Reflection on Revelation 7 | 沉思啟示錄7

Author：Karen   Narrator：Liying

After the frightening opening of the first six seals , Revelation chapter 6 ends with the question of those who tried in vain to hide from God and the Lamb, "For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" Chapter 7 answers this question. This chapter is a interlude between the sixth and seventh seal to comfort God's own people, to assure them that they are protected and hiden by God,  will be safe, and can stand firm in His presence.

At the beginning of this chapter, John saw four powerful angels who were told to hold back the winds of punishment that awaited to blow destruction from every direction. The winds are at God's disposal to excute His orders. Now the winds were told by an angel to pause, "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the forehead of the servants of our God." God marks His own to protect them from the catastrophes still to be unleashed. Those without marks will be judged. But here the focus is on the security of the faithful. The winds delay the devastation until God's own people are safe. The angel from east brings "the seal of the living God " to protect God's people, to stamp them with God's authority, ownership and divine purposes.

God's righteousness demands a full and final judgment on earth in the future. Even in wrath, God demonstrates His great mercy. If you are His child through faith in His Son, you will never receive the judgment you deserve. All of God's judgment on your sin has fallen on His Son. Therefore, God's promise to you is "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."(Romans8:1) If you are not sure if you are saved or not, but you want to be saved, confess your sin, ask Jesus' blood to cover your sin, because " now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."(2 Corin 6:2) 

Then John "heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all tribes of Israel." Whether literal or symbolic, the number 144,000 is a picture of completeness. 

After this, the scene shifts from earth to heaven's throne room.  John saw "a great multitude that no one could count,  from every nation, tribe, people, and languages, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands" This immense, diverse assembly displays the greatness of God's promise to Abraham, through this one man, "all people on earth" are blessed. God united all nations and languages that have been divided. His Son redeemed people from every culture. Those redeemed ones know that they have not won their own victory. So they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." The Lamb who was slain has triumphed over sin and death! He brings the blessings of salvation to all who call on Him.

The loud cry of praise of the redeemed causes all heaven to join in worship. Their anthem begins with "Amen", which means " Let it be so!" They echo with the praise offered by the redeemed, and they claim "Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever." These qualities exalt the invincible Redeemer and assure the security of His people. The heavenly choir pauses with "Amen!" Every type of service to God must be rooted in worship, the most essential service of all. God made man to worship and glorify Him. Do you begin to realize that worship is connected to your flourishing as a person?

God sealed His protection on His people, but He does not say His people will not suffer. In fact , Jesus promised the opposite, " in this world you will have trouble." (John16:33) No wonder the great multitude are the ones "who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." The fact this multitude cannot be counted suggests it includes all who loved God through all tribulation in the world. We love God not because we can, but because He first loved us and enabled us to love Him back. The precious blood of the Lamb removed the filth of our sin and the stain of our treacherous rebellion against God. Now God welcome us with great promises, 
"and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 
Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thrist.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Those precious promises are so gracious, so comforting! Our God will be with us, be our Shepherd, lead us to the living spring, wipe away every trace of sadness. Grief on earth will be absorbed by grace in heaven. What a beautiful picture of our future! Our greatest security is in our loving Father's protective care. We can trust Him to provide what we need for our eternal good and His glory. He did not guarantee a trouble free life on earth, He promised an eternal one!

在前六封印令人心驚膽戰的開啟之後，啟示錄第六章以那些試圖躲避上帝和羔羊的人的問題結束，這些人的問題是，“忿怒的大日到來，誰能站立呢？” 第七章就回答了這個問題。本章是前六封和第七印之間的間歇，為了安慰神的子民，向他們保證，他們得到神的保護和遮蓋，將是安全的，能堅定地站在祂麵前。

在本章開始的時候，約翰看見四位大能的天使被告知要等一等，先停止刮從各個方向的懲罰之風。風是聽神調遣，執行神命令的，現在一位天使命令風暫停刮起，天使說，“地與海並樹木，你們不可傷害，等我們印了我們神眾仆人的額。” 神給祂的子民刻上印記，以保護他們免受將要臨到的災難。沒有神的印記的人將被審判，但這裏強調的是信靠神的人的安全。風遲延著不帶災難來，直到神的子民安全。從日出之東方來的天使，帶著“永生神的印”來保護神的子民，給他們蓋上象征神權柄，主權，法令的印記。

神的公義要求祂將來對全地做出全麵而最終的審判，即使在忿怒中，神仍彰顯出祂的憐憫。如果你信靠祂的兒子，你就是祂的孩子，你將永遠不會得到你應得的審判。神對你犯罪應得的所有審判都落在祂的兒子身上。因此，神對你的應許是，“那些在基督耶穌裏的就不定罪了” （羅馬書8：1）如果你不確定你是否得救，但你想要得救，現在就認你的罪，請求耶穌的寶血來掩蓋你的罪，因為“現在正是悅納的時候，現在正是拯救的日子。” （哥林後6:2）

約翰聽見，“以色列人各支派中受印的數目有十四萬四千，” 無論是從字麵上看，還是象征性地看，十四萬四千這個數都展示出完整的畫麵。

之後，場景從地上轉移到天堂的寶座。約翰看見“有許多的人，沒有人能數過來，是從各國，各族，各民，各方來的，站在寶座和羔羊麵前，身穿白衣，手拿棕樹枝。” 這個萬民的聚會，證明了神對亞伯拉罕應許的偉大，通過這一個人，“地上所有人”都得到了神的祝福！神整合了所有分裂的國家和語言，祂的兒子救贖了所有墮落在世俗文化中的人。那些被救贖的人深知，不是他們自己贏得了勝利，所以他們大聲喊叫：“願救恩歸與坐在寶座上我們的神，也歸與羔羊。” 被殺的羔羊勝過罪惡和死亡！祂將救恩的福份賜給所有呼求祂的人。

被贖者們的響亮讚美聲吸引所有在天堂的受造者加入了敬拜，他們的讚美詩由“阿門”開始，這個詞的意思是“讓它成真！” 他們回應著被贖者們的敬拜，同心合一地說，“頌讚，榮耀，智慧，感謝，尊貴，權柄，大力都歸與我們的神，直到永永遠遠。” 神的這些品性訴說了至高無敵救贖主的榮耀，確保了祂子民的安全。天堂的詩班也用“阿門”作停頓。對神的每一項事奉都必須植根於敬拜，這是最重要的事奉。神使人敬拜和榮耀祂。你是否開始意識到，敬拜和你的生命豐盛緊密相關？

神將祂的保護之印封在祂的子民身上，但祂並沒說祂的子民不會受苦。事實上，耶穌應許的正好相反，“在世上你們有苦難，” （約翰福音16：33）難怪眾子民都“是從大患難中出來的，曾用羔羊的血把衣服洗白淨了。” 事實上，這些眾多難以數算的人，包括了世上所有經過大患難，仍然愛神的人。我們愛神不是因為我們可以愛祂，而是因為祂先愛我們，使我們能夠愛上祂。羔羊的寶血潔淨了我們罪惡的汙穢，洗去了我們對神奸詐悖逆的汙點。現在神給我們極大的應許，祂說我們會“在神寶座前，晝夜在祂殿中侍奉祂。坐寶座的要用帳幕覆庇我們。我們不再饑，不再渴，日頭和炎熱也必不傷害我們。因為寶座中的羔羊必牧養我們，領我們到生命水的泉源；神也必擦去我們一切的眼淚。”

這些恩典的應許是如此寶貴，如此讓我們得安慰！我們的神將與我們同在，作我們的牧人，帶我們到生命之泉，擦掉我們的每一絲悲傷。地上的悲傷將被天上的恩典抹去，我們未來是多麽美麗的畫麵啊！我們最有保障的安全是基於我們慈愛的天父保護我們，我們可以信靠祂必提供給我們所需要的永恒的益處和祂的榮耀。祂沒有保證我們在地上沒有苦難，祂保障我們能回天家站在祂麵前！