In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the judgment restrained as described in Revelation 7:1. He highlights the presence of four powerful angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the winds of the earth. These winds are essential for sustaining life on earth through the hydrologic cycle. The preacher emphasizes the significance of God's involvement in creation and His mercy, stating that judgment is His strange work. The sermon also mentions the unfolding of events in Revelation, with the seventh seal being a turning point that leads to the trumpet and bowl judgments.

Revelation chapter 7 follows Revelation chapter 6, and then chapter 7 is followed by chapter 8. I wouldn't normally open that way, except to say this, that chapter 7 is different than chapter 6 in the sense that there aren't any more of the seals loosed in chapter 7. As you move through chapter 6, you go boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, the seals are loosed, right? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Then chapter 7, there are no seals loosed, then you get to chapter 8, and you have the last seal loosed. In between is chapter 7, so the question comes, what's going on there in that flow? Why is the flow broken? There is a reason. One of the things that I'd point out here, and you can just make a note of it, file it away somewhere, and it'll help you basically make sense of Revelation, is that the judgments of God come basically three different ways. There are seal judgments, there are trumpet judgments, and there are bold judgments. That's it. Seal, trumpet, and bold judgments. We are moving through the seals, we come to chapter 7, and suddenly there is a break. And the reality is that there is a break for a very powerful reason. Look at the very end of Revelation 6, verse 17, this might surprise you. We read of those hiding in the caves and praying to the rocks, and then they say, for the great day of his wrath has come. Hides from the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb of God, for the great day of his wrath has come. And then this, this question goes forth, who is able to stand against the outpouring of his judgments and his wrath? Well, if you wipe away the chapter heading and move right on into chapter 7, what you get is the answer to that question. Who is going to be able to stand against the outpouring of God's judgment on the earth? Considering everything that's come in the last six seals, what's going to happen next and who will be able to stand against it? The answer is there are those who will be able to stand against it. And that will be the one hundred and forty four thousand Israelite believers who are sealed to survive the tribulation, sealed by God to be able to survive the tribulation. Look at Revelation seven, four, 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. Who will be able to stand against these judgments? These one hundred and forty four thousand will, because God will divinely seal them to protect them. But they're not the only ones that will survive. There is a multitude that will die during this time and they will go straight to heaven. As they die for their faith in Jesus Christ under persecution, we find them in Revelation seven, verse nine. Can you look there after these things? I looked and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number of all nations, tribes, peoples, tongues standing. Who will be able to stand against the wrath of God? Here is a multitude out of every nation, people, tribe and tongue. And they are standing. Where are they standing? In heaven. So these are the other ones that will stand, but they will stand because they will be taken to heaven. Before the throne and before the lamb, clothed with white robes, palm branches in their hands. Then one of the elders, verse 13, said to me, answered saying to me, who are these arrayed in white robes? And where did they come from? I said to him, sir, you know. And he said to me, these are the ones who came out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. So chapter seven answers then the question from the end of chapter six. Do you see that further chapter seven and chapter seven? God effectively stops to give John as he's writing this breathing room. I mean, think of John. This is all very real to him. It's almost as if he's in the middle of it, living it out. It's being unfolded to him in this great panorama. So God stops to give him breathing room. The first five seals brought great devastation. The sixth seal brought fear in the midst of global upheaval, earthquake, etc. And the sun turned black, the moon to blood with all the volcanic ash and explosion and asteroids and everything else. And so God effectively slows down to give John intermission and to give us intermission because we're studying it. And so you have that intermission before the seventh seal is loosed. Because when the seventh seal is loosed, when it's opened, there will then come out of that in a telescoping way, the trumpet judgments. Then when you get to the end of the trumpet judgments in a telescoping way, outcome, the bold judgments. Telescoping out the three different kinds of judgments, seals, trumpets and balls. So here's an intermission before the seventh seal is loosed and the great judgments begin to come in the next chapter. Now, look at Chapter seven, verse one, the first three words after these things, after these things. That tells us exactly where we are. And I say that because Chapter seven is really, really up for grabs when it comes to commentators. In other words, there's all different kinds of interpretations of what's what Chapter seven is about, of who the hundred and forty four thousand are and of when it actually occurs. I want to show you when it actually occurs right from the Bible. It actually occurs immediately following the sixth seal and its specific judgments that actually occurs right where we find it. That is important because many interpretate interpreters will put it way back at the beginning of the tribulation, like three and a half years before. We're now three and a half years into it. We're down to the last three and a half years of man on Earth. And what happens here happens exactly at that time period. Let me show you when you read after these things. The Greek is metatow toe, metatow toe, singular. After these things, pointing directly back to the events of the sixth seal as a single entity. The difference being singular and plural is found if you go back to Revelation for one, go to Revelation for one and look at what the phrase is that you find there. Taking the time to do this because if you want to interpret Revelation rightly, you have to be tidy every step of the way. Sanitary, clean, tight every step of the way. Revelation for one after these things, I looked and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this. That's the rapture rapture of the church. After these things come up either. Now that phrase looks the same in your English Bible, doesn't it? However, there's a subtle difference in the Greek. The Greek is metatow top metatow touch plural. After these things, the entire church age, the rapture takes place. So that's stretching across a huge span of time. When you come to chapter seven, verse one, you read after these things. It's metatow toe singular right after the sixth seal. That is critical to understanding then who the one hundred and forty four thousand are. They are, in fact, what the Bible says they are right here. And I am sparing you all kinds of explanation that surrounds that. But all of that is to say chapter seven belongs right where it is. And the judgment of the seventh seal comes on man when you get to chapter eight with such fury, with such force that it's the hand of God himself, as opposed to just the elements sort of gone wild in chapter six. And the only way these one hundred and forty four thousand can survive what's coming next is to be secured by God with a divine seal. They have naturally survived the Holocaust so far that's come on the earth, but they cannot go any farther without a divine preservation seal. If they're to make it alive through the last three and a half years and into the thousand year reign of Christ on earth, the millennium. And they are going to make it alive through this great tribulation. And they will be alive as mortals when the thousand year reign of Christ begins. So here they are in front of us. Chapter seven follows in time right on the heels of the sixth seal open. Chapter seven shows us one other thing that's very important to me, and that is this. As God is pouring out his judgment on the Christ, rejecting humanity on earth. He also pours out his mercy, obviously, on the one hundred and forty four thousand Israelites, so that in this chapter, God remembers his mercy in the midst of his wrath. God remembers his mercy in the midst of his wrath. It reveals a rescuing God at work in the midst of his judgment. And that isn't random, that statement. I actually got it from Habakkuk chapter three, verse two. Habakkuk chapter three, verse two. Listen to it. Oh, Lord. And remember where we are. We're in the midst of the seven years, right? The last three and a half years. Habakkuk three, two. Oh, Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid. Oh, Lord, revive your work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years, make it known in wrath. Remember your mercy. So as all these Christ rejecters hiding in the caves, praying to the rocks for them to fall on them and kill them so they can escape from the wrath of the lamb, as they are all like this on the earth and the wrath is falling. He's going to remember his mercy and he's going to be saving multitudes of people. We read it already. A multitude that cannot be numbered. So we find a God who in the midst of his wrath remembers his mercy. I like that because this is the revelation of God and Jesus Christ here. And it should open our eyes to see in a way we have never seen before the mercy of God. John Blanchard put it this way. He said we are saved not by merit, but by mercy. Thomas Brooks, the old Puritan, said God's mercies are above all his works and above our works, too. I like that. Matthew Henry said God's reasons for mercy are all drawn from himself, not from anything in us. Ralph Benning put it so well when he said, take notice not only of the mercies of God, but of the God behind the mercies. Oh, I love that. This is our God here. He's a merciful God. And the Bible says the judgment is his strange work. He doesn't like it, but he's holy, so he must judge sin. All of that then is to say this, that everything in the passage before us occurs because of the mercy of God. Let's read it. Verse one down to verse eight. After these things, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth. For what? That the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea or on any tree. Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, Do not harm the earth and the sea or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. 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. The tribe of Reuven, twelve thousand. The tribe of Gad, twelve thousand. Asher, twelve thousand. Naphtali, twelve thousand. Manasseh, twelve thousand. Simeon, twelve thousand. Levi, twelve thousand. Issachar, twelve thousand. Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin, all twelve thousand. Now, here is a very interesting passage. And tragically, too often misinterpreted. All too often, the one hundred and forty four thousand is interpreted to be the church. And that is usually by amillennialists, those that teach there is no thousand year reign of Christ on earth. They do that to fit their whole theology. So once you have no millennium in your theology, then you're stuck facing this hundred and forty four thousand that are sealed to survive. What are you going to do with them? You have to redefine them. So you make them the church. The thing is, there is nothing in the passage whatsoever to say that this is anything other than who it says that it is. And we're going to see in the book of Revelation in crystal clear terms, the one thousand year reign of Christ. Be very careful of following a theological grid given to you by men. That's very logical and leads to logical conclusions. Because sometimes man's logical conclusions that he makes in his theology. Lead him to unbiblical conclusions. Here is the one hundred and forty four thousand. Now, in this passage with the angels and these people, there's three things I want to draw out. First of all, the judgment that is happening is suddenly restrained. It's going to get worse, but it's restrained. Judgment restrained, obviously. These saints sealed and then these Israelites that are the saints are identified. Three things. Let's talk about the judgment restrained. Has to do with these angels. Revelation seven one. After these things, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth. That the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea or on any tree. Here are four angels. You know, remember at the beginning of Revelation. There is a promise to every person who reads it. I have found that one of the blessings of reading Revelation is what I would call angelology. Learning about angels. You know, the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is progressive revelation. It's progressive. It telescopes out from Genesis all the way to Revelation. It just opens wide. And when you get to Revelation, it really opens wide. So that here you would do well just to trace in Revelation the very remarkable, often wholly unexpected and previously unrevealed activity of angels. It's all here. Things we never saw before. They aren't revealed anywhere else in the Bible. And we have that case here. Four angels. We are told they are at the four corners of the earth. Four corners of the earth. Now, over the years, there have been many critics of this who have scoffed at this, saying this is basically pre-scientific thought. This dates back to when men thought the earth was flat. And this then pictures a flat square. So here we are. It's off. So it obviously can't be the four corners of the earth. What else is it? And away they go into some wild interpretation. But it says the four corners of the earth. And at the four corners of the earth, they're holding the four winds. That's the key right there. They're holding the four winds. See, what they are doing is they are at the four points of the compass. North, south, east, west. Four corners of the earth. That's what it is. That's where the winds originate. We have north winds. We have south winds. We have east winds. And we have west winds. So here the angels, what they are doing, holding the four winds, it says, is they are basically turning off the essential engine of the earth's atmosphere. Listen to the words of Henry Morris in his commentary. He says there will be at this time then no wind, imagine, on earth. There will be no wind. There will be no breeze. No waves breaking on the shore. No movement of clouds in the sky. Everything will be deathly still. That is an incredible display of power, since the circulation of the atmosphere is a mighty engine driven by energy from the sun and from the earth's rotation. The tremendous powers involved in this operation become especially obvious when they are displayed in the form of great hurricanes, blizzards, and tornadoes. That's what's coming. These winds of the earth make life possible on earth through the hydrologic cycle transporting waters inland from the ocean with which to water the earth. Yet angels, he says, only four of them had turned off this gigantic engine. Amazing, huh? Only four angels. These are powerful angels. Powerful angels. And they're holding it back because when they let go, the seventh seal will be loosed and the worst judgments we have seen so far are going to come forth. They're basically holding back these destructive forces of the winds that God is going to unleash on the earth. Will you notice in passing the reality of God's involvement with creation? There are so many today that are critical of the idea that God has any real practical involvement with creation, with the universe, and yet we see his angels right here holding back the wind. God is deeply involved, deeply involved. Holding the four winds of the four corners of the earth. Then we have not only four angels, but a fifth comes, a fifth angel. And he comes ascending from the east, verse 2. Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea. And this is what he said. We do not harm the earth, the sea or the trees. So we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. Now, this amazing angel that comes with the seal of the living God. Some have identified this angel as Jesus Christ. And believe me, you read the commentaries, you'll get all kinds of interpretations. Some have identified this as Jesus Christ. Then I saw another angel from the east. The problem with that is that it's highly unlikely this is Jesus Christ, because when you read in your Bible, look at verse 2. Then I saw another angel, another. The Greek word is Allah's. It means another of exactly the same kind in numeric order. Another of exactly the same kind of numeric order. In other words, another angel, just like the four we've seen already. That's what the Greek language says. So the Greek is saying it's it's another angel, just like the ones we've already seen. It is not Jesus Christ. We know that from the Greek. And we also know it from the angel. Look at Revelation seven, three. The angel uses the pronoun we saying, do not harm the earth, the sea or the trees. So we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. So the fifth angel is surprise, surprise, an angel. And here we are understanding Revelation. But he comes from the east. I like that a lot. This is so encouraging in this. Imagine, John, he's on Patmos. God gives him intermission from all the Holocaust of the judgments to this vision. And this fifth angel comes out of the east. Would that be encouraging to John? Oh, my. Yes. Want to know why? Because it recalls that paradise was set up in the east in Genesis chapter two, verse eight. The glory of God in the Bible comes to the temple from the east and Ezekiel forty three two. And this is the direction. Also, do you remember in the Bible? This was the area from whence came the Magi at the birth of Jesus Christ, signifying from where the Messiah would come from. Jesus is called the day spring and Luke chapter one and the morning star in Revelation 22, which signals the arrival of daylight to the rising of the sun in the east. Israel, so prominent in the first part of the chapter, will experience salvation through the sun rising of Christ. And this is the reason the east suggests a message of cheer and encouragement. But the significance of the east is not limited to just cheer and encouragement. The east is the direction of Palestine, and it is appropriate because in this section, the twelve tribes of Israel are the ones sealed. Now, mark this. As John is on Patmos, the the east would point straight to Jerusalem, straight to Jerusalem. And the significance is that that is where the salvation comes from for the whole world. And that is where the preservation comes in salvation for the whole of the one hundred and forty four thousand. So the east is significant and very encouraging. And he comes bringing the seal of God, this angel telling them to restrain their judgment of God until the saints are sealed. So the judgment is restrained. Now, the second thing is the saints then are sealed. Here is the secret of how these individuals are going to survive. It is the seal of the living God upon their foreheads. Very interesting. In the book of Revelation and during this time, there will be on the earth. Ruling and reigning and calling himself God, the Antichrist, he has a seal, doesn't he? He has a mark. Well, the Antichrist is always copycat, always. Here's the real thing. Verse two, I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the other four angels, to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, told them not to harm it until they had sealed the servant. And a number of them in verse four is one hundred and forty four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. This is God's seal, as opposed to the Antichrist seal, which we call the mark. This is the living God, as opposed to the false. God, Antichrist, this is the real, true and living God. His mark will preserve these people. Now, this whole idea of coming to mark these individuals, to preserve them in the midst of the judgment, to keep them alive is not new. Hold your place in Revelation and turn to Ezekiel. Ezekiel chapter nine, Ezekiel nine, three. One of the great things about the book of Revelation is that it ties in all of the teaching of the whole Bible. It's all there. And this whole thing of the seal on the forehead is not new. Turn to Ezekiel nine, three. Now, the glory of God of Israel had gone up from the cherub where it had been to the threshold of the temple. And he called to the man clothed with linen. Seems to be an angel who had the writer's inkhorn at his side. And the Lord said to him, go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem and put a. Watch this, a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it. And to the others, he said, in my hearing, go after him to the city and kill. This is judgment. Do not let your eyes spare nor have any pity. This is a judging angel, kind of like in the exodus, the night of the exodus, the death angel. Verse six, literally, utterly slay old and young maidens and little children and women do not come near anyone. However, on whom is the mark and begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the elders who were before the temple. So here is a preserving mark. And that is what you have on the servants in Revelation seven. The same thing. It's not new. God has done it before. Now, back to Revelation seven, three, these servants. Do you notice it says in Revelation seven, three, the seal sealed until you have sealed the servants of our God could be translated bond slaves. What that tells me is something very interesting. It tells me that these hundred and forty four thousand are going to be able to understand the things we're reading right now. And it's going to be so critical to them. They will hold in their hands copies of the Bible. They've already come to Christ. They've been Christians for a while. Now they're going to be sealed to preserve them to to answer the calling God has for them. They will understand what we understand. So where did you get that? It's very simple. Hold your place and look at Revelation one one. Revelation one one. Do you recall who the book is addressed to? Revelation one one, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his. What's it say? Sermons, bond servants. That's why the book was written. You see, we get to study it now. It encourages us. It enhances and expands our theology. These people will live by it then literally. And so they will understand these things. And believe me, they will interpret them rightly. And at that time, they're not going to be saying, oh, this is the church. Sorry, they're going to be clinging to that for their very lives and standing upon it. And when they are marked by the angel and sealed, they're going to encourage each other, going, look, it's all here. It was all foretold. That is so tremendous to me. So the judgments are restrained for a while and the saints are sealed. They might survive through this Holocaust of judgment. Not only that, you have the you have to remember, you have the Antichrist persecuting any that believes it's going to be a very hard time to stay alive on Earth. It's going to be so hard to stay alive. Let me just assert this to you before we go any farther. Not one, not one unbeliever, not one is going to make it through the next three and a half years here up to the coming of Jesus Christ alive. Not one. And yet one hundred and forty four thousand will make it through alive and some other believers among the nation of Israel and some other Gentile believers. But not one unbeliever will make it through this alive to the second coming of Christ and on into the millennial reign. Not one judgments of the Lord are sure. So tuck that away. The judgments are restrained. The saints are sealed. Now the Israelites are identified. Let's look at them. These numbers should be taken literally. Revelation seven four. 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. We are told then that there are in the following verses, there are twelve thousand from each tribe. What do you think? Twelve thousand really means twelve thousand. Twelve thousand. You know, back in First Kings 19 and it's echoed in Romans 11. Elijah, the prophet, goes before the Lord. He's discouraged. He's moaning and he says, Lord, I did my job. We killed the prophets of Baal and now they're persecuting me. And I alone am left as the one that does not bow the knee to Baal. And God says, get up. I got seven thousand more like you. Seven thousand more like to get off it. So that's a lot. But that is to say that in that day, God had reserved for himself seven thousand. That number is specific and real. And so just as we take God's word for the past and those seven thousand, we take his word for the future. And the twelve thousand here from each tribe. Now, when you look at verse four and you read, 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. You have to realize this is staggering. You have to realize that here are the merciful elective purposes of God. There is no other way to account for this number. In other words, God has determined really an eternity past that there's going to be one hundred and forty four thousand exactly to go forth from among the nation as evangelists, as missionaries. They will no doubt account for the multitude that no man can number in heaven. That we read at the beginning of the message that die for their faith. They're martyred and they go to heaven. They will no doubt be very active in leading them to Christ. And their ministry will be at the same time as the great two witnesses that will study in chapter 11. So you have to realize I love this. I love seeing God in control. You have to realize that there is no way humanly possible that man could be active and serve the Lord and go out and lead to Christ. One hundred and forty four thousand Israelites and have them become 100 percent committed to the call of God in Christ to be evangelistic missionaries. That's impossible. It's humanly impossible. So God steps in and he guarantees that it will happen and he will make it happen. The elective purposes of God in the Bible are amazing to behold because it shows you all the way right down here to the very end who is in control of salvation. It's so lovely. And so you see God merciful in his elective purpose right here, guaranteeing this number. There's no other way it could happen. And then the names of the tribes are listed. Now, the names of the tribes are listed all through the Old Testament. And you must know this. They are never in the same order and they always serve a given purpose. And here, as you study these names, if you're familiar with the names of the tribes, you're going to notice something peculiar. That is that there's a couple of tribes missing. For one thing, I notice immediately Dan is missing. That's important to me. I want to know where Dan is. Well, if I study my Bible and research it, I'll find out Dan was so idolatrous. I don't want to say this publicly. My name is Dan. Dan was so idolatrous that Dan is out and Levi's in. See, in the list of the 12 tribes, that's the way God portioned out the land. The Levites didn't have any land portioned out to them. So you don't see them in the list of the tribes. But here Dan is out and Levi's in because Dan was so idolatrous. Then you move through the list. You see Levi in verse seven and you see in verse eight says the tribe of Zebulun. And then it says the tribe of Joseph. Now, that's very interesting. That tells me then, since Manasseh is up in verse six, that Manasseh is one of the sons of Joseph. Where's Ephraim? Ephraim's out, Joseph's in. Why? Because Ephraim was so sinful, God said he would cut them off. In the Old Testament. And yet, if you read Ezekiel 48, which speaks of the millennial reign of Christ, the thousand year reign of Christ, which will follow this three and a half year period. You will find listed there Ephraim and Dan back in, in the millennial reign of Christ because of grace. Because of grace. God will fulfill his promises to the nation Israel, every single one of them. And that is why you must see this as literal. These are real people from the tribes of Israel. Now you say, well, wait, how, how will they know? The tribes have been scattered. What about the ten lost tribes? And what I heard they were in Great Britain. How will they know? Depends on where you've been, what you've been taught. How will they know? Listen, they don't know. But guess who knows? God. God knows. Very easy for him to call them by his spirit. And when they all respond and you count them up, there'll be 144,000. God has preserved the tribes and he knows where they are. Now. You have to ask yourself. Why? God is going to such an extent to protect these 144,000 Israelite evangelists. Because he intends. He's guarding his promises. He intends to fulfill all the promises he made to Israel. And that is what he's going to do. That's what the 1000 year reign of Christ on a restored earth is all about. It's to fulfill his promises to the nation of Israel. Do you remember when the disciples were with Jesus? Before he went back into heaven. And they said, will you at this time restore the kingdom? And he basically at one point he was going up to Jerusalem. He was going to die. And he basically said, no, I'm going to die instead. Oh. Well, what about all the promises then? Of the kingdom. When we will rule and reign with you. That's a thousand years. You read of later here in the book of Revelation. So God is going to fulfill all of his promises. And that is why he's going to such an extent. To protect these Israelites that believe on Christ so they can evangelize their nation. And thus the words of Paul in Romans 11 are fulfilled when he says. He starts to praise God. He's been mourning over his people, the Israelites, that they didn't receive Christ as their Messiah. And he says, so then all Israel will be saved. And it speaks of that time when these people will evangelize the Israelites and they will come to Christ. And then the earth will be restored. Christ will reign for a thousand years. The wonderful thing is, and we'll study that more as we go through Revelation. Is that we're going to come back with Jesus Christ. He will judge what he calls the sheep and the goats. That's believers and unbelievers. None of the goats will go into the kingdom. There will not be one unbeliever left alive, surviving God's wrath to go into the thousand year reign of Christ. Let me give you a scripture to back that up. In second Thessalonians 2, 11. Paul writes and he says, for this reason, God will send them strong delusion. They should believe the lie. Here it is that they all may be condemned. All of them who did not believe in the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. So those who missed the rapture. Then failed to come to Christ. Are not going to make it out alive. That's pretty scary, isn't it? Pretty scary. So the day of the Lord will eventually destroy all Christ rejecting ungodly mortals. And when God is all done working his work. So many will have come to Christ because he preserved the one hundred and forty four thousand and has two witnesses. And the Bible is full of examples of how God does this. When God destroyed the world in the flood, he preserved to Noah and his family. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, he preserved Lot and his daughters. When God destroyed Jericho, he preserved Rahab and her household. Rahab and her household. When he destroyed Egypt, he preserved Israel. When he destroys the Christ rejecters on the earth, he will preserve these one hundred and forty four thousand Billy grams. And they will go on in to populate the kingdom. Follow this thought right now in the world. There are probably realistically around 60,000 missionaries in the field. What is going to happen when one hundred and forty four converted Jews are preaching Christ in the midst of this kind of Holocaust? What's going to happen is an innumerable number are going to be saved. There will be. In other words, one of the greatest revivals in the history of the world will take place during the outpouring of God's wrath. Don't you love it? Our God is an awesome and merciful God. And the Bible is so clear on these issues. Can you finish with me by turning to Zachariah 12? Zachariah 12. You study revelation, you learn the Old Testament. Zachariah 12. God foretells the day, the time of this reign of Christ, when Israel will come to believe on him. These last few years here on earth. Zachariah 12 10 will happen because of the work of his spirit. His grace. Zachariah 12 10. I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication. And then they will look on me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for him as one mourns his only son and grieve for him as one grieves for his firstborn. In that day, a fountain shall be open for the house of David, for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and uncleanness. In that day, it shall come to pass in all the land, says the Lord. Verse eight, that two thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one third shall be left in it. I will bring the one third through the fire and refine them as silver is refined. Test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name and I will answer them and I will say this is my people. And each one will say the Lord is my. Oh, God is so good. God is so good. He is going to save so many more than we ever dreamed he would or could. And I thank God they will be saved, just as he said. And I think the Lord that I'm saved now. And I'm going to continue to seek him until he raptures me off this earth with his church into heaven. Or until I die and go into his presence. And then I'm coming back with Jesus. And with all of you, we get to rule and reign with him on earth for a thousand years. And then he's going to make a new heaven and a new earth where there's no sin and where in dwells righteousness forever. What a great hope we have as the people of God. And it's all written down in advance for us so that our hope is fixed and real. Father, thank you for writing it all down for us. Thank you, Lord, for all the details. Thank you, Lord, for opening our minds and our hearts to just how big and wonderful you really are. We pray you work your saving work in every heart. And that you protect us and fill us and use us until our time is done. And we come home to be with you. And we ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.