Statistics  163,000 Christians die every year for their faith  ½ of all the Christians who have ever died for their faith did so in the 20 th century alone, some 35 million  Some 15 million died under the Soviet regime between 1917 and 1980.

Historically worst times  Roman persecution of early Christians  12 th -14 th centuries when Genghis Khan and Tamerlane massacred millions of Christians  1630: some 300,000 Christians in Japan (mostly Catholic) were executed often by crucifixion. Seventy of them were crucified upside down on the beach at low tide so that they would drown when the tide came in.

 : 200,000 Russian Orthodox priests, monks and nuns were slaughtered. Many crucified by nailing them to the door of their churches or stripped naked, doused with water and left to freeze in the winter air.  's: During the cultural revolution in China, some 400,000 died.  1970's: Under Idi Amin, 100,000 of the 300,000 killed were Christians.

 1994: As many as 500,000 of the 700,000 Rwandans killed were believers.  Since 1970: as many as 1,000,000 Christian and Animists have been killed in Sudan by the Muslims of the north.

Some Myths about Persecution  1. It helps the faith grow  While this can be true and God will prevail, Turkey is a good example of how it does not always work that way. From 32% to 0.2%  In Syria from 40% to 10%  In Iran from 15% to 2%  In Iraq from 35% to 5%

Some Myths about Persecution  2. Most Martyrs Are Church Leaders  3. Most Martyrs dies glorious and victorious deaths, rejoicing to suffer for Jesus.  Most are poor and frightened. They are mothers, children, workers, and students, just trying to fight for their lives.

Reasons for Persecution  Religious  Financial  Anti-Western bias  Political  Racism

What can we do?

6 th seal – God’s Final Judgment  Natural disasters – Isa. 13:6-11; 24:23; 34:4; 50:3; 64:1-3  This is the language of a theophany – when God says He will bring down a nation this is the language He uses  The moon and stars refuse to look or the earth trembles  Matthew 24:29-31; Nahum 1:3, 5, 6; Hosea 10:8 also see Luke 21:20- 24

Revelation 6:15-17  Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the generals and the rich and the strong, and every one, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand before it?"

“the Great Day of Wrath”  Some say it is the 2 nd or so year of wrath  More likely the final day, the Day of the Lord  “wrath of the Lamb” – a scary lamb???

Parallel with Matthew 24  2 nd seal – war vs. 6-7  3 rd seal – famine vs. 7  5 th seal – persecution vs  6 th seal – end vs. 13  1 st seal – Gospel vs. 14  Remember it is a double prophesy of a.d. 70 and the end of time

Revelation 7 The Status of God’s people

3. The Vision of the Seven Seals (Rev. 4-7) a. The Throne-Rome in Heaven (Rev. 4:1-11) b. The Scroll and the Lamb (Rev. 5:1-14) c. The Opening of Six Seals (Rev. 6:1-17) i. The first seal (Rev. 6:1-2) ii. The second seal (Rev. 6:3-4) iii. The third seal (Rev. 6:5-6) iv. The fourth seal (Rev. 6:7-8) v. The fifth seal (Rev. 6:9-11) vi. The sixth seal (Rev. 6:12-17) d. The Status of God’s people (Rev. 7:1-17) i. The 144,000 (Rev. 7:1-8) ii. The great multitude (Rev. 7:9-17)

Revelation 7:1  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.

Number 4  Heaven is contrasted with earth (4)  The angels hold back the four winds  These are the tribulations of the preceding chapters  Before He comes He has something He wants them to do

Revelation 7:2-3  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, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Mark or seal  A mark or a seal is like a brand for identification. It was very common to do this in a slave market.  The idea is before the tribulation I will mark you  Ezekiel 9:4-6  2 Timothy 2:19

Mark or seal  Revelation 6:17 asked, “and who can stand?” this answers the question  Paul says the Holy Spirit is our seal Ephesians 1:13; 4:30

 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed. (Revelation 7:4-8)

12,000 from each tribe  It is fatalistic or Calvinistic to think that there a literal 144,000 already sealed in heaven that will be saved  This does not match the listing of the 12 sons of Jacob  Does not match the 12 tribes list either

12,000 from each tribe  Ezekiel 48:31ff – 12 gates list does not match this list either  Therefore, I don’t think this list can be taken literally, it just doesn’t work  12 is symbolic of God’s people  10 is a number of completeness  12x12x10x10x10 = 144,000

12,000 from each tribe  The idea is all of God’s people will be sealed before the tribulation  The focus here is not the physical Jews, but on spiritual Israel  Matthew 19:28  John 11:51-52  James 1:1

Revelation 7:9-10  After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

 The focus here is clearly in heaven, the 144,000 were on earth  This is all the saints in heaven after the tribulation  White robes in 2:10; 3:4-5, 18; 6:11  Palm branches – praise and worship Matthew 21:8

Revelation 7:11-14a  All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen." Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" And I said to him, "Sir, you know."

 Just as in Zechariah 1 the angel asked the man to explain.  The point is you don’t know everything.

Revelation 7:14b-15  So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.”

 These are the ones that made it through the tribulation

Washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb  If you want to be part of the multitude what must you do?  Persevere  Be washed in the blood of the Lamb  Acts 22:16

They “serve Him day and night in His temple”  Priestly service is the word used here. We will be His attendants  Will we have jobs in heaven?  Yes, much like in the Garden of Eden

“And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.”  Literally He will “spread His tent over them”.  The point here is not our living quarters  It has to do with intimacy with God

Revelation 7:16-17  "They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Parallels with Isaiah 49:10  They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them.

“God will wipe away every tear”  This is a very powerful picture of comfort and care  What emotions will we have in heaven?  It may be like in the beginning