Wrath Restrained for God’s Chosen

Revelation 7:1-8

1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried 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, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: 5
of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;
6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;
7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;
8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

After John was shown the judgement of the six seals, after he witnesses people hiding from God’s wrath on their sin and their inability to stand before the holy and righteous One, then he sees this.  From the four corners of the earth, in every direction of the compass in an angel, that together are holding back further calamity as the next event unfolds.  A fifth angel rises out of the east with God’s seal.  He shouted to the four to hold back their destruction on the earth, sea, or trees for a time, that God’s servants may be sealed as His.  These to be marked as His consist of twelve thousand of each of the twelve tribes of Israel.  They are His chosen children, chosen to bring the gospel to all nations as promised to Abraham.  Then those called out of the nations would be sealed with His Spirit to join these eternally in God’s presence as His people. This is not to say that only hundred and forty-four thousand of Israel are saved, but that these are set apart of all Israel before any others.  The next verses will make this clearer.  For now it is essential to see God chooses who He wills to be His people, and it is not by our natural birthright. Salvation is God’s to bestow on whomever He will, not on whoever chooses apart from His original choice of us.