Dive into a profound exploration of Revelation chapter 7, where four angels hold back the winds of destruction as servants are sealed for divine protection. David explains the roles of 144,000 evangelists and the epic scope of salvation. Witness a narration on Pentecost and its significance in the plan of salvation, bridging the past with the events foretold for the last days.
00:00:00 North American Missionaries and the Gospel
If you take away all the missionaries that are liberal and don’t care about preaching the gospel, and you just count North American missionaries, including support people who work in offices, we only have 87,000. So even the number will be more than we have now. If you take away all the support people, you realize how few people in this world are actually preaching the gospel to the nations of the world. And that ought to make us embarrassed and ashamed. Lots of talk, lots of budgets, lots of programs, lots of mission agencies, but the actual number of people taking the gospel to people in this world who have never heard are very few.
SPEAKER 01 :
This is Hope for Today. And on this final day of our study in Revelation chapter 7, verses 1 through 17, the scene is nothing short of epic. Four angels stand at the four corners of the earth, holding back the winds of destruction. Why? Because God isn’t done. He’s sealing his servants, marking those who belong to him before judgment unleashes. Well, strap in. David’s taking us even deeper into Revelation chapter 7 right now on Hope for Today. Hope for Today Before we begin, be sure to pick up David’s study notes for the Revelation series, our current radio series, for just $10. All 48 messages are covered and these study notes are perfect for following along with David as he teaches. We also have the Revelation series available for you, all 48 messages on MP3, and that’s available for just $30. These tools will help you follow along as David teaches, but also help you save what you’re learning on the program and live it out. Call 1-800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 1-888-75-BIBLE in Canada or order online at davidhawking.org. That’s our Revelation Series sermon notes and the Revelation Series on MP3. And here’s David.
SPEAKER 03 :
Let’s take a look at the saved saints who come out of the great tribulation. It says, after this, that’s right in verse 9, literally after these things. In other words, following the sealing and redemption of the 144,000. Now, when I read after these things, I saw a sequence. After what things? After the 144,000 are sealed. I also read in Revelation 14, when it mentioned 144,000 with the lamb on Mount Zion, it says that they are going to take the everlasting gospel or that the everlasting gospel will be taken to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, which is what this is discussing. And so because of the sequential order after these things, I believe the 144,000 are the evangelists that are used by God to bring the great multitude to Christ. That’s what I believe will happen. Now to follow that belief up, on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, Peter said, concerning this marvel of their ability to speak in every man’s dialect in which they were born. Either, by the way, a miracle of speaking or a miracle of hearing, and I really don’t want to debate that. Either one is possible. Certainly both happened. They spoke and people heard in their own dialects. So it could be a double miracle for that matter. But in explaining it, Peter says, we’re not drunk. I mean, after all, you’ve all heard your own dialects of which we’re born. And you’ve noticed we’re all Galileans, which basically means we’re country folks that don’t talk well. And you are amazed that this has happened. But he said, this is what was prophesied by Joel. And then he quotes the passage in Joel chapter 2 that deals with the tribulation. When the sun is turned into darkness, the moon into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come and whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. In that same passage, he says to explain what happened to them. How everyone here, from all you different dialects who have gathered from all over the world, because there are three Jewish feasts, which every Jewish male, 20 years and old, has to attend. Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. They are all here from all over the world. Jerusalem of two to three hundred thousand people swells to over three million people. as they come all over the world for these feasts. And they all heard in their own dialects from all over the Roman Empire, astonished at this. Peter said, no, Joel said this would happen in the last days. God will pour out his spirit upon the sons of Israel, and their young men will dream dreams, their old men will see visions, and so forth. And whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. David’s theory now, okay? David’s theory. I want to be honest and clear. This is my theory. I don’t know it’s true or not. The last days began on the day of Pentecost. That’s not theory. That’s fact. That’s what Peter said. The last days will not end until the end of the tribulation. That’s not theory. That’s fact also. The whole period of time called the last days, which began the day of Pentecost and goes to the end of the tribulation, That whole period of time is described as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gentile nations of the world. That’s what the pouring out of the Holy Spirit is all about. It’s to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ. So I get to thinking about it. since right now there are at least over 3,000 dialects that have yet to receive one verse of Scripture in their own language, much less hear the gospel. And if the Lord would come tonight, which I hope he does, and will not delay until we are able to communicate in our own technological ways with computers and Wycliffe Bible translators and all that. But suppose that we cannot reach them all. Is it not feasible, since God said he would do it, and have people out of every tongue, as well as every nation, tribe, and people, that the 144,000 Jews who are supernaturally protected and sealed by God and are called the firstfruits of God who are redeemed, And Joel’s prophecy deals with those who are going to call on the name of the Lord and be saved. And they’ve been doing that all through history. But the final harvest of them all will come through the preaching and the ability to speak in all those languages by the 144,000 Jews. so that God actually would be doing the same thing he did on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, and the whole thing would wrap up with a mighty demonstration of his miraculous Holy Spirit power that started on the day of Pentecost as 144,000 Jews would be able to communicate in every dialect of the world. First of all, that amazes me from the standpoint of numbers. If you take away all the missionaries that are liberal and don’t care about preaching the gospel, and you just count North American missionaries, including support people who work in offices, we only have 87,000. So even the number will be more than we have now. If you take away all the support people, you realize how few people in this world are actually preaching the gospel to the nations of the world. Over half of the population of the world has yet to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. While we can listen to it every day on the radio. Imagine as God will triple the missionary force make them all Jews instead of Gentiles so they work harder, have more zeal, and then supernaturally empower them by the Holy Spirit so they can speak in all the languages of the world. Hey, no sweat. We’re going to see a mighty revival of God because of the Holy Spirit’s power. You say, are you sure? No. But I don’t see any other conclusion because 144,000 are specifically called first fruits of God during the tribulation. They’re going to be used of the Lord to bring the rest of the Gentiles to Christ. Now let’s take a look at the people who are being described here, verse 9 and 10 of chapter 7. We’ve already mentioned they are removed from all nations, kindreds, peoples, and tongues. God’s going to make sure that everybody in this world is represented with him forever and ever. They are resurrected, by the way, because it says they stood, verse 9, before the throne and before the Lamb. The standing before the throne indicates a resurrection. They are resurrected. They’re not lying down. They’re not martyred now. They’re martyrs who are resurrected standing before the throne. They are redeemed by the blood of Christ because it says they’re clothed with white robes. And verse 14 says they made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They’re rejoicing because verse 9 says they have palms in their hands, and that’s used at the Feast of Tabernacles, according to Leviticus 23, a time of rejoicing with palms waving them. They are responding with praise to God for his salvation. Look at that in verse 10. Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb. It’s like we’re offering a sacrifice of praise. The sacrifice of praise they’re offering to God is really interesting, the way this is phrased. salvation to our God. God doesn’t need to be saved. They’re presenting the people who are being saved to God as a present, as a praise, as a thank offering to God for his grace to them, salvation to our God. It’s really beautifully expressed. The praise of those in heaven. Notice that in verse 11 and 12. It says, all the angels stood about the throne. Can you imagine that? The elders are there, which we believe represent the church of Jesus Christ in heaven. The four living creatures who are the worship leaders of heaven. And what did they do? They fell on the throne, before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God. Worship characterized their praise. Worship characterizes the praise of God. Always in heaven, they fell on their faces and worshiped God. And the words they used in their praise, verse 12, they said, Amen. Now, this is not an old-fashioned idea. In fact, this is going to be done in heaven. And they all said what? Amen. And you’re not going to stop there. Let’s read it all together. Verse 12. Amen. Start with amen. Here we go. Amen, blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be unto our God forever and ever, and amen. Don’t you feel better? We’re just getting used to glory, that’s all. Now the problem here of the identity of this multitude is brought to our attention in verse 13 and 14. It says, one of the elders said, well, who are these who are arrayed in white robes? Where do they come from? I’m amazed at those who are not pre-tribulationalists who come up with their arguments about this passage. It fascinates me. because they don’t want this great multitude to be anything other than the church, because they want the church in the tribulation, so this multitude has to be the church. The problem is that one of the elders doesn’t know who they are. Well, who are they? Where’d they come from? Well, these are they who came out of the great tribulation, have washed their robes, made them white in the blood of the lamb. The elder did not know. And the explanation clearly identifies them as redeemed believers. Now, I have a question in my mind. It’s maybe in yours. If all these people are going to get saved in the tribulation, whatever means, that God will use to achieve it, if all they’re going to be saved, does that include some of your relatives and friends who haven’t accepted the Lord? That question is interesting to me. Turn to 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2 is a troublesome passage. It talks about the Antichrist, this wicked one who will be revealed, who comes after the working of Satan. Look at verse 10. “…with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, namely the Antichrist.” that they all might be judged who believe not the truth, but add pleasure in unrighteousness. You say, well, wait a minute. You can’t wipe all the unbelievers out, because then there wouldn’t be any unbelievers to get saved. How do you explain this? It seems to me that those who have had the opportunity to hear the gospel, have heard it presented, understand the terms of it, and have deliberately made the decision to reject it, will not have a second chance to receive the Lord in the tribulation. That is apparently what it means. If it doesn’t mean that, God only knows what’s being meant by these words. That’s why we do continue to witness to our family and our friends, why we don’t stop. You say, well, where are all these people going to come? Well, they’re going to come from people who have not heard the gospel of Christ. And as I said before, we still have over one half of the population of the world that has yet to hear of Christ. There will be many people, I’m sure, in our culture also who have not had a presentation of the gospel given to them or who have not volitionally and deliberately rejected it. They just don’t understand yet. And so I think there’s hope there. But if somebody has deliberately rejected the truth of the gospel, this passage says that because of that, they had the opportunity, God will send them strong delusion so they won’t believe. God’s going to judge them, literally, for their refusal to believe what has been presented to them here. It’s awesome, isn’t it? Now, I’m not trying to use fear tactics unnecessarily, but if you are listening, I want you to know that you’re accountable for what you hear. God has always made that clear. We’re accountable for what we do know. And if you understand that Christ died for your sins on the cross and rose again, you understand that’s the Bible message. You know that we can’t save ourselves unless we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And you deliberately and volitionally say, that’s a bunch of bunk. I don’t believe that stuff. That’s crazy. I want nothing to do with it. If Jesus Christ comes tonight and the tribulation begins, according to the Bible, you will follow along with the world system who will not believe. You will not be a part of those who will be saved. There will be no second chance. Serious, isn’t it? One last thing. We’ve got to quit. Let’s look at the promises of God to this multitude. This is precious. In chapter 7, these are believers, and we take these promises for ourselves in verses 15 to 17. And just notice four things. God promises them first a special place. A special place. They are before the throne of God. They serve him day and night in his temple. And he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. A special place is promised. These are martyrs. They’re going to die for their faith. These are the ones mentioned back in chapter 6, verse 11, that are going to be killed for their faith in the tribulation. But they have a special place. They’re going to be before the throne of God. Can you imagine what it’s going to be like one day to be before the throne of God? Secondly, there’s a continual protection here, verse 16. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more. That means it is going to happen. Terrible, terrible, terrible time. But they’ll hunger no more. They’ll thirst no more. Neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. By the way, that’s a reminder that because of the judgments of the tribulation, there’s going to be some severe heat. We’ll read about it later in our study. Men are actually going to be scorched and burned because atmospheric conditions are going to be radically changed on the planet. But God’s going to protect them. There’s a wonderful provision here also in verse 17. The lamb who is in the midst of the throne, I love this, shall feed them and shall lead them into living fountains of waters. Feed and lead. Doesn’t that remind you of Psalm 23? The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. To green pastures He feeds. He leads me to the quiet still waters. He restores my soul. And there’s a blessed peace that is promised here when it says, God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Same thing is said in chapter 21, verse 4, of the heavenly Jerusalem and all the believers saying, God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. It comes out of Isaiah 25, verse 8. No more tears anymore. No more heartache. No more sorrow. Have you ever had pain like you just feel like you’re going to explode? Ever had pain to where you wonder if it’ll ever end? One day, God will wipe away all tears. Praise the Lord.
SPEAKER 01 :
You’re listening to Hope for Today with David Hawking. And David will be back in a moment to offer some additional teaching. So do stay with us. Just ahead of that, David’s son Matt’s here. And we’re going to tell you about a powerful Bible study resource that will help you discover the treasures in the book of Zechariah. Zechariah is an exciting prophetic roadmap that points clearly to the coming of our Lord and the restoration of Israel. Hmm. In Zechariah 1.3, the Lord states, Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you. Matt, that message applies today as well, doesn’t it? Yes. We need repentance. Yes, we do. Zechariah is crucial to understanding that and God’s plan in these last days. Look at Zechariah 12.10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced. God has not forgotten and will not forget his covenant people. And that a day is coming when the nation of Israel will recognize their Messiah. What a day that will be. Yeah, exactly. Understand Zechariah and you’ll have tremendous insight into the future. But Matt, also the days we’re living in right now, it speaks of nations gathering against Jerusalem, Zechariah 14.2. The Lord returning and standing on a Mount of Olives, Zechariah 14.4. And of the day when the Lord shall be king over all the earth from Zechariah 14.9. Clear, literal prophecies given by God about what is yet to come. Visions of the Future was written by David Hawking to help believers understand the connection between biblical prophecy and the events we see unfolding in our world today. so that we might be prepared and watchful and strengthened in our faith. And the book of Zechariah gives us the clarity and confidence to stand firm, watch, and be ready. Amen, amen. Well, this month, we’re featuring David’s book, Visions of the Future, for $15. And when you purchase… Would you prayerfully consider adding a donation to help us continue the work of Hope for Today or send a contribution by itself, either a one-time gift or a regular monthly gift? And as always, please faithfully pray for Hope for Today. To get your copy of David’s book, Visions of the Future, for just $15, call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 1-888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Bible is 24253. Or, of course, you can reach us anytime online at davidhawking.org. Well, it’s no secret that hope for today depends on financial support from listening friends to keep these messages on the air and online, reaching people all over the world with the hope of Jesus and the truth of God’s Word. Your gifts, large or small, help provide free streaming to anyone with internet. They help us train pastors in places that have little or no Bible training. They help us put biblical resources into the hands of people who can’t afford them and even help us reach into places where the gospel and God’s word are often banned or barred. Every dollar you give is an investment in lives changed by the power of the Bible. Send your donation, your gift to Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011. RPO, Seven Oaks, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 8P1. And of course, you can make your donation on our website, davidhawking.org, or by phone at 1-800-75-BIBLE in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And here’s David to bring our time in God’s holy word to a close.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, thanks so much for listening to our broadcast. I hope you’ve enjoyed our study of tribulation saints and all the Gentiles, a multitude of them. It says a great multitude. When the Bible mentions a multitude, it’s usually a thousand or more. A great multitude means several thousand, like when he fed the 5,000, not counting women and children, and the 4,000, the same thing. This is referring to thousands of people, Gentiles, who are going to be saved, and they’ll be in heaven. And even the 24 elders that represent the church in heaven, they’re going to be asking, who are these people? And they’re going to be told, these are they which came out of great tribulation, have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. And the wonderful statements about these tribulation saints are, They will hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Wow. He’s going to do that for the
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you, David. Next time on Hope for Today, silence falls, and then all of heaven erupts. Seven angels stand ready with seven trumpets, and as the first blast, judgment, judgment comes. Hail, fire, blood, smoke, the earth is shaken, the sky goes dark, and a warning cries out to a world on the edge. What does it mean? And where is God in the middle of it all? Don’t miss David Hawking’s next message in our Revelation series. We’re going to chapter 8, verses 1 through 13. And we’ll see you next time on Hope for Today.
Dive into a profound exploration of Revelation chapter 7, where four angels hold back the winds of destruction as servants are sealed for divine protection. David explains the roles of 144,000 evangelists and the epic scope of salvation. Witness a narration on Pentecost and its significance in the plan of salvation, bridging the past with the events foretold for the last days.
