on these verses,
07:01 we see the same two ingredients that we see in Revelation 7,
07:04 we see a mark that's being set on God's people...
07:07 who are sighing and crying for the abominations
07:10 and then we see destruction
07:11 coming on those who are not going to have the mark...
07:13 the destruction is the same thing
07:16 that we see in Revelation 7 as the four winds...
07:18 Yvonne: Hmmm...
07:19 James: God is not going to allow those four winds...
07:20 He's not going to allow that destruction to come
07:22 until God's people are sealed, why?
07:23 Because according to Ezekiel 9,
07:25 the destruction is not going to come
07:27 to those who have the seal of the Mark of God.
07:29 So, this is an important parallel that we see here
07:33 taking place between these two chapters,
07:35 Ezekiel 9 is helping us with Revelation chapter 7
07:37 the four winds being held back to God's servants
07:40 are sealed in their foreheads.
07:42 Ivor: Yeah, I also want to pick up on...
07:44 to go back to the Book of Revelation
07:47 and looking at the context of Revelation chapter 7
07:52 we've seen that it is set within the context of the seven seals
07:58 and we established in earlier programs
08:01 that the seven seals unfold
08:03 according to Revelation chapter 4 and 5,
08:05 at the Table of Shewbread, that's the "sides of the north,"
08:09 and it's interesting as you were speaking, James,
08:12 we were actually reading the description of the...
08:16 of the tribes... 12,000 from each tribe,
08:18 so, how many tribes are there?
08:20 There are twelve... and on the Table of Shewbread
08:23 how many loaves of bread? Twelve...
08:25 and what's interesting is that
08:27 if you take each one of those loaves...
08:29 as representing a tribe, you know,
08:31 you have 12,000 in each tribe so those 12 loaves of bread
08:37 are almost a shadow form of this 144,000.
08:41 Yvonne: Hmmm...
08:43 Ivor: Okay, so, think if this... think of it in this context,
08:46 remember where Lucifer wanted to sit...
08:49 he wanted to sit... according to Isaiah 14 verse 13,
08:53 "on the sides of the north," okay,
08:56 so what we see unfolding within the seven seals
08:59 is this conflict between God and Lucifer
09:05 over "the sides of the north,"
09:06 so what's on the sides of the north?
09:08 According to Isaiah 14:13,
09:09 Lucifer said, "I will set my throne
09:11 upon the sides of the north
09:13 where the mount of the congregation is...
09:16 okay, this again is speaking about "the congregation of God"
09:19 so, when that question is asked,
09:23 we saw that the rider on the white horse
09:26 going forth with the Word of God,
09:27 this... going forth of the Word of God
09:31 is to help establish the mount of the congregation
09:34 where Satan's trying to destroy the mount of the congregation,
09:37 he's trying to rule over the mount of the congregation
09:39 so we get to Revelation chapter 6
09:42 or it's... yeah... chapter 6... to the sixth seal...
09:45 we have this question, "Who shall be able to what...?
09:49 Yvonne: Stand...
09:51 Ivor: To stand... all right...
09:52 and the answer comes in Revelation chapter 7
09:55 where it's very interesting... I want you to notice,
09:57 Revelation chapter 7 and look at verse 9...
10:02 Revelation chapter 7 verse 9...
10:05 after John describes the 144,000...
10:08 verse 9 says this... "After this I beheld, and lo,
10:11 a great multitude, which no man could number,
10:15 of all nations, kindred's, tongues and peoples,
10:17 stood before... " where? "the throne... "
10:21 all right... where is God's throne?
10:23 "The sides of the north... "
10:25 in other words... the... this Revelation 7
10:29 shows us the end product of the Word of God going forth
10:33 and in fact, here's what's even more interesting...
10:36 if you flip over to Revelation 14...
10:38 and look at how the 144,000 are described here,
10:42 Revelation 14 verse 1, it says,
10:45 "I looked and lo, a Lamb stood... " where?
10:48 All: "Mount Zion... "
10:49 Ivor: Where is Mount Zion James: side of the north...
10:52 Ivor: sides of the north...
10:53 according to Psalm 48... verses 1 and 2
10:55 "Beautiful for situation... " right...
10:57 James: "the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion,
11:00 on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. "
11:01 Ivor: the city of the great king... so...
11:03 Yvonne: "king" singular or kings?
11:06 Ivor: King... singular... so in other words,
11:10 those who stand on Mount Zion at the very end...
11:14 when all things are said and done...
11:17 are represented by the loaves of bread
11:20 they are the "mount of the congregation"
11:23 that has made it to heaven. Yvonne: Hmmm...
11:25 James: So that number 12 is significant... because
11:29 the number 12 in the Old Testament... 12 tribes...
11:33 in the New Testament... 12 disciples...
11:35 Ivor: 12 Apostles...
11:37 James: And even the New Jerusalem
11:38 which is the Bride of Christ has 12 foundations
11:40 and 12 gates... 12 times 12 is a 144...
11:44 and 1,000 is the largest number in the Bible...
11:47 see... when God wants to get big...
11:49 and see... sometimes we think
11:50 "Oh, a 144,000... that's not very many people... "
11:52 well, first of all, it is a symbolic number
11:55 because if you look at it in the Greek...
11:57 it actually reads twelve... 1,000...
11:59 twelve... 1,000... twelve... 1,000
12:00 twelve... 1,000... and it's repeated 12 times
12:03 and the thing that's so powerful about this is
12:06 twelve is a symbol of the kingdom number
12:09 and the 1,000 is the largest number in the Bible,
12:12 when God wants to get big He says,
12:13 "a thousand times ten thousands and thousands of thousands"
12:16 okay, so when he using a 1,000 He's saying,
12:19 "I want you to think big... " okay, a thousand...
12:21 so who's going to be sealed
12:22 twelve... 1,000... from this tribe...
12:24 and 12,000 from this tribe
12:25 and 12 one thousand from this tribe...
12:27 and 12 one thousand from this tribe, that's a lot,
12:29 or 12 one thousand from this tribe
12:30 and 12 one thousand from this tribe...
12:32 how many have we done so far? Jason: A lot...
12:34 James: Six... 12 one thousand from...
12:35 12 one thousand from...
12:37 and it just keeps going and going...
12:38 and even though he stops at 12...
12:40 the point is not... it's only this is not...
12:42 the point isn't limited, the point is... it's great,
12:45 it's big... that's why... in Revelation 7:9...
12:49 John turns to see
12:51 what he first heard,
12:52 now this is a key point right here,
12:54 let's just touch on this real quick...
12:56 in Revelation chapter 7 in verse 4,
12:59 he says, "And I heard the number of them that were sealed
13:05 and there were sealed a 144,000" then in verse 9 he says,
13:09 "And after this I... " what's the word?
13:11 Yvonne: Beheld... James: "Beheld... "
13:13 Yvonne: Ah...
13:14 James: when John first is introduced to the sealing...
13:17 he hears... he doesn't see this...
13:19 he just hears who's going to be sealed,
13:21 then he turns around and he sees them
13:22 what he's seeing is the same thing he heard,
13:24 how do we know this?
13:26 Go back to Revelation chapter 1...
13:28 and look in Revelation chapter 1
13:30 at what happens when Jesus first comes to John
13:32 on the Isle of Patmos, in Revelation chapter 1 verse 10
13:37 John says, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day,
13:41 and I heard behind me a great voice... "
13:43 what was it like? Yvonne: A trumpet...
13:45 James: A trumpet... now was it a trumpet?
13:47 a little... no... it wasn't... so what was it?
13:49 well, it sounded like a trumpet, right?
13:52 That's what I heard... and then there was verse 12,
13:54 "And I turned to see the voice that spake with me.
13:57 And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
14:00 And in the midst... " verse 13...
14:02 "of the candlesticks... one like unto the Son of man. "
14:05 So, what he first heard was a trumpet
14:08 but then what saw was Jesus.
14:09 What he heard and what he saw were the same things...
14:13 He heard the voice of Jesus and he saw Jesus,
14:15 in Revelation 7... he hears
14:17 the number of those that are sealed,
14:19 and they're the 144,000... and he beheld and he saw
14:22 a great multitude that would make that number,
14:25 12 one thousands of it and 12 one thousands...
14:27 and 12 one thousands... and 12 one thousands,
14:28 just continuing on and on and on...
14:30 recognizing that twelve is a symbol of the Kingdom of God...
14:34 Old Testament... Kingdom of God,
14:35 New Testament... so you've got the Old Testament redeemed,
14:37 the New Testament redeemed...
14:38 times a thousand... a thousand... a thousand...
14:40 a thousand... 12 times 12... a 144,000s...
14:43 Ivor: I think what's also pretty significant
14:45 is that if you look at the first four seals
14:47 it follows that very pattern, he says,
14:50 "I heard the angel... basically saying,
14:53 'come and see... ' and then I go look... "
14:56 the second seal... "I heard... and then I looked...
14:59 I heard... " three... four seals...
15:00 "I heard... then I looked"
15:02 so this concept I think is very...
15:04 it's crucial to understand
15:05 that he doesn't see the number first,
15:08 he hears it and then when he looks...
15:10 what does he see?
15:11 He sees a great multitude,
15:13 now, I want to mention something here
15:14 because this is... this is important to understand
15:16 the great multitude is a
15:19 fulfillment of the promise given to Abraham.
15:21 James: Hmmm... hmm... Yvonne: Hmmm...
15:22 Ivor: Abraham's seed...
15:23 "Abraham... you're going to have seed
15:26 so great that they cannot be numbered... "
15:28 James: Like the stars of heaven.
15:30 Ivor: Like the stars of heaven...
15:31 this is the promise to Abraham,
15:32 Abraham... the father of the Children of Israel,
15:34 right... so, Abraham never saw this promise
15:37 so when he gets to heaven, I mean, just imagine
15:40 he's like, "Man, where my great multitude?"
15:43 And God says, "Well, count those 144,000... "
15:45 he's like, "Wait a minute... that's the great...
15:47 that's the... " no, no, no... God shows him
15:50 this great multitude,
15:52 he was to be the father of many nations
15:55 and so, what we see here is that
15:58 this promise is being fulfilled, this group... 144,000
16:02 is... is the symbolic number for the great multitude...
16:07 those that have been redeemed
16:08 and here's something else that's interesting is that
16:11 in the Old Testament God called Israel to serve him,
16:14 he said to Pharaoh, "Let my people go
16:17 that they may serve me in the wilderness" twelve tribes...
16:20 in the New Testament He calls 12 disciples to serve Him,
16:23 so there's a connection with that number 12
16:26 and service so guess what?
16:27 When you see the sealing of the 144,000...
16:30 who were they sealing?
16:31 those that... that... it says,
16:33 "That we may seal the servants of our God... "
16:36 James: Hmmm... hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm...
16:38 Ivor: When John asks,
16:39 "Who are these... this great multitude?"
16:42 "These are they that serve Him day and night in the temple. "
16:48 So all those points become crucial to understand
16:52 when we're looking at this... this number... 144,000...
16:57 we're seeing that this is a symbolic number
17:01 that is the same as the great multitude.
17:03 James: And those two verses, verse 3...
17:06 "sealing the servants of our God"
17:07 and verse 15... "Who are these?
17:09 these are they who serve Him day and night in the temple"
17:11 and that's another point, the great multitude
17:13 that cannot be numbered served God in the temple,
17:16 they entered into the temple
17:18 and they served God day and night in that temple,
17:20 what's beautiful about this picture
17:23 and this is something we need to look at
17:25 when we highlight because we...
17:26 maybe haven't emphasized this,
17:27 we're looking at four epochs of time,
17:29 we're looking at four visions in Revelation,
17:31 we're looking at the churches, the seals, the trumpets
17:34 and the seven salvation signs,
17:36 and we know they begin at this Apostolic Age
17:38 they begin in Christ's day
17:40 and the day of the establishment of the early church...
17:43 the apostles... that's what we mean by the Apostolic Age,
17:46 the time of the apostles being established by Christ
17:49 being filled with the Holy Spirit
17:51 and taking the gospel to the world
17:52 and they take us down to the new heaven and the new earth,
17:56 now, sometimes we think, "Oh each one of these epics of
17:59 time take us down to the Second Coming... "
18:02 I thought that for a long time
18:04 but as I reexamined this I've realized that in the context
18:08 of the churches... you have all these promises
18:12 that are given to those who overcome
18:14 and notice... for example... notice the promise
18:16 that is given to the church in Smyrna
18:18 in the... in the... in the...
18:20 well, actually, let's start with the church in Ephesus,
18:23 in verse 7... yeah, read that for us...
18:26 Jason, Revelation 2 verse 7
18:30 and then Yvonne, would you read after that...
18:34 will you read Revelation chapter 2 and verse 11.
18:38 so, 2:7... 2:11...
18:39 Jason: Okay, "He that hath an ear,
18:42 let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;
18:45 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life,
18:48 which is in the midst of the paradise of God. "
18:51 Yvonne: And then 2:11... says, "He that hath an ear,
18:54 let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;
18:57 He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. "
19:01 James: The second death is on the other side of the millennium
19:04 it's when the New Jerusalem comes down
19:07 out of God from heaven and rests on this earth
19:09 and this earth becomes the center of the universe,
19:12 the Tree of Life... the Tree of the Paradise of God
19:14 is also going to be in that new heaven and that new earth
19:17 so the implication here in the seven churches is
19:20 we're going from the Apostolic Age all the way
19:22 down to the new heaven and the new earth...
19:25 Eden restored... Yvonne: Hmmm... yes...
19:27 James: We're going all the way to Eden restored,
19:29 okay now, do we have that same thing
19:31 taking place in the seven seals?
19:33 Notice here in Revelation chapter 7...
19:35 Ivor talked about verse 15, let's just read there
19:39 Jason read for us...
19:41 Yvonne: Can I add something about the...
19:42 make an observation of the 144,000 before we...
19:45 James: Yeah.
19:46 Yvonne: It's really interesting to me like...
19:48 I've read about that before and I've thought
19:50 "Man, a 144,000... that's not a whole bunch of people"
19:54 so then you think,
19:55 "Okay, am I going to make the cut
19:56 because it's only a 144,000," like... "do I measure up?"
20:00 kind of thing... but then the encouraging thing for me
20:03 was when I read that John said he saw a number
20:05 that no man can number... now I'm like... okay,
20:08 "I'll surely... I can be in that number"
20:10 which is really... that's really the emphasis is wrong
20:14 because the emphasis should be on
20:15 Christ and His righteousness not mine...
20:17 but you know how we go
20:19 so, I was looking at that and I'm thinking,
20:21 "144,000... okay... that's not a whole bunch of people"
20:24 but again it's so encouraging to see that number
20:28 "that no man can number" so then you think,
20:30 "Wow! it's going to be... you can't even imagine
20:34 how many people... from the beginning of time
20:37 all the way to the end... " but you know...
20:40 to when the Lord comes... it's a whole lot of people
20:42 so praise the Lord for that.
20:44 Jason: You have a chance.
20:45 Yvonne: Yeah, it makes you feel like, "Okay... "
20:47 which we all do... I mean intellectually we know
20:50 and from the Word we know that it's about Christ
20:53 and it's not about what we do and all that
20:55 but you still feel like,
20:57 "Well, broad is the way that leads to destruction
21:00 and many there be that find it
21:03 and then narrow is the way... " so you're thinking,
21:05 "Okay, so... " you know
21:09 but with this it's encouraging, that's what I want to say.
21:11 James: You just caught it...
21:12 you just caught the point of the chapter...
21:14 because see the point of the chapter is
21:16 the interlude of hope... Yvonne: Ahhh...
21:18 James: The point of the chapter is,
21:19 Okay, there's this white horse...
21:21 he's going forth with the gospel
21:22 but then there's a red horse, then there's this black horse,
21:24 then there's this pale horse,
21:26 and then there are these martyrs and they're crying out,
21:28 "How long you're not going to judge"
21:29 and then there's all of these natural disasters and signs
21:32 and then there's all...
21:33 rich, poor, free, bond, mighty, all crying out,
21:35 "who's going to be able to stand?"
21:37 it's like... "Whoa... whoa... one white horse
21:39 and all this negative... " you know,
21:41 that's what it appears like but then John says,
21:43 "Wait a minute... wait a minute, I forgot to tell you
21:45 there's something else here God wants me to show you,
21:47 I saw that all these natural disasters are being held back
21:50 and all these calamities are being held back
21:52 while God's children were sealed
21:53 and then I heard this number of those that were sealed"
21:55 and Hebrew... Hebrew thinkers now you're never going to guess
21:59 12 yeah... Kingdom number... but a 1,000... wow! that's big!
22:02 Again and again and again and again and again and again
22:07 and again... whoa...
22:09 am I hearing things?
22:11 This sounds really big... am I hearing things?
22:14 Well, then I turned and I looked
22:17 and beheld and lo, sure enough,
22:19 sure enough, a great multitude that no man can number
22:23 he's not seeing two different groups here
22:24 you see... when he first hears...
22:26 Ivor: He only saw one group.
22:28 James: He only saw one group, he only heard the first group
22:31 and so... and he had to be...
22:34 it had to be confirmed in his mind,
22:35 "Is this really what I'm hearing because this sounds... "
22:38 and he was thinking, "This sounds big...
22:39 this sounds like a lot, I mean, these thousands... "
22:41 but sure enough, it's confirmed...
22:44 and these... these servants... now notice this,
22:46 I want us to read here, just finishing up this thought,
22:49 verses 15, 16 and 17, 15 through 17,
22:57 let's read those verses, Jason, thank you.
22:59 Jason: "Therefore are they before the throne of God,
23:01 and serve him day and night in his temple:
23:04 and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
23:07 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more;
23:10 neither shall the sun light on them,
23:12 nor any heat.
23:13 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne
23:16 shall feed them and shall lead them unto
23:18 living fountains of waters
23:20 and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. "
23:24 James: Okay, if you compare that with Revelation chapter 21
23:27 when the temple comes... when the city comes down...
23:29 it talks about how in Revelation 21,
23:31 "I saw a new heaven and a new earth:
23:33 for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away;
23:35 and there was no more sea.
23:37 And I saw... " John said,
23:39 "I saw the holy city coming down from God out of heaven,
23:41 prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
23:43 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,
23:45 Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,
23:48 and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people,
23:50 and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
23:52 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes:
23:54 and there shall be no more death and no more sorrow,
23:56 no more crying, neither shall there be any more pain... "
23:58 no more back pain...
24:00 no more neck pain that makes you just want to complain
24:04 "for the former things... " see, John is taking us
24:08 in Revelation seven seals
24:09 all the way to the new heaven and the new earth.
24:11 John is taking us in Revelation seven churches
24:13 all the way to the new heaven and the new earth...
24:15 Eden restored, Eden restored...
24:18 and we're going to see the same thing in the trumpets
24:19 and then in the seven salvation signs,
24:22 it just takes us all the way there because we're...
24:24 that Revelation 21 is part of the last epic,
24:26 it's part of that last series, that last vision
24:30 and so it fills out...
24:31 the little hints we have in the churches,
24:33 the little hints we have here in the seals,
24:35 is filled out in that final epic where he just expands...
24:38 he gives full revelation of exactly
24:40 what that new heaven and new earth is
24:42 and how that all comes about.
24:43 Ivor: Yeah, it's a beautiful picture.
24:44 Jason: So with Eden restored that means that...
24:47 that same diet is going to be restored too, huh?
24:49 James: Absolutely.
24:50 Yvonne: All he thinks about is food.
24:51 Laugher...
24:53 James: It's going to be unbelievable...
24:54 the food that we are going to eat
24:57 from the Tree of Life...
24:58 we are not even going to want to touch anything
25:01 that's even close to earthly food ever again,
25:04 it is going to be unbelievable, have you ever tasted
25:08 a piece of fruit that was perfect?
25:10 I mean... we eat a lot of fruit that's...
25:13 but... we eat a lot of fruit that's, you know... whatever...
25:16 but when you get that one, you want to go,
25:18 "All right, we got to go back there and buy them out...
25:20 we got to buy them out... " Yvonne: Absolutely.
25:21 That doesn't even come close to what's...
25:23 Yvonne: It happened to me last summer, these peaches...
25:27 I love peaches... many times
25:30 peaches are bland and have no flavor
25:32 but these were the bomb... and I tried to find them,
25:36 they had run out at one store
25:37 and I was going to go all the way to the orchard
25:40 to get some more... I didn't tell you that right,
25:42 so I do know what you're saying, yes.
25:44 James: That's what we're talking about here...
25:47 Ivor: I think one of the other points that,
25:50 that I think it's really...
25:52 it's an insight that helps us to unlock the 144,000 even more
25:57 is that... remember under the fifth seal
26:00 the saints are crying out underneath the altar,
26:05 "How long before you judge?" Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm...
26:08 Ivor: And then at some point they're given white robes
26:11 and they're told...
26:12 "Listen, there are others to come after you"
26:15 they too will receive white robes,
26:17 well, as we look at this great multitude,
26:20 right, and chapter 7... what do we have?
26:24 They are clothed in white robes.
26:26 Yvonne: Wow!
26:28 Ivor: Okay... but they are identified
26:30 as "the mount of the congregation,"
26:33 which is symbolized by the twelve loaves,
26:36 right, so the... you know... people...
26:39 that same concern you had, you know,
26:42 "the 144,000... am I going to make it or not?"
26:44 I'm going to show you something that is absolutely
26:46 crucial to understanding...
26:49 so let's go over to Revelation 15...
26:50 Revelation 15 and... actually... I'm sorry Revelation 14,
26:56 Revelation 14... and let's...
27:00 this is a second description of the 144,000
27:03 and we've got very little time left...
27:07 James: We can pick this up though in our next program.
27:10 Yvonne: Oh wow! cliffhanger...
27:12 James: This is a cliffhanger right... but it is good...
27:14 we're going to have to do at least one or maybe two more
27:17 on this 144,000 in Revelation 7 anyway,
27:20 so we'll do that... so... we need to remind our Viewers
27:22 to go into...
27:24 Yvonne: E-mail us at sss as in Salvation in Symbols and Signs
27:30 at 3abn. org
27:33 James: sss... okay... close us out with prayer, Jason.
27:36 Jason: All right... "Dear Heavenly Father,
27:37 thank you for being with us as we study the Word,
27:40 thank you for the hope that you give us
27:42 that we can be a part of that number, Lord,
27:45 help us to be prepared for your soon return,
27:48 in Jesus' name we pray, amen. "
27:50 All: "Amen... "
27:51 James: So, we'll be looking at continuing, Ivor,
27:54 you're going to pick it up for us,
27:55 we're going to start and continue with this thought...
27:57 this cliffhanger thought you've got on your brain.
28:00 Ivor: Absolutely... Jason: Amen...
28:02 Yvonne: That's great...


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Revised 2016-09-15