As we have seen in the previous devotions: after the rapture, and at the start of the Tribulation, there will be many people becoming believers.
So by now, we can assume that the Israelites have already begun to recognize the "signs" of their Messiah's second coming. And they will have realized that Jesus WAS and IS their Messiah. Becoming believers as a nation will fulfill the Mosaic covenant. They will be living in perfect obedience to God's will - righteous in God's eyes because of their salvation through Jesus.
As Jesus promised in the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants, the perfect King (being Jesus) will bring the Israelites into the Millennial kingdom to establish and fulfill all their covenants. In order to fulfill that promise, Jesus will make sure that there are Israelites from all 12 tribes still alive at the end of the seven years by sealing 144,000 of them...
(Revelation 7:1-8) After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5 from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 6 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, 7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.
From this we see:
- four angels hold back the winds of the earth. They might be holy angels, but they are most likely fallen angels because they have been given permission to harm the sea, earth and trees (7:1-3)
- a holy angel ascends from the rising of the sun and temporarily tells the four angels to stop what they are doing, UNTIL the 144,000 Israelites have been given God's seal of protection (7:2-3)
Personal experience: if everything were left up to us, nothing would be safe, and everything would be impossible.
I know I could never earn God's love! I know I cannot be perfect! I know that I cannot keep every promise that I make. I know I could not save myself. And I know that I could not keep my salvation safe!
Today's takeaway: I love how Jesus wants the best for us and does everything for us!
(Galatians 2:15-21) “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. 17 But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! 18 For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”
(Philippians 2:1-13) Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
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