Reflection on Revelation 7 | 沉思启示录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!

在前六封印令人心惊胆战的开启之后，启示录第六章以那些试图躲避上帝和羔羊的人的问题结束，这些人的问题是，“忿怒的大日到来，谁能站立呢？” 第七章就回答了这个问题。本章是前六封和第七印之间的间歇，为了安慰神的子民，向他们保证，他们得到神的保护和遮盖，将是安全的，能坚定地站在祂面前。

在本章开始的时候，约翰看见四位大能的天使被告知要等一等，先停止刮从各个方向的惩罚之风。风是听神调遣，执行神命令的，现在一位天使命令风暂停刮起，天使说，“地与海并树木，你们不可伤害，等我们印了我们神众仆人的额。” 神给祂的子民刻上印记，以保护他们免受将要临到的灾难。没有神的印记的人将被审判，但这里强调的是信靠神的人的安全。风迟延着不带灾难来，直到神的子民安全。从日出之东方来的天使，带着“永生神的印”来保护神的子民，给他们盖上象征神权柄，主权，法令的印记。

神的公义要求祂将来对全地做出全面而最终的审判，即使在忿怒中，神仍彰显出祂的怜悯。如果你信靠祂的儿子，你就是祂的孩子，你将永远不会得到你应得的审判。神对你犯罪应得的所有审判都落在祂的儿子身上。因此，神对你的应许是，“那些在基督耶稣里的就不定罪了” （罗马书8：1）如果你不确定你是否得救，但你想要得救，现在就认你的罪，请求耶稣的宝血来掩盖你的罪，因为“现在正是悦纳的时候，现在正是拯救的日子。” （哥林后6:2）

约翰听见，“以色列人各支派中受印的数目有十四万四千，” 无论是从字面上看，还是象征性地看，十四万四千这个数都展示出完整的画面。

之后，场景从地上转移到天堂的宝座。约翰看见“有许多的人，没有人能数过来，是从各国，各族，各民，各方来的，站在宝座和羔羊面前，身穿白衣，手拿棕树枝。” 这个万民的聚会，证明了神对亚伯拉罕应许的伟大，通过这一个人，“地上所有人”都得到了神的祝福！神整合了所有分裂的国家和语言，祂的儿子救赎了所有堕落在世俗文化中的人。那些被救赎的人深知，不是他们自己赢得了胜利，所以他们大声喊叫：“愿救恩归与坐在宝座上我们的神，也归与羔羊。” 被杀的羔羊胜过罪恶和死亡！祂将救恩的福份赐给所有呼求祂的人。

被赎者们的响亮赞美声吸引所有在天堂的受造者加入了敬拜，他们的赞美诗由“阿门”开始，这个词的意思是“让它成真！” 他们回应着被赎者们的敬拜，同心合一地说，“颂赞，荣耀，智慧，感谢，尊贵，权柄，大力都归与我们的神，直到永永远远。” 神的这些品性诉说了至高无敌救赎主的荣耀，确保了祂子民的安全。天堂的诗班也用“阿门”作停顿。对神的每一项事奉都必须植根于敬拜，这是最重要的事奉。神使人敬拜和荣耀祂。你是否开始意识到，敬拜和你的生命丰盛紧密相关？

神将祂的保护之印封在祂的子民身上，但祂并没说祂的子民不会受苦。事实上，耶稣应许的正好相反，“在世上你们有苦难，” （约翰福音16：33）难怪众子民都“是从大患难中出来的，曾用羔羊的血把衣服洗白净了。” 事实上，这些众多难以数算的人，包括了世上所有经过大患难，仍然爱神的人。我们爱神不是因为我们可以爱祂，而是因为祂先爱我们，使我们能够爱上祂。羔羊的宝血洁净了我们罪恶的污秽，洗去了我们对神奸诈悖逆的污点。现在神给我们极大的应许，祂说我们会“在神宝座前，昼夜在祂殿中侍奉祂。坐宝座的要用帐幕覆庇我们。我们不再饥，不再渴，日头和炎热也必不伤害我们。因为宝座中的羔羊必牧养我们，领我们到生命水的泉源；神也必擦去我们一切的眼泪。”

这些恩典的应许是如此宝贵，如此让我们得安慰！我们的神将与我们同在，作我们的牧人，带我们到生命之泉，擦掉我们的每一丝悲伤。地上的悲伤将被天上的恩典抹去，我们未来是多么美丽的画面啊！我们最有保障的安全是基于我们慈爱的天父保护我们，我们可以信靠祂必提供给我们所需要的永恒的益处和祂的荣耀。祂没有保证我们在地上没有苦难，祂保障我们能回天家站在祂面前！