View source for Connecting Old Testament and New Testament Israel

'''[[When Is the Sealing?]]'''
----
'''Back to [[1The Bible’s Greatest Prophecies Unlocked!]]'''
----
Some review. We first return to the &ldquo;inset&rdquo;  chapter of&nbsp;Revelation 12:1-17, which outlines  2,000 years of true Church history: &ldquo;And there appeared a great wonder in  heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her  head a crown of twelve stars&rdquo; (Rev 12:1).<br>
  
This represents the Old  Testament,&nbsp;<em>physical</em>&nbsp;nation of Israel—with&nbsp;Rev  12:5&nbsp;making clear that Jesus   Christ arose from this &ldquo;woman.&rdquo;<br>
  
Now notice: &ldquo;And to the woman were  given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into  her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from  the face of the serpent&rdquo; (Rev 12:14).<br>
  
As we saw, this is the three and a half  years during which a portion of God&rsquo;s people are protected from the horrors of  the last three seals.<br>
  
Next notice that this woman wears a  crown of&nbsp;<em>twelve stars</em>—from Old Testament times all the way to the  end of the age. The reason becomes all too obvious.<br>

<strong>Other References to Sealing</strong><br>
Recall that the 144,000 are &ldquo;sealed.&rdquo; Jesus Christ Himself, the first of the firstfruits, sets the  example His people would follow. Notice: &ldquo;Labor not for the meat which  perishes, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son  of man shall give unto you: for Him has God the Father sealed&rdquo; (John 6:27).<br>
  
All Christians who endure to the  end—either by dying in the faith or enduring until Christ&rsquo;s  Return—are sealed. Notice: &ldquo;Whom you also trusted, after that you heard the  word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that you  believed, you were&nbsp;sealed&nbsp;<em>with  that Holy Spirit</em>&nbsp;of promise&rdquo; (Eph. 1:13), and also, &ldquo;Grieve not&nbsp;<em>the Holy Spirit</em>&nbsp;of  God, whereby you are&nbsp;sealed&nbsp;unto  the day of redemption&rdquo; (Eph 4:30),  and finally, &ldquo;Who has also&nbsp;sealed&nbsp;us,  and given the&nbsp;<em>earnest of the Spirit</em>&nbsp;in our hearts&rdquo; (II  Cor. 1:22).<br>
  
Here, &ldquo;hearts&rdquo; represent &ldquo;minds.&rdquo;  Sealing then plainly means receiving God&rsquo;s Spirit.<br>
  
An Old Testament passage is helpful in  showing a certain type, or forerunner, of this sealing. Let&rsquo;s read: &ldquo;The&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;said...Go through…Jerusalem, and&nbsp;<em>set  a mark upon the foreheads</em>&nbsp;of the men that sigh and that cry for all  the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others He said  in mine hearing, Go you after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye  spare, neither have you pity&rdquo; (Ezek. 9:4-5).<br>
  
This setting of a mark is much like the  144,000 being sealed in their foreheads—again, the frontal lobes of the brain,  the seat of the mind and decision-making capacity that allows human beings to  be set apart from animals. Recall explanation in the chapter about the mark of  the Beast.<br>

<strong>The Identity Revealed!</strong><br>
Now to another key passage regarding  the 144,000, from the only other chapter in which this number is stated: &ldquo;I  looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him&nbsp;<em>an  hundred forty and four thousand</em>, having His Father&rsquo;s name written in their  foreheads&rdquo; (Rev. 14:1).<br>
  
This was foreshadowed by Jesus&rsquo; prayer on the last night of His earthly  ministry: &ldquo;And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I  come to You. Holy Father, keep through&nbsp;<em>Your own name</em>&nbsp;those  whom You have given Me, that they may be one, as We are&rdquo; (John  17:11). Paul  adds, &ldquo;Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth&nbsp;<em>is named</em>&rdquo; (Eph.  3:15).<br>
  
Continue in&nbsp;Revelation  14:1-20, &ldquo;I heard a voice from heaven, as the  voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the  voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song  before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could  learn that song but the&nbsp;<em>hundred and forty and four thousand</em>, which  were redeemed from the earth&rdquo; (Rev 14:2-3). &ldquo;Redeemed&rdquo; means these men and women were called  out of this world, and had lived God&rsquo;s way of life. (The word literally means  &ldquo;bought back.&rdquo; Read in&nbsp;I Corinthians 6:20&nbsp;and&nbsp;7:23&nbsp;how <em>all Christians</em>&nbsp;are bought with the price of Christ&rsquo;s  blood.)<br>
  
We might ask if some who receive  salvation would learn a song others receiving salvation could not know. Of  course not.<br>
  
Next, &ldquo;These are they which were not  defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb  whithersoever He goes&rdquo; (1Cor 6:4). &ldquo;Women&rdquo; here symbolizes false churches. It is  obviously not stating that no Christian in history ever committed adultery, or King David will not be  saved. The warning is about &ldquo;women&rdquo; churches. Think of the great whore and her  daughters.<br>
  
1Cor 6:4&nbsp;and&nbsp;5&nbsp;continue with the crucial statement: &ldquo;These  were redeemed from among men, being the  firstfruits&nbsp;unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found  no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.&rdquo; Reread these  verses before continuing.<br>
  
How plain! It is an equation—the  144,000 ARE the firstfruits! They are those who have qualified to be in God&rsquo;s  kingdom during the 6,000 years of man&rsquo;s rule on Earth. The first harvest of  those whom God has called and chosen has a definite total—&ldquo;an hundred forty and  four thousand&rdquo;!<br>
  
This prompts an entirely different look  at Church history, and gives&nbsp;<em>powerful new meaning</em>&nbsp;to Jesus&rsquo; description of His Church as a &ldquo;little flock&rdquo;  (Luke 12:32)!<br>
  
Very few in the Old Testament period  had God&rsquo;s Spirit. Again, perhaps only three (and no more than eight) people  appear to have served God by Noah&rsquo;s  time (II Pet. 2:5)—Abel,  Enoch and Noah.<br>
  
In the New Testament period, Jesus taught &ldquo;many are called, but&nbsp;<em>few</em>&nbsp;are  chosen&rdquo; (Matt. 22:14). Many who have been associated with  the Church, and outwardly have been considered members, did not truly&nbsp;<em>live</em>&nbsp;the  Bible (Matt. 4:4;&nbsp;Luke  4:4). Consider how history in fact records  that Linus and Clement, trained directly by the apostle Paul,  fell away and became the second and fourth popes, respectively!<br>
  
The record of history shows that many,  if not most, give up and choose various &ldquo;women&rdquo;—false churches—when persecution  or other trials set in. This background helps explain why, when false leaders  become associated with the Church, the &ldquo;many&rdquo; are deceived into following them.  This is the pattern of Church history and the very reason Christ  guides His Church through seven phases or eras. New leaders must invariably be  raised up to rekindle what was lost.<br>
  
In any event, human weakness and free  moral agency notwithstanding, 144,000 is a most crucial number to God—He will  make it work out!<br>
----
'''[[When Is the Sealing?]]'''
----
'''Back to [[1The Bible’s Greatest Prophecies Unlocked!]]'''